Chapter 4
A New Friend and a New Life
Edward sat in the bed recalling past events that had led up to this point. This point that he was sitting in a wheel-chair, taking his first steps. It was like he was a child again, struggling to walk into his mother's arms.
Except, it was not his mother that was going to catch him. It was a certain blond that had helped him through this entire journey.
"You know? I didn't think you would be able to walk so soon after your accident. Maybe your height helps!" Edward shot her a look of death and cringed as he stood up. It had been a year since that accident, and Edward's thoughts were leading across that year, starting with his meeting in the hospital the morning after his accident….
---------------- 1 year ago
"Well, Mr. Elric, I have some bad news." Edward was sitting very still in a hospital bed, with Alphonse, the Hughes, and Roy and Riza Mustang standing by him. They were, essentially, his family.
"And what would that be?" Edward was groggy from the painkillers the doctors had given him, but he was awake enough to be extremely short tempered.
"Your right arm and your left leg were completely crushed in your accident. There is absolutely no way I, or anyone can fix it. I'm sorry, but your only option is to amputate them." The doctor looked at the grave faces of the people sitting by Edward, but it was Edward's face that surprised him. He had a thoughtful, logical, look on his face. He did not seem overly upset that his leg and arm were going to amputated. It must have been the drugs.
Alphonse sighed, and Gracia Hughes thought of how hard this was going to be for him. He would have to give up a lot to take care of his disabled brother. Alphonse was so young, Gracia wouldn't be able to stand it if he had to give away his life. She formulated a plan in her mind that would convince Alphonse to let Edward move to Albany with Mae and herself. He could still do investigative work for Mae, even though he was disabled. The accident hadn't affected Edward's brain.
"That's fine doctor, but when you amputate my limbs, could you make sure my nerves make a clean cut?" Edward paused in his thoughts. "If my nerves are still intact anyways."
The doctor looked stunned, as did everyone else in the room. "Uh, yes… yes, your nerves are fine. Your brain is still sending out signals to your arm and leg." He said after he glanced over his notes.
Edward grinned. "Thanks. Now I have to call a friend."
---
Winry hada been working on her newest model for a prostatic limb. It was almost finished, but in order to sell her work, she needed to show that it worked. She sighed, poor Edward. She had seen the state of his body, and she doubted his arm and leg were still intact.
Then the phone began to ring. Winry looked up, wondering who would be calling on a Sunday afternoon. She thought that maybe it was her grandma, offering some mechanical wisdom to Winry. Her grandma often did that.
"Hello?" Winry spoke into the phone. Instead of her Grandma's voice she heard a distinct male voice.
"Hello Winry. This is Roy Mustang. I'm calling on Edward's behalf—"
"Oh, god, is he okay? What are they going to do?" Winry clutched the phone as she asked questions about his condition.
"Edward's intact, but they have to amputate his arm and leg." Winry gasped audibly through the phone. "Anyways, he was talking about how you were an engineer and you made prostetic limbs. Really well functioning ones. Is this true?"
"Well yes, but its not tested one anyone." Winry quickly spoke up as an idea came to her mind. "Mr. Mustang, would you mind if I asked Edward to be my experiment. The limbs should work… but.."
"I understand. You've never tested it on an actual person." He quietly mumered something to someone over the phone. "That's fine. Bring your models and work to the hospital, and you can explain it to us here."
"Uh, okay." But the line was already dead.
---
"So you see, it could take over 3 years to get full function of your limbs Edward. And connecting the arm and leg will be very painful."
"I still think it would be better than being called stumpy." Edward interjected. He had already consented to being her experimental prototype, and the doctor had agreed to attatch the limbs as the sugary on his arm and leg were being done. As Edward listened to Winry explain that these were machines, and not just plastic and metal, he thought about standing again.
---
As Winry rolled in the two machines into the surgical room, she thought about the huge step in her career that she was taking. And how, if maria had not been murdered, that she wouldn't of met Edward at all. It was a mixed feeling that gathered in her gut.
As the group of people gathered over Edward's sleeping body, Winry felt weird. Edward was trusting her with his mobility. She could not fail him. The doctor motioned to her to tell her that they had stopped the bleeding and had exposed his nerves and nessacary muscle fragments for her to work. Then, most the nurses left, leaving her, the surgoun, and the interns staring from the balcony above. This procedure would last hours.
As she connected each nerve to the machine, making sure it went to the right place, she thought into the future, as he would struggle to stand and move. Auto mail was painful. The only other living thing that had automail was a dog with out a leg. The dog had been in pain for 2 years before being able to walk strongly.
She stayed hunched over Edward for 16 hours. As the doctor helped her pull the final switch she carefully monitored his vitals. The next year was going to be hell.
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As Edward thought about those crazy pictures of Winry hunching over his half naked body connecting these simple machines, he smiled. And as he smiled, he stood. He moved his arm like he had been practicing in physical therapy. He bent his knee up and down and stamped on the floor.
He smiled at Winry. "Thank you."
Winry felt like she was the one to thank Edward. The doctor who had helped had praised her work, and she was gaining national fame. At the end of this week, she and Edward were going to be on the Today show even. She was being recognized.
All thanks to a certain investigations officer.
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Alright, there you go you winers!!!!! I'm done with this chapter. I'm not totally done with the flashbacks, but you'll see next time, which will mostly be on Monday.