"Ahh, let me help you with that. And I've sent Al and Winry out for a while so there'll be no-one to disturb us." Pinako said and reached up to ease the top from the port. Ed sighed as the material came free and twitched his shoulder in relief. Ed was trembling as she tossed the tank top into the wash basket and he gave up all modesty concerns as she tugged his boxers down. Stepping out of them and taking that last step to get into the bath was bringing him close to the limit of his strength. He held her shoulder tight and she supported his weight as he finally got his legs over the edge and literally collapsed into the hot water.
Ed leant back and closed his eyes. The water was hot and his shoulder pulsed in waves of pain. Five minutes passed before he stopped shaking. Pinako knelt behind him and pulled his hair out of its tail and began to wash it. Ed relaxed further into the tub and let the warmth ease itself into his aching and stressed body.
"Your hair is going to make the other women jealous, Ed." Pinako commented as she rinsed the long strands.
"Is that a good thing?" Ed asked his voice lazy and uninterested.
"Yes it is. I think most women are going to envy you Ed. You really lucked out in this change." Pinako twisted the now clean hair up into a loose knot and began to wipe a cloth around the new port, clearing the blood and disinfectant stains from metal and flesh alike.
"I really don't feel like a girl." Ed murmured for what felt like the hundredth time. The tension was seeping out of him with each swipe and his eyes were half closed. His mind was foggy and sleep beckoned. The continual strong pain was making him overly lethargic. He supposed it to be a coping mechanism. He remembered Al always wanting to cuddle up to anything soft if he was hurt.
"Too bad, because you are one." Pinako said with her usual bluntness. "Although to be accurate we should really say you are a young woman. You're too old to be a girl." She smirked. "And for the first time in your life, you're the right height for your age, squirt."
Ed's eyes flew open and he floundered in the water briefly, hissing as his shoulder pushed another spike of pain through him. "That's hardly fair Granny!"
"True but," was her quick retort. She took advantage of his re-awakened state and began to teach him some basic feminine hygiene involving a wash cloth, soap and a razor that had him blushing and horrified and being very thankful for the few bubbles that remained.
"I'll just get you something to wear and you can have some soup and then sleep." Pinako stood up and helped him stand, wrapping a towel around his shoulders and keeping him braced as he stepped out of the tub. Ed began to dry himself off slowly and carefully and was halfway done when she reappeared carrying a sleeveless top and baggy pants over one arm.
"C'mon girl, let's get you settled before the others get back." Ed looked startled at her words but realised the second he opened his mouth that anything he said was going to have no effect whatsoever.
Soon Ed was back in his bed with fresh clothes and fresh sheets and a bowl of hot soup. It was amazing how much better he felt. He slurped quietly as Pinako brushed his hair out.
"You should sleep well tonight, Ed and if all goes well and there is no fever we can try your arm in two days time. I know it's a bit soon after the port attachment but it's better to discover if your changed state will affect the automail now rather than later." She paused. "And then what will you do?"
Ed held the spoon in front of him and sighed making the soup move in waves from one side of the spoon to the other.
"Central, after I get used to the arm again." He looked over his shoulder at her. "After that, I don't know." He paused. "I know Al wants to stay here even though he hasn't said anything yet. But me … I don't know if I can settle down like that after just getting back. There are people I want to see, places I want to revisit."
Pinako looked at him understandingly. Four years had brought changes to them all and Ed needed to reaffirm his place in this world. No. Pinako thought suddenly. Ed needed to find her place in this world. The long golden hair that lay in her hands no longer belonged to the rash, proud, unselfish and headstrong boy she had known. Now it was the hair of a young woman with a whole raft of new challenges to face but who was no doubt still as unselfish and headstrong as her younger self. Maturity lay just below the surface of this new Edward Elric. Pinako had seen flashes of it and wondered if Ed kept it hidden because she thought people wanted the reassurance of seeing the old Edward.