A/N: Uhhh, character death. Heavily implied Ratchet/Wheeljack but a few other soft implications sprinkled about because I just love love. So there's a tiny bit of fluff. Sad fluff, but fluff.
This idea was actually a speculation I had early in Season 3/Beast Hunters; I was certain that my favorite badass was going to be sacrificed. And so with some near-death drama in RP plot, I needed to write this. It was far more therapeutic than I imagined.
Also somewhat vague implications about Ratchet's decision to stay on Earth at the end of the series.
Predaking had his scent.
Make no mistake, Wheeljack fought hard. He made the Autobots proud. He made Ratchet proud. That fire-breathing slagger didn't get out of it without a grenade blowing up in his optic, but in return he'd made sure to take a few bites out of the Wrecker.
Legs mangled, wire sparking, crushed pumps, half an arm missing, exposed and melted circuitry in his helm, only half of a winglet intact.
He was only still alive because of the power supply. Ratchet covered his face shakily when Wheeljack's vocalizer started spitting out random tones that tried to be words.
The medic had done what he could. He'd stopped the bleeding and gotten Wheeljack on life support immediately. But... with this makeshift base and so little supplies, it wasn't going to be enough. Even if they did have the resources required to keep Wheeljack alive until they could get more energon, and enough parts to fix him up, it's... They couldn't do it. They couldn't let him suffer like this.
When the Wrecker's grip on Ratchet's hand started to loosen and he stopped trying to talk with a busted vocalizer, the orange mech looked tearfully to Optimus.
Who looked to Ultra Magnus. Arcee put a servo on Bulkhead's arm, and somewhere in base, Miko was crying.
"Wheeljack," Ratchet said softly, vocals cracking with static, when he turned back to face his dear friend. His unexpected friend.
How exactly had Ratchet gotten to the point where he knew that there were precisely two people in the known universe he wouldn't return home without? And now he had to say goodbye to one of them. The one that opened him up, the one that took him to the white beaches and showed him that this planet wasn't so bad after all, see Doc, let's just spend the night out here where no one will bother us, I like you, you're fun, I'll hold your servo all night if ya let me.
Wheeljack's energy field reached out in a tangible buzz, warm despite its weakness, trying so hard to convey some kind of message even if he didn't know where he was anymore.
Ratchet smiled. Smiled despite the tears and despite the sight of Wheeljack in literal pieces, fighting to stay alert and hold his medic's servo even though he wasn't quite able to work his hand anymore.
"I know," Ratchet said, cleanser finally welling enough in his optics that he had to raise his other servo to quickly wipe them away. "I need you to just rest, alright, Wheeljack?"
He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and didn't need to look or use sensors to know that it was Optimus.
The monitors indicated that Wheeljack had fallen into stasis. The beeps and blips were soft and low.
Optimus offered to do it himself, but Ratchet refused. It took him a moment, but he let go of the Wrecker's limp hand and reached below the berth where various cables and lines were bundled. He knew exactly which one belonged to life support.
He squeezed his optics shut in embarrassment when a tear or two fell prey to gravity, and while holding in ventilation, detached the cable. He heard Optimus saying a prayer under his breath behind him and Bumblebee held Smokescreen's hand when the rookie stiffly watched the vitals monitor go dark.
Ratchet was very calm and quiet when Optimus and Ultra Magnus took the body. Fowler made the arrangements and they buried him at midnight in a secluded and guarded area. The medic didn't speak once during the hasty burial.
Come sunrise, he was states away with his servo buried in warm sand and watching the glimmer over the ocean.