A/N: Whew! This took a bit to get out, mainly because I was more motivated/inspired for other fandoms and original works for a few months (which is quite honestly what usually happens with my fics for any fandom), but I'm glad I finally got it out! Plus I'm very proud of it.
So, this chapter did get quite a bit longer than I intended... I'm really hoping I can match the length for Stacie's next chapter! That might be hard since the Decepticons are, shall we say, a little less forthcoming and talkative and not exactly super willing to indulge a fleshy's curiosity like the Autobots are... XD But I have a plan!
In the meantime, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It's not the direction I was planning to go, actually, but I like it better this way. That happened in the first chapter as well, with me changing directions; in both cases, my original plan is something I can definitely work in later in the story, and the way they turned out is great!
Fingers crossed with all my research and speculation that I'm not totally botching Cybertronian biology or anything, lol.
It's been so exciting trying to reinvent these characters and their stories and I'm truly confident that, even if it takes a while for me to do this, I can give them the story they truly deserve.
Enjoy, guys! (And don't forget to tell me your favorite parts, as well! *heart hands*)
For how fascinating the main N.E.S.T. hangar is, the Med Bay manages to top it completely.
Optimus is kind enough to point Aspen in the right direction, and when she steps in, the feeling of being an ant doesn't go away. Everything in here is just as huge as in the hangar itself, and what's more, there are tools here. Some of them look like larger, more advanced versions of things she works with; some of them are utterly foreign to her.
Unlike the main hangar, the lights in here are dimmed down partway. It's not enough to blind anyone, though. It just feels… softer. Things feel more intimate here, which is a welcome change to the cold, clinical feel of most doctors' offices, at least the way that Aspen thinks. Despite having a minor degree in medicine herself, hospitals have always been something she's not totally at ease with. At the very least, this area doesn't kick up an immediate anxiety.
There are two Cybertronians here at the other side of the room. One of them is a greenish-yellow shade, a bit bulky and boxy, and fairly tall. The other one is about a head shorter than the first one, sleek and curvy, primarily colored an electric blue. They seem to be talking in hushed tones to each other, but if they were closer to her, she's pretty sure that hushed isn't a word she would use.
She does wonder why there are two of them. As far as she knows, there's only one doctor here. Is he treating someone right now?
Probably best to make her presence known lest she accidentally startle them. She knocks a few times against the wall where she came in. "Hey, good afternoon! Is one of you guys Dr. Ratchet?"
Both of the bots turn around in nearly an instant, those same fiery blue optics staring down at her. Things are silent for a moment, then the blue mech's faceplates morph into something that looks like a grin. "Hey! Is this our new little human helper… thingy… person?"
"Mm, must be." The other one's smile is less bold, though no less genuine. He steps forward and offers one digit toward her in much the same way Optimus did. More than anything (and likely just as equally as Optimus), he appears to be very tired. "Good afternoon, and it's wonderful to meet you. By the way, you don't need to address me as 'Doctor' – just Ratchet will be fine. You're already on my list of good humans for showing that little respect, however."
"Oh, well… uh, I mean, you're welcome? It's great to meet you, too, Ratchet." This is where her words trip her up as she reaches to shake his digit with both hands as she did with Optimus'. Are these guys not used to getting respect from the other humans? That… kind of boggles her mind. Despite being known for a bit of goofing around and offbeat thinking, Aspen has always given respect to everyone she meets unless they prove themselves unworthy of it.
(Even then, she sometimes gives respect to people she doesn't think deserve it simply because they could make her life a living hell if she didn't.)
She clears her throat, drawing back before returning the blue mech's smile. "Who's this? One of our patients?"
Ratchet shakes his head and presses his servo to the side of his helm once. "Yes and no. This is Jolt, our physician's assistant. Of course, given how reckless he is, I'm sure you'll end up working on him instead of alongside him at some point."
"Oh, Primus, give me a break, Doc, would you? Don't make me look bad in front of our new colleague!" Aside from anything else, Aspen is sure she's found a kindred spirit in Jolt. Even with the tough situation currently, his mood is light, and he emanates the air of a prankster. "It's not like I'm gonna be disappearing to race one of the others or go looking for some 'Cons with the state we're in right now. I am capable of being responsible, you know."
"Responsible, my tailpipe," Ratchet grunts. "You're more trouble than you're worth sometimes." That seems to be the end of the discussion, though, because he turns his attention back to the human. "Anyway, I apologize. We didn't get your name."
Her smile gets wider. To be perfectly honest, she was a little scared that some of the others might not be as welcoming or kind as Optimus; she's unbelievably glad to be wrong. Ratchet is patient and polite with her, and she thinks she's going to get along well with Jolt. "Nah, don't worry about that. My name's Aspen Singletary, though! Again, awesome to meet you guys. I gotta apologize too… nobody mentioned Jolt, so I just thought I'd be working with one person. But this is even better! The more, the merrier. I'm really looking forward to working with you both."
If she's not mistaken, Ratchet's smile extends to his optics a bit more. By no means was it fake before, but now he looks absolutely grateful for her words. "I'm looking forward to working with you, as well, Aspen."
"Same here!" Jolt adds. "And no worries about that. Seriously, don't sweat it. Ratchet's the boss in Med Bay, so I'm not surprised nobody told you about me. You wanna get right to work? We're, uh… still trying to straighten out a – what is it you humans call it? A game plan?"
Aspen nods and follows both of them when they head back toward the area where they were before. "Yeah, that's it! Everybody I've talked to today says you guys are just having some trouble managing resources and figuring out how to get things done, right? It sounds like a lot of the Autobots are hurt, and it's barely been a week since that whole… giant… battle thing… happened, so that kinda makes sense. I'm just hoping I can help a little bit."
When she reaches the tall counter they're situated at, she's not shocked that it's more like a wall to her. "Oh, um, is there a lift thing in here too? Like there are out in the hangar?"
"Oh–" Ratchet glances down at her, and he looks shocked. If she's reading that expression right, it's like he never even considered that she might need to get up where they are. "Well… Jolt, have any humans ever actually been in here?"
"Not really," Jolt answers with a shrug. "Most of 'em are in and out, not here for long if they have to be here at all. I don't think we have one of those lift thingies. None of the humans are ever in here often enough to justify having one."
Ratchet lets out a soft, thoughtful hum, then sets his servo palm-up on the ground. "Well, we'll have to talk to someone about getting one put in here. In the meantime, Aspen, just step onto my servo and I'll get you up to the counter, if that's alright?"
Although the idea is very unlike working one of the platforms, it also requires less knowledge on Aspen's part, and it's not like she has any reason not to trust Ratchet to lift her up. "Oh, sure. That's fine." She hesitates for a second before carefully stepping onto his servo. "If you could just go slow?"
He gives her an affirmative hum, bringing her up toward the counter. He sets his servo down just as cautiously so that she can get off if she so chooses. "There we are. Was that alright?"
"Yeah, that was great! Thanks, sorry about that." She grins and strolls toward the giant screen they have laid out on the counter. It's easily twice her height, filled with strange-looking symbols that appear to be writing. It's just stuff that she can't read. Maybe it's the Cybertronian language? It looks pretty cool to her. "Oh, hey! Is this a to-do list?"
"Of a sort," Ratchet chuckles. "Most of the immediately life-threatening or easily patched wounds have been dealt with already. These are the biggest things we have left to fix."
Aspen nods as she places her hands backward on her hips, eyes roaming over the list even though she can't actually read it. The way it's set up is vaguely familiar to her, and she's pretty sure the biggest thing would be right at the top. "Let me guess, is the first one to fix that arm Optimus is missing?"
"Hmph!" Ratchet presses a couple of things on the screen, and the glyphs transform into English. "You can't read Cybertronian, and yet you understood what our first task was. I have to say, that's rather astounding."
"Yeah, you're pretty smart," Jolt agrees. "Uh, not that the other humans aren't, but, you know."
She snorts and shakes her head. "Nah, I'm really not. It was just a guess since that's the most obvious injury I saw out there when I went to meet him. So, do you have any kind of plan for how we're gonna go about fixing that, or is that something I'm gonna be helping map out?"
A scoff comes from Jolt as he crosses his arms. "We're gonna need all the help we can get with that one. We can replace and transplant small things and single parts, but we've never had to do something like this. It's a huge job."
Aspen nods slowly, biting her lip as she tries to think this over. Her past courses in university grant her maybe the smallest bit more understanding of the situation than most mechanics might have. Even so, it's a far cry from being qualified to do work like this. Even though these guys are mechanical lifeforms, they're still not exactly vehicles, and they're not humans.
For the first time since agreeing to this, the thought strikes her that she may actually be in way over her head here.
"So… your guys' circuitry and everything… it's kinda similar to machines we have on Earth, right?" She's trying to wrap her mind around it in an effort to start coming up with something that might yield a little progress here. "In structure, I mean? Obviously there's gonna be materials that aren't the same, and things might not match up completely…"
Ratchet lets out a frustrated sigh and nods in response. "We have all the materials we need, and we did manage to save most of Optimus' arm. We can make more protoform metal if we need to, and the circuitry elements are so remarkably similar to the ones in various Earth machines, I believe we can make do with those. Although they aren't exactly what we're made up of, they suffice as a replacement. I've done smaller reattachment repairs using those materials you make circuits from, and so far they seem to be effective. Some of the ones I've done were several years ago and still holding up well. So that shouldn't be a problem."
"Right, okay." Aspen taps her foot on the counter a few times in thought. This is a tricky job, but thankfully with Ratchet's assurance that they should be able to use materials she normally works with, it's not an impossible endeavor. One of his words sticks out in her mind, and she looks up toward him. "Wait, protoform metal? What's that?"
"Ah, that's a more technical term we use for – well, I suppose it's similar to skin in your case." A thoughtful look crosses the medic's faceplates before he uses one digit to tap at various parts of his body. "It's the metal we're made up of. It actually does grow and repair itself naturally in our makeup, just like skin does for humans. However, sometimes it's just preferable to use protoform metal that we've created in patching up wounds."
She nods in understanding. "Oh, okay! You mean like if an injury's too big or severe, like if it would take too long for the protoform metal to fix itself? Or if you're working in an area that needs more protoform metal to be thicker? Like skin grafts and stitches and stuff like that?"
A low whistle pulls her attention to Jolt, who looks fairly impressed. "Damn, Doc. Would you look at this little lady? She's keeping up with you blow-for-blow. Most of the other humans just look at us like they're wondering what we're talking about when we try to explain this stuff! She's actually asking questions and relating it to human stuff and getting it!" He raises an eyebrow ridge at her. "Are you sure you're a mechanic and not a fragging doctor?"
"Jolt, language," Ratchet scolds, with a tone that implies he's had to say it before. Oddly enough, Aspen can't identify which word was the offending one.
Regardless, she gives both of them a nervous grin and shoves her hands in her pockets. That's a pretty huge compliment coming from any of these guys. They're extraterrestrial beings, and she still doesn't actually understand their biology, and yet they're impressed with what little she does understand. "Well… when I went to college, I majored in the auto mechanics thing, but my minor was premedical. Most people think it's a weird combination."
Her grin widens into something unbridled and unapologetic that she can't even think about trying to squash down. "Given the situation here, though, I'd say it's pretty lucky! It means I have a basic understanding of stuff like wound healing and biology concepts even though I didn't end up going to medical school. I'm sorry if I ask a lot of questions and guess at stuff, but I'm really interested in this!" She shifts her weight to one hip, then her expression gets a little shyer. "Maybe when we get all the big things fixed, you could… uh… possibly think about giving me a crash course in Cybertronian biology? You don't have to, though! This is all just… really fascinating to me."
Ratchet and Jolt look at each other and seem to exchange a silent conversation; for a moment, Aspen's insides twist violently in reply to the worry that she's overstepped her boundaries. It all melts away when Ratchet's faceplates crack into the brightest smile she's seen from him so far. "Consider it done. In fact, if you give me your – email address, that's right? I can send you some introductory reading from what I've got in my own files. That is, if you're interested in learning about it in your off time, as well."
He chuckles and, if that look on his face is telling the truth, seems a bit sheepish. "It's only your first day with us. You've known us for less than even six hours, let alone a full day. Please don't feel obligated if you'd rather not… what's the human phrase? 'Take your work home with you'?"
"Work? What work?" Her gaze flickers down to the huge datapad in front of her. "This stuff is… so amazing. If I didn't wanna think about this stuff in my time off, I wouldn't have asked about it! Uh… no offense, I mean." She tilts her head at him. "It seems like not many of the other humans you work with are interested in this stuff, so I totally understand. I just wanna make sure you know, it's not just work to me. I'd love to learn more about it. Especially because it'll help me give you the best assistance I can so that these bots get fixed the right way. But also because I really am interested."
Everything is quiet for another few seconds. Finally, Ratchet gives her a nod that implies much more than a simple okay. "You're an interesting human, Aspen, I must say. However, it's absolutely something I admire. I'm glad and grateful that you want to do the best you can for us. I want to personally thank you for that." He rolls his optics to the sky, though he's still smiling. "And when Optimus catches wind of this, I'll be surprised if he doesn't throw you a parade."
Aspen snorts and the thought makes her face flush. Is this seriously that big of a deal to them? Anyone who's involved with making people feel better and fixing wounds should want to do the best they can. "Oh, my God, he better not. If he throws me a parade, I'm gonna have to throw one for him. Just… gonna have to."
"Man, I like this one, Ratchet," Jolt laughs. "She's funny."
"Mhm, we're going to need a lot of that." Ratchet's smile fades the slightest iota, and it fades in his optics as well. "You likely already realize this, Aspen, but all of us here have been through quite a lot. Recently, in particular, which is what brought you to us. Your humor and enthusiasm are appreciated more than I'm sure you realize. So, again, thank you."
Aspen's eyes dim a little in sympathy as she considers everything they've come out of. That large-scale battle was only about a week ago – in addition to physical injuries, they're all probably trying to recover from emotional damage, too. Even though their minds definitely don't work the way humans' do, there seem to be at least a few similarities.
This thing… this was a war. Her expression falters more when she considers what that means. They were all fighting for their lives and for Earth. She doesn't have many details about why the war happened or what exactly went down during the battles, but the little she does know has her reeling. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, they've all lost people who were important to them. They've all watched their loved ones die in front of them, they've been hurt themselves, and those are the kinds of wounds that might never heal.
"I-I, uh, you're welcome." Her lips purse together in an attempt to keep herself from crying. This isn't fair. No one should have to endure the kinds of terrible things she's imagining have happened to them. It's not right. "Thank you… for helping me help you and for trusting me and – and, you know, giving me the opportunity to help. I just wanna be sure… there's… there's nothing we can do for the – the Cybertronians who are…"
The look on Ratchet's faceplates softens. "Gone?" He cycles his vents heavily, clearly prepared to give bad news. "I'm afraid not. It would be simple enough to rebuild their bodies, but…" One digit taps his own chestplates. "Well, biology lesson number one, Aspen. A Cybertronian's spark. That is the core of their being, their essence… heart and soul, I believe are the closest human equivalents. And just like once a human's soul has left their body, once a Cybertronian's spark is extinguished… well… you can fix all their wounds, but without their spark, they aren't coming back. Unfortunately."
"Slag it all, Ratchet," Jolt grunts, and he turns in a way that's obviously meant to ensure that Ratchet and Aspen can't see his faceplates. "For once, you could've stood to make that more clinical. I'm gonna leak optic fluid over here."
Ratchet vents again before reaching to place a servo on his assistant's rotator cup.
For a long moment, nobody says anything, because there isn't anything to say.
At last, Aspen takes a few steps so that she can rest her hand gently against one of Jolt's digits. "I'm sorry for everything you guys have been through," she speaks up, quietly. "Even though I do know what it's like to lose someone you love, I… I can't imagine what it's like to lose them in the ways you must have. To have seen it happen or heard and… not been able to do anything. It's not fair that it happened. It shouldn't have."
A lump forms in her throat that she forces down so that she doesn't start crying. "Hopefully, the way – I mean – I don't know if you guys have any kind of… religion or gods? Or… but… if you do, then… hopefully that means everyone you lost is in a better place now. Somewhere they aren't going to suffer… even if it means you have to live without them. It sucks." Her other arm moves up and her wrist swipes across her eyes. "Living without people you love is probably the hardest thing anyone ever has to do." When Jolt looks over at her, his optics shining with something more than just their natural luminescence, she gives him what feels, and very likely looks, like a broken, bittersweet smile.
"But from right now till the end of time, we're all going to work together to make sure none of you have to live without anyone else. It's… I mean… it's never going to be like it was, but… but eventually, it's going to be okay. Sometimes," she adds as her eyes dart away, "okay is the best you can hope for. And we're gonna work like hell to make everyone's okay the best damn okay it can be."
They're all quiet again, then Ratchet uses the tip of one digit to give Aspen what appears to be a pat on the head. "Let me get those files all ready for you and you can type your email address in for me. Based on what you've said here just now, within less than a day of knowing us, I think you'll be a great help, and I personally appreciate the effort you're going to put forth."
Aspen's face heats up slightly, though she's smiling. It's crazy that she's having this acknowledged even though she hasn't really done much to help yet. Just the promise and her want to help must mean more to everyone than she realized. It's put a fire in her own heart, too, to do the best that she can for these guys.
"… Thanks. And, uh, you're welcome in advance." She takes a deep breath before reaching into the pocket of her shorts for her phone. "Okay, so! If I'm understanding this right, and stop me if I'm not – based on what I saw and what you guys are saying, reattaching Optimus' arm is gonna be basically working with a bunch of circuitry, right? Wires and circuits that attach to each other and that pump energon through the body. Am I on the right track?"
Ratchet nods, moving his servo away from her to rub at his chin. "In general, yes. The circuits we have inside your bodies are comparable to not only your veins and arteries, but as I said before, they're set up and made of very similar things that circuitry on Earth is made of. I understand that as a mechanic, you're not always working with circuitry, is that correct?"
Well, that's true. She's worked with types of circuits before, in small quantities; it's far from her strong suit, however. "Yeah, you're right about that. It's actually pretty rare that I work with actual circuits as opposed to other types of machinery. But…" That goofy grin of hers makes a reappearance as she holds up her phone. "I've got a plan hatching here. My brother's an electrician. He works with circuitry every single day."
Now that Jolt's recovered, his optics light up at the suggestion. It seems he's caught on to the budding plan she has. "Hey, that's like a veritable surgeon! Doesn't that sound like a surgeon, Doc? Someone who works with circuits and wires all day? And a human, at that!"
"Hmm… that does sound like what a Cybertronian surgeon does." Ratchet's faceplates read as somehow serious and hopeful at the same time. More than anything else, he seems focused on the idea. "Working with circuitry, creating and repairing circuits, Aspen, is the job of a circuitry surgeon. And even though he wouldn't have had the training with Cybertronian anatomy and circuitry… it's a huge start for him to know how basic circuits work." He glances down toward her with a smile that looks tight and almost apologetic. "Of course, you have a basic understanding, I'm sure."
"Well, sure, a little bit. But, like, my brother's the expert. Like, I can patch up a few little parts of a circuit, but it's not gonna be great work, and I didn't study circuit stuff as much as he did. I don't work with this stuff every day – he does." She taps on her phone's screen to get to her contacts before looking back up toward them. "He's one of the best in the business in this area. He knows circuitry, and anything that's different about Cybertronian circuitry, I'm sure you could teach him without a lot of effort. He's smart and a quick learner."
Both mechs look at each other, Ratchet tapping his digits against the counter and Jolt giving Aspen an encouraging smile. After a moment, Ratchet cycles his vents once more. "Even though I'll admit it's not as ideal as having a Cybertronian circuitry surgeon, I knew that all of this would be an exercise in creativity using the resources we have. This, I think, is the best option we have. Aspen, would you mind terribly giving your brother a call?"
"Yeah, no problem." Her finger's already scrolling down to get to her brother's number. "I can't guarantee that he's got any time to do this today, but if I call him now, he might not be booked for appointments tomorrow. If he's got some free time tomorrow, I'll go talk to Mearing to make sure he can get cleared to help us out. He's not military, but if we have you guys asking for him combined with the fact that I've been cleared for N.E.S.T., uh… well…"
A sheepish smile makes its way onto her face when she hits her brother's contact. "Let's keep our fingers crossed."
