Flora walked through Central with her father and Lettie, smiling at people who greeted her kindly on the way. She was taking them straight to the hospital, where she could at least leave them to observe some medical stuff while she called Mustang. She figured.

She hoped.

"So, Flora." Philip said slowly, dangerously, "Do explain your choice of name."

Flora knew already how much trouble she was in. "I know it's weird." She said, "I know you probably don't like it."

His face gave himself away—he definitely did not like it.

"I changed my name when I came here because I didn't want anyone at the hospital to give me special treatment." Flora carefully said, "Most of them remember you from the war."

Philip stopped walking immediately and asked, honestly, "They what?"

"They remember you." Flora said, as Lettie gently rubbed his arm, "They remember you fondly. People in the medical field and the military. They talk about you sometimes…"

"They do?"

Flora knew they would once she found out about Tim Marcoh and the others working with him. When she read through the reports, he was spoken about a lot, his work, and his personality. He was generally very agreeable to everyone and his work was exceptional, as he tended to keep his head low. She mentally thanked Mustang for making her read through the reports.

"So." Flora continued, "When I realized that, I changed my name. I want to prove myself, Father. And not as Philip's daughter. I wanted them to think I was good because I was good."

"Well." Philip couldn't argue, "I mean…I suppose that makes sense…"

"Dear, you could have just told us over the phone. Or in a letter." Lettie said gently, "Instead of giving your poor father a start in the train station."

"My apologies." Flora whispered.

Philip observed his daughter quietly as he thought about this. In retrospect, his wife's name could have been used in a worse way. Flora could have been much worse off than an inspiring surgeon honoring her mother's legacy.

"Well. That's all right then." Philip said, "That's just fine. Flora."

Flora smiled at her father.

"We haven't had breakfast, though, my dear." Lettie said, "Know of a good café?"

"Sure do but the last time I was there it—" and Flora was rolling her eyes at the disaster of her "date" with James, but caught herself. Maybe she'd let them in on the joke one line by one line as she said instead, "…it…ran out of coffee."

"Dear Lord." Philip said, "It's because this place is just crawling with military." Flora watched as he glanced around himself, eyeing anyone wearing royal blue. Flora didn't have the heart to tell him that she owned one of those suits herself.

"I know a good café just around the corner." Flora said, "We'll get some brunch. You must be starving." And she smiled sweetly as Lettie grabbed her by the arm and led her down the sidewalk, Philip travelling behind calmly.

As Lettie and Philip ordered their drinks, Flora went into the kitchen and flashed her State Alchemist badge and asked to use the phone. She had never had to do that before.

She called Mustang.

"Sir." Flora started as she turned her back away from the kitchen staff.

"Flora! Feel any better?" Mustang asked, "I know you had a rough morning?"

"It's about to get rougher, Sir." Flora continued, "My father and my neighbor are here."

"Oh my."

"I don't know what to do, Sir. I can't let them figure out I'm in the military. He'll carry me back to Green Valley if he has to."

"Oh dear oh dear oh dear my dear Flora."

Flora stopped and furrowed her brow at the phone, confused. She knew she was probably being a bit dramatic over the whole thing, and that this was small fry compared to what Mustang has to deal with on a daily basis. But the sarcasm seemed…off. "Sir?"

"Flora. I just went through the reports you gave me this morning before you stormed out on Edward."

"So?" Flora said as she glanced out of the door to see Philip and Lettie talking to a local about something. Seemed harmless enough so she went back into the kitchen to continue. Also, she mentally noted, she didn't storm out on Edeward.

"So your father left the military when the Isvalan War finished." Mustang said, his voice becoming stern, "And not on good terms either. He was court marshaled."

"You court marshal doctors?"

"If they piss us off enough, yes." Mustang said, "Your father was a member of the military while he was working with us as a doctor, regardless of what his opinion on that might be."

"What did he do?" Flora asked.

"Breach of peace." Mustang read out slowly, "He voiced his dislike of the Amestrian army and would exclusively work on Isvalans during the conflict. He ignored Amestrian soldiers."

"I—I didn't read that."

"Note that most of his notes are Ishvalan civilians after he took care of me?" Mustang asked. "And his court martial is in a file you're not authorized to read."

Flora's face was starting to heat up as she glanced to her old father, sipping his coffee quietly and smiling at Lettie, "What does that mean, then?"

"That means your father is still an enemy of Amestris." Mustang said, "And any military personnel that recognizes him is to bring him to me."

"Mustang." Flora tried.

"I can't do anything at the moment, Flora." Mustang encouraged, "Just keep your head low. We tend to write off the whole Isvalan conflict nowadays but higher ups—the Fuhrer, for example—will want to check to confirm that his flagrant negligence of our military isn't connected to any Amestrian deaths."

"How long have you known this?"

"I just cross-referenced this morning."

"How much time do I have before I get them out of here?"

Mustang absently checked his watch, thinking. As he glanced outside, however, he noticed black smoke rising on the outskirts of the city. "Looks like a week."

"Great." Flora said, "I'll get them out of here…"

"Oh and Flora." Mustang stopped her, "You're not that angry with Edward, are you?"

"Of course I am." Flora said, aghast, "He just wanted to use me to find out your secrets. Great communication you and your apparent heir have, Sir."

Mustang, despite himself, smiled at her cut comment, "Well try to be professional when you see him next." And he hung up.

Behind him Hawkeye was reporting that there was an explosive in Central Prison.

"I mean." Mustang said to Hawkeye, "Certainly we have the death penalty."

"We do not sir." Hawkeye reported, "You know we don't."

"Swear to God of all the terrible things this government thought of capital punishment wasn't one of them." Mustang mumbled under his breath as he got up from his seat and found his good glove. "And Edward?"

"Already there."

"Swell." Mustang said, as he got his hat and followed his Lieutenant out the door.

At the café, with Flora finally joining her father and Lettie, she listened as Lettie told her about the old tomcat that lived around his property, and how Lettie thought he had gotten himself a girlfriend. "And a young one too! Still has it after that terrible splint you gave him!"

"That was my first operation!" Flora countered, "I did great for my first time!"

"You sure did, dear." Philip agreed.

It was a pleasant mid-summer morning, with Flora wearing a simple dress and smiling as the sun filtered through the window. She liked this. She liked seeing her family again, listening to Lettie's country accent, experiencing what it used to be like.

Then Philip said, "Now, which hospital do you work in?"

"The Central Hospital." Flora said, "The biggest hospital here. And with the best program for surgeons."

"Wow." Lettie said, "Philip, the very best."

"I know it." Philip smiled, "You'll have to give us a tour after this."

Flora thought this through. Other than her getting offended by Edward, there wasn't anything drastic happening at the moment. She'd be able to do her normal, civilian duties as a doctor: check in on the nurses, on the nursery, maybe visit only the patients that she didn't use alchemy on. Avoid Tim Marcoh like the plague. Didn't seem too complicated when she went through it in her head. "Yeah. That should be okay. Just a quick walk around."

"Splendid!" Lettie said, "You know I often say I'm the safest woman in Amestris knowing you two!"

The nurses still greeted Flora as a major, which unnerved her. They didn't salute, just straightened up and nodded to Flora as she went through the hospital.

Other than Tim Marcoh, Flora had become the top surgeon in Central City.

"Looks like you've gain some respect here already." Her father said proudly, smiling down at her.

She smiled back awkwardly.

"So here we have the nursery." Flora started and Lettie made a high-pitched noise as she went up to the glass and pressed her face to it, eyeing the small babies as they slept. Flora smiled at her neighbor and Philip too. They wondered how quiet their life would have ended up if they hadn't had Lettie as a neighbor.

"Have you been doing births, Flora?" Philip asked her. It still sounded weird, having her father call her Flora instead of Clara.

She smiled and shook her head, "We actually have a really good mid-wife that does births."

Philip was about to say something when there was a slam downstairs and some commotion. Flora normally would rush downstairs to check up on what was happening, especially with James on the loose and Edward coming in almost every day. But that time was behind them now. They were safe, so the nurses would take care of it. She smiled sweetly at her father and said, "So, I'll show you my locker?"

"Honey what's happening downstairs?" Lettie asked.

"Oh just day-to-day stuff." Flora waved off, "You know. The normal. We are near the military, remember?"

"Right. To the locker." Philip decided for them.

But they didn't get a chance. Because they heard the door open, and Hawkeye yelled, "Flora! We need you!"

Hawkeye, as usual, was wearing her military uniform. And her face was covered in flecks of blood. She looked, overall, tired and annoyed, as she rushed towards Flora with a type of determination that already told Flora who needed her.

"It's urgent." Hawkeye said as she glanced at her guests, "Apologies."

"You're…In the military." Philip said coolly, "And you're commanding my daughter?"

Hawkeye had been briefed by Mustang, "She's a doctor to all citizens of Amestris, not just civilians. Sir."

Flora had to think quick. If she went, she risked her father finding out all about her lie. If she didn't, whoever was down there needing her, most likely Edward, would be in harm. She decided. "Okay." And she followed Hawkeye down the corridor and yelled behind her, "Stay here, please!"

She moved into a jog behind Hawkeye as she got closer to the room. "Who is it?"

"Both of them." Hawkeye reported. And she knew who they were.

She arrived behind Hawkeye to Tim Marcoh looking over Mustang, and Edward writhing in pain in the other room.

"What happened?!" Flora asked as she went to put gloves on, glancing at Hawkeye for the report.

For once, Hawkeye was flustered, as she said, "I'm not sure…First he was fine…Then…"

Flora looked down at Edward, his jaw square, his eyes screwed shut in pain. There was a large wound on his torso that was gushing blood—someone had tried to bind it on the way in, but it had already bled through. His pants were all torn, and she could see one flesh leg, covered in cuts, and the other leg was completely gone from the knee down. Wires and metal and gears were falling from that leg and Flora paused as she stared down at it, terrified.

Edward had also gotten a few good hits in the face, because his nose was gushing blood and his breathing was incredibly labored.

"Get me my needles." Flora commanded to a nurse who rushed away, as she took a breath in and went to get Edward some painkillers. She administered them quickly before uncovering the bandage on his torso slowly.

It looked like something had gone all the way through him, and Edward murmured to her pathetically as she pulled the skin taunt to check it out, her mask on and her eyes sharp. "Give me the blue needle." She said confidently.

She heard Mustang yell in the other room and only hoped Tim Marcoh was going to be okay in there. The nurse disinfected the needle and gave it to Flora, wearing gloves as well.

Flora took the needle quietly and shushed Edward as she pushed it into his torso when he cried out. When it was completely in, being held erect by the muscle of his chest, she took a step back and pinched the top, where the small blue flag was. And the blue light of alchemy emitted from Edward's chest and started to fuse the tissue together to stop the bleeding. It moved slowly, covering the organs that were exposed, sealing all exits so that Edward's wound was growing inward.

In that moment, in that chaotic moment, she glanced up from Edward to see if Hawkeye was watching from the observatory window.

Instead, she made direct eye contact with her father.