Disclaimer: I own nada, nill, zip, nothing. It all belongs to the creators of FMA…I just borrow their invention from time to time.
Author's Note: Reason this update took so long in updating was because I was convinced Doro wanted to be written and all this time it was Sarah Rockbell…weird how my inspiration works. Anyhow…my new chapter is up and I hope you like it. I don't know what Winry's dad's name is or if he was even given one…so I'm just calling him James. As always Reviews will be loved, Flames will be scorned. Thanks
Will I Ever Make It Home?
The drifting smoke turned the setting sun into an orange fireball, the light dying the sand a sickly blood red color. No sounds floated over the landscape except the moaning of the wind, singing its own dirge for the dead.
Sarah Rockbell shivered as she glanced out of the window of the small make shift hospital her husband James and she had built out of an Ishballan shop. Her hands paused in their mechanical monition of wrapping bandages as the wind blew through the glass less window and rustled the papers that were lying on the desk and sent one sheet drifting across the room.
A cry of pain from the room beyond startled her and she jumped slightly, the bandages falling out of her hand and landing on the floor with a soft thump. Sighing she bent over and retrieved them as a man walked into the room.
"Almost done with those Sarah?" James asked as he reached up and untied the surgical smock he had been wearing. Pulling it off he studied his wife again, his eyebrows drawing together when he realized she hadn't answered him. "Sarah?"
His question, delivered in a concerned voice stirred Sarah from her thoughts and she finished retrieving the roll and stood up, winding the rough clothe against her hand in a quick jerky motion.
James's frown deepened and he reached forward and shook Sarah's shoulder slightly, "Are you all right?"
She turned slightly glazed eyes toward him, "When will it end James? When can we go home and lead our life again?" Her question was delivered in the soundless tone of someone who had already accepted their fate and only questioned it out of formality.
"Soon Sarah…soon." James squeezed her shoulder and smiled, though the expression didn't quite reach his eyes like Sarah had hoped it would.
"At this rate Winry will have children of her own by the time we see her again." Sarah broke eye contact with her husband, instead looking towards the floor as her voice seethed with bitterness.
'Why am I bitter?' she wondered idly, her glare still trained at the concrete floor, 'This was my choice as much as it was James.' Her thoughts died and started again, 'I remember when we first came here…I was so optimistic…James and I were going to bridge every cultural gap there was between Ishbal and Armastis. We were going to end the war, just the two of us, not using the power of guns and alchemy but instead using the power of medicine and peace. What fools we were.'
'War does not stop just because two doctors decide to be non-partial. The Fuhrer will not call back the troops just because an Armastian citizen is standing on Ishballan soil. The underground movements will not stop plotting just because they are currently sitting in a neutral hospital.'
Her lips dipped into a frown and she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she saw every dream she had ever dreamt burn up in the fires of war. She could see her house in Rezenbul, her beloved daughter Winry, James's study with all of his books that smelled of leather and pipe smoke. He had gotten them from his father and mother and some day they hoped that Winry would make good use of them. Now they'd be lucky if they ever saw another landscape besides the sands of Ishbal ever again.
They had been here so long she couldn't remember how grass felt beneath her feet or the taste of a fresh strawberry. She couldn't recall the scent of a country evening when all you could smell was water and flowers and life. Here all you could smell was blood and dust and death.
She didn't move when James released her shoulder and instead picked up the stray piece of paper that had blown onto the floor. Glancing over it he smiled, "Writing a letter home?"
Sarah's eyes moved towards his dully. "That's all I can do for my daughter…"
The tension grew between them until Sarah felt that a landmine had filled the room and one false word would set it off. As it grew harder for her to breathe Sarah felt acute relief when an Ishballan nurse came into the room, "Doctor….there are military officers here…they want to see you." Her Armastian was broken but the fear in the nurse's eyes was real enough.
James nodded, "Tell them I'll be right there." He looked towards Sarah once more, "Why don't you finish up in here? I'm sure the military are just here to try and stop us again." He held out the piece of paper to her as he spoke.
Sarah took it, glancing over the words she had already written. With another smile James moved towards the door and left the room.
Moving over to the desk Sarah laid the bandages on its surface and picked up the fountain pen that was lying there. She stared at the paper for a moment and then began to write, the movements hurried but fluid.
I hope you're doing well in your studies…in your grandmother's last letter she said you were starting to play with automail. If you decide to pursue it further I hope you're careful…especially around all of the heavy tools. I don't want to hear about you breaking any fingers or hands while your father and I aren't there to fix them.
How are the Elrics doing? I trust you're keeping Ed and Al out of trouble (Especially Ed). I know you're always taking such good care of those boys.
At this point Sarah smiled slightly as images of Rezenbul came back to her in brief snatches. After a moment she continued:
The war seems to be coming to an end…we should be home before the winter holidays. Until then, my dear Winry, stay safe and know that we'll always be taking care of you no matter where we, and you, end up in this world.
Love Mom and Dad
She signed the names with a slight flourish of her pen and smiled. Blowing on the ink to dry it she looked around for an envelope and finally pulled one out of the near empty box. Quickly she tri-folded the letter and slipped it inside, licking the envelope to close it. She would send it out on the first post she could, hopefully one would come soon.
She tucked the letter into a safe cubby hole on the desk and moved towards the door. She could hear raised voices from the exam room, it sounded like this time Gran had come too instead of just quiet old Doctor Marco.
Rubbing her shoulder slightly she headed towards the room to find out what was going on.
Author's Note 2: In case anyone is wondering: Yes…this chapter is set just before the tragic events of Episode 15 where Mustang kills the Rockbells. Was not his fault…though he took the blame on himself….we should really be angry at Gran –mumbles incoherent words about Gran-
