Cardinal Sin (1) : Rebirth of the Fullmetal Alchemist

20 - Ugly crying

"Is it really true that Edward is dead?"

This was Granny speaking or maybe it was someone else, but Winry was too distraught to pay too much attention to minor details as such—no one answered the questions anyways. At most, she could tell she was seated in a chair in someone's office. General Mustang's, Miss Hawkeye's superior, she figured.

There were a few people gathered in the room; herself, Granny, Miss Hawkeye, General Mustang, the young man who'd called her about Ed—Frederick Galemi—Major Armstrong and a few others Winry had not yet made the acquaintance of. By the minute, more in more people were pouring into the office. Mustang was extremely exasperated, wondering why on earth his visitors had escalated from four to a dozen.

'This isn't a museum exhibit!' the General thought to himself.

As Ed's fiancee, they all gave their condolences to the mechanic, making her entire situation all the more overwhelming. She sat there, her eyes unable to muster up more tears for she was still deep in shock, the red coat belonging to her late fiance still wrapped around her shoulders as she stubbornly refused to take it off. Loosing Ed... Winry had always feared to coming of this solemn day, but never had it felt so real—until it was true.

She wasn't the only one suffering. Winry had not payed attention til that moment, but she was suddenly very aware of how many others were mourning Ed's passing; Major Armstrong's usual expression of glory was replaced by one of horror, Hawkeye seemed to be on the verge of tears, though she tried to hide it, the two young men (apparently Fullmetal's friends from the West) had broken down into tears. Mustang had his hands on the back of his neck, head bowed forwards, practically touching his desk.

Two new familiar faces appeared in the sorrowful crowd, these two Winry recognized at once. Her head snapped up and she chocked out, "Mrs Gracia. Elicia."

Gracia raised her hand to her face, her teary eyes sympathizing. Of course. Mrs Gracia had gone through the same thing when Mr Hughes was murdered. She knew exactly what Winry was going through.

Little Elicia, hugging her mother's arm, half hidden behind the latter's back, pipped up, "Mommy, why is everyone crying?"

Silmoltaneously, the eyes of nearly every person in the room widdenned if even in the slightest. The child's mother crouched by her daughter.

"Is it like with daddy?" Elicia continued. "Are they going to put Edward in the ground, too?"

Bending forwards, Winry covered her mouth with her hand and her stomach with use of the other. Granny and Miss Hawkeye were by her side at once, helping her as she slid out of her chair. Shameless, she wailled, she sobbed, tears leaving her eyes like a downpour, snot leaking out of her nose. Her face was most definitely a terrible mess (she didn't need a mirror to come to that conclusion) but she did not care. Neither did it matter to her in the slightest that a mound of people were seeing her ugly crying.

She had lost the love of her life; anguish was the singlemost strongest emotion within her that could not be overthrown.