Chapter 10

Edward's POV

I was becoming master of the crutch. I was able to get almost anywhere with only two limbs and a crutch. I scared Winry one time when I quietly snuck out of the house without her knowing. She almost died from a heart attack when she walked into my room and couldn't find me. But she later found me and Al sitting outside in the grass. As the months passed it was getting easier to do everything; I mastered walking, eating, and taking a shower by myself (Al was helping me at first). But now, all of that was about to end. I was due to get my automail today!

Winry walked in with a giant smile on her face. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm excited to finally see them." I replied standing up with the assistance of my crutch.

Over the past week Winry had been in and out of my room getting measurements for the automail. I had told her earlier in the week that I wanted to see them, but she refused saying that I'll see them at the connection.

I hobbled into the living room and sat on the couch.

Pinako sat at the kitchen table watching me and Winry.

Winry brought down a briefcase from her room. She set it on the ground and opened it, as she did she was beaming with joy. She gently pulled something out from the case. "Edward…" She stated almost dramatically, "… this is your new leg." She held a gleaming silver leg. She set it down and pulled out another object.

My arm.

"Alright." She smiled. "Are you ready to connect?"

I nodded.

Granny walked over, a weird bent pipe-like device in her hands.

I noticed that Winry also had one. "What are those for?"

"For connecting, these flip the switch that attaches the nerves to the machine." Winry smiled picking up my arm.

Granny picked up my leg and locked it into the metal contraption on my leg. She inserted the metal pipe into a hole on my leg. "I'm ready to connect."

Winry did the same attaching my arm and inserting the metal pipe. "I'm ready too."

"Kid, this is going to hurt like h***. Are you ready?" Granny stated.

I nodded and braced myself for the pain.

"3…" Granny counted, "2… 1!"

The two turned the switch and connected the nerves.

Pain shot and coursed through my body. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" I screamed as the pain racked my body. My vision darkened and started to blur.

"Al!" Winry cried. "Help us lay him down."

"Yes ma'am," Al answered.

I felt someone support my head and someone else lift up my feet onto the couch. Once they laid me down on the couch, I withered away from their helping hands in pain.

Alphonse's POV

"Will he be okay?" I asked as I watched my brother wither and squirm in pain from the nerves attaching.

"Give him an hour. He'll feel much better; weak, but better." Winry replied as she closed the brief case.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She answered smiling.

My armor clanged as I sat on the floor next to my brother. Ed would moan, groan, whimper, and scream as he tossed and turned on the couch. I had to hold him down once or twice to prevent Ed from hurting himself when he had an episode of pain. After each episode he would go back to his calm state of whimpering and moaning. It was painful to watch.

Around 45 minutes after the connection, Edward stopped groaning and whimpering. Instead he seemed almost peaceful as he slept. Winry had me take a damp wash cloth and pad Ed's forehead free of cold sweat.

Edward slowly opened his golden eyes.

"Brother, how do you feel?"

Edward groaned and closed his eyes.

"He's fine." Winry answered. "We just need to let him sleep it off."