Chapter 9: A Home with a Family Waiting


 * This article is about the Fullmetal Alchemist manga chapter. For the similarly titled episode of the 2003 anime series, see Episode 17: House of the Waiting Family (2003 series). For the episode of the 2009 anime series which is often referred to by this title, see Episode 6: Road of Hope (2009 series).

Synopsis
The Elrics arrive in Resembool with Major Armstrong and greet teenage Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako - Ed's personal automail mechanic team. After receiving a stern telling-off (and harsh beating) from Winry for getting her masterwork automail arm destroyed, Ed is informed by Pinako that his automail leg, too, needs to be readjusted to compensate for his recent growth. She promises to have both limbs ready in three days and the Rockbell women begin their work. Given a spare prosthetic leg to walk on while Pinako alters his usual, Edward takes Alphonse's advice and goes to visit his mother's grave. As Armstrong helps Pinako with the household chores, she asks him to tell her what kind of life Ed and Al are leading, citing their unwillingness to send word home as a source of her worries. He explains that their notoriety gets them into a fair bit of trouble, but their remarkable strength is enough to handle it, prompting Pinako to recall the night of the failed Human Transmutation, when Alphonse - in his armor body - came into her house clutching his freshly maimed brother in his arms as well as the events surrounding the installation of his automail and his enlistment in the State Military. She goes on to explain that she has known both boys since their birth and was a friend of their father, who had suddenly disappeared one day long ago. Armstrong asks what became of Winry's parents, to which Pinako responds that the both of them had gone to the front lines of the Ishval Civil War to serve as emergency doctors and were killed in action. When it becomes apparent that the Elrics are staying at the Rockbell house even though they grew up in this town, Pinako reveals that Edward burned the Elric house to the ground on the day that he received his State Alchemist certification three years ago, so as to remove any path of retreat from his ultimate goal.

Three days later, with both limbs completed, Winry and Pinako begin the quick but painful task of connecting them to Edward's nervous system and adjusting them for use. Winry tries to explain to Ed that his new arm is less durable than its predecessor, but Edward rushes off to repair Al's armor. Having collected all the broken pieces, Edward carefully transmutes them back into their proper shape, while being careful not to affect the area on which his brother's Blood Rune is drawn, as the rune itself is what keeps Al's soul transfixed to the steel. After sparring to make sure both their repaired bodies function properly, the boys go inside for supper, where Edward expresses his optimism regarding the day when he will no longer require automail repairs, but when Ed goes to sleep, Alphonse expresses gratitude toward Winry and Pinako on behalf of his brother. The next morning, the Elrics and Armstrong at dawn to catch the earliest train to Central City. Pinako asks them to come back for a visit if ever they desire a home-cooked meal and Winry, who is groggy from three days and two nights of labor, gives them a cheerful wave goodbye from her bedroom. However, that evening when she wakes from making up her lost sleep, she discovers a bolt that she had neglected to include in Edward's arm.

Chapter Notes

 * In this chapter, it is revealed that Edward and Winry are fifteen years old while Alphonse is fourteen.
 * This chapter explains a great deal about automail, including the fact that automail limbs function by way of the nervous system and that the surgery and rehabilitation for automail prostheses is infamously long and painful.
 * Winry attempts to reveal Edward's height, but Edward breaks the fourth wall by holding a censor over her speech bubble.
 * The bolt that Winry finds at the end of the chapter is marked A-08.
 * In this chapter, Pinako says that Winry's parents were called to the battlefield to make up for the lack of doctors. When they reach their destination, however, they help the Ishvalans and not exclusively the military.