Crosshairs POV
We were right to come back. J.R. has slept all night before waking up from a nightmare early in the morning, not terrified; we knew she could still have a terrifying nightmare that scares her awake.
"She woke up five minutes ago," Hound tells us though it's hard to hear over J.R.'s crying.
"She's terrified but not having a panic attack," Drift observes.
Sitting on the bed, I moved J.R. onto my lap as Drift sits next to me. J.R. hugged me, burying her head on my chest.
"She won't talk about her nightmare," Hound tells us.
"It's not hard to figure out what she was dreaming about," Drift points out.
J.R. told us she can't take this anymore, the fear Jayce will end her life or will have to stop going on adventures. She didn't say it, but we know she wants to be dead first. I made her look at me.
"We're doing all we can to keep her safe and help her."
You're the one who's been the challenge. One good thing about Jayce being exhausted all the time, but we'd still like to take care of that.
I tried to get J.R. to lie on the bed with me, but she tightened her grip on me, and I couldn't move.
"Ok, J.R., what else is scaring you?"
"I don't think something else is scaring her; she's afraid to have that nightmare again," Drift guessed. I know what Drift is talking about. Nightmares about Jamie or Jayce killing themselves.
"Damn it, we have to give in," Drift says before leaving the room.
"Now both of them can't sleep without sleep aid, fuck," Hound sighed.
I tried to get J.R. to lie down before Drift returned, hating how she said she doesn't want to sleep.
Drift comes back five minutes later.
"This will help you," he says as J.R. tries to fight him. Hound had to help restrain her, "this will help you sleep and not have nightmares," Drift explains as he injects the drug, hands the syringe to Hound, gets the box of tissues, and sits on the bed by me as Hound leaves to take care of the syringe.
"It'll be ok," Drift assures J.R. as he wiped her eyes and nose.

Drift POV
Every day Jayce and J.R.'s emotional pain grows. Every night I'm haunted by the thought that the three girls would be dead by now if we weren't here. Both Jayce and J.R. have tried twice. Crosshairs would hate hearing how I get little sleep.
Ten minutes pass before J.R. is asleep. Crosshairs puts her to bed, and we leave the room.
"Unbelievable, this isn't good," Crosshairs frets.
"No, we'll have to use sleep aide on both of them," I sighed, "hopefully, they'll both respond the way we want them to."
We went to Jamie's room and sat on the bed.
"What do you do all night? I know you aren't sleeping all night, even if you aren't tired."
"Until a couple of days ago, nothing."
"Besides thinking about the usual."
"Yes."
"Then we're both getting little sleep," Crosshairs sighed, "doubt the others are getting much sleep either."
"Well, the other two will be asleep for eight hours, no need to worry about them. Go to your quarters and get some sleep," I suggested. Crosshairs stood up, looked at Jamie and around the room before leaving.
Crap, you know what else I worry about.
Crosshairs knows I keep some medical equipment in here for when Jamie has a minor to mild flare-up. She often requires only oxygen support and to be monitored. Only when she needs the ventilator or to have a feeding tube placed do I take her to the medbay. Though after the feeding tube is in, I can take her back to her room.
I worry about Jayce and J.R.'s response if Jamie has any level of a flare-up. A month ago, Jayce might have panicked, but she would have been easy to calm. Now, I'm not sure if we could calm either of the girls. Now Crosshairs will worry about this. I doubt Bumblebee has figured it out, which is good.
I got into bed, hoping to fall asleep.

Seven hours later

Cade POV
I hated hearing both Jayce and J.R. needed sleep aid. Crosshairs and Drift tell me their plan; they know the risk of using a sleep aid. Even if the girls aren't exhausted, we don't know if they'll be depressed. We're talking suggestions around taking the girls out than planning. This is complicated and could take months.
"What else is bothering you two?" Hound asks.
Its good Drift brought this up, even though we might luck out and not have to deal with Jamie going through a flare-up and dealing with Jayce's poor mental state. We made two plans for this, first without drugs and with drugs. We'd do this with J.R. if needed. I know Drift worries a lot more than the rest of us, Jamie could go through a severe flare-up, and he'd watch her fight for her life.

Both Jayce and J.R. come down ten minutes later. Both not in a good mood, but they will drink as Crosshairs and Drift sit with them. A few minutes pass before Drift leads Jayce back upstairs, J.R. tries to follow, but Crosshairs stops her. I go upstairs to see what's going on. I hear crying and Drift talking. Damn, Jayce was trying not to cry while downstairs.

"I know it seems like you can't get over this. It's going to take time."
I got my answer before going into the room.
Standing by the door, I watch Drift calm Jayce down. She's getting harder to calm down. I walked into the room and tried to help before things got worse.
"We don't care how much we need to do to help you, Jamie or J.R.," I tell her while holding her hand. She's in a lot of emotional pain, and there's little we can do until she gets over her terrifying thoughts and nightmares.
I think she's in physical pain because of the emotional pain, or the pain is getting worse and she can't hide it. Drift tells me to leave; he's going to get Jayce to go back to sleep.

Drift POV
I laid Jayce down, but I'm not laying with her yet. She's calm enough that I can sit at the desk and watch her. As I thought, she's in physical pain. She's dealing with a constant stomach ache. She's not exhausted, so she can't ignore the pain.
Damn it, what the hell can we do now?
A few minutes pass before I lay on the bed beside Jayce. I can see the pain in her eyes. She moved closer to me and hugged me as she started crying. I did what has helped her though I don't know if it will now. She falls asleep ten minutes later.
Didn't know Cade and Crosshairs have been watching.
"Damn, so we either let her be exhausted it in physical and emotional pain," Crosshairs says in a sad tone.
"Recovery is going to be a challenge. She's going to keep trying what she thinks is the solution," Cade comments.
Crosshairs walks out of the room.
"Fuck," he says.
Cade and I leave the room to see J.R. on the floor.
"Fuck, she heard us," Cade frets.
"Terrified enough to cause a seizure."

I walked over to Crosshairs and crouched down close to her head. Crosshairs was cupping her head. This seizure lasts two minutes.
"You're ok," I assured her as Crosshairs put her in the recovery position. There's sadness and fear in her eyes. We waited five minutes before Crosshairs took her to her room.
"Don't even say it," Cade says before I can say anything.
How can we not think things can get worse?

I rushed to Jamie's room though Bumblebee is with her.
"Do I even ask?" He asks.
I tell Bumblebee what happened in the past ten minutes.
"...things are getting terrifying. We're out of options to help Jayce."
"There's no way a psychiatric hospital will help her."
"I don't know, Bee."
He leaves the room as I sit in the bed by Jamie. I might be paranoid after what happened this morning, but I checked over her. The monitor chip and portable monitor can tell me what I need to know, but I wanted to listen to her heart and lungs.
She's fine, but my fear is still around.
I cleaned the equipment and laid in bed by Jamie, kissing her before attempting to go to sleep.

Crosshairs POV
Damn, you didn't just bring up Jamie possibly having a flare-up while we're trying to help Jayce and J.R. so we could prepare for the possibility, you're afraid she's going to go through one. Though I doubt Drift checks on Jamie every night. After this morning, it's clear, with Jayce and J.R.'s current mental state, even a minor flare-up will cause severe distress.

I returned to Jayce's room and tried to think of something we can do. Bumblebee tells me he'll stay with J.R. and text me if he needs help.

Third-person
Three days have passed. Crosshairs and Drift continue to use sleep aide on Jayce so she can sleep all night. Even though she sleeps all night, Jayce stays in her room most of the day. She won't talk to anyone about what's troubling her, afraid of what happens when she talks about it. Drift spends most of the day with her since Jamie is working. Jayce now has a severe panic attack during the day. Crosshairs stays with J.R. in her room. J.R. continues to tell him what's bothering her though it's been the same things since this all started; he wants her to keep talking about it. Her nightmares are frightening, but her panic attacks aren't as bad as Jayce's. She is afraid everyone has given up on Jayce.

J.R. POV
"No, J.R., we're not giving up on Jayce," Crosshairs assures me.
"How's just using drugs to get her to sleep all night and letting her stay in her room all day helping?"
I didn't give him a chance to answer before leaving the room and going to Jayce's. I know what I might walk into.

I hate how I'm right, and she's having a severe one. I hate hearing her gasp for air. I stood by the bed, expecting Drift to tell me to leave, but he didn't even though we both know what can happen. I don't think this will work since I'm on the side of the bed, but what else can we do? Dritt answered my question by putting me on the bed with him.
Good, now she's looking at both of us. Damn, I hate seeing the fear in her eyes.
"Listen to me, Jayce; you're ok, Jamie is ok. You know the Autobots made sure you can't kill yourself. Jamie wouldn't be able to if she's thinking that way. You know Drift is with her most of the time. She's safe and doing better."
I don't know if this will help her, but I have to help, or at least try. Considering what happened next, I think I made things worse for Jayce and myself.

Crosshairs POV
What J.R. told Jayce might have helped her, but it just triggered a severe panic attack for J.R. I laid her on her bed and sat on my knees next to her on the bed.
"I can't breathe," J.R. struggles to say, tears rolling down her face just like Jayce,
"I know you're ok."
Damn, just like Jayce, struggling to breathe is scaring her, making this worse.
"Shit, I thought so," I hear Drift say, "Jayce is ok, she's sleeping," Drift says, taking J.R.'s hand. We helped her get her breathing under control but hard a hard time keeping her from crying.
"Now she's frightened she's like Jayce," I observed.
"You're ok, we'll help you and Jayce," Drift tells J.R.
Come on, J.R., you know Drift hates lying even if it's for Jamie's good.
"Let me take her for a drive," Drift suggests, "Jayce will be asleep for a while."
J.R. is hesitant about leaving Jayce even though she's asleep but goes with Drift.
I found Cade and told him what happened, both to figure out if we need to change our plan and because I know he's telling Bulma all this or keeping notes himself.
Every time we talk about the girls, our fear that we can't help them grows. J.R.'s fear has intensified after her panic attack.

Drift POV
The five-minute drive to the lake was rough. I hated I had to let J.R. cry since it's day time. Few people live around here; I'm not taking the chance of being discovered. Though it's too cold to sit in the hood of my alt mode, going to the lake, away from the base, helps the girls. I move her to my lap and hug her.
"Shhh, it's ok, it's going to take time. I know it feels like things won't get better."
"I hate how things are getting terrifying," J.R. sobbed.
"I know."
How long before she deals with physical pain?
"Jayce won't be able to handle Jamie going through a flare-up, even if it's minor, she'll panic."
"How long has that been on n your mind?"
"A few weeks. It's one of the many things I often think about."
And that's part of the problem, these two think of their terrifying thoughts and what if they happen constantly.
"We have a plan for everything, though that doesn't mean we won't run into problems, we're as prepared as we can be. I know you don't like how long it'll take before you and Jayce recover mentally, none of us do, but we can't rush things. The tricky part is figuring out how to help Jayce and you."
I knew this would cause her to cry.
Yet another shitty day for both girls, mentally.

I waited for J.R. to fall asleep before going back to the base. I found Crosshairs waiting in her room. This is becoming routine that he got her bed ready.
"It's bad when you know I'll be bringing her back, asleep,'" I tell him as I laid J.R. in bed and covered her with the blanket.
"It's bad she's like Jayce. How long before Jamie finds out? How long will it take for Jayce and J.R. to recover mentally if they even can? Or are we going to have that conversation?"
"I don't know," I say in a sad tone as I sit at the desk.
"What did she say?" Crosshairs asks, concerned. I hated repeating what J.R. said, knowing Crosshairs would hate hearing it.
"...I told her we are prepared the best we can be. Though I don't think hearing this helps either of the girls," I finished.
"Damn it, more problems with no solutions," Crosshairs sighed.
I hate I added to his fears even if he asked.

Cade POV
I couldn't believe what Drift told me. I'm trying to think of several plans to help the girls. We know this could take a month or even longer, but we also feel like we don't have a month. The two girls can't take their emotional pain; now, Jayce is dealing with physical pain.
Drift and I stayed in Jayce's room. Drift doesn't want to step away from Jayce while he doesn't have to worry about Jamie. I want to talk with Jayce when she wakes up, aware I'll be watching her go through a panic attack.
We waited two hours for her to wake up. While we waited, Bumblebee, Crosshairs, and Hound came in to talk about the plans I came up with. Crosshairs stayed when we finished talking about my two plans.

"No, help her," Jayce cries in her sleep.
Fuck, I already hate this, then she screams before waking up, hyperventilating. The two mechs said nothing to each other before helping her. I stayed out of their way, watching. I could say I lucked out of seeing the worst, but it's still not great she has these panic attacks. Nor is great she's getting worse as Crosshairs and Drift are trying to help her. Now I'm seeing the worst and recording this for Bulma, though I doubt there's anything she can suggest we try. Jayce takes ten minutes to get her breathing under control, in that time, I feared she'd pass out. Drift held Jayce on the edge of the bed as she cried, Crosshairs sitting next to him, the two of them helping the best they can.
"She's shaking, and her heart is still racing," Drift says. He moves in a slow rocking motion as Crosshairs takes her hand. I think they do a good job figuring out how both of them can help the girls through a panic attack.
A few minutes pass before she's calm. I'm about to stop recording when she throws up. I'm amazed they know how to tell she's about to throw up and able to make sure she doesn't throw up all over herself. Jayce is still upset she threw up. All right, I've filmed enough. I send the video to Bulma and put my phone on the desk to help Crosshairs and Drift. Drift tells me I can try to talk to her like I planned. Try meaning she might be afraid to talk to me after going through a panic attack. I went to get her water first. After all the crying she's done, she's going to need it.

I returned five minutes later, hearing how she can't take this anymore. Drift told me he thinks it's her way if pleading for us to let her end her life. Hearing her say it myself, damn I hate that's what it sounds like she's saying.
"Everything will be ok," I tell her, handing her the water before retrieving my phone and leaving the room. She's not in a good mental state to talk right now.
I mentioned what Jayce said, describing what it seems like she's saying, and now she says this several times a day in my texts with Bulma.
She texts back, telling me to call her when the Autobots and I talk about the girls tonight and record J.R. during a panic attack.
Jayce isn't ready for a conversation, but I can't stay away from her.
"There's will not be a good time, Cade. Talking about this upsets her, but she needs to hear the plans," Crosshairs says before leaving the room, walking towards J.R.'s.
Drift gets Jayce to go downstairs and watch T.V. She leaned on him, trying not to cry.

Crosshairs POV
J.R. wakes up fifteen minutes after I went into her room. No nightmare or panic attack this time, but she repeated what she told Drift, unaware he told me already. Though I'm amazed, she doesn't know everyone tells the others about their time watching one of the girls. She also told me everything else she and Jayce have been thinking though we already know.
"Shh, calm down, it's going to be ok."
I hugged her, hoping she wouldn't cry but was unsuccessful. What's worse is she's saying she can't take it anymore. Both Jayce and J.R. are saying this more frequently. She tried to break free from my grip.
"No, J.R., I know you're in pain emotionally, but that's not the way to deal with it."
My fear Jamie and Jayce will watch her die, or J.R. and Jamie will watch Jayce die intensifies, but I can't let her know. She already thinks we'll give up on her and Jayce.
Ten minutes pass before she calms down, and I can take her downstairs. She sits on the couch on the other side of Drift. Both girls are leaning on him while he has an arm around both of them.

Jamie POV
I've been working for four hours, time for a break. Jayce and J.R. aren't in their rooms. They must be watching T.V. J.R. is taking a shower, and Jayce is watching T.V. with Crosshairs and Drift. Something seems to bother her.
"Are you ok?" I asked.
"I'm fine," Jayce hissed.
"No need to get angry.'
"Shut up!" She yells before getting up and slapping me. I fall to the ground, watching her walk away. I got up and tried to follow her, but Drift stops me.
"Leave her alone. Come on; it's been a while since we've spent time together," he says and leads me to the garage.

Jayce POV
"What the fuck was that about?!" J.R. yells.
"At least she doesn't know what's been going on."
"Really? That's your idea to keep this shit secret from her?!"
She's pissing me off. Crosshairs won't be able to stop me alone. I grabbed J.R. and threw her across the room; she hits the wall before landing on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Shep asked, fear in her voice. I ignored her and started punching her. She tried to protect herself and screamed.
"What the fuck? Jayce, stop!" Crosshairs yells as he tried to stop me, but I pushed him away.

Crosshairs POV
What the fuck is going in with her? How the hell is she able to ignore J.R.'s crying. Starting a new group conversation, I text Bumblebee, Cade, and Hound.

Crosshairs: I have a situation here. It's going to be ugly.
Cade: shit, we're coming.

Didn't know they were doing something together. Don't know what project they'd have out of the base in the winter. I watch J.R. lose consciousness before Bee, Cade, and Hound rush in. Jayce still attacked J.R. even though she's unconscious. Cade rushed to the medbay as the rest of us rushed to get Jayce onto the floor. Once Jayce is drugged, Cade and I look over J.R. as Bee snd Hound watch Jayce.
"I need to get her to the medbay," Cade says, urgency in his voice.
Fuck, Jayce, what did you do?
Cade had a medical capsule with a stretcher. It's a ten-second walk, but we don't know what Jayce did until Drift texts us saying Jamie senses J.R.'s energy fading, and they're on their way back.
No, Jayce, you didn't just kill J.R.?