Hello all my lovly readers! I haven't updated some of my stories in a while :( and I'm very sorry about that...but I got a request from StarscreamsBigLover and decided to go through with it! I've had a nasty case of writers block, adn thought takeing a break and focusing on another project would help...SO I DID THIS! Hope you enjoy! *my mind says: You always dooo~! LOLZ*
Blah- speaking normal
Blah- Thoughts
A new kind of war
One-shot
By: MRSDRAGONFIRE911
Ratchet was working on the Iacon database late into the night...yet again. He had been so completly focused on it for so long it was actually a cause for concern, and he'd been able to keep Prime from tearing him away from it...for now. Optimus was done with being deterred, the scientist needed rest and wasn't getting it! Normally he found Ratchet's...persitence, quite endearing.
But for the last few days it had become a bit of a problem. The medic was showing signs of exhaustion, inspite of his attempts to hide it. He was tense, irritable, and most importantly unhealthy. The docter was his own worst patient, or should he say Optimus' worst patient. The Autobot leader had been concerned in the beginning...actually that would be an understatment, her had been worried beyond comprohension, and with due cause! Ratchet had actually passed out right in front of all of them, falling into recharge befor he even hit the ground, the impact hadn't even affected his sleeping form.
He was under much more stress then any other members of the team, and everyone knew it-including him AND Prime. Ratchet was his friend, the first friend e had ever made, not just as a Prime, but as Orion as well...even though he didn't know that. Ratchet had known him longer then anyone else, which was how he knew of his concerns, and Optimus had known him longer then anyone else, which was why he was concerned.
He silently watched the medic as his digits flew across the keyboard, typeing several sequences and codes at a rate that would've made Pax proud. Optimus didn't even need to see his face to tell that he was tired, he could already see it. In the tensin that was visible in his shoulder blades and back plateing, the small wobble in his leg joints, and the slugish movements of his stressed form. This wasn't good for him OR the team, he must know that! So why did he continue to stretch himself to far to fast!
"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to talk to me about whatever it is you want to talk about?" Ratchet said, clearly annoyed. "Yep, definatly irritable." Optimus stepped forward torward the medic, who had by now turned around to look at him. "You need to rest." Optimus told him "Ugh, not this again..." Ratchet mumbled under his intakes before he continued "Optimus we already spoke about this, I as the medic need to moniter the screens, Yet I am also the scientist of this team, I have to uncode this database, if there is any information that might help us, now is a good time to have it!" He said, trying to turn back around to focus on the screen, but he was stopped.
Optimus grabbed his wrist joint, Ratchet's frame twisted a bit and his helm twisted up to look his leader in the optics, at first it was pure annoyance, but then it became shock as he saw just how worrried the Autobot leader was. "Ratchet, decoding the iacon database won't be of much use if your no longer around to help us unravel what the contents might mean! You have gone with little to no recharge for the past two weeks, it's not just unhealthy for humans to miss recharge, but for us as well, you now this, so why do you continue working through such fatigue?!" He asked, a bit of actual fear leaking into his tone.
Ratchet looked down, a bit of guilt twinkling in his optics "I...I just want to help, and I know it's unhealthy...I just can't recharge, eve when I try! I lay down...and and just don't do anything, everytime I try to powerdown...I don't know Optimus, I'm really sorry, but I can't." Optimus was shocked, now he knew what it was...Ratchet's level of stress must have been higher then he had first thought. His processor was becoming damaged by it, he knew because he'd seen it happen before..."Ratchet...I know what's wrong, you...you need to lie down..." He said it in a soft, almost morose tone.
Ratchet had turned around to look at him again, not even trying to hide how weary he felt, his optics almost shut from the exhaustion he allowed himself be led to thier shared berthroom. The lack of rooms on the base led to some of the Autobots haveing to do this, Ratchet and Optimus hadn't minded in the least, being as good friends as they were.
Optimus gently lay him down o the berth, he watched as he tried to powerdown, becomeing a bit more shocked when he heard his HUD send him the response to the action 'UNABLE TO COMMENCE POWERDOWN: PROCCESSOR: UNSTABLE: REBOOT?' again, it had bocome worse then The Autobot leader had thought, a bit of panic rose in his proccessor. "Negative." He heard Ratchet respond to his HUD. "Optimus, what is wrong? I the fraggin doctor yet even I don't know what's wrong with me!" on a regular basis the Prime would have corrected the Medic on his use of vulgarity, but he understood what his friend was going through and didn't push him any further. "The stress is getting the better of you, damaging your processor and keeping you from powering down...it is imperative you take it easy for the next few solar cycles...or you may fall into recharge and...never wake up..." He said gravly
He placed a hand on Ratchet's, picking it up and cupping it in his own, "But you'll be fine, I promise..." He said, ratchet took a few raspy intakes, his frame shuddering a bit, still looking a bit tense, but not as bad as before "I know I will...ya' big softee..." he replied, before finally slipping into a light recharge. Optimus' worried gaze traveled across his medic's frame "I know you wish to help...but what you need to know...is you already have..." The Prime lifted the servo he held up to his faceplate and kissed it, before setting it gently back down and leaving him to his recharge, Optimus would take his place for now.