Okay, so in the last chapter, there was a hint of possible romance. Eh. So Al loves Winry, and Winry loves Ed. No one knows whether Ed loves Winry or not. If he did, Al wouldn't get in the way because of his sense of brotherly loyalty. Freddy was kind of caught in the crossfire. Anywho, there isn't much in this chapter. It will pick up in the next couple of them.

My Misadventures in Alchemy

Chapter 13: Is it Really that Bad?

The next three days determined one thing for certain: Winry and I were not going to be friends. She and I were very different people. We fought about everything from the explosion, to our very different tastes, to time with Ed. She had become certain that I was the evil temptress trying to steal 'her' man away, and she got extremely defensive whenever I tried to speak to Ed alone. It was like we had become two divorcing parents in a bad custody battle.

"You can have him tonight, I've got to adjust his arm."

"The library closes by seven!"

"Too bad, Nitro Nerd!"

"Bite me, Gear Geek!"

Our outbursts sometimes got so loud and obnoxious that Ed and Al would have to hold us apart as we screamed across the room at each other. On more than one occasion I had hidden her tools, only to have them thrown at me when she found them. Finally, at some point during the week she was in Central, we had become tired of arguing and made a silent truce. If not for our own sakes, then for the sake of the other patients on the ward who had listened to us bicker.

The day she left for Rush Valley to continue her apprenticeship, she hugged Al and Ed, lingering with the latter as if to prove a point. She then slung her little case of tricks onto her back and turned to me, her trademark glare set firmly on her features. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, so I tensed, ready to duck and cover. She looked me over, sticking out her lower lip and pointing at me, voice threatening.

"Don't kill him!"

With that, she walked over to the door, opened it, stepped out and slammed it shut behind her. Al, Ed and I all stared at the door in shock and finally I shook my head, looking over at the blond boy.

"You'd think I was slipping arsenic into your food!"

Ed looked down at the half-eaten candy bar in his hand, then shrugged and took another bite.

Two days later, I was released from the hospital. The doctor walked in and scratched his head, confessing that he'd never heard of Prince Metals or the medication I had been on. With that, he signed the paperwork and let me go with the advice to 'take it easy.' I tried not to laugh at this.

The past two weeks had been spent alternating between searching for a doctor who was interested in my condition and the transmutation circle that would get me home. The mission had become a wild goose chase. What was worse, the Elric brothers had become paranoid that I would have another episode, and because I didn't have any medication left, it would be fatal. So they switched days in which they would watch over me, the only time to myself was reserved for bathing and using the facilities.

Today, it was Ed's turn to escort me from doctor to doctor, the summer heat making the journey between offices even less enjoyable. Ed and I stepped out of the air conditioned office of yet another failed attempt, sighing at the waste of the last half hour. I looked over at Ed to see him shake his head in frustration and I crossed my arms. One more down, countless to go.

I walked over to a phone booth, popping open the door and holding it open while Ed slipped in after me. While I don't like the fact that I'm vertically challenged, unlike Ed, I could admit that it had its advantages. Like fitting two people into a phone booth, as long as you didn't move around too much. Ed grabbed the phone book and flipped it open.

"How about O'Gradley?"

"No, we saw him already. He was the one with the bowling trophies and the crazy receptionist."

"Oh yeah…"

Ed scanned down the page further and grinned, tilting it so I could see.

"How about this one?"

I peaked over his shoulder at the name, eyes widening and I screeched.

"She's a veterinarian!"

"Well, I figured after those catty remarks with Winry…"

"You're such a jerk!"

Ed snickered and I felt my face flush in anger. He finally calmed and pointed out a doctor who specialized in patients of the human variety. I nodded and after a tightly squeezed version of the Waltz, Ed and I had switched places to that I could use the phone. I dialed in the number and in seconds I was talking to the receptionist. She was very bubbly and when I described my little condition, she told me the address of the office, promising me that the doctor would be very interested.

He wasn't.

By the time we had emerged from the office, tired and annoyed, the summer sky was clouded over, cooling Central considerably. Ed checked the pocket watch he always had tucked away and grumbled that the offices of other doctors would be closed, perhaps it would be better to just head back to the dorms. I was left with the same thought I had ended the search with every day for the past two weeks, unknowingly letting it slip through my lips.

"I'm never going to get home."

I sighed and as we turned in the direction of the dorms, I bit my lip. Wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the chilled air, I hung my head slightly and let my hair fall into my face. This search seemed to become more and more useless. I felt as though I would never see Vancouver again. I would never see Seth or Mom again. I would never see Terry or my other friends again. I would never know what happened to the Robson kids.

I swallowed the growing lump in my throat, shivering, and fought against the tears that stung my eyes, willing myself not to cry. Not here, not now. I couldn't cry. I felt something warm slip around my shoulders and I looked down to see it was Ed's coat. I looked up at him in wonder and he gave me a slight smile.

"At least you're alive. Is it really that bad here?"

I let my eyes return to the ground as we continued, turning into the entrance of the military base. I mulled his words around in my head, considering them. I didn't understand Ed. Was he saying that because I had a heartbeat I should feel happy? Wasn't that hypocritical? This place wasn't a torture chamber. I like the friends I've made here. I liked the adventure of it all. I was beginning to enjoy learning alchemy. But Amestris, Central, it was no Vancouver.

I missed Mom, Seth, my friends… I wouldn't even mind being yelled at by my chemistry teacher because 'I'm hopeless and can't even count molecules in an equation!' I didn't realize we were back inside the dorm room until I heard Ed's voice.

"Freddy?"

I snapped back to reality, looking around myself to see I was standing in the middle of the room, my arms across chest and fisting the cloth of Ed's coat. I looked over at him as he walked towards me, face laden with concern and I blinked, surprised as tears spilled down my face. I swallowed hard against my tight throat and I struggled to speak.

"It isn't that bad here. It's just…"

My voice gave out and I felt my lip tremble, tears streaming down my face faster. I tried wiping them away in vain, trying to stem the river, embarrassed by my sudden break down. I squeezed my eyes shut, silent sobs rocking my shoulders. I felt arms wrap around me and I didn't push them away, giving into the emotions that I fought back for the past couple of months.

I buried my face in Ed's shoulder, my hands fisting the front of his shirt. I felt so guilty, taking comfort from him like this. I know I didn't have much to cry about, not compared to him. And yet here I was, crying into his chest, starving for some reassurance that there was a little scrap of good in this.

My body was simply too tired to cry for too long and after only minutes, my sobs died down to slight shivers and tears slowed, the occasional drop falling. The circles Ed had been rubbing into my back to comfort me halted and I pulled away slightly. I felt embarrassed and I regretted letting my emotions run away with me. I muttered an apology, refusing to meet Ed's eyes. He wouldn't let me avoid them, however, and he tucked his fingers under my chin, forcing me to make eye contact.

"Don't apologize… Winnifred…"

I decided that I didn't like Winry very much, she doesn't really have a place in this story. She may come back, she may not. Aw, another sweet moment between Ed and Freddy. Ed's so good at friendship comfort!