Road to Recovery

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of these wonderful characters.

Chapter 1

He couldn't believe it was over! After years of fighting and surviving, his injuries were finally catching up with him. That's how the world works after all, equivalent exchange. All the energy he put in has been depleted and it's time to recharge. Even with all the pain and exhaustion plaguing him, Ed still couldn't give in to sleep. He tried to shift in bed without aggravating the throbbing pain in his right shoulder and left leg, not to mention all the other injuries he'd sustained from the final fight with the homunculus.

Although, he had been hopeful that they'd come out with both their bodies restored, it always seemed like a pipe dream to him. A child's unrealistic dream.

All that mattered now was that Al's body was returned. He looked to his right to check on his little brother. Al was covered with a number of blankets fast asleep with several IVs connected to him. He looked a little worse for wear, but that was to be expected after what his body had been through. It was a blessing that he survived. More of a miracle, actually! Ed tried to hold on to that thought for a moment. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Focus on what you have, not what you lost. And yet all he could think about was how it was going to take Al months to recover, since his body was severely malnourished. Every time he looked at him, his stomach did a little dip in shock. It will take him a while to get used to seeing Al's face again.

And, what about him? No! Now was not the time to think about himself. After all, he really brought this all upon himself. He was the big brother and it was his job to take care of Al. Not that there was anything he could do for him at the moment. He brought his focus back to the slumbering Al for a moment and then turned his head to stare bleakly at the ceiling.

They were brought to the hospital a few hours ago, after the whole ordeal was finished. Their wounds were treated to the best of the hospital's abilities and resources. Unfortunately, there were a lot of shortages and they had to make do with what was available. At least they had the room to themselves with trusted guards posted outside the door. It was a relief not having to worry about their safety for a while, though they couldn't be sure if there were any enemies left.

The country was in tatters and would no doubt need years to recover. At least, for now he knew a good man was in charge, loath though he was to admit that Mustang was such a thing. He couldn't feel any sense of victory. They lost a lot of good people to this war. And he lost even more. He started the whole journey by failing to revive his mother and now ended his journey by failing to restore his arm and leg. He failed everyone around him. Failure seems to be his only faithful companion.

On that thought, he heard the door open, but didn't turn to see who came in. He closed his eyes and feigned sleep. The hesitant sound of footsteps approached his bed. He felt a hand gently push away his hair from his face and had to refrain from flinching, until he smelled a familiar scent. Home, he never realized until that moment that he could reduce the smell of home to an identifiable scent. The feminine aroma of a flower he couldn't name with the faint contrasting whiff of Automail oil.

Ed resisted the urge to open his eyes and tried to calm his pounding heart. He hadn't seen Winry in months and couldn't bear the thought of facing her after he'd broken his promise. He heard her take a deep breath and then the shuffle of her feet as she turned around and headed to Al's bedside. His heart ached as he heard her try to hold back tears as she looked at Al's sleeping form. He chanced opening his eyes enough to see her standing with her back to him facing Al, her shoulders shaking with her silent sobs. Perhaps it was better if he kept his eyes closed after all.

He heard the door open again, there was a pause before someone came in and closed the door.

"Ms. Rockbell, I didn't expect you to be here so soon." said a low voice, it took him a moment to realize it was Mustang's. His voice sounded hoarse and lacked his usual authoritativeness.

"I was on my way to Central when I heard the news, Ed called me before it all happened. Told me to leave the country. The idiot!" Winry's voice shook as her attempt at humor fell flat. "I can't believe it's over, that Alphonse got his body back! But they told me Ed.." Her voice trailed off and I felt her gaze fall upon me.

"He will recover in time. The kid's tenacious if nothing else" Mustang said as he approached the bed. It rankled that everyone still thought of him as a kid, but he tried to contain his annoyance and focus on the conversation.

"How long do they have to stay here? No one will tell me anything!" Winry said in a rush. Ed hated to hear the desperate note in her voice. He almost opened his eyes before Mustang replied.

"They need to recover for a few weeks before they can be moved anywhere. I believe it's best if you stay close by. I'm sure it will be a comfort to them to have someone they know here to help. It will be rough for a while." He paused before continuing. "Would you like the military to provide you with lodgings for the time being?"

Winry paused for a moment before replying, "Can I stay here with them? I promise I won't get in the way! I'll even try to help out the doctors if anyone needs a consult for Automail. Besides, I know Ed will definitely need someone to help out with his. I haven't had the heart to check the extent of the damage."

"I'm sure a bed can be added to the room. I'll have Lieutenant Hawkeye make the needed arrangements." His voice got lower as he approached the door. Ed heard the door open, but did not hear it close. "Take care of them." Mustang muttered before the door closed.

Ed heard Winry approach his bed again. She walked away and returned a moment later dragging something along to his bedside. He heard her settle closer on what must have been a chair, and then felt her soft hand take hold of his left. Winry squeezed his hand for a moment before laying her head along his arm, careful not to jostle the IV connected there. She sighed and he felt a trickle of wetness on his arm.

"You can't scare me like this again, Edward." He heard her mutter before sleep finally claimed him.

TBC.

AN/ I'm not sure if anyone is still interested in Fullmetal Alchemist. But for me, I doubt I will ever get over this series (both animes and manga). I hope you all liked the chapter! I will mostly update once a week (maybe more, depending on the encouragement). It will probably be a short-ish story. (Up to 10 chapters or so..)

Reviews would be really appreciated! And typos are bound to happen, let me know if you find any :)