I look out the window when I hear the sound of a backup alarm, and find a large tow truck literally dumping something in my front yard. Once it's gone, I run out to the large neon green and silver thing on my lawn, hoping to see what, exactly, was dumped in the middle of our property.
I stare in shock for a moment when I find it's an actual Cybertronian… It's Ratchet! After taking note that he still has color—meaning he's still alive—I walk around looking for actual signs of life. Finding none, I run inside for my toolbox—it's pink, and canvas, making it more of a bag, but I don't give a flying frag. I like it.
I hook the bag around my neck and one shoulder, then start with his hands—they shouldn't be too bad, but I remember what happened in the movie, and for all intents, he should be dead, not seemingly unconscious on my front lawn, so I'll just start with the most simple job, and try to secure what I can before he wakes up. Then I'll let him talk me through the rest of the mess.
I grab my green-handled screwdriver before moving for a loose plate between his hand and fingers on the left hand. The first loose screw I find is on the knuckle of the ring finger. Of course, with my hands shaking so much, I wind up poking him on the side of the hole in the plate rather than sticking the Philips head into the slots on the screw, and scrape my knuckles on the edge of the metal in the process. "Ow! Frag it, Ratchet! Why do ya have ta be so sharp!"
I hear a sharp hiss, and look up, half-expecting my yell to have startled one of our many cats, only to find the medic himself staring at me.
I stick the screwdriver back in the toolbox before running over to his head. "Hey, Big Guy. I'm so sorry about that. You okay?" I smile and sigh softly. "I'm Sheyenne, by the way."
"You need to be a lot more careful with a bot's hands, Sheyenne, especially if they are a medic."
I nod. "I know, and I didn't mean to slip." I lay a hand on his cheek. "You're okay though, right?"
"Yeah…"
I nod. "That's good…" I step back over to his hand before carefully tightening the screws. "Want to tell me what happened? Last I'd heard, you were killed…"
He scoffs. "I would be so lucky…" He sighs. "No. I spent two years in stasis lock at KSI, but I was not off-line. When they discovered I was still alive, they sent me off on that tow truck, and dumped me here."
"But…they were melting you…"
He touches an armorless spot on his head. "I am well aware of that, Youngling."
"Do you…want to talk about what happened in Michigan?"
"Excuse me?"
I can barely keep my voice steady. This is one of my favorite bots, and he was killed in the last movie. "You were attacked…by Cemetery Wind…and Lockdown…in Michigan… Just a few m-miles from here… I-I thought h-he'd killed you… I—" I fall to my knees before clinging to the large metal hand. "I'd just lost my mom… I couldn't lose you too…"
He sighs before resting a hand on my back. I flinch away slightly before relaxing. I hate having a sensitive spine. "If I have anything to do with it, you will never lose another bot."
"B-but… Optimus…" I point up. "Optimus went into space, two years ago…mortally wounded…I think he's still…"
I hear metal creak as he sits up, still holding me. "HE DID WHAT!?" I whimper softly, causing him to sigh. "Sorry, Youngling. I did not mean to frighten you."
I shake my head. "You're fine. Flashback." I sigh heavily. "Optimus got stabbed in the middle of his chest, with his own sword, by Lockdown, when he was in Hong Kong." Ratchet tenses up when he hears the bounty-hunter's name. "He took off into space with the seed, and no one had fixed him… It was too close to his spark for me to be comfortable… I don't wanna lose him either, Ratch…"
"If he makes it back to Earth…" He sighs heavily. "I will make sure you never lose another Autobot, whether that be in the war, or… to Lockdown."
I smirk in spite of myself. "Optimus killed him, Ratch. You never have to worry about him again."
He holds me out so he can see my face. He looks…upset, but relieved at the same time. "What?"
"Lockdown's dead. Optimus sliced him in half. You never have to worry about him again."
I watch him relax, and realize instantly that he was afraid of the mech returning to finish the job. "You're afraid…" I smile up at him gently. "I understand…"
"How could you ever understand war?"
I rub the back of my neck. "My life's been a war since I was little, Ratch. I've had to fight my whole life—maybe not against soldiers—but I've had enemies in my life, and their still out there—and always will be, because no one believes me… No one ever believes…" I sigh softly, trying not to cry. I hate meltdowns. I close my eyes and shudder before starting to sing softly, trying not to cry.
I know you're there
I know you're hiding in the dark
Because you're scared
You want the pain to stop
But no one cares
Try to tell the one you love
But they won't believe
The cross you bear
The mask you wear
The hurt that makes you cry yourself to sleep
When will someone see?
I stop when a small sob breaks through, then sigh softly. "I've got PTSD, from emotional abuse, so I know how you feel…and I'm right here, if you need anything…"
"You are trembling…"
I nod. "Anxiety. Ties in with my autism and my trauma—mostly my trauma… Sometimes it's a side-effect from a medication I'm on, but it's usually anxiety."
He glares at me. "You were trembling when I came out of recharge."
"Then it's anxiety. You're one of my favorite bots, and I'm surprised to see you on my front lawn… I was abandoned two weeks ago… I'm in college, but I don't have a working car…"
"I could—"
I cross my arms. "You won't be taking me anywhere until you're fixed up, Mister. I don't want you hurting yourself more…" I turn away and rub my arm anxiously. "Not after crying beside the theater… crying in the college bathroom…" I shake my head before turning back to him. "I'm not letting you get hurt when seeing you dead almost killed me emotionally. I can't take it if you're actually killed…"
"Sheyenne…"
"Don't."
"I never wanted to make you cry."
"I was already broken before you showed up here, Ratch." I shrug at the look he gave me. "You got me through a hell of a childhood, and after I grew up as well. Watching you die didn't help me any, but I was already broken."
He sighs. "Battered, maybe, but not broken. So long as you are still able to get back up, you are never broken, merely damaged. You will recover, even if it takes years. If Bluestreak can survive his entire city, you can survive an abusive home and abandonment." He smiles slightly. "And I can help you through."
I smile up at him. "And if I can, then you can too. We can help each other."
"I do not—"
"You tensed up when I said his name, and you hesitated before saying it yourself. You're traumatized, same as I am, just…" I shake my head. "Oh, what the hell." I shake my head again. It's Ratchet, for Primus' sake! "He traumatized me too, Ratchet. Watching you die left me just as traumatized as if he'd come here and killed my parents—Mom was already dead, but it felt like he'd killed my Dad…even with him in the same house at the time."
"Sheyenne…"
"That's how much I care, Ratch. You mean that much to me. I…I need you… Dad's gone now, and I can't take care of myself. I need you, and you need me…"
"Then I will be here as long as you need me."
I sigh softly. "I can let you stay in the garage, so you won't have to be out in the elements, but you'll have to stay in vehicle mode. It's too small for you to stand up. Period."
"I will be fine."
"Stay here, I'll go open it." I run inside and tap the button, letting the door open before running out and waving the medic inside, in vehicle mode, then step up to the breezeway. "I'll be right through this door if you need me, and you can honk if you need anything. I'll be out as soon as I can." I step back down and pat his hood. "Even if you have a bad dream, or you get panicked."
"Sheyenne…"
"Lockdown may be dead, Ratch, but that doesn't mean your fears die with him. You've been in stasis lock for two years." I shrug. "I know the symptoms of PTSD, and you could wind up with nightmares or flashbacks, just like I have. If it happens, just call me. I don't sleep well as a rule, and I'll be here if you need me." I pat the side of the Hummer rig before starting inside. "Love you, Big Guy!"