Disclaimer: Don't own FMA if I did then I would be rolling in money at the moment.

Standing on Her own Feet

Riza set the letter down on her bedside table. So Roy was reinstated to Colonel. At least he wouldn't have to waste the rest of his life trying to get back up to Colonel. She knew that Roy loved his bragging rights of being one of the youngest Colonels ever. It might've crushed him if he was an old man by the time he reached the top. It would be even harder now without the Elric brothers . Riza would miss those two, but Roy told her that they were together now in another world.

She tried to shake those thoughts out of her head. It occurred to her that her ankle was free. She turned slowly on the bed swinging her legs over the side. She lifted her leg a little bit higher in the light so she could examine it. She was shocked to see it was pale and hairy, but actually she felt pale and hairy all over. She rotated it a few times both clockwise and counterclockwise marveling in the miracle of medicine.

Next she scooted off the bed to let her feet lay flat on the cold hardwood floor and then put she put her weight on them slowly by standing up, using the bed's headboard as support. The Lieutenant looked around her square hospital room searching for the first place she wanted to go. The window seemed reasonable; she started taking slow small steps, making it to the window without accident. She leaned on the windowsill looking out on Eureka. She assumed was facing some type of courtyard. She could see was a few nurses eating outside in the late autumn sun and a few patients walking around stretching their legs. She also spotted Hayate sitting by a bench while other patients petted him. So that's where he goes when he's not in here, she thought.

She knew exactly where she wanted to go next. She started again her slow steady pace to a door that was for the bathroom. About three quarters of the way to the door her ankle folded and she fell down with a crash. She heard a ringing in her ears and felt the pain coarse through her nerves like an electric shock. Riza's eyes started to water silently and she wondered what to do. Should she call Caitlyn? No, she would do this on her own.

After situating herself so she could get up without using her hands, she stood up with new determination, ignoring the slight dizziness wafting through her head. She continued hobbling to the bathroom. After doing something she hadn't been able to do without assistance for four weeks, Riza hobbled to the sink. When she looked in the mirror, she thought she was looking at a completely different person. Her face was pale and there were dark circles under her dull brown eyes. She went back to her bed and instead of laying back down she scooted a chair by the window and sat down. For what felt like the first time she felt independent sitting in the sun soaking in the warmth.

Through the week Riza would do the exercises regularly. She was surprised at how much mobility she had lost over four weeks. She was attempting to pick a sock up off the ground with her foot when Doctor Warren came in.

"I see you're determined," he said smiling.

"There's not that many other things I can do," she said finally picking up the sock and sitting down in a chair. "Are you here to look at my collarbone?"

"Don't we like to get to the point," he said chucking "Now let's take off this sling and see how you've healed." Like with her ankle he twisted her arm several ways asking how her pain was. The he let it go and asked her to lift it by herself. She couldn't get it raised higher than her elbow. "That's good, now like with your ankle you will have more exercises to do. I think its okay for you to take showers just hold your wrist out so the cast doesn't get wet, otherwise you might have mold growing in there."

"Doctor I have a question I've been meaning to ask you." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Why was I sent here, seven days away from Central? Why all the way at the western boarder?"

"Well I know that you just didn't come here by accident. You were ordered to come here by General Grumman." Riza was shocked her Grandfather usually didn't do favors for her. "But what I heard was that Colonel Mustang asked him to give the order. Also the General let Falman come with you, but I hear that was Mustang's doing also."

"Why are you here?"

"Well I was asked like I said before to accompany the injured and I spent my childhood here until that is I went to medical school. Then I joined the military and got married. I thought I might visit my home town and seems I got a patent while visiting. I couldn't leave you now could I?"

"Oh your married does she live in Central?"

"She isn't with us anymore." He said quietly.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to," Riza said apologizing.

"It's okay," he looked up smiling "you didn't know. Now," he changed the subject, "that you are getting more freedom I'm sure you would like to wear something other than those issued pajamas." She looked down at the drab blue pajamas that the hospital gave her. "So if you want I can have the nurse come up here and make a list of what you would like to have. All of your stuff was stored at Central, so if you would like to send it to a friend then they can pack it up and send it here."

"If I'm staying here for six months I might as well have real clothes."

"That's the spirit," Warren stood up smiling and started to back out of the room, "I'll have Caitlyn come up and act as your secretary."

His words didn't make Riza feel any better, she didn't like feeling useless. When Nurse Caitlyn came up she sat down in a chair by Riza's bed with a pen, paper and clipboard.

"Now Miss what would you like to have on your list to Central?"

A/N: OH HO I left you on a cliffy! Well not really… okay on to the note! Sorry that this Chapter is short and late. My horse coliced and I had to talk to the vet forever. I feel terrible because I wasn't even home when it happened I was at a movie with my sister! And my cell phone is dead so my momsy couldn't reach me! Argg the horror!

Also I would like to tell you how depressing it is to have a broken ankle. I dedicate this chapter to me and my friend Katie who broke her collarbone. I felt so out of time the first few weeks in bed and it is sooooooo weird not to be able to walk. And what happened to Riza while walking to the bathroom happens to me now and it's been a year since the accident (I got in a fight with a hurdle, I lost). Oh and for physical therapy they had me pick up marbles for an exercise. MARBLES! What in the world was I paying them for?

Now on a lighter note thanks to my reviewers! Shadow Dreamer 27, FruitsBasketFreak44, loyalsoul, obsessed dreamer and PrincessLuckyCML

Keep up those Reviews and I'll keep up the story (actually I would write it if you didn't review but don't tell anybody that )