Disclaimer: I don't own Tranformers. This story is dedicated to my teacher.

Ratchet was lingering around in his office with nothing to do. He was almost jealous of those youngsters, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Bumblebee, Skids, Mudflap, etc. Even running around gettingt hurt had to be better than just sitting here, right?

Sideswipe burst into the room, disturbing Ratchet's thoughts.

"Hey Hatchet," he called.

"Sideswipe? And the designation's Ratchet, not Hatchet." Ratchet was about to ask what had happened THIS time when he received a comm call.

::Ratchet, Jolt, come meet me in my office:: sent Optimus.

::Right away.: Ratchet replied before dashing past Sideswipe and out the door, eager for something to do. He didn't even stop upon seeing Sunstreaker, who had one arm bent in an awkward manner.

"Hello, Ratchet," Optimus greeted him.

Ratchet greeted him back. "You won't believe how bored I've been."

"I probably won't. Come in."

Jolt appeared a few seconds later and walked into the room with Ratchet.

"As you already know, there is an epidemic in West Africa," Optimus began. The two medics nodded.

"They are lacking health care workers with enough experience..."

Ratchet began to get an idea of where this conversation was heading.

"...so we were wondering, if you two like to head to Liberia to help control the virus."

Jolt looked up at Ratchet, who looked straight back at him.

"I know it's a big ask," Optimus stated. "And it's okay if you don't want to go. We won't blame you."

"Is there any chance..." Jolt began.

"Of you catching the disease? Well, yes, there is, but there's an eighty-eight point five percent chance that ebola cannot spread to Cybertronians. That still leaves..."

"Eleven point five percent," Ratchet finished for him.

"Precisely."

Ratchet considered his options. He could stay put on the Ark and leave the disease management to the humans, or he could go to Liberia and help save thousands of lives, while putting himself and therefore the other Autobots, as he was their medic, at risk. Well...

"I'll go," Jolt announced.

Both Jolt and Optimus now turned to stare at Ratchet, waiting for an answer.

"If I go, the rest of the Autobots won't have a medic," said Ratchet.

"We'll manage. You won't believe how many of us have basic medical skills."

"Hmmph," hmmphed Ratchet.

"You don't have to go," Optimus reassured him. Then he opened a comm link so that they could speak privately.

::Ratchet::

::Yes Optimus::

::Is there anything you'd like to say::

Ratchet didn't reply.

::Ratchet, are you scared?::

::Yes:: replied Ratchet after a few seconds.

::Ratchet, I know that's not the real reason. Come on, tell me. It's okay::

::What if Jolt catches the virus? Or if one of the others gets injured severely? I want to go, Optimus! But I don't know::

Optimus paused for a while. "Jolt? Could you please leave for a moment, so-"

"Yessir!" Jolt bolted out the door.

Ratchet offlined his optics as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Ratchet?"

Ratchet shook his head. "I just...can't...Optimus, I can't just let Jolt go to some distant virus-infected place all on his own! But the Autobots need me here! I'm stuck! Totally STUCK!"

Ratchet practically screamed the last stuck, so that Jolt could probably hear it from outside.

"Ratchet, just think about it this way. If you go to-"

Optimus was cut off by Ratchet, who whispered, barely audibly, "Yes.

I will go."