Vague voices filled her head. Unintelligible words whirled restlessly in her mind, mixing and creating an annoying buzz.

She tried to open her eyes, but she failed. She then tried to put in order the chaos that ruled around her. A woman's voice, a door banging, her ankle hurting.

-Mrs Elric?-

Finally the fog that shadowed her eyes cleared.

-Mrs Elric? Can you hear me?-

The voice belonged to a young woman whose eyes seemed made of ice. Realizing that Winry had finally regained consciousness, the woman smiled and spoke again:

-Let me introduce myself, I'm Doctor Cameron. You're in one of the medical rooms of the Briggs Fortress. If you're feeling confused don't worry, it's normal. Do you remember anything of what happened?-

Winry stared at the woman for a few seconds, then, unable to answer, she looked around, dazed.

The room was rather small, it had two beds and only one window. On the wall in front of the window, next to the doorway, there was a shelf full of books and bottles, all precisely ordered according to their sizes. Apart from the doctor, in the room there was also another woman, a nurse, who was sitting at a small desk near the door.

Winry tried to remember again. She looked at the doctor one more time.

She wore a long and white coat and underneath it she caught a glimpse of a black sweater on which a necklace with a pendant as red as a stain of blood stood out.

In that moment she saw it all over again, from when she hugged Thomas and Nina to when the bear had thrown her against the wall, after having brutally wounded Edward.

She heard the cries, she tasted the dust, she saw the blood.

Winry closed her eyes again, trying to delete those terrible images. Noticing her turmoil, the doctor decided to give her some additional explanation.

-Luckily the bear's bite didn't sever the tendons of your ankle, so with a bit of rest and rehabilitation it will be just like before. And don't worry about your children. They're safe. They were injured when they arrived here, but we called a pediatrician from North City to take care of them and now they feel a lot better.-

Winry opened her eyes and smiled.

-Thank you...-, she whispered, but her blue eyes faded again. -My... My husband... Where is he?-, she asked in a low voice.

The nurse looked up, the doctor hesitated.

-Answer me please...-, Winry insisted.

The doctor glanced at the nurse, who turned back to her papers, then spoke.

-Well Mrs, you see, your husband wasn't as lucky as you were. The wound inflicted by the bear was a lot deeper and it damaged some organs that, as I think you know, had already been compromised in the past. Our surgeon is trying to perform an operation and if it will succeed it'll save his life.-

Winry listened without batting an eyelid, while a single tear cut through her face.

-When will I be able to see him?-, she asked.

-I can't answer to this yet.-

-I see-, she said lowering her eyes. - Can I... see my children.. at least?-

-Of course...-, the doctor consented. -But now they're in their room and they're resting so...-

-It's not a problem. I'll go there-, Winry said sitting on the bed, but when she tried to stand up, a stab of pain blocked her.

-Wait, Mrs Elric! The first movements must be slow and careful! Don't you think it should be best to wait a few more hours?-, the doctor asked holding her.

-No. I waited long enough. Now take me to my children-, Winry retorted staring at her.

-As you wish-, the woman sighed.

-She's asleep now, you can let go of her hand if you want Thomas.-

The child ignored the General and kept holding his sister's hand firmly. She was peacefully sleeping in her bed.

-You have never let her go since your arrival. Don't worry, she's safe now-, the woman said, observing the scene from one of the armchairs.

-I can't-, the child explained. -Dad told me that I have to hold her hand and never let it go.-

The General smiled and didn't say anything else.

-Where are my mom and dad?-, he asked all of a sudden.

The woman stared at him for a few seconds, trying desperately to find a way to tell the child that his mother hadn't regained consciousness yet and his father was risking his life.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock on the door.

The General got up, opened the door and she became speechless.

-Mrs Elric! Doctor Cameron!-, she exclaimed.

Winry was too weak to walk, so the doctor had got her a wheelchair that had personally pushed through the Fortress' corridors to the room.

-Good evening General!-, Winry greeted her hinting a smile. -Can I enter?-, she asked hesitating.

-Of course!-, the woman answered, moving aside to let Winry and the doctor pass.

As soon as she saw the two children safe and sound, she felt the ice blocking her breath finally melting.

-Mom...-, the child whispered.

-Hi Thomas...-, she murmured while tears filled her eyes.

Thomas for the first time dared to let go of Nina's hand and rushed into his mother's arms. Winry hugged him, kissing his cheek.

-I've always been with Nina, just like dad told me!-, he hurried to say.

-Good boy! I'm proud of you!-, Winry told him, hugging him again.

-Mom?-

-Yes sweetie?-

-Where's dad?-, Thomas asked.

The General and the Doctor looked at each other.

-Dad is... he's still with the doctors-, Winry answered. -They took care of us and now they have look after him too. Everything will be fine!-, she reassured her son, faking a smile and trying to convince herself too.

-The pediatrician said Thomas' hand will heal in a short period of time. Nina's knee is a little more serious. There are some fractures and the wound is quite deep. She won't be able to walk for a few weeks, but if she follows all the medical advices she'll heal completely.-

-These are good news, aren't they?-, Winry asked hopeful, stroking Nina's blonde hair.

-Yes, they are-, the doctor confirmed.

-I really thank you.-

-Don't say that. It was the least we could do-, the General answered.

Woken by the voices, Nina stretched rubbing her still sleepy eyes and bursting in a dazzling smile as soon as she saw her mother's face.

-Mom!-, she exclaimed sitting and stretching out her arms towards Winry.

Winry picked up her daughter and set her on her legs, hugging her like she did with Thomas.

-Does your leg hurt badly?-, she asked caring, looking at the bandages on her child's knee.

Nina shook her head vigorously.

-Just a little!-, she answered.

Winry smiled and kissed her forehead, ruffling her blonde hair.

After a few minutes the doctor returned to the medical department, while Thomas and Nina fell asleep in their mother's arms.

The General decided to stay with Winry to keep company. Since the children were asleep the young woman's face had lost every mark of calm that she had showed to have to her children. Her hair fell on her shoulders framing her face, grown thin because of the suffering of those days. Her wet eyes looked at the mountains beyond the window without really seeing them.

-You're really worried about him, aren't you?-

General Armstrong's voice brought Winry back to reality.

-Don't be-, she spoke again. -Our doctors are excellent.-

Winry hinted a smile.

-I'm sure of this, but... I'm scared anyway.-

-Edward's always been strong, he'll manage this time too-, the General tried to reassure her.

-I don't understand why after all what he had to stand, now he has to suffer again. They tried to destroy his family and they almost succeeded... and when finally everything seemed to be over...-

Tears prevent her to continue her outburst. Thomas mumbled something unintelligible, then sank his face deeper in his mother's chest.

The General didn't dare to speak again.

After a few minutes the regular rhythm of the children' breathing was interrupted by two knocks on the door.

With the approval of Mrs Elric, the General permitted to open the door.

A young woman entered, the same who was sitting at the desk in the room where Winry woke up. She took a few steps then in a solemn voice declared her announcement:

-Mr Elric exited the surgery room. The operation was successful.-

It took a few seconds to Winry to understand what the woman had just said. When she finally realized it her face lightened up. The only thing that prevented her from standing up and rushing to Edward were the two sleeping little angels in her arms. Not even her hurting ankle would have stopped her.

-Can I... can I see him?-, she asked in a trembling voice.

The nurse nodded.

-Don't worry about the children. I'll look after them-, the General offered.

Winry thanked her and with her help she laid her children on their beds. She kissed them both and let the nurse guide her through the endless corridors.

After what Winry thought to be ages, they stopped in front of a door of the medical department.

The nurse opened it and pushed Winry's wheelchair in.

The room wasn't bigger than the one in which the young woman had been hospitalized. Only one window opened on the wall in front of the doorway. The only source of light was a lamp placed on a small shelf set next to the wall.

The nurse pushed the wheelchair nearer the only bed in the room.

Edward was lying motionless. The only movement was his almost imperceptible breathing. A light blue sheet covered him up to his waist. His abdomen was completely bound with white bandages that on his left hip became pinkish. The bare skin of his chest was covered with scratches and small wounds. Another bandage bound his head, while his right cheek was almost completely covered by a sticking plaster. His hair was tied and fell tidy on a shoulder.

Winry looked at him with wet eyes, then smiled and took his hand.

-Ed? Edward?-

But she didn't receive any answer.

-Why isn't he answering me?-, she asked worried the nurse.

The woman lowered her eyes.

-Can you tell me what's happening?-, Winry asked again raising her voice.

-The operation succeeded-, Doctor Cameron answered, appearing all of a sudden on the doorway. -But sadly Mr Edward didn't wake up. Probably... he went into a coma.-

Winry stared at her for a few seconds, trying to understand what she had just heard.

-And... when will he wake up?-, she asked turning to her husband again.

-Mrs Elric, the question isn't when, but if... he will ever wake up-, the woman answered in a low voice.

Again, Winry felt fear and desperation biting her heart.

-Can you leave me alone with him please?-, she asked without looking away from Edward's face.

-Of course-, the doctor consented. She opened the door and with her colleague she disappeared in the corridor.

For a few seconds Winry didn't do anything. She felt content with looking at Edward's closed eyes. She squeezed his hand, hoping her gesture would be reciprocated, but in vain.

-You must wake up-, she said suddenly, while tears wet her face. -You can't play into their hands. We're... we're stronger as long as we're together. We'll show them that it takes a lot more to separate us, won't we?-

She dried her tears and hinted a smile, squeezing even tighter her husband's hand.

She kept vigil at his side until she collapsed, exhausted, and fell asleep.

In the sky above Briggs, in the sky gray clouds thickened and snow started to descend again with its cold elegance.