Chapter 3 MEDIC!!!

Disclaimer: I only own the Uncle Fred character; please ask before you use him.

WARNING: adult curses used.

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Italicized means COM link

Ratchet! Ratchet can you hear me? Come in! Ironhide had activated his COM link not to long after Fred had shot the last target.

Ratchet here. What is the problem? He responded over the COM.

We have a problem; there was an insurgence of human forces in sector 4. I have sustained minimal damage but am unable to move. My fellow companion is also in need of medical assistance. Ironhide talked threw the link.

Roger that; Med-evac team on the way, ETA 20 minutes. Combat team advised and on the way for cover. Ratchet out. Severing the COM link silence descended on Ironhide while he waited for his systems to purge the excess energy.

18 minutes later Ratchet approached the scene of a small green colored human guarding Ironhide, who still hadn't purged the excess energy. Ratchet waved Red Alert to wait while he approached the human, preparing to speak but never got a chance for the human was quicker.

"Friend or foe?" Fred said leveling his glock with his left hand. His bloodied right hand he held to his side cradling the claymore remote. While he had waited he had planted various claymores and other explosives, wiping out his supply.

Ratchet stood there and cocked a head to the side, he almost laughed. No wonder Ironhide has met this human on a regular basis. They were of the same make, only there was a size difference. "I am a friend of Ironhides, I was called here over his radio. You would not be able to hear it for that is an internal function." He explained, "I am a medic and wish to aid both you and Ironhide."

Fred seeing he was out numbered did not really have a choice, but he'd be dammed if he didn't go out with a bang. "Prove it, how did he get that melt scar on his torso and leg?"

Ratchet signed at this. "Those are from when we first discovered that mechs could change wave length to the optics. They flanked his team and pinned them down. Only luck let them escape from the fight."

"Good enough. Now ill let you do your work. I know nothing of fixing people, only basic field medicine." Fred said lowering his gun and moving to extract pressure bandages for his wounds.

Ratchet seeing this moved in waving Red Alert in to aid Fred, with his sensors he registered that the combat team had been in position the whole while. Ready to fire on any foul movement. Quickly scanning the two he assessed that Fred had a punctured lung with resulting pneumothorax, (collapsed lung). His hand had a clean wound and would need time and rehabilitation to heal. Ironhide had both struts to his legs bent making his legs useless. His right arm also had twisted metal and cable damaged. Both warriors leaked their respective species blood.

Once keying Ironhide's system to purge the energy, effectively charring a nearby tree, the task of moving the two began. This task was one of great frustration to Ratchet. He needed to start treatment on the two ASAP and their stubbornness was not helping! Ironhide insisted he could walk on his own, to only have his legs collapse under him. Then when Red Alert tried to aid him in getting up, the old black mech had punched the young medic cursing how he could get up on his own. The human who Ratchet learned was named Fred was no different, he refused to be carried and transforming in the forest to allow him to ride was impractical due to the trees. Finally a compromise was made, Ironhide was aided in "walking" by two mechs putting his arms over there metal shoulders. Fred agreed to be put on Red Alerts shoulder so he could see a greater distance and thus keep and eye out for more enemies.

Once in the med bay Ratchet began patching up Ironhide. Red Alert tried to aid Fred in bandaging and cleaning his wounds but the stubborn man just waved the gigantic mech away. "I've had worse than this. I'm a soldier not a child, I can handle this."

"Fred." Ironhide's gruff voice sounded threw the med bay. "Part of being a soldier is also excepting help." He sat still while Ratchet worked on his legs. Ratchet had long learned that Ironhide's stubbornness was out of not looking weak. Once you got the old mech in the med bay he would obey all the orders you gave him, though not with astounding joy.

"Your right, my friend." Fred wheezed. "I need to stop being stupid. Red Alert, i'm sorry, please carry on with your job." At this Fred sat still while Red Alert washed and bandaged his hand. This task awed Fred, for the shear size difference of the two, yet the mech was doing everything as if the size difference wasn't there. When it came time to inflate Fred's lung, Red Alert called Ratchet over to do the procedure. The senior medic had more experience with human anatomy than he.

Ratchet spoke to Fred, "I apologize but we do not have any analgesics here in the med bay. We do not have to treat many humans for serous conditions."

"Its ok doc, just doing your job." Fred responded.

Once Fred was lying down Ratchet began the procedure all the while explaining anatomy and technique to Red Alert. After making a sterile field Ratchet inserted the boring needle into Fred's side, causing him to grimace but not move. Pulling back on the plunger of the needle Ratchet looked at Fred. Sweat pour down the man's green painted head, yet he didn't make a sound nor move. Ratchet marveled at the resolve of humans and finished inflating the man's lung. Once he was done he bandaged the area and left him to finish repairs on Ironhide.

Half an hour later Ironhide had his leg struts and cables repaired. Moving over to where Fred lay, obviously in pain due to the etched features on his face. Sitting on the spacious berth he began to talk to Fred.

"Thank you for saving me, and for guarding me." He said this in a gruff almost not thankful tone.

"No, it's my job." Fred said, "Besides I can't let one of my own go down, you saved my life just as much as I saved yours."

The two sat resting, having been ordered on light activates and ten days off duty for Ironhide. Fred was expected to have at least twenty days for recovery from his wounds. They didn't mind the ordered rest; it was only a respite from the ordinary. Soon they would be back to the field.

Authors note: thus ends the short saga of Uncle Fred and Ironhide. Please let me know what ya thought of this story. Thanks!

Ps. Thank you flamingmarsh for being my reviewer, I basically finished this story for ya so you could see the end. Hope you enjoyed it. Yes feel very special you have a whole story written just for your enjoyment.