The Diego Diaries: Corr Values (dd6 382)

-0-Late that night

Tie Down stood beside Ratchet with his arm around his shoulders as he sat beside Corr who lay sleeping. He had gotten up having awakened from a deep weary sleep. It had knocked him down to see his ada in this condition. He was their only child and he thought of them like gods. Now, they were all smaller than he remembered, his genitors and Ravels' and they were laying here weary and set back. "How is he, Ratchet?"

"He's doing well, Atar. He's going to be up tomorrow and we can talk to him. I think he's going to be alright but we have to fit him for head gear. He has to wear it all the time except in recharge. If he falls its bad enough with his protoform. But hitting his head again would be unacceptable. That goes for all of you, too."

Tie Down nodded. "I know. We aren't as spry as we used to be." It was quiet. "What's the next step?"

"We get him up and see how he walks. That should be alright anyway but protocol is protocol. Then I'll talk to him, ask him questions and that sort of thing. You can talk to him after me. I want to assess him when he rises," Ratchet said.

Tie nodded. "He's going to miss school a bit. Good thing that the end of term is happening now. We have time to get him ready again. He loves school so much. He told me it makes him feel like a real person."

"He is. You all are. All of us are." Ratchet shook his helm. "This infuriates me, the lack of understanding everyone has about how wonderful they are. You're all going to counseling again."

"Do you think your ada and I need it?" Tie asked.

"Absolutely. I think you need to stick with it as well. Private and group. If you want to skip group therapy, then you better have a good argument. One better than the store," Ratchet said.

Tie nodded. "As you say, son."

Ratchet glanced at him, at the handsome profile of his father. "I do. I say it as a son and as a doctor. This time we knuckle down and do this right. This should be the last time he's in here, Amma and any of you."

"That's always the plan," Tie said. They chatted a while waiting for morning and the moment that Corr could online his optics once more.

-0-Morning here and there

Alor helped Ironhide feed kids, all of whom were 'helping, Amma'. They actually were as they ate, lined up to hand their dishes to Alor, then run for their rooms to get their school stuff ready. Orion ran out lugging his book bag and a pair of dollies. "WHERE'S AMMAS? WHERE APPAS? Lou telleded me, Orion, Amma Lay-Low?" he asked as he demonstrated a new attempt at his Amma's name.

Alor grinned. "Lay-Low?"

Orion smiled a huge smile.

"Everyone is getting a tune up. They'll be back shortly. Are you ready to go?" Alor asked as more kids ran out. The big kids stayed over at Typhoon's house though they REQUIRED an update on Amma Corr as soon as everyone else knew the story. They would get it. They then hugged and walked out to catch the bus to Intermediate School.

The shorties stared up at Alor.

He stared back.

They smiled.

He smiled. "What, Orion?" Lay-Low asked.

He stared at Alor, then grinned. "Quack."

Everyone laughed uproariously. Hero turned to Orion with a hearty chuckle. "YOU FORGOT DIDN'T YOU!"

He nodded. "I DID THAT THING, HO-HO! BWAHAHAHA! I DID THAT THING! PO-PO! I, ORION DID THAT!"

Praxus who was smiling hugged Orion. "You did. You forgot."

Everyone turned to Prowler who was smiling enormously as he watched them, backpack and dollie in servo. He glanced at them, then Alor. Then he held his panda dollie up for Amma Lay-Low to kiss. He did and as he did, the door opened and the others stepped in.

BEDLAM!

Moments later, they were sitting on the arms of their ammas and appas as they walked to the elevator. Sunspot went ahead to press buttons and lead the way with Spot bouncing along with him. They reached them, chatted and laughed all the way down, then walked to the street. Sunspot called for Hero's cab, then everyone waved as she left. The bus for Orion and Praxus came, grabbed them and other imps waiting including Miracle Prime, then rolled off for Terra. A small bus then pulled up and Sojourner, Solus, Prowler, and a number of other babies were loaded. It rolled off for the Academy in Terra as well.

Everyone then turned to look at Sunspot. He smiled beautifully just as his own bus rolled up. He hugged everyone, then with Spot in tow climbed on and waved until the bus disappeared ahead. They stared at it, then each other. Then they looked at Blackjack. He looked back with aggravation.

"I thought we were short one," Hard Drive said as he stared at his grandson. "Produce the evidence." A hatch opened and curled up with a tiny cow, a little baby dozed. They stared at it, then him. "Take him to school, Blackjack. Don't make me paddle your butt."

He frowned at his grandfather, then smirked at Alor. "I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO TAKE HIM THERE MYSELF! SLAGGING BUSES!" With that, he turned toward the Metro Station, then stepped off with a jaunty strut.

They watched him go, then Alor shook his helm. "Hopeless. He's hopeless. Better check him later. Something tells me we're going to have to."

Alor would be right.

-0-In a hospital room nearby

Ratchet stood over Corr as he was slowly brought out of stasis. He was still but for involuntary movements of his servos or a twitch of a ped. He was swimming into a new hardware paradigm and it was going to be smooth if it killed his grandson. An expert was at the wheel.

A master was at work.

Behind him, their faces reflecting their fear, a mob of little mechs including a single femme watched Ratchet, then Corr. It seemed to take forever, then the reboot was accomplished. Ratchet leaned down and whispered, "Amma? You in there?"

Ravel would have slapped him for the impertinence but for his own choking fear. Everyone was silent and it was terribly tense. Corr twitched, then his optics flickered. He blinked, then glanced his optics around. He didn't speak, nor did he get up. He lay still and stared until his optics focused upon Ratchet's face as he sat on the berth beside his amma. "You there, Amma?" he asked.

Corr stared at him, then nodded slightly. He raised a servo, then stared at it. "Where am I, Sonny?"

"You're in the hospital. You fell and bumped your helm. We had to fix you up," Ratchet said. "I want to ask you questions. Can you try to answer them?"

He stared at Ratchet, then nodded. "Okay."

"What's your name?"

"Corr. Corr of Iacon."

"What did you do for your career?"

"I was a … a riveter. I built tall buildings."

"Who is your bond?"

Corr glanced around but he didn't see the others. They were standing back out of the way because Ratchet asked them to do so. "Where is Chan?"

"He's here, Amma. We have to do these questions and stuff." Ratchet gripped his servo. He gripped it back. It was firm. "Where do you live now?"

"Autobot City. I live there."

"What is the name of your ada and atar?"

"Stereo and Fuller."

"What did they do for their career?"

"They were riveters and welders, too."

Ratchet nodded, then leaned inward. "I'm going to help you sit up. Tell me if it hurts or you want to purge. Okay?"

Corr nodded. He sat up with Ratchet's help, then moved his feet toward the floor. Waiting a moment for the vertigo to leave him, he stood up shakily. Ratchet held him as he waited out the dizziness, then he walked to a chair to sit with help. He was weary and confused. "What happened? Why am I here?"

Chan looked at Corr with fear, then Ratchet. "We told him already."

"He's coming out of stasis. It makes you confused. It'll clear," Ratchet replied.

Chan nodded, then sat in the chair next to Corr, taking his hand gently into his own. "Corr? Do you hear me? Do you see me?"

Corr glanced his way, then leaned closer. "Chan. I see you."

Chan relaxed, sagging slightly. "I see you, too, Corr."

The others sat down and with Ratchet asking questions watched as he finished the assessment. Docker glanced from Corr to Ratchet when he was finished. "What do you think, Sonny?"

"I think Levee is a genius," Ratchet said with a grin.

It was almost sickening how much better they felt almost immediately.

-0-School

Lumi read the message internally, then grinned. He texted it to the others. They texted back their eternal relief, then all got back to their studies. It didn't take long to make its way to everyone that Corr had come through with a good score in the tests run on him and his memory cores. Relief would be a small word to describe how everyone felt when they got it.

-0-Shortly later

Ironhide walked in with a grin followed by Blackjack. They hugged Corr and Chan, patted the others, then sat on a berth. "How you feeling, Corr?" Blackjack asked.

"Better. I think I don't remember falling but Docker says I did," Corr said.

"You'll be out of here in no time," Ironhide said. "I heard that he wants all of you to stay here for the remaining five orns."

"I don't know, son," Tie said as he lay on his berth relaxing. "We have deadlines for our customers."

"They can wait. You need to unwind," Ironhide said as the chat went onward. By the time he and his father got up to leave, Tie Down was fast asleep.

-0-Ops Center

It was with relief that Prowl went about his business. Things were getting closer to normal again. Though the situation on Cybertron was smoother than expected, there were many problems that required their attention. There was a bomb site that required special handling near the north pole, a new series of utilities laid on that needed inspection by one of them to show the flag for the local crews, some Primal Hearings to do in Capital City on various crimes, a new cache of art and bullion, literally acres of underground tunnels filled to the ceiling with possessions, cash, irreplaceable art, important relics, and other things to be determined later.

Prime would have to go to see all of this and head the hearings. A Prime's work was never done. He grinned. His wasn't either. Glancing down to the floor under the nearby console, he grinned again. Prima was recharging like a pro.

Of course, he would. He was Prowl's brother.

With a lighter frame of mind than before, Prowl of Praxus got back to work once more.

-0-Up there

They came in to be introduced and make their own assessments. Therapists for everyone, a physical therapist for Corr, Dr. Medley who had put Corr back on the regular office visit list until this got remedied, Levee to see about his patient, and occupational therapists to check if there was impairment and if so, how much. It was busy for a bit as the elders watched the ocean of care descend upon their little Corr.

They would never be able to get over it that this was the way things worked now.

Truth be told, Ratchet sometimes felt himself agreeing with that sentiment even now.

-0-TBC 6-11-18 edited 6-18-18