Parasite.
Summary: When Mikaela visits the Autobot Base, Ratchet discovers something that gives him cause for alarm. Oneshot.
Rating: T
Continuity: Movieverse.
Disclaimer: Transformers and all canon characters are the property of DreamWorks/Paramount. I make no profit from this, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Parasite.
Mikaela was waiting in the usual spot when Sam in Bumblebee cruised to a stop beside her. Bumblebee flicked open his passenger door, and Mikaela climbed in.
It was the summer, and Sam had survived his first year of university, as had their relationship. Now it was the break, and Sam and Mikaela had decided it was only fair to visit the Autobot Base. Optimus, Ratchet and Ironhide were as much their friends as Bumblebee was, yet they'd not seen them since the Fallen incident in Egypt.
It was a long, hot summer, and Mikaela sighed in relief as she entered Bumblebee's air-conditioned interior, using one long manicured nail to push back a small errant curl of hair that had adhered to her moist forehead.
"Well, I guess we always complain if we don't get a long hot summer, but when we do we find ourselves wishing for snow," she remarked. "I guess we'll never be satisfied."
"Yeah, Mum's out there every day watering her roses and complaining that it's too hot," Sam agreed. "Last year it rained at least once a week and she complained we'd not had a proper summer."
Bumblebee quietly laughed to himself, for humans and their vagarities often amused him. Out loud he said "Well, I guess us Cybertronians are happy if the sun shines or it rains, as long as it's not hyper acidic rain."
"Well, I tell you now, one good thunderstorm overnight would do me!" Mikaela said. "It's not the heat that destroys me, it's the humidity! Give me the blue skies and sunshine, but how about a storm every month or so to keep the air clear?"
Bumblebee wound his windows down, speeded up, and pumped through cold air as fast as he could in an attempt to make his human friends more comfortable. The two teens sighed in relief, so 'Bee kept it up all the way to the Autobot Base.
The big gates swung back to admit them, and inside stood the big black Weapons Specialist Ironhide, who was obviously keeping watch, and Sam winced to think how hot Ironhide must be, his black paintwork absorbing the sunlight like a sponge absorbed water.
Sam and Mikaela climbed out, allowing Bumblebee to transform into his bipedal form. They could feel Ironhide radiating heat and backed off hurriedly, even as they greeted him with cheerful calls and raised hands. He didn't seem to take offence, in fact waved back and then indicated the Autobot Base with one big hand.
"Why don't you two humans take yourselves inside the Base? The Army have air conditioned it to make it more comfortable for your forms of life," he said, and as he himself had mentioned it, Sam was not about to avoid the subject for the sake of politeness, he hoped he and the Autobots had passed that point long ago.
"Doesn't this heat make you uncomfortable?" Sam asked. "Especially you, Ironhide, with that black paintwork. You could probably fry an egg on your arm, you're that warm!"
Ironhide made a deep chuffing sound that Sam recognised as laughter. "Sam, we are designed to withstand the absolute cold of space and the blazing heat of re-entry. Our temperature tolerances are far wider than yours, and I am presently taking advantage of the sunlight. I have minute solar receptors in my hide, as we all do, and I am converting the light energy into a form I can both use and store in my body."
Sam was impressed, and said so, as he and Mikaela made for the cool sanctuary of the Autobot Base. When they got to the main corridor they were faced with three choices: the rec-room and Optimus' office on their left, or the door to Ratchet's med bay on their right. A roar of Autobot laughter made them turn towards the rec-room, and they decided to wait until that was a little less crowded before walking in to give their regards.
"So," Sam said to Mikaela, "Who'd we say hi to first, Optimus or Ratchet?"
"As at least my patients part-time, I would hope that a visit to your friendly Autobot medic would be a foregone conclusion," Ratchet said from behind them, making them both jump. He had exited the medbay while they were looking at the rec-room door and stood there looking at them with optics, that, for all they were blue, were glowering as harshly as any Decepticon's.
"Um, yeah, sure, whatever you say, Ratchet," Sam said, and obediently walked through to the medbay with Mikaela as Ratchet stood aside to give them clear passage. Sam had seen from other confrontations between Ratchet and the other Autobots how futile and awkward arguing with Ratchet could be. Even the Prime himself meekly submitted to the medic's ministrations when he had this look in his optics, and Sam couldn't really complain, for a check-up from Ratchet was not only more accurate than one from his own GP, but also free!
When they got inside, Ratchet directed Bumblebee to stand aside, then crouched with his hands laced together in front of Sam. Sam needed no verbal translation, stepping into the hands, and then Ratchet lifted him up to a work surface. He crouched again and a few moments later Mikaela stepped up beside Sam, but as Ratchet waved her aside, she obediently stepped away from Sam.
"Now, I know you have your own medics, but their technology is inferior to mine. As friends and important assets to us Autobots, I will check you myself, and if need be, treat you myself," Ratchet said. "Now, a medic checks with his optics as well as his scans, and my visual assessment suggests you are both healthy. However, there are many things that can afflict your species that are not obvious on a visual scan, especially in the first stages, when they are easier to treat successfully. I will compare today's scans with the ones I took of you both when I first met the two of you, and the ones I took in Egypt. Now, Sam, I will scan you first with my medical sensors, so please stop fidgeting and stand still!" Ratchet's voice, which had started calmly and quietly enough, rose on the last five words in both sharpness and volume.
"Okay," Sam said meekly. He stood as still as he could as first a blue and then a green scanning beam ran over him, followed by a white one.
"Well, Sam you seem healthy enough, although the breakdown products of ethanol in your liver are alarmingly high. Please, Sam, do not imbibe the amount the breakdown products suggest too often, too much ethanol is toxic to your kind." He narrowed his optics at the boy. "Are you not too young by your laws to drink intoxicating substances anyway?"
"Um, yeah, but it was an end-of-year party and someone managed to smuggle in some spirits for the punch," Sam admitted. "Look, it's a once-a-year event, three times a year if it's an end-of term party."
"Personally I think your Government should at least relax the rules on low-ethanol substances, allowing you weak to medium beer or cider might be advantageous." Ratchet said. "It might at least reduce the amount of high-ethanol substances smuggled in."
"Try telling our Government that," Sam said. "They might listen to you." Sam almost regretted his flippant suggestion when he saw the gleam in Ratchet's optics. Almost. It looked like the Autobot might just do as Sam suggested.
"Well, Sam, there's nothing wrong with you that some extra vitamin C and a one-a day vitamin pill won't cure," Ratchet said. "Mikaela, your turn."
Sam moved aside and Mikaela took his place, her face no longer slicked with sweat, for the Autobot Base's air-conditioning was effective. She stood stock-still as Ratchet ran his blue scanning beam over her. It was a surprise to all of them when he ran the beam over her again, and then stood up straight, his optics wide, and exclaimed "Primus and Unicron!"
"What...what's up" Sam asked, for long association with Bumblebee had taught them that such an exclamation was on a par with 'Oh my God!'
"Mikaela, are you feeling well? Have you noticed any stomach pains, or feelings of dizziness?" Ratchet asked.
"A little dizzy maybe, especially on hot days like this, but nothing particularly," Mikaela said. "Why?"
"You seem to have picked up some form of internal parasitic life." Ratchet said. "It is in the lower portion of your abdomen, and although it is currently only a few centimetres in length, I believe it is possible that it will grow larger."
"I have?" Mikaela said with a look of horror on her face. "But I haven't been anywhere tropical in the last few months, and we're always careful at home about how we cook our meat."
"It could be something you picked up a few months ago, Mikaela, it could even be something you picked up in Egypt. The water there is not always as pure and clean as it looks," Ratchet said. He directed another beam at her, running it up and down her torso.
"The presence of this parasite is having some alarming effects on your body. Your hormone balance has changed, your blood pressure is slightly raised, and you are low in some trace elements and nutrients because the life form within you is siphoning them off for its own use."
"Well, is there anything that can be done about it, Ratchet?" Sam asked. The medic stooped and removed an instrument from his foot, where he stored all his medical tools.
"I believe that if I calibrate this effectively, I can destroy the parasite without any harm coming to Mikaela," the medic said, fiddling with some dials and discs on the device. "The problem is that it is deep inside her, inside a thick muscular cavity situated behind her bladder. It is attached by a tube that appears to be rooted in the muscle, and its own blood is taking oxygen and nutrients from Mikaela's." He was not looking at Mikaela at the time, so did not see the look of dawning comprehension cross her face. "Perhaps if I sever this tube-"
"Stop right there, Ratchet, and put that thing down!" Mikaela cried, backing away, her hands splayed over her abdomen protectively. Sam and Ratchet gaped at her.
"Mikaela, you have a parasitic growth inside you, and we do not know how much bigger it will get or what effect that might have on you," Ratchet said.
"Don't you call my baby a parasitic growth!" Mikaela snarled. "It's inside a fluid-filled sac, isn't it?" As Sam's mouth dropped open, Ratchet said "Yes, it is. Your baby?"
"Look up human pregnancy on the Internet. Read up on it from conception through to birth." She looked up as Sam and said "I don't understand. The Pill must have failed last month, but why? I took it every day I was supposed to, I swear!"
"You're pregnant?" Sam asked, a stupefied look on his face as Ratchet's optics dimmed as he looked up what Mikaela had suggested.
"Yes I am, Sam, and you'd better not be planning out on running out on me now," she said.
"Well, no, of course not, but Mum found a load of my baby things when we were sorting me out for University and couldn't bear to throw them out. Some of them can probably be re-used. She's got a sterilisation kit, a cot, and a load of clothes!
"How unusual," Ratchet broke in. "Almost every form of mammalian life on your planet have their offspring going through a parasitic stage at the beginning of their lives." Seeing Mikaela's scowl, he tried to calm her. "The definition of a parasite is another form of life that lives on or in another, taking something from its host but giving nothing in return. Not all parasites are harmful to their hosts, and some even evolve to be beneficial, turning the relationship from parasitic to symbiotic." He gave Mikaela a smile, although her glare had not subsided.
"Indeed, I have just found in my files a piece of information that suggests we are not so different. Before it became normal practice to use the AllSpark, our femmes would carry their young as sparks in their chest, and their own spark energy would sustain the sparkling's until it was ready for its own body. Even we, it seems, used to briefly go through a parasitic stage in our existence." He stooped to put the medical tool away. "So, it seems, congratulations are in order. Or did you not want the child?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly planned, but I want to keep it," Mikaela said, shooting a look at Sam, who caught the look and nodded, but Ratchet could see that both teens were worried. It was Sam who ventured to explain.
"The thing is, we don't have a house we could live in as a family, and until I finish my university course, I have no way of supporting Mikaela and the little one," Sam said.
A heavy tread behind them heralded the entry of the Autobot Leader, Optimus Prime.
"I hope you do not mind me joining in this conversation, but on Cybertron it was not unheard of for one family to sponsor another for a time. I would like to suggest this as a temporary solution for you. We are all, as I have told you, in your debt, and if you would accept it, perhaps we can repay it by being here for you in your time of need." He paused, then continued speaking.
"As you are aware, when we are not needed to fight Decepticons, we have been hiring ourselves out, for example I have hauled loads to and from locations, and some of the smarter vehicles have hired themselves out for special occasions. In addition, when we have been unable to perform the service, we have substituted the cars given to us for alts by the Military. Ratchet runs a machine repair service which has a fair few customers. As such, we have earned a fair amount of money, and believe we could take out a mortgage on a house for you in your name."
"You'd do that for us?" Mikaela said.
"Gladly, though of course I would not be averse to your continued help in the machine repairs and in the med bay when there are injuries, and aft-heads like the Twins – both sets, Skids and Mudflap and the Lambo twins- put dents in themselves." Ratchet said. "If you need the baby looking after, I am sure any of us would be glad to help.
"Well, I'd be up for that, perhaps I can even take over the paying of the mortgage once I've got work," Sam said. "And we could probably start paying you back for what you've already paid."
"We'll sort that out when you have your job, "Ratchet said. "For now, just a simple 'yes' and a 'thank you' will do.
"Yes, thank you," Mikaela and Sam chorused.
"Now we've got that sorted out, I've been reading up on human pregnancies, and you, Mikaela, will need several things. A healthy and balanced diet and vitamin pills would be a good place to start..."