Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ I Sense You There ❯ Sound ( Chapter 2 )

Sound

 

“I'm going to join the military.”

It was the stupidest thing Winry had ever heard and the fact that it was coming from Edward Elric's mouth really surprised her. True, Ed was not known for being tactful, or polite, or charitable, or even sociable, but the boy was not dumb. At eleven, he was hailed as a prodigy, able to perform alchemy better than most adult alchemists and with a mind so sharp he could break down the composition of most any object without having to crack open a textbook.

He was a genius, and yet he was sitting before her spouting the most ridiculous drivel she had ever heard!

“What?” Ed asked, noticing the blank stare Winry was giving him.

“Are you stupid or something?” she asked without thinking. Her words, naturally, triggered Ed's temper. His cheeks began to flush, his eyes narrowed with indignant fury, and he ground his teeth just as he always did when he was mad.

It occurred to Winry that this was the first time since the accident a month ago that Ed had looked so alive.

After battling a fever for nearly five days and nights, Ed had finally cracked open one eye, Winry's concerned face the first thing he saw. He was groggy and apologetic and more than in a great deal of pain, but he was alive and Winry couldn't have asked for anything more.

At least, that was what she had thought.

Even though Ed was alive, even though he had survived loosing two limbs, surgery, a fever and the risk of infection, he was not the Ed that Winry was hoping would wake. It was shortly after his stitches had been removed that Winry noticed just how much Ed had changed. There was no more fire in Ed's eyes, no more pompous determination, or aggravating bragging, or even an over-confidant smile. Most days, Ed did little more than sit idly in his wheelchair, staring listlessly out the window, usually at his house on the hill. Winry and Al had tried everything to get Ed motivated again and Pinako had seriously discussed with the child the advantages of prosthetic limbs.

While Ed did regain his strength, and seemed mildly interested in the world around him, it was as if a cloud of despair hovered over him.

He seldom spoke.

When Ed did deign to speak, Winry found herself startled by his voice. It was hoarse and scratchy, most likely from the strain of his recovery, but there was something else. Sometimes, through the rough timber, Winry thought she heard a new voice coming from Ed. A voice that was deep and tired, like a soldier that had been at war. This was the voice with which Ed made his declaration, and while Winry was drawn to the determined tone that reminded her of the old Ed, she still found his words utterly moronic.

“What's so stupid about it?” Ed hollered back, his voice squeaking as he ranted.

“What do you mean? Ed, do you know what will happen if you join the military?” Winry didn't give Ed the opportunity to answer before ticking off points on her fingers. “They'll make you their lap dog, you'll never get to do what you want, you might have to go to war, you might have to kill people, and you'll have to move away from Resembool!”

“So?”

“So? What the hell do you mean, `so'?”

“Winry Rockbell, watch your tongue!” Pinako snapped as she walked into the living room, a tray of food in her hands. The two pre-teens stopped their argument and watched as the elder woman laid out their lunch.

“Grandma, tell Ed he's being stupid for wanting to join the military.” Winry pleaded. She was certain that, since Pinako was her grandmother, the older woman would be on her side. When Pinako said nothing but rather looked at Ed with a critical eye, Winry began to panic. Surely, her grandmother wouldn't let Ed go along with his crazy idea.

“I don't like it, Ed, you know I don't.” Pinako drawled as she adjusted her glasses on her nose.

“I know you don't like it, but you know what? It's not your choice to make, old lady.” Ed answered stubbornly.

“So rude.” Pinako grumbled. “You know you'll be little better than a dog, having to obey the orders of your commander, even if you don't want to.”

“I know, I know!” Ed snarled, banging his fist against the arm of his wheelchair. “But I'll get access to the library. I'll be able to read documents that I'd never be able to get a hold of if I stay here…if that's what it takes to get mine and Al's bodies back then I'll do it.”

“Ed…”

“You're not going to stop me!” Ed said heatedly, his golden eyes boring into Winry's with such passion she thought she might burn. Whatever Ed did, he always tackled it head-on and with single-minded aggression. Before, it had been a quality that had endeared the golden haired boy to his oldest friend, but considering his bullheadedness had been what left him without an arm and leg and now was about to lead him down a path that would take him away from her, Winry suddenly found Ed's determination to be her greatest pet peeve.

“And just how do you plan to be ready on time for the test?” Winry countered.

“Automail.”

Both Winry and Pinako gave Ed wide, curious stares.

“What? You both make automail, don't you? Well, I want some, and I can pay, too.”

“Oh really Ed, we wouldn't…”

“No! I want automail and I'm going to pay for it. I'll force you to take the money if I have to!”

“And where would you have money?” Winry demanded. “Do you have any idea how expensive automail is? There's no way you could have that much.”

“Well that goes to show what you know.” Ed snapped, gritting his teeth as perspiration trickled down his chest and caused his shirt to stick to his skin. He was breathing heavily and looked pale, the only color on his face splotches of pink on his cheeks. “You remember the loose floorboard under the kitchen mat? Well, it turns out the bastard left mom some money which she kept for us and it's hidden there. You can go look for yourself. There's more than enough for two automail limbs.”

“Ed…”

“Why are you arguing with me, Winry? It's the only way!” Ed hollered.

The broken crack in his voice left the ten year old sounding shrill and strained. The sound was so pathetic it nearly made Winry cry.

Nearly.

“You need to worry about your recovery before anything else, Ed. It's only been a month and you're far from being well. I mean, you're still getting phantom pains.” “Edward?” Pinako drawled, giving the boy a hard stare. She hadn't been aware of any phantom pains. As an experienced doctor and surgeon, Pinako knew it was unlikely that Ed wouldn't suffer from the phenomenon known as phantom pains, not with all the nerves he had severed. But ever since he had regained consciousness and was no longer requiring constant injections of morphine and had never once complained of phantom pains, Pinako simply counted the boy's blessings that he was part of the minority.

It seemed she was wrong.

“It is true, Edward?” Pinako demanded, her tone sounding much harsher than what she felt. She was merely mad at herself for allowing an eleven year old to fool her.

Ed didn't look Pinako in the eye when he spoke, a dead give-away that he had been caught in a lie.

“It's not that bad.” he scoffed.

“Not that bad? Ed, I've watched you throw-up for half an hour it's been so bad! I thought you had told Granny, but obviously that's not what happened.” Winry snorted, feeling righteous in her argument. When Ed did not respond, Winry looked at him, prepared to either continue arguing or declare victory.

Her words caught in her throat

Ed was slumped in his wheelchair, his chin was buried in his chest, his left hand gripping the arm of his chair desperately and his eyes closed tightly. For a moment, Winry was reminded of how frightened she had been waiting for him to wake up after that horrible night. He looked so pathetic and sick and small…she just wanted to keep him safe. Being in the military was the furthest from safety he could possibly get, and Winry was going to fight Ed all the way on his stupid impulsive decision.

“Besides,” Winry sighed as she slumped in her chair and looked at her grandmother out of the corner of her eye, “in order to qualify for the State Alchemist test you would have to be up and functional in thirteen months. There's never been a case of someone with two major appendages being reattached with automail and making a full recovery in a year. It's impossible.”

“Not for me.” Ed whispered, and to both Rockbell women, those words sounded like a promise.

“Grandma, tell Ed he's being ridiculous.” Winry huffed as she crossed her arms with haughty confidence. When Pinako did not answer, Winry blinked and looked at her grandmother with incredulous blue eyes. “Grandma?”

“Auntie,” Ed said before the old woman could speak, “I'm going.”

There was a finality in his voice that seemed to have settled the matter.

“Well, then I guess that's that.” Pinako muttered around her pipe. “Here's your lunch. Enjoy it while you can.”

And with those defeated words, Pinako left Ed and Winry alone, not surprised when she heard the shrill cry of her granddaughter berating Ed for his foolish choice. Pinako sighed and shook her head. She wasn't thrilled with Ed's decision either, but she knew that the stubborn ten year old would do what he felt he must in order to correct his mistakes. There was no point in trying to stop him. After all, she had told him not to dabble in human transmutation and look what he went and did.

`An idiot, just like his father.'

“Auntie Pinako.” Al called as he entered the kitchen, a stack of wood in his bulky arms. “I've finished cutting firewoo…are they fighting?”

“You sound surprised Al.” Pinako chuckled as she pointed to where she wanted the wood placed. “You know those two…they've been at it since the cradle.”

“But ever since the accident, Winry's been so nice to Ed. It was starting to get peaceful, and I thought that…well, that maybe…”

“Oh never mind about those sort of things. They're too young for it anyway. Winry's just upset because Ed's decided to take that Mustang man up on his offer.”

“What?” Al cried, dropping the wood in his surprise before crouching down to sweep up the splinters. “Ed wants to become a State Alchemist? But why, Auntie?”

“To help you, Al. He's hoping that working for the military will gain him access to secrets that will help in getting your bodies back.”

“Oh…”

Silence fell over Al and Pinako as they kept themselves busy in the kitchen. The only sounds that rattled throughout the house were the muffled yells of Ed and Winry from the other room.

“Winry sounds really upset.” Al commented quietly, his voice tinged with concern and guilt.

Pinako tapped her pipe in an ashtray as she looked over blueprints for an automail leg.

“She is.”