Hi everyone, sorry for another very late entry, but good news is despite the filler I am coming very close to the plot I had planned out from the beginning. And when that happens, please don't hate me. X3

This chapter is mainly medical talk and I'll be honest, I have the most fun with these science and medical adaptations. It's interesting finding ways to make something sound like its naturally a part of this universe but I still try to find ways to make it relatable. I also remembered that I had mentioned a gender reveal a few chapters back and I have completely forgotten about it XD. I think I might be able to make the reveal in the next chapter, so if anyone wants to still guess, feel free too.

Special shout outs too: Cao the dreams in books, maria-ioanna984, and CreepyLola. To Cao, I'm sorry I made you cry so hard, in this story and in Shadows. Brace yourself, there's more heartbreak to come I'm afraid. To maria-ioanna984, yay! The crazy Greek strikes again! Thanks for your support and I wish you luck in your job hunting too (if you're still doing that), and don't worry about living with your mom again… I still do. -.-' To CreepyLola, okay, good. I'm glad I got it right then and I'm glad you're still reading. Keep having fun.

Remember, don't be shy about leaving a review or ask any questions. I love to hear from my readers!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

MERCY

Chapter 32

"Love me - that's all I ask of you."

-Phantom of the Opera

A vile of thick blue liquid swished in the air beneath the luminescent lights of the med-bay. Breakdown observed the vile in his hand with a healthy look of interest, not really extending acknowledgement to the source it came from. His reaction to this wasn't unusual. Whenever the medical assistant drew cycled energon from a patient, his first instinct would be to observe the coloration and density of the fluid first. While he was occupied with his routine, his at the time patient would do one of two things. They would either gripe and complain, or whine and cry. Often times it was the most battle-hardened cons that had an issue with needles, but this time there was nothing. Cass didn't move or make a sound, and it worried Breakdown. He glanced back at the tiny mech as he held the arm that was extracted of energon and sighed heavily.

"You're not wearing your sling." Breakdown commented while he set the vile aside on his tool tray. At this point his patient had been paying close attention to his abdominal plating, so he hardly noticed his higher officer was speaking to him. He couldn't help but worry that whatever it was that changed the color of his optics was going to affect his sparkling in anyway. The young model was smart enough to know if something like that could affect him in any way, it could also affect his sparkling.

"Caspian? Did you hear what I said?" The former wrecker could see the concern in Cass's optics, and he knew that no matter what he said it would bring little comfort. He was surprised when the small Vehicon finally replied.

"Yes officer Breakdown. I heard you." Cass lifted his arm for the higher up to examine it as he recited his explanations. "I went back to work a while ago and the sling started to get in my way. I know I should have discussed doing so with you and officer Knockout first, but my shoulder is feeling much better. It seemed silly to wear it if I didn't need it."

"Interesting…" Breakdown commented as she examined the strut. He gently held the wrist in one hand and with his opposite he felt for any anomalies over the length of metal and wires. Starting at Cass's shoulder he delicately added pressure to places that should still be tender, but his patient hardly reacted to this treatment at all. "Even the locking system in your wrist-joint managed to unjam itself."

"I was assuming this would be a good thing." Cass said under a quirked brow; not sure if it was necessary for the blue mech to shake his wrist in the air.

"I'm not saying it isn't… Yet. It just seems to be a little odd." The larger mech finally set the lithe limb down then he walked over to the other side of the medical berth where he could reach Cass's booted ped. "And what about here? Have you been experiencing any form of pain or lack thereof?"

"There is an ache from time to time, mostly when we return to the planet's atmosphere and the air changes. Other than that, nothing. I don't even use the medical cane that often. When I do, it's mostly because of… Other things." The little mech smiled and a warm blush brightened his cheek plates. Breakdown also smiled, feeling a sample of Cass's serenity while he caressed his black plating continuously. The giant repeated to himself over and over again that he would see the same look on Knockout's faceplate one day. It was a knowledge that comforted him greatly, and he was very grateful to Cass for giving him the strength, even if the sweet mech was unaware of it.

"Well, if that's the case, then I might be able to loosen some of the bolts over the boot." The blue mech shrugged as he tested the mobility of Cass's joints by gently pulling his leg-strut outward then back up against the berth. The ped was clearly still tender, for the little mech winced slightly when Breakdown finally set it back down over the berth. He patted the strut sympathetically before returning to the tray he was previously organizing. "When Knockout is finished tending to your friend, he will be here to perform the internal exam, so I will take care of it later."

Cass held his rounded plating a little tighter at the thought of such a procedure. Would his sparkling be at risk? Could this hurt the life inside of him?

"I can see the concern on your faceplate." Knockout announced himself as he walked over to the end of the berth. As he adjusted the base of the slab to split apart, he gestured at Breakdown with his helm to check on the miner drone. "What I'm going to do is called a G-Fluid extraction. It is a very common practice, and though I have not implemented this procedure in quite some time, I have done it on multiple occasions on Cybertron. All of them successful."

Breakdown lightly squeezed one of Cass's shoulders for comfort before slipping past him towards the curtains. The gesticulation was taken in a positive stride and the Vehicon flashed a small grin in return.

"Are there any risks I need to be concerned about?" He asked and followed Knockout's servos as he pushed his knee-joints upward.

"Yes, but they are very minimal, and if it happens it is treatable." The medic replied methodically. His mind began to drift into his more professional demeanor and he carefully adjusted a seemingly intimidating tool. Cass slightly gasped at the size of the instrument and the long needle that extended from it. The way he was currently positioned on the berth he knew exactly where said needle would have to be inserted.

"Don't be afraid, Cass." Knockout commented as he knelt between the Vehicon's legs and manually opened his valve covering. "This is going to be similar to the exam I gave you the first time you arrived here, except this is going to be much quicker and less painful. The worst you'll feel is a small pinch or a brief burning sensation."

He lifted the device with both his servos. It almost looked like a pistol the way he was holding it, and it even had a trigger. There was a glass tube attached to the base of the instrument, no doubt it was meant to collect whatever fluids that long thick needle on the other end would extract. The way the red mech vocalized his explanations was comforting, but Cass still expressed his concern over his faceplate and through his EM field. The feeling of worry rippled over Knockout's shoulders and he took the sweet mechs' servo in his own.

"Do you want me to call Soundwave too come down here for support?" He asked.

"No." The response was quiet but quick. "The Commander is very busy at the moment. Some of the Vehicons Megatron assigned to help with surveillance were caught downloading previously recorded data. He is currently setting up a new locking system for his main console."

"Very well. I will start as soon as you say you're ready."

A silent moment passed before the violet mech nodded his helm, his colorful optics spinning in the glimmer of his calming apprehension. Knockout returned the glance with a soft grin and patted his patient's knee joint.

"Just like before, I will explain everything as it happens. Deep intake now." With that in mind, the medic manually opened Cass's valve paneling. He lubricated the needle lightly before slowly inserting the point into the valve opening. It wasn't very comfortable, but so far there was no pain, but the crawling sensation of the device was a bit irritable. The smaller mech shivered as he bit his bottom derma, doing his best not to whimper or move in his place. "Hold on Cass. I am close to the base of your gestation chamber, and there will be some irritation from that point. In the center of your gestation-lock there is a pin sized opening. This is where the needle will be inserted, and the opening will be slightly enlarged as I press forward."

As this was explained, Cass could feel a small sharp prick below his torso, so he knew that what was being told to him was happening. Knockout paused briefly and waited for the timid drone to settle into the foreign feeling in his frame. "Take another intake and try not to tense. I will try to be quick, but once I'm past the lock I need to hold my position for half a minute or until the test vile is full."

Cass's chest rose and fell on a sharp breath. When he was sure he was calm enough, he replied with another nod. The burning was instantaneous, but fortunately it was a weak pain and was bearable. He was able to keep still, but the life growing in his chamber had other motivations. The sparkling swirled as if being chased and jilted the base of the young model's frame.

"Oomph!" Cass muttered and stroked his black plating in long loving strokes. "Easy Mercy. It's okay."

"Mercy?" The doctor questioned while he slowly pulled the trigger and extracted as much fluid as the vile could hold. "Already picking designations and you don't even know the gender yet." The vile filled surprisingly quick despite the small jitters and shakes. His patient didn't even notice Knockout had pulled the needle from the lock as he continued to distract Cass with his questions. "Where did you come up with a name like that? Seems like an odd choice for a Decepticon."

"I got the name from the Commander." The young mech sighed in relief when he realized Knockout removed the device entirely. "He said it was the name he would have given me if I was born a feme. If Megatron approves it, I would like to use the designation regardless of gender."

"Well, with this fluid we should be able to determine the gender as well." Knockout detached the vile through the device and capped it before examining it in the light. "This may even explain why we were not getting any clear images on the ultrasound the last few times we tried. I'll run that test after I check for traces of dark energon."

"Dark energon!" Cass gasped, covering his mouth with one of his servos. "I never consumed dark energon!"

"Orally or through your spark, no, but I have a strong theory of how it may have gotten into your system." The red mech stood and walked over to Cass's side and showed him the vile. "See the coloration of the G-Fluid? Normally in a healthy carrier, the fluid would be either light blue or pink. I presume yours should be blue, but it has a violet hue." He set the vile aside and grasped the drone's shoulder. "I'm going to ask you a few personal questions, but keep in mind they are in your best interest. Can you tell me how often you and Megatron interface? And by that, I mean, how often do you have intercourse with each other?"

"Oh my…" Cass blushed and nervously nipped one of his digits. The question was embarrassing, but what made this very awkward for the young mech was his answer. "We only… Um… T-Twice… Three times if I count the second time we met alone, but… As far as that…"

"Twice? Really?" This wasn't exactly shocking, but he wasn't expecting to hear that. When a mech is carrying for the first three months they're processors are automatically hardwired to be as close to their sires as possible. That doesn't exactly lead to interface, but statistically the odds for it happening more frequently would increase. "Have the two of you been that busy?"

The Vehicon didn't answer and he glanced away from the medic. He was beyond mortified by his own honesty. The last thing he wanted to do today was admit that his lover had lost interest in him physically. Immediately Knockout picked up the reason behind his patient's silence and sighed in frustration. Not directed at Cass at all, but at himself for being so insensitive. Not an odd trait for the red grounder but he liked Cass enough to at least try and be subtle.

"I'm sure things have been very chaotic for you both. It's not easy to find time for each other on a warship."

"According to Commander Soundwave, you and Officer Breakdown don't have any trouble at all—."

"Let's not go into details on that!" It was Knockout's turn to blush. He had no idea the two of them spoke so openly about such things but due to his knowledge of Cass's innocent mind there was a chance Soundwave didn't divulge in too much detail. But if he did then the red mech turning blue didn't want to know. "Ahem… Anyway, if my theory is correct, then there is a chance that the Dark energon possibly in your system was filtered through Megatron's transfluid. The properties of this energon are still unknown, but I have seen it do remarkable things through Megatron. This could also explain how you are healing so quickly."

"But what about the sparkling?" Cass asked on a hitched breath. "What about Mercy…? Could she be in any danger?"

"She is still developing in a healthy manner." The medic chuckled as he related to the young mech's wishful thinking. "But rest assured, we will keep a thorough optic on her every step of the way… And as soon as I find out if she is a she at all, I will inform both you and Megatron right away."

It was still a frightening thought that this unpredictable substance was in his system at all, and the possibility of it affecting his sparkling was hard to comprehend. But he didn't have a lot of time to think about it very thoroughly, since both mechs were alerted to a loud crashing sound behind them.

"Scrap!" Breakdown shouted. Knockout turned his frame in the direction of the curtains and watched them ripple wildly before his partner emerged with a convulsing drone in his arms. "Knockout get over here! Looks like Salem just crashed!"

"Slag!" The red mech rushed over to the other berth. Cass could hear everything behind him in horrid detail. His first instinct was to sit up, but he was still connected to a monitoring system.

"Salem!" He called out, his worry shifting from himself to his friend. "What is happening?! Is he okay?! Salem?! Salem!"

In a flash Breakdown was there by Cass's side and wasted no time disconnecting him from the random cables on his frame. "You're going to have to leave Cass!" He didn't even stand the mech up on his pedes. He just scooped Cass into his arms and rushed him out the door, taking care to block his view of Knockout and his friend. The two of them were out in the halls in a spark beat and that is where Breakdown set the small carrier down. "We have an emergency and we need you out of the way! Um…! Ah! You there! Vehicon!"

A random drone just happened to walk by the med-bay, perhaps taking a shortcut to his next shift when he was stopped by the higher up in a very startling manner. "Y-Yes sir?"

"Take this young mech to Megatron's quarters and guard him with your function! Stop for nothing! Stop for no one! And once there, stand guard there until Lord Megatron returns!" The large blue mech bent forward to make optic contact with Cass and calmed himself enough to speak more fluidly with him. "Go with him Caspian. We will do all we can for your friend."

"But…!" Cass lightly cried and stood on his tiptoes while listing from side to side, trying to desperately look over Breakdown's large shoulders and catch a glimpse of Salem. But the former wrecker was too big and blocked every advance the smaller mech made. "But I—!"

"But nothing. We can't take care of your friend while we are still worrying about you. And you have your sparkling to worry about. Go to Megatron's quarters and try to rest. We will come to you… I promise." He looked away from the tear-filled gaze in front of him and addressed the confused drone beside them. "Take him now! Be quick and don't ask questions! Am I clear!"

"Crystal, sir!" The troop answered and lightly took hold of Cass's shoulders. He carefully guided Cass away from the giant, but the smaller mech left his arm stretched out until the very last minute; reaching for whatever he could grasp but found no mark. He watched helplessly as he was pulled away and Breakdown stood to rush back into the med-bay.

"Not Salem too…" He sobbed and finally started walking in the direction he was being led in. "Dear Primus, please… Not Salem too…"

Hours had passed before both Knockout and Breakdown were able to stabilize the Miner properly. The poor drone was so stressed and overwhelmed he couldn't hold up his leg struts properly. What was concerning was how he started convulsing after he passed out. Knockout suspected that Salem's injuries were much more severe than his surface scars revealed and the only thing they could do for him was open processor surgery. Fortunately for the drone it happened to be the red mech's specialty. It was also fortunate that Salem was in the med-bay when he crashed. If it happened anywhere else, he would either be left to fight out his fits on his own or sent to the double digits who were beyond under-qualified for such care. Unless Salem was registered as a battle drone, he would not be able to receive top medical care, but if he happened to be in the med-bay anyway Knockout had more of a choice. He could operate or turn him away.

The materials on hand were beyond lacking at the time, but Breakdown was quick to hold the Miner down while Knockout searched for a sedative. He found a syringe already prepared and was able to administer it without too much hesitation. After that it was all routine. Breakdown made himself busy attaching monitoring equipment and IVs, while Knockout gently adjusted his patients helm to the side. When he removed Salem's mask, he was able to truly see the extent of the miner's injuries. His faceplate was scarred and charred severely on one side. Charcoal black residue and red rust showed that his injuries were not properly cleaned before attempting to weld the split metal together. The double digits did a terrible job repairing, but due to this trash job, Knockout realized he didn't need to perform processor surgery. Clearly Salem was suffering from a cycled energon infection, which required the medic to reopen the wound, clean out the infected area, and administer another syringe but this time full of nanites and clean energon.

Cleaning the wound was excruciating. It was lousy with infected fluids and rusted flakes, and most unfortunate pieces of his old mask still imbedded in portions of his mesh. His optic didn't need to be removed, but he was clearly never going to see through it ever again. Knockout was going to leave it there and possibly ask Salem later if he would like it to be removed or not. Breakdown loitered over his mate respectfully and did his best not to hover. It was a very difficult sight to take in, even for the most experienced medical professionals. The gentle giant reached out to the side of the berth and held the smaller servo in his own. To think this poor mech was in so much pain this entire time, and to add insult to injury, his mate was murdered. Killed in a portion of the ship where such violence was meant to be abhorred.

A few hours later Knockout was exhausted, and Breakdown could feel it through their connection. He was more than capable of finishing the procedure by closing up the wound and even polishing some of the metal to sooth over any rough patches. He finished perhaps an hour later but took the liberty to carefully check Salem's voice box. Just as he suspected, a few of his key vocal wires were charred. They could easily be replaced, but that would have to be up to Salem if he wanted them fixed. Technically, this part of his injury did not constitute as being part of his emergency because it did not contribute to his crash. But at least for now Salem was repaired, medicated, and comfortable. This was the important thing at the moment, letting him rest and heal.

"What a day…" Knockout exasperated a heavy sigh. His optics closed tiredly as he leaned further on the berth Cass once laid upon. He had no objections to Breakdown sitting at the foot of the medical bed and even resting the red mech's pedes across his lap. He caressed the beautiful struts and spun a servo over Knockout's heels with an absent minded care. The attention was received warmly with a responsive hum. "I'm too tired to even move…"

"But I also want to touch you so badly…" The medic moaned through their connection. Breakdown smiled, also tired but alert enough to take action. He pulled Knockout's limp body over his lap and laced his arms over his shoulders. Knockout understood what he was doing, and he hugged his lover's frame both for balance and admiration.

"I don't mind doing all of the touching as I take you to our berth. You just rest and I will come back to watch Salem."

"My mind is slipping already," the medic weakly replied, "I wish we could spend time in our berth together tonight. I really need you by my side."

"I will be back before you even realize I'm gone." Breakdown kissed the top Knockout's helm as he walked with him in his arms slowly. "I love you… I love you dearly."

"I love… You too…" His conscious mind finally succumbed to the influence of exhaustion. Out like a light and finding peace for the first time in almost a months' time.

-END-