Yo! It's articmadador here saying MERRY CHRISTMAS! It took me longer to finish this chapter than I thought, and I think writer's block was trying to get me, but it failed miserably. I DO NOT OWN TRANSFORMERS! Hasbro does. I only own Claire and the squad. Please review and enjoy, and check the previous chapter for an important author's note.
Ever since Claire's arrival nearly three weeks ago, there was a more grim atmosphere around base. Everyone, human and Autobot, was affected by her constant fits and screams that echoed through the halls. It had become so bad that they moved her to another hanger a few days ago, although the move seemed to make her condition worse. She had constant nightmares, and would often run off to hide, as if it would protect her from her dreams. It did not go unnoticed that she always tried to hide in a dark, small place. It was most likely because it was what she was used to, seeing as Decepticon ships were always dark or dimly lit. She didn't react well to bright light.
She was constantly holding on to something metal, whether it was an earring she had stolen or a paperclip she had found. She would also crawl out of bed and lay under the bed, curled up in a ball. She seemed to respond better to hard surfaces than soft ones. Ratchet theorized that she believed she was still on the ship, and was hiding from reality. But why would she be trying to keep the memory of that hellish place alive?
According to Prowl, it was simple. The trauma that resulted from her being held captive in a cage for years, the deaths of all the innocent people as a result of the failed rescue mission, and the violent death of her friend was too much for Claire to handle. She had also suffered quite a few injuries to her head during the attack, which had caused a concussion. She did not want to accept the reality of what had happened, so she was trying to live in the past, and it was killing her.
Galloway wanted her to be taken away and put in an asylum. He had even hinted that they should permanently get rid of her, which resulted in him having to leave the base in a hurry before multiple soldiers killed him. Some had been through somewhat similar situations as Claire had. Some of the Autobots especially identified with her, and although she was afraid of them, some cared for her well-being.
Much to Galloway's displeasure, Claire had to be kept around so NEST could get the information they needed about just what the Decepticons had been up to, and what they were planning. Although Claire had given them some information before she had lost it, it was still not enough. They needed to know just what she had experienced in the ship, and by the way she was acting now, they knew it was bad. As the weeks turned into a month, it was decided that Claire would need some special type of therapy to get her out of this state of mind and back into reality. The only problem was, they didn't know any type that would help her. It was obvious that she would need serious therapy, and it would have to be a method that would help her in the most efficient and effective way possible. In the end, Ratchet's earlier theory gave them the perfect lead.
It was decided that since Claire believed she was on the ship, they would play along with this by simulating the ship and slowly introducing changes at a steady pace based on Claire's progress. Hopefully it would help Claire come back to reality, then they could begin other treatments from there. A few soldiers and Autobots volunteered to help with the treatment, although Lennox would not let them confirm it unless they knew just exactly what they were getting into.
One of the newer, larger hangers were designated to be where Claire's treatment would take place. The hanger was formatted to be as similar to the ship as possible based on the Autobots' knowledge on Decepticon ships. Perhaps the worst part of the set up was setting up multiple empty cages. One would be left low enough for Claire to climb into, just in case that was what she wanted. Everyone agreed they would not put her in a cage, but if she crawled in on her own free will, they would have to act around it.
Jolt had been the first Autobot to volunteer to help. He was an ex-Decepticon, and he had seen his fair share of torture. Ironhide volunteered as well, solely because he was intimidating to those who did not know him, and his dark color scheme would help him seem Decepticon-like. To everyone's surprise, save for Prowl who knew him better than anyone, Jazz volunteered as well. He explained that he wanted to help Claire get better, because he knew what it was like to be tortured, and he didn't want a human who hadn't even started living to go through it any longer. Sideswipe was last to volunteer, and although most argued against it, all he had to do was say one word: Kaon. The humans who had volunteered wouldn't exactly interact with Claire, but they would take care of her essential needs as well as take care of anything the Autobots couldn't.
It took a few weeks to complete the design, and a few more weeks to complete the construction in the hanger. By the time it was finished, there had been enough observations on Claire to help them get off to a good start. It had become apparent that Claire needed a certain supply of energon now, seeing as her body had become used to it being present. Whatever foods she was given would have a small amount of energon present as opposed to injecting her with it. There would be set to vary around about 45 to 55 degrees in the hanger, since Decepticon ships tended to be chilly. It would also be constantly dark with a limited amount of artificial light in some areas, which would not be bright. Claire would be left in an open room with the cages, and whatever doors that were present would be easily accessible. They wanted to simulate the ship, but they didn't want her to feel trapped like she had been before.
They decided to sedate Claire for the move. She was carried from the medical hanger to the new hanger. They decided to lay her down in front of the open cage, since they couldn't stand to put her inside. So, now she lay on the floor, the sedative set to keep her asleep until morning. Jolt would be the first to met her, and he would mostly be doing most of the interacting with her.
No one ever said it, but they were going on pure luck. Ratchet's theory did make sense because it was based on observations. However, Claire seemed full of surprises, and she was declared mentally unstable, although it was by that jackass Galloway who was in good with one of the medics and had her approve it. It really didn't help the case, but it didn't discourage anyone either. Almost everyone was hoping the treatment would work. Some hoped for Claire's sake, others for the sake of winning the war. Whatever Claire had witnessed on the ship, they needed to know. It could help them know what the Decepticons' possible next move could be, and hopefully it could put NEST one step ahead. They needed this, and would need it desperately in the next few weeks to come. Things were about to get a lot worse for both sides, and so far there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.
Hopefully the treatment does work. Poor Claire's been going through it. Also, what's about to happen? Things getting worse for both sides? Sounds quite interesting. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
