Less Dirt, More Blushes.
Chapter Nine.
A/N: Dr Syn is MeowthTwo's creation, used with her knowledge and permission.
Starscream was watching the entrance doors to his hangar doors nervously, waiting for Dr Syn to come back in and let him know if Miles was okay or not.
He'd managed to get the vomit cleaned up, by expediently delegating the clean-up task to Swindle, who had earned Starscream's disfavour an orn or so back. The little red mech had been vocal in his disgust, but Starscream had allowed him his tirade about revolting organic secretions until, in a fit of pique and distress, Swindle had criticised Miles himself, and followed it up with an accusation that Starscream was going soft. At which point, Swindle had been punted out of the hangar on the end of Starscream's foot, and told to go out on a long patrol, and to not return until Starscream said he could. A polishing cloth and a liberal splash of industrial standard bleach had made sure the job was completed, with no unpleasant smells remaining.
Concentrating as hard as he was, Starscream still jumped when the medic commed him to ask if he could come in, and Starscream composed himself a little before admitting the brown mech in.
He moved into the hangar and bowed. Unlike many of the other grounders, Dr Syn never skimped on the gestures or phrases that indicated a grounder's respect for the winged Seekers that the latter felt they deserved. His bow was neither over-obsequious, nor skimped, it was a gesture given by one highly ranked person - as a medic, Dr Syn's profession gave him status - to higher-ranked people, in this case, the Decepticon Seekers. Starscream was both grateful and impressed by how well the medic seemed to read people, and respond appropriately, and the medic, even though a grounder, was ranked among Starscream's favoured mechs.
The medic straightened from his bow and approached closer. His customary cheerful smile was in place, and though Starscream could see no stiffness or forced jollity in his bearing, he still got the impression that the doctor was not as relaxed as he appeared. Something about his eyes suggested he was annoyed, and although Starscream had rarely been on the receiving end, he tensed. It took rather a lot, he knew, to tick the medic off, and he wondered what had happened to cause it. His processors lurched as he wondered if something he had done had damaged the boy irreparably.
"Permission to speak, Lord Starscream?" This too worried Starscream, the three Seekers and the medic were usually on informal first-name terms, except when Starscream wanted Dr Syn to demonstrate polite conduct to the grounders, in the slender hope they might get the hint. For the medic to go formal on him, in his own hangar, was another sign that Starscream had somehow upset the doctor.
"Granted," Starscream remarked in kind. He didn't offer the medic to sit, nor did he offer him energon: in this mood, the doctor would, Starscream knew, refuse.
"Lord Starscream, the human boy will recover within a few joors, with no further ill effects," Dr Syn said.
"Thank Primus!" Starscream breathed, earning himself a look from Thundercracker. "What was wrong with him?"
"It seems that although you and he all enjoyed the interface session he detailed when I insisted, despite his reluctance and embarrassment, his physical structure suffered. Cybertronian Sparks emit ionising radiation that is inimical above certain doses to organic denizens of this world, and humans are far from immune. In fact their tolerance is fairly low even compared to some of the animals of this world, and certainly low in comparison to our tolerance."
The smile on the medic's face, although still there, was neither as broad nor as relaxed as usual, and Starscream knew this was what had upset the generally congenial doctor.
"I didn't know," Starscream said in a quiet voice. "The first time was an accident, or at least he didn't seem to mind."
"One or two or even three exposures would be well within his tolerances, so he wouldn't feel bad. However, the repeated exposures have pushed him over the safe limit. We are lucky that humans respond quickly and noticeably to even a slight amount over their tolerances by becoming ill. From this he will recover, but if he had received too much radioactive exposure, he would have painfully and messily died!"
The smile was gone and his mobile eyebrows were drawn close to his eye sockets in an expression akin to a human frown as the medic spread his hand and said "If you had asked about the effect of Spark energy on humans, this illness could have been avoided. Why, after the first incident, didn't you ask?"
"I didn't think to, he seemed fine, but I understand I should have made sure," Starscream said quietly. "I'm sorry, Dr Syn, I'll be more careful in future."
"Well, no permanent harm has been done, so don't worry too much about it, with due care and attention, Miles will live a long, happy, and healthy life." The medic's easy smile was back in place, and Starscream knew the apology and assurance was what the medic had been looking for, and now he knew Starscream would think before he acted in new events or took Miles for new experiences, he was mollified.
"Now, Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp, how about we sit down together, you bring out some of that special energon I know you had Skywarp filch from Ratchet's stores. I can explain to you how you can adjust the setting of your spark force-fields so that the dangerous radiation is kept in so Miles is not endangered by it while you interface." he asked.
"We can do that?" Thundercracker said in relief, having visualised their sessions with Miles severely curtailed.
"As I said, had this matter been brought to me earlier, it could have been done by now and your human would not have become sick," the doctor said as Starscream unsubspaced an energon canister and some drinking cubes.
"Perhaps if you help us, Doctor, we can make sure we do not cause him to be sick again," Starscream said, giving the medic a drinking cube as Syn sat down, and filling it with energon. Starscream relaxed, for all the signs were that Dr Syn was back to his usual self.
"While we're talking about the human boy, maybe we can run some thoughts we were having just last night about him past you?" Skywarp asked, his mind returning to the conversation they'd had before their recharge.
"Certainly," Dr Syn said. "I've just asked you to check with me if you 're thinking of doing anything to or with the human that you're not sure about first."
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Miles woke three times, each time needing to use the commode, recalling that mild radiation sickness sent the other end of the digestive tract into spasm as well, so knowing it was not unexpected. After the third forcible bowel evacuation, he took one of the sheets off his bed and folded it over the hole that led into the disposable cardboard liner to muffle the stench, which was making him feel nauseous again. When he awoke for the fourth time, he noticed the drip bag had been changed, and as the sheet was off the commode and there was no associated atrocious smell, the liner must have been changed.
Movement to one side made him look, and he saw the brown medic, who came over as Miles, realising he had to use the commode again, began sitting up and pushing back the sheets.
"How are you feeling, Miles?" the mech asked.
"Desperate to go," Miles said, pushing himself to the commode, loosening his trousers, and sitting down. A symphony of audible gaseous emissions and bowel wall spasms announced that they were still expelling mainly liquid waste at a prodigious rate.
As Miles rose and wiped himself with the soft tissue on a roll nearby, the doctor covered his nose and removed the commode liner, replacing it with an alacrity that irrationally pleased Miles, and disposed of the smelly one with just as much haste but a bit more care.
"I was talking with the Seekers, Miles, and it appears you meet with their approval, enough so that not only have they adjusted their Spark force-fields to stop you getting sick again if you and they interface, but so much that they wonder about putting your memories and consciousness into a body like theirs."
"Could that be done?" Miles asked.
"The transition from organic to Spark-life would be problematic, but I think we could solve it given time," the medic said cheerfully, "so yes, I believe it's possible, but not immediately I'm afraid."
"Well, I gotta admit, I got things I'd like to do as a human first, maybe raise a family, see some caves and climb a mountain or two, amongst other things," Miles said. "But if I could be transferred later, maybe if my own body gets a bit rickety as I age, I guess being able to fly would be a pretty neat incentive then," he said.
"I think you've thought it through pretty well," Dr Syn said "and I'll let Starscream know, along with your ideas for what we could do in peacetime. I think Starscream knows, deep down, with the dwindling resources of this world, he can't just take, and in fact may be able to help humans use the resources they have more effectively, perhaps find them a new source of energy, and thus they would be in his debt. Starscream's a scientist you see, and if he helps the humans with this, he will gain kudos and probably gain the Decepticons a place in the world without having to sneak and steal to do so. Despite outwards appearance, Starscream would be happy to do that, in return for a fair wage and being praised for his efforts. Seekers may be vain creatures, but with the varied talents they possess, they have every right to be. They are usually so much more than just a pretty frame."
Miles nodded slowly in agreement, still wary of his fickle stomach, which was now, so far, behaving itself. He remembered how Starscream had preened at his praise on the Lookout, and vaguely wondered if his flattering remarks had played any part in the Seeker choosing him to ask for washes.
"Anyway, in a day or two, you'll be ready to go back out and join the Seekers again, and may I tell you that you're missed? Skywarp was the one who brought up the subject of making you a Seeker, and the other two were quick to support him. You've made an impression on them, and on Dropkick too. It may be a good idea if you suggest making peace, explain that other humans are like you, and worth trying to get to know as a species. Whereas from me, or from a President or military-appointed human, they might dismiss the suggestion, from you they may just listen."
He turned to leave, then swung back around to face Miles again.
"You have gained the respect and admiration of the three Seekers, one of whom now leads the Deceptions. They see you as almost equal to them, and it is not something they do lightly. Never underestimate the power that gives you."