CHAPTER 4:

Al had seen Ed hurt before. Many times. He saw his brothers freshly ripped off limbs, him bleeding profusely from the lab incident, and plenty of other small incidents. However, this one was different. He never saw Ed look so broken before. Al wished he could cry. It always felt like a choked up sob wanting to burst from him, but his lack of a body prevented that from happening. It was an uncomfortable, agonizing feeling. He knew his brother was worse off though. Ed was strong, never asked for help and always tried to be big brotherly towards Al. However, Al had seen Ed at his worst moments before. Even when Ed would insist he was okay Al was always there to just put a hand on his shoulder. This time however, Ed was alone. All alone in a caved in mineshaft. God he was probably so scared… Al felt like a terrible brother. Ed protected him all the time. Ed was always taking care of him, reassuring him. Yet Al couldn't be there when Ed needed him the most.

Al was positioned on the floor outside of the surgery ward. None of the chairs were big enough for his stature, so he always tended to sit on the floor. He knew Ed hated hospitals and since they've joined the military, they've seemed to come to the hospital quite often. The familiar noises and sights were all numb to Al now. Roy was pacing up and down the hall, not being able to keep still, while Riza was sitting in a small chair, watching Roy anxiously. It had been an hour since Ed was put into surgery. They had no idea the extent of the damage done, or if he was even going to survive. The bright red light reading "SURGERY IN PROGRESS" was disgustingly comfortable to the three, that light meant Ed was still alive. Ed was still breathing to some extent. When that light turned off, none of them knew if it would be a corpse rolling out or not.

"He's going to be alright, Alphonse." Riza said in her gentle motherly voice. Al nodded slightly, but he wouldn't believe it until he saw it.

The light turned off.

Roy stopped in his tracks, Riza and Al stood abruptly. The same woman from the mines came out and positioned her glasses once again. She looked exhausted. Her hair that had been neatly put back, now had strands flying in every direction. The bags under her eyes seemed to grow darker. The tense silence was agonizing.

The lady gave a slight smile.

"It's a miracle, but he's a fighter that one." She said, Riza put a hand to her chest and felt tears prick her eyes.

"He took serious damage. We won't know if there are any neurological effects until he wakes up." She explained.

"What are the extent of his injuries?" Roy asked, trying to maintain his leaderlike persona.

"Well, the automail is totally destroyed. We removed what reaments of it were left and cleaned around the port to prevent any infection. He has four broken ribs, concussion from the gash on his head, two flesh wounds on his shoulder and leg, which we have stitched up. The tibia is also broken. Thankfully it was a clean break, so we were able to set it easily. He also inhaled a lot of dust and dirt, so we have him currently on oxygen to try and clean out his lungs, however we suspect he will have a pretty nasty cough for a while to finish the job. We did a few blood transfusions and have him on fluids and a high dosage of painkillers. Other than bruising and a few cuts here and there, that's all." The woman said.

"That's all?!" Al said, shocking everyone at his volume. Al began heaving heavily.

"Al." Riza said, moving closer to the suit of armor. Al let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry." He said in a quiet, low voice. The woman smiled.

"It's alright. I know it's stressful to have to go through this. But we expect he will make a full recovery." Kindness oozed from her voice. Al appreciated that.

"Can we see him?" Riza asked, turning her attention away from comforting Al.

"Of course. He will not wake up for some time, however." She said, "Follow me." The group quickly trailed behind the woman. Their hearts raced as they grew closer to the door. "He is right inside." She said, stepping aside. Roy flew open the door and walked in. Riza and Al close behind him.

Ed looked like shit.

Although some color had returned to his face, he still looked like a corpse. He had tubes sticking every which way out of him, his leg was in a cast, elevated slightly. His shoulder wrapped up tightly. Without his automail, he looked so much smaller than he already did. His face was encapsulated by an oxygen mask that puffed with condensation every breath Ed took. The monotone beeps from the machine echoed throughout the room. The slow rise and fall of Ed's chest seemed to be much more relaxed now. Everyone in the room felt a tension lift off of them. He was alive, he was okay.

"You should call Winry." Riza said to Al. Al nodded. "Yeah. I don't think Ed will be able to travel for a while.

"We will pay for her transportation and lodging." Roy said, not daring to take his eyes off of the boy. Roy turned to Riza, who nodded.

" I will go make arrangements." She stated. Al nodded and with one last look at Ed, he exited the room along with the Lieutenant.

Winry's day to day life was pretty stagnant. She had the same routine. She'd wake up, eat breakfast and tinker for the rest of the day until her and Gran would eat and go to bed. Although it was a boring life, she was content with it. She often found herself gazing out the window, wondering what Ed and Al were up to. Their lives compared to hers were so interesting. They had gone on so many adventures. Winry was slightly jealous of them at times. However, she mostly worried for them. She knew Ed was stubborn and prone to anger, and that often led him to crappy situations that got him hurt. She hadn't heard from them in a long time. She hoped they were doing well. She hoped Ed was eating three meals a day and taking care of himself. She hoped Al was coping alright. She felt a sense of comfort knowing they were together. They looked out for each other.

A loud ringing from downstairs snapped her back to reality.

"I'll get it!" Grans voice echoed through the house. Winry relaxed a bit and turned back to the window. The ringing had stopped. She could hear Gran talking, but couldn't make out anything she was saying. It was probably a customer.

"Winry!" Gran called, a slight edge to her voice.

"What?!" She called back.

"Al is on the phone!"

This made Winry practically jump out of her seat. She rushed downstairs. She had a small pit in her stomach. She knew when one of the Elrics called, it wasn't ever for anything good. She prayed it wasn't like that this time.

"Al?! It's so good to hear from you. Are you guys okay?" She asked.

There was a brief silence.

"Al?" She asked again, concern dripping from her voice.

"Ed's hurt." He said she could tell he struggled to get it out. Her heart sank.

"What happened? Is he okay?" Her mind began racing.

"He was hurt really badly. He's going to be okay, though. However, his automail was totally destroyed. I don't think he will be able to travel for a while." He said, trying to maintain his composure. Winry almost dropped the phone. Her knees began to shake and she wouldn't be surprised if they buckled from underneath her. Gran was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, looking worriedly at Winry.

"Oh my god, what happened?!" She demanded, tears edging on her voice.

"It's a long story. A mine caved in on him. Colonel Mustang said he will pay for your transportation and lodging to come." Al's voice trailed off. Winry stood silent for a long moment. Her mind however, was loud as can be. A mine… A mine?! How did something like this happen… Why would they let Ed do something so dangerous? He was still so young! Winry felt rage bubble up inside her. Her grip on the phone tightened and warm tears stained down her cheeks.

"Winry?" Al finally said.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." She quickly hung the phone up and kept her head low. She still had her hand on the receiver. Gran walked over and placed a loving hand on Winry. She finally let herself break down. She dropped to her knees and began sobbing. Her worry, her guilt, her anger all spilling out of her like a child. Gran held her tightly in her arms and quietly shushed her, whispering to her how Ed would be just fine. They stayed like that for a long while. Winry's sobs eventually subsided into dull sniffles. She looked up at Gran. Her eyes were puffy and red.

"Thanks Grangran…" She said, Gran smiled and rubbed her back.

"That boy is tougher than nails. He will be alright. I'll help you pack." Her voice was gentle. Winry nodded and they trudged up the stairs to pack for the excursion. As much as Winry loved hearing from the Elrics, she knew their calls meant trouble. She'd be content to never hear a call from them again.