The sparkling huddled in the ally. She shivered and sweated; she had no idea of the world around her. She coughed, and some energon landed on her arm, freezing instantly.
"I'll see ya soon, Optimus." A big red Autobot shook his head as he turned into the alleyway to find a quiet place to talk with his old friend, "Optimus, stop worryin' the 'cons won't be back." There was a pause as the leader spoke to Ironhide, "I'm just fine, I ain't havin' any flashbacks, leastways not like you have 'em." The tough Autobot looked around instinctively.
That was the thing with war; it made one always ready to fight, always looking over one's shoulder.
Something caught his eye, a movement. Newspapers don't shiver…
He strode towards it, something was beneath it, Ironhide, ready to strike, lifted it. "Mercy! A little one! Where's your home, girl?"
Her eyes barley twitched. She was black and brown with many scars, and she had a look Ironhide was all too familiar with. "You don't have a home, do you?" he paused, finding himself reaching down to feel her forehead, "You're burnin' up! Let's git ya inta Ratchet."
The girl faded back into the world at his touch, " No… please…just-" she shuddered and groaned.
Ironhide looked at her; she had to have been experimented on. He picked her up, "It's all gonna be alright, don't you worry now." A human song bubbled into his mind, one that he had heard a human father sing to his little girl while he was on Earth, "Hush little baby don't you say a word, daddy's gonna buy ya a mocking bird." he stopped singing abruptly, "Who in their right mind would want a mocking bird?! It's bad enough when others mock ya, why would someone get a bird to do it as well?! Human are such odd creatures! Ah, well, let's see here… rock abye ba- you ain't a baby, and that's a weird song as well. Who'd ever wish their kiddo to fall from a tree in a windstorm?! And I ain't singing 'bout ponies! Why must human songs be so odd?" The big red 'bot noticed the child's arm hanging at a rather awkward angle, so he pulled it over her waist. She was so fragile and little, it was as if she would fall apart in the wind. What am I thinking? I couldn't keep Chromia and Sparky alive. And I certainly can't take her in, what if she doesn't like it at my house? What if...
The girl moaned and nestled deeper into Ironhide's arms, trembling and sick. A wave of powerful emotion struck him like an EMP blast. He shielded her from the wind, she was already wrapped in his coat and the emergency blanket he had in his kit and there was nothing more for him to do; she wouldn't fit inside him if he transformed. He loved her like she was his own, and he would not deny it.
He had grown up on the streets, and had vowed to aid any whom had come into his path. Then the war had happened, and he had to hide who he truly was. In truth, Ironhide's toughness was as much a mask as Prime's was. He was a big softie at the spark, and he just loved everybody, save for 'cons, to pieces. He wanted to look tough only so he could defend his loved ones. And he was angered at the 'cons; he had watched them, powerless to do anything to stop them, torture a sparkling. No one got away with that, not with him alive. But he didn't have the skills to balance it that Prime did, that was because Prime was, well… Prime, the carrier of the Matrix of Leadership.
"Shh, it's alright, I am here, I won't let anything bad happen to you." Ironhide contacted Ratchet, "Doc, meet me at my house, please hurry!"
"Ok." The older medic knew if Ironhide was asking for a house call in that pained, panicked tone the weapon specialist had to be badly injured. Optimus followed him as they sped out.
Ironhide was laying the child down on his bed when Ratchet and Optimus dashed in, a look of sheer worry on their faces.
After all of his training, all the struggling, protesting injured 'bots, the medic was not prepared to see the tough Autobot known as Ironhide with tears of worry streaming down his face. In fact, it caught him so far off guard that he knew not what to do.
Optimus, however, went to the big red 'bot, hugged him, and dragged him far enough away for Ratchet to work on the sparkling. Even Optimus had a hard time calming Ironhide and holding him still; Ironhide had a stubborn mind of his own, a good thing, until it came to those he loved getting hurt.
Ratchet nodded then set to work assessing the child's ailments. "She has a high fever, presumably from a shock, like falling through ice or something akin to that. Keep her as comfortable as you can and give her this." The medic reached into his bag and produced a bottle with a liquid medicine inside. "Make some mint tea, soak a cloth in it and put it on her forehead, make her drink some as well. That ought to bring down the fever."
The tall red and blue 'bot known as Optimus Prime stood, releasing his old and dear, stubborn friend, whom ran to the sparkling's side.
"Ironhide, you will not like this, but I will show you how to administer medicine to an unconscious child." Ratchet, holding a very thin, long tube, beckoned to Ironhide.
"Where am I?" a small weak voice whispered causing Ratchet's spark to brighten, Ironhide to skip a little and Optimus to smile broadly.
"You are in my house." Ironhide, figuratively, transformed from the tough guy to the melted spark guy instantly, "Can you take some medicine for us?"
The youngster nodded shyly, nervous as to what they wanted of her.
"You are quite ill," Optimus read her face; "We want to help you."
The girl nodded again, not as shyly but still a bit nervous. Then she let Ratchet spoon her medicine.
"What is your name?" Ironhide finally asked the question he had been waiting to ask for a few hours.
"I don't remember, I was known as a number for my earliest years, then after the war I escaped and went by nothing. I know who you are, you are Ironhide. The deep voiced one addressed you as so.
"Well, the deep voice belongs to Optimus, and the other one's Ratchet." Ironhide paused, "perhaps I can figure you out one."
"If you want to." The little girl whispered as she closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.