Chapter 4: Stronger Than Steel

"I can't believe it's been a year already." I said as we walked into the hospital.

Mom nodded as she pushed me in and said, "It will be good to see you walking around again Tim."

We walked in and there was a girl around my age standing near the door.

She had long black hair tied in pigtails, with a black tank top on with a plaid skirt, and black shoes. Her eyes brimmed with a light blue.

She to one look at me and said, "Timmy Turner? Is that you?"

I replied, "No one calls me Timmy anymore, it's Tim or Timothy."

I looked at her and asked, "Do I know you?"

She smiled and said, "My big sister save your life, and I use to bug you at school all day long."

I sighed and said, "Man, Tootie you changed a lot in what the two years, you've been gone."

She smirked and said, "Says the 12 year old amputee."

"By the way I ditched Tootie a long time ago, it Tara now a days."

I smiled and asked, "So what are you doing here Tara?"

She replied, "I went to a tech school for two years remember? I built your prosthetics."

I replied, "So your the gear head behind my new limbs?"

She yelled out, "Who you callin' gear head, idiot?"

I gave a small laugh and said, "I'm not as much of an idiot as I was."

I pulled out a book from the side of my wheelchair and tossed it to her.

It was a non-fiction book entitled, 'Advancne Alchemic Formulas and Matrixes'.

She gawked at the book and said, "Prove it."

She opened the book and asked, "What's the compostion of a human body?"

I looked at her and said, "Water: 35 Liters, carbon: 20 kilograms, ammonia: 4 Liters, lime: 1.5 kilograms, phosphorus: 800 grams, salt: 250 grams, saltpeter: 100 grams, and 15 various other trace elements. Calulated down to the smallest microgram."

She whispered out, "That's right..."

Mom said, "He's become quite a avid reader since the accident. Always about alchemy through, nothing else."

I looked up at Mom and said, "I'm an alchemist, what do you expect, me to read. Books about ponies?"

Mom gave a small laugh and said, "I see you after the surgery sweetie. Love you."

She walked down the hallway and out the doors.

I looked at Tara and said, "So, how is this going to work?"

She sighed and said, "We have to attach the ports first which will take about two hours, then there's nerve attachment to the metal, which is about an hour, and then remission period which will last about 6 months."

I nodded and asked, "So how long will I be sedatied for?"

She shook her head and said, "No sedatives." "

In order for this to work, you have to be wide awake so we can make sure we are attaching the right nerve."

I groaned and asked, "Will there at least be pain killers?" She nodded and said, "Yeah. A large amount. It will make you a bit loopy for a while."

I nodded and said, "Let's get this over with."

Tara took my wheelchair and walked me into the operating room.

She helped me up and laid me on the table.

She then hooked up and IV into my right arm.

She smiled and said, "I see you been keeping active."

I looked up and said, "Well I don't want to be a couch potato that for certain, so I would do some basic exercise everyday."

I smirked and said, "A strong mind is nothing without the body. They must be in tune to work together."

She smiled and said, "You'll need to keep that up so your body will adjust to your automail better."

I raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's automail?"

She smiled and said, "Automail is the name of prosthetic."

I asked, "Where did you get the name from?"

She sighed and said, "A dream."

I nodded and said, "Well then, let's get started."

"Last nerve and we're done."

I took a deep breath and said, "Alright..."

She took the pliers and pulled the nerve into the automail.

The first part, it hurt like hell, but then the pain killers kicked in.

Now all I felt was a slight pinch.

She smiled and said, "Your all done Tim. Now please wiggle your fingers and toes."

I obeyed and proceed to wiggle my new metal appendages.

She smiled and said, "It a success! Your the first person in the world to have automail!"

She pulled up a blanket over me and said, "For the moment you need to rest, I'll be back to move you to an actual room."

I smiled and said, "Thank you Tara."

She smiled and said, "Your welcome."

She closed the door behind her. I was alone now, in the quite and dimly lit room.

I laid my head on the pillow and said, "Cosmo? Wanda? Are you here?"

The appeared in front of me with soft smiles.

I smiled and said, "It worked."

Wanda smiled and said, "That's great Timothy."

I saw a small explosion and Jorgen Von Strangel walked towards me.

He said with his booming voice, "Timmy Turner!"

I replied, "I don't go by Timmy anymore. It's Timothy or Tim. And if you don't mind, please refrain from yelling. I just got done with surgery and I generally don't feel good."

He looked at me strangely and said, "According to your wish report, you haven't made a selfish wish, in a entire year. Care to explain?"

I sighed and asked, "Cosmo and Wanda didn't tell you?"

Wanda looked at me and said, "We had no right to tell him."

He looked at me and asked, "Told me what?"

I looked up and said, "Today, one year ago, my Mom broke her arm, my Dad died from severe tramuma and I..."

I used what strength I had left in my good arm to move the blanket showing off my new metal appendages and said, "I lost two of my limbs..."

He looked at me in complete shock and said, "I can barely belive my eyes..."

I sighed and said, "Loss, will change you entire world. Instead of doing things to only benift me, I help those around me, and in return they help me. That is my Equivalent Exchange."

I heard the click of the door and the faires now hid.

Tara walked in with my wheelchair.

She helped me stand up for a moment.

I missed being able to do this.

I gentely sat down into my wheelchair which I had grown accustomed to.

I looked up at her and asked, "Can we go outside for a bit?"

She nodded and said, "The fresh air will do us some good. We been it here for 3 hours."

She walked me through the hallways and into a elevator, making sure to press the roof button.

When it stopped we now stood on the roof with a view of the setting sun.

Tara looked at me and asked, "Timothy?"

I replied, "Yes, Tara?"

She asked, "How did you really lose your arm and leg?"

I looked at her in complete shock and asked, "How..."

She said softly, "The pain killers...made you a little loopy..."

"You were saying that...someone took your limbs...that he said it was equivalent for yout sin..."

I sighed and handed her my book once again. "Read page 12 aloud..."

She opened up the book and said, "There is a taboo amougst alchemist. Human Transmutation it strictly forbidden. The attempt to modify and reserect a human being, is completely un-ethical. For what could equal a human soul?"

I looked at her and said, "Now read page 85."

She flipped to the page and read, "As we learned from those who commited the taboo, these sinners had come into contact with the Portal of Truth. Truth gave them knowalge and in return, he took away something from them. It's usally a skill, some organs, and limbs...but at times he will take entire bodies..."

I completed the phrase from the book by memory, "This is consider Equivalent Exchange for their sin. For these alchemist that have seen the Truth, this is their punishment for trying to play God..."

She stared at me and said, "You tried it, didn't you?"

I nodded and said, "I broke the taboo and I'm still paying for it..."

She looked at me and asked, "But how did you get rid of the mess, and get into the street."

I lied and said, "Truth, didn't want me to be discovered..."

She looked at me and said, "Don't worry... you secret safe with me..."

I nodded and said, "Thank you Tara..."

"I have never told anyone about this..."

She gave a sad smile and said, "The past is the past. Look towards the future with great inspiration."

She smiled and said, "Let's get back inside."

I sighed and said, "You go ahead. I'm going to sit out here for a while."

She nodded and got into the elevator. I was once again alone.

I said quietly, "You can come out now."

Jorgen, Cosmo, and Wanda appeared on the roof with me.

Jorgen looked at me and said, "Turner, you did something that is unspeakable..."

I replied, "I know...I wish I hadn't. But no matter how hard I wish, it still happened, and there is no turning back..."

Jorgen looked at me and said, "You've grown up quite a bit Timothy Turner..."

I looked down and said, "Yeah, I guess I have..."

He sighed and said, "I was sent here to take them away, you know..."

I nodded and said, "I guess that..."

"It will be sad, them not being here, to help me, to help others. I suppose this is God's way of punishing sinners like me...This is my punishment for trying to mess with the natural order..."

Jorgen sighed and said, "I'm not suppose to do this, but..."

He pulled out a contract and said, "I will let you keep them and they will help you..."

"But you must never make another selfish wish...Understood..."

I looked at the contract and said, "Yes..."

My name appeared on the contract.

Jorgen smiled and said, "It is done."

I looked out to the sun set and said, "Thank you..."

He nodded and said, "You, will do great things Turner. I can feel it."