AN: The characters and concepts of Fullmetal Alchemist belong to Hiromu Arakawa. This story revolves around the first anime of Fullmetal Alchemist, not the manga. Do not flame because of that small difference, I've read the manga and seen the real anime that follows it, but the first anime is what captured my heart about FMA, so this story is tribute. Enjoy the story. The lyrics are "The Words" by Christina Perri, I do not own the lyrics to the song. - Carrie.
"I promise you the truth can't hurt us now,
So let the words slip out of your mouth.
I know that we're both afraid,
We both made the same mistakes.
An open heart, is an open wound to you.
And in the wind of a heavy choice,
Love has a quiet voice.
Still your mind, now I'm yours to choose"
Pain is the first thing Carlina feels. She takes a deep breath and opens her eyes, squinting them against the bright daylight. Once her eyes have adjusted, she opens them again. Her left eye is swollen, making it difficult to see out that side. She sits up in bed with a wince. Looking down, she sees a big white bandage on her collarbone where the scalpel stabbed her. She lifts her human hand to inspect the bandage but freezes.
Images rush back to her. Blood splattered on concrete, her hand missing two fingers. The mutilated hand grasping a rock with the three remaining digits. Taking a deep breath, Carlina looks down at her human hand again. Thick bandages pad the place her pointer and middle fingers used to be. More gauze wraps around her hand to keep the bandages on. She flexes the remaining fingers and sighs in relief when they move. She looks up and gasps when she notices Maes Hughes seated at the foot of her bed. "I," she tries to speak but chokes on her words. Hughes locks the door of her hospital room before taking his uniform jacket off. He hugs the girl close to his chest and rubs her back as she cries for a few minutes. When she calms down, he puts his jacket back on over his shirt and moves the chair to sit by her side.
"Feeling better," he asks as he holds a glass of water with a straw toward her. The girl attempts to grab the glass but realizes it is impossible with the amount of bandages on her hand. She leans forward and takes a sip before laying back against the pillows. "Yeah, a little better," she frowns when she realizes her automail still isn't moving. "Good. You know, some members of front line service don't experience injuries that grave. How did they happen? Tell me everything from Lab 5," Hughes looks the girl in the eyes.
After taking another big sip of water, the girl tells him everything she can remember. Lina details the identity of 87, the documents she remembered, her parents, seeing Scar. When she mentions Ed in the room with the red water, she looks panicked. "Ed, Al, where are they? How are they? Are they alright," her heart pounds against her ribcage. Hughes stands to move the wheelchair in the corner next to the bed. "I was asking Ed the same kind of questions a few days ago. I heard his mechanic is with them now, I can bring you to them. But first, do you know anything about Homunculi," his tone becomes a little more serious.
Carlina sighs and shifts in the bed. "I only know of three. Lust, Gluttony, and Envy. They're the ones who killed my family a few years ago, for whatever reason. Artificial humans. Ed and Al have seen them a few times with me, and I know I mentioned them," she looks at Hughes for answers. "It seems as though the brothers may not have believed you, until now. Artificial humans are an anomaly. They may have thought those that you called Homunculi could have been something else. I wouldn't take offense if they now believe your stories about the Homunculi," he pats her on the shoulder. "But as promised, I can take you to Ed's room now. The staff doesn't want you walking with how much blood you've lost," he helps lift the girl into the wheelchair.
She adjusts herself in the chair and puts her automail arm in a sling with Hughes' help. Draping a blanket over her legs, she stares at her bandaged hand. "Is there some sort of glove they can give me? I don't want the guys to worry. I'm not sure how they'll react and I don't want to cause any more stress," she flexes the working fingers on her hand. Hughes nods in understanding and leaves the room. When he returns, he has another sling and a large metal hand covering. "They said you can fit your hand in this. They use it for more severe finger fractures, and will hide the fact that two of the finger slots will be empty. They gave us another sling to help support the weight," he helps fasten the metal hand casing over her bandages.
Before they leave her room, she looks up at Hughes once more, "Could you braid my hair? I don't have a way to put it up otherwise. And show me a mirror? I don't want to go in without seeing what kind of state I'm in." She blushes, feeling needy for asking Hughes for so much help. Instead, the man chuckles and sits on the bed to braid her hair. "I used to do this for Gracia when we first started dating, and Elicia doesn't have long enough hair yet. I guess this is good practice," he finishes braiding. Crossing the room, Maes picks up the small mirror on the windowsill.
"I know I didn't do the best job, but here," he holds the mirror so she can look into it. Carlina's good eye widens when she sees herself. Both her arms sit crossed in their slings, the large white bandage on her collarbone visible. Her left eye is an assortment of colors, bruised and swollen half shut. Her lip has a split on the left side, and there is a bandage across the bridge of her nose. She turns her head and finally sees her hair, braided and tied with a piece of gauze. While braided, it touches the back of her neck. "I look like shit," she shakes her head and laughs. Hughes rubs her back and puts the mirror back down. "Regardless of your physical looks, I'm sure they'll be happy to see that you're okay," he smiles at her and wheels her out of the room.
They round the corner of the hallway Ed's room is in as Winry runs out into the hall. She stops when she sees Hughes pushing Carlina. "Oh. Hey. Winry," the pinkette looks at her friend. She remembers the last time they spoke when she left Risembool. "Carlina," Winry's voice comes out in a rush of air as she drops to her knees in front of the wheelchair. She runs her hands over Carlina's slings and stops when she sees the cut hair, "What happened to you? Is your automail broken too?"
Nodding her head, Carlina shifts to lean her forehead against her friend's. "Something got severed inside. And I'm so sorry about the way I left home I was being rash and I spoke out," she gets cut off as Winry hugs her. "It's fine. Lucky for you, I brought spare pieces I can use for your arm too," Winry's expression changes when she sees the look on Carlina's face, "Is something else wrong?" Carlina looks up at Hughes and lifts her human arm up toward him. He unlocks the metal mechanism and reveals the state of her hand. "I know this might be a stretch, but, can you make fingers out of automail," Carlina watches as Winry's eyes fill with tears. She prods Carlina's hand, being careful around the bandages.
"I don't know. There may be something Granny can do, or a technique but, I haven't learned anything like that. Making limb prosthetics is complicated. Automail for small digits like fingers or toes is even more complex. In some places, they recommend large amputations to replace larger portions. Granny and I won't give up before looking into it. The most I can do is promise to fix your arm, for now," Winry apologizes. Hughes helps Carlina put the metal hand cover back on. "I understand. I'm sure there is something your brilliant mind can come up with. Don't tell the boys, please. I don't want to worry them more," the two girls smile at each other before Hughes wheels Carlina in to the room. "Well, I'm going to take good care of Winry for the night. Let a nurse know when you're sick of Carlina, bye boys," Hughes waves before dragging Winry from the room.
Carlina chuckles before turning and going silent, looking at Ed's shocked expression. She leans back and smiles at Alphonse propped in the corner, the smile fading when he turns his head away. Facing around, she blinks at how close Edward is standing in front of her. "Ed," she cuts off when his human hand cradles the uninjured side of her face. She doesn't resist as he turns her head to examine the extent of her injuries. "How's your vision," he looks at her with a few inches between their faces.
"Could be better. Not that I'm having trouble seeing, but my eye is swollen enough that it's obscuring things. It aches a little but in the sake of technicalities nothing is wrong with the vision," she rambles a bit, stopping when Ed's brow furrows. He walks away to the glass of water at his bedside. Picking up the handkerchief on the table, he wets the corner in the glass of water. Carlina blinks as he dabs the split part of her lip with the wet cloth. "Oops, I guess I have to be careful when I talk," she speaks slower, trying to keep her lower lip stiff when she speaks. As he dabs away the last of the blood from her lip, Ed stares at the collar of her hospital gown. Carlina follows his gaze to the corner of the large bandage covering the stab wound.
"You can move my arms, the slings are to keep my arm from getting tired. Please be careful taking my right arm out of the sling." She tries to maneuver her arm as little as possible to get out of the sling. Ed's hand slips on the wrist of the metal hand cover, jostling it and causing her hand to move inside. Lina flinches and pulls her hand against her chest with a yelp. He freezes and looks down at the metal hand covering, "What is that?"
She lets the silence hang for a few moments as her head spins. Ed takes this chance to wheel her next to his hospital bed, climbing in to sit with his legs hanging off the side. "It's meant to help with large scale fractures. I don't know the extent of the damage. I remember, a lot of blood, and pain," she answers vaguely while being truthful. He sighs and reaches out to help her finish taking the slings off. The automail flops from the sling into her lap, while she rests her other hand next to it. Carlina stays as still as possible while Ed leans forward to look at the bandage. They both blush as he moves the neck of her hospital gown to see the length of the bandage across her collar bone. Her heart starts slowing down as he lets go of her hospital gown and leans away from her.
"So, what happened to you," he reaches out to feel the chopped edges of her braid. Some small strands escape and frame her face. "My parents worked at Lab 5," she looks Ed in the eye when she says this. His eyes widen and he shifts on the bed to stare at her. The silence breaks when Al scoffs in the corner, "Of course they did. You told us not to keep secrets, but didn't let us know about your parents before we went into Lab 5." The sting from Alphonse's words fade into anger in a few seconds.
"What the hell is your problem today," she turns in the wheelchair, glaring at the younger Elric. "Don't hold it against him," Ed's voice is quiet, making her turn her focus back. She notices how he stares at Al before looking down at the bed. "I'm tired, I should go back to my room," the words come out without much thought. "I, guess I could find a nurse," Ed looks away from her as he slides off the bed. "Hey, uh," she fumbles on her words as her cheeks heat up, "Could you push me back? If they'll allow you? And help me get my arms back in the slings?"
Ed blinks before a small smile appears. "Sure, I'll ask if that's okay." After getting permission, the nurses help Ed put Carlina's arms back in their slings. They check both of their vitals. After putting Ed's automail back in its sling, the nurses allow the teens to leave the room. The trip back is silent until they get in the hall her room is in. "So, uh, can we talk," Carlina clears her throat as they get into her room. Ed looks around before rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't think about it, but how are you going to get into bed," he chuckles. A few seconds pass before Carlina starts laughing. The two laugh for a few moments, catching their breath. "But, I can't lift you on my own," he motions toward the bed.
"I'm not crippled. The hand injury and my other wound gave me blood loss, so they had to take precautions. If you can take my arm out of the sling with care this time, you could help support me. It isn't a high bed or anything," she reasons, enjoying the sheepish look he gets when she chastises him. He helps remove her human arm from its sling. Carlina loops her right arm around his back with her hand, in the glove, resting on his side. Ed's left arm rests behind her shoulder blades with his hand on her ribcage.
Taking a deep breath, Ed guides her into a standing position. They shuffle toward the bed. Carlina feels a sensation like her stomach has dropped straight through the floor. "Wait," she forces the word out, small beads of sweat forming on her skin. He stops immediately, gripping her a little tighter. "I only have one arm too, y'know, so don't faint or anything. Please," his voice cracks as Carlina leans her head against his shoulder and closes her eyes. "No, it's fine. I'm, feeling it now. I should be fine once I sit," she lets out a sigh and opens her eyes. Once she moves her head off his shoulder they take the last few steps to reach the bed. They rotate so the backs of their knees press against the mattress. Lowering themselves, they both sigh in relief once they sit on the bed.
"Hey, before you go," Carlina speaks up as Ed helps her remove her automail arm from the sling. He looks surprised but nods his head, pushing himself to sit with his legs crossed. She sits in the same position before reaching out, laying her hand in the metal casing over his hand. Tears well in her eyes as she remembers their date; the few times their human hands touched there, the absence of her fingers. He looks alarmed when he notices her getting emotional, clearing his throat to speak.
"No, wait," Carlina interrupts, shaking her head and taking a second to calm down. "I, I wanted to say it's okay, whatever happened with Al. Siblings fight but they make up, and I know you're closer than most. So, give it time. I know he'll come around. And I'm sorry for not talking about my parents sooner. Right now we're both worn down but once we have a chance I'll tell you and Alphonse everything. Hughes, he told me that you must not have believed me when I mentioned the Homunculi all those times. It's okay, it hurt a little but I mean, I'll get over that. But I meant it when I wanted us to be more honest. There are some things I'll have a hard time telling you two, but I'm going to try."
She looks up at Ed and is happy to see him smiling back at her. "That sounds good. But, I should get some sleep, especially with Winry doing repairs tomorrow. You need the rest more than me," he stands as she lays down against the pillows, "Oh, wait, do you need me to undo that hand thing?" Her heart skips a beat but she smiles, "No, I don't know if that would be safe. Can you send a nurse in to help with that?"
He nods and turns to leave the room. "Wait." Ed looks at her as she stares at her hands on the bed. "Tomorrow, Winry will need to reconnect the nerves. Something got severed, and I'm sure she'll need to shut it down and reconnect once she fixes it. Would you come to keep me company?" He chuckles but smiles at her, "I thought it was something serious, but sure. I'm sure I can clear my busy schedule to come help with that." They grin at each other as he leaves the room and closes the door behind him. Carlina sinks back into bed. She closes her eyes and focuses on the throbbing in her hand. I won't keep this forever. Only until he can handle it without blaming himself. She stares at the ceiling, her stomach churning.
The throbbing in her hand wakes her up the next morning, eating with the help of the nurses. They change the dressings for her wounds. Over her collarbone is a single thin gauze pad instead of the thick one. Her morning thoughts cut off when Ed and Windy enter the room, Winry holding a small white box. She hides her wounded hand under the sheets, with the metal casing underneath her pillow. "How are you feeling," Winry places the box on the end table as Ed waves. "Uh, I'd be better if I had my hand casing. And I have to use the, uh, facilities. If you could flag the nurses down for a hand thing, Ed, Winry can take me to the bathroom," Carlina feels the sweat gather on the back of her neck.
"Oh man, that's awful. Ed you should grab a nurse soon so we can put the thing on her hand," Winry waits until Ed leaves to speak again, "do you have it here?" After a few moments of struggling with the latches, they slips the cover on the injured hand. Ed walks in with a nurse in tow as they close the final latch, "Well, she told me they left the brace here with you. I guess you found it already." "Yeah and I don't have to use the facilities as bad as I thought. Let's get this thing started," Carlina breathes a sigh of relief.
Some time later, Winry is deep in work on the severed wires inside the automail. Carlina lays on her stomach with her left arm stretched out while Ed sits on the bed at her right side. "So what's in the box," she asks, trying to mentally push away from when the nerves will reconnect. "Ed's birthday cake that Mrs. Hughes baked," Winry grits her teeth as Carlina jolts to stare up at Ed. He rubs the back of his head. "Birthday. I didn't know it was so close! I'm going to need to find a present," Carlina starts gushing. She grunts when Winry yanks her back into position.
"It's a birthday, you don't need to make a big fuss," Ed waves his hands, smiling as Carlina rolls her eyes. "I'll find something. Birthdays have always been special in the Joihanson household. I will not rest until I acknowledge you turning another year older," she stops talking when Winry looks at her. "Oh, goody. Nerve time," her singsong voice fades as she flattens herself more against the bed. Ed leans on her back to keep her from moving too much, his own automail still in a sling. He runs his fingers through her hair. She jerks as the nerves connect, letting out a frustrated growl in to her pillow. A few moments pass as her breathing slows. She shakes her head and pushes herself into a sitting position with her automail. "At least I have one arm that works," she jokes, Ed laughing with her as Winry looks away.
Alphonse ran away from the hospital. Ed and Carlina argued with the nurses to let her help search, but they refused. Miss Joihanson needs at least one more night of rest before she can leave the building. The kids relented, Edward and Winry brought Al back later that night. After they bring her up to speed on Scar and the Ishbalans, the teens separated to sleep for the night. The next morning, Carlina begins going through the discharge process. The swelling is gone from her eye and minimal bruising remains. Her split lip is completely healed.
The nurse changes the bandages on her hand for the last time, "If you want to keep the hand casing, we have to charge you for it. We usually wouldn't, but it isn't a necessary part of your continued treatment. The sling is free." Carlina nods her head in understanding. "That's fine, you can charge my personal account for it," she signs a form granting them permission. Another nurse uncovers the wound on her collarbone. While it has closed, a fresh red line marks the place her stab wound was in. "Since you'll be on a train for a few days, the wound should heal during that time," the nurse throws away the old wound dressings. Once the staff leaves, Carlina changes into her normal attire.
Getting dressed takes longer with the absence of her fingers. She gets her undergarments and black tank top on without issues. After pulling her socks on, she slips into her pants and begins struggling with the button. The door to her room opens, causing her to hide her injured hand behind her back. Edward's face turns red and he turns his back to her. "Don't stand there, leave! Send Winry in," her voice cracks as her face heats up.
Winry helps the other girl fasten her pants and slip on her boots. "We're going to visit the guys' teacher in Dublith and stop by Rush Valley. The automail capital! I figured while we stop there I can look into upgrading your automail. It's been a while and they have different techniques," the blond chats. She helps Carlina slip into her yellow duster. Looking confused for a second, Lina lets the words sink in before smiling, "Yeah, that sounds great!" The girls fasten the metal hand casing and slip Carlina's human arm into its sling. Carlina folds her black gloves and slips them into her pocket. Winry grabs Carlina's suitcase despite her protests. The teenagers leave the building to head for the train station. After boarding, the boys sit next to each other across from the girls.
"That looks like it hurt," Al motions at the fresh scar on Carlina's collarbone. She reaches up to touch the skin, shrugging, "It wasn't as bad as it looks." Waiting until they eat and drink something, she shares the details of her Lab 5 experience. When she talks about her hand injury she gives vague details. She speaks as if her vision obscured the extent of her hand injuries. Edward and the others stay silent, looking horrified. She reaches the part about the records room, her voice dropping to a whisper.
She takes a deep breath, "I knew 87, when she was human. She was Danica Matthews, my parents' head supervisor. I would play with her daughter, Jill, who had a mystery illness and was always in a wheelchair. The truth was much darker. Her mother was experimenting on her daughter with the incomplete stones from the lab. She was siphoning her daughter's life force into herself. Jill died, and they transformed Danica's soul into the armor guardian, 87." Her gaze drifts to the floor, "My parents were using the red stones in their research. All the documents state that they and their team didn't know the process for refining the stones. I was there a few times. I saw them using the stones. I, they, we had no idea."
Carlina covers her mouth with her automail and shuts her eyes. She opens them as Winry puts her arm over her shoulders. After calming down, she finishes her tales from the Laboratory. "Once our trip to Rush Valley is over, let's not get caught fighting laboratory guardians again," she chuckles. Carlina stops when she notices Ed looking at her. "I would feel better if you return home with Winry," his eyes trail from her collarbone to the metal hand casing.
"Thanks for the thoughts, but no thanks. I've paid a good amount of blood to be here, I'm not leaving after that," Carlina smiles at Ed, watching his expression soften. "You know you might get hurt worse by staying, right," he looks concerned. "It's a necessary risk of the job for traveling with you," she quips, as they smile at each other. "I have to use the restroom," Winry stands and leaves the cart. "Is something wrong with her," Ed looks at his brother. "I don't know if it's anything we could help with," Alphonse answers as they go silent.
AN: Onward to Rush Valley! Carlina's digits are still missing, for now, and the boys have no idea. Mystery illness is almost vanished so another update should occur soon. Please send any feedback you have, it helps me make improvements. We're already halfway through the first month of 2018, which is crazy. -Carrie.