Paige woke up feeling bad, well worse than usual. Her throat felt scratchy, she was warm, her body ached and she could feel a headache brewing from the sinus pressure. She had dropped so much weight that she was no longer having her period so she knew she was simply ill.

Ratchet was at the computer working on something when she approached from behind. "Ratchet," Paige rasped in a scratchy voice.

Ratchet turned to face her. "What's wrong with your voice?" he asked.

"I'm ill," said Paige. "I don't want to infect the kids so I need you to send me to the island for around three days."

Ratchet gripped her arm. "You're warm," he said. "I mean warmer than usual. Is there a cure for this illness?"

"It's a virus," said Paige. "My immune system will fight it off, but it'll take awhile." She scrubbed at her watery eyes and two tears slid down her cheek.

"Geez Doc, what'd you say to make her cry?" asked Cliffjumper. He and Optimus had just walked in.

"I didn't say anything," Ratchet retorted crossing his arms. "She is simply ill."

"I'll get my things," said Paige leaving.

Ratchet opened the groundbridge and Paige went through just as the kids arrived for the day.

"What's wrong with her Ratchet?" asked Optimus.

"She claims she has a virus and that it will take about three days for her to recover," explained Ratchet.

"Who's got a virus?" called Miko.

"Paige," responded Ratchet.

"I bet it's the flu," said Jack. "All three of us already had it. I wonder if she caught it from us."

"It's not surprising she'd get sick though," said Raf.

"Rafael, what do you mean by that?" asked Optimus.

"Well for humans, there are several things that can lower your immune system and make you get sick easier," Raf explained. "One of them is stress, another is not eating the right foods and finally there's a lack of sleep."

"She's bigger than any other human and has had run ins with Mech and the Cons so she's got to be stressed," said Jack.

"She's surviving on mostly protein powder which isn't healthy," said Raf. "And she sleeps on the floor which is uncomfortable for humans so I don't know how much sleep she gets."

"Yea and it's not like you guys are quiet. There's always one alarm or another going off in here," added Miko.

"Once she reaches normal human size, this shouldn't be a problem," said Ratchet.

"If she makes it," said Miko thoughtlessly.

Optimus and Ratchet exchanged a worried glance.

"I will make a point to check on her tomorrow," said Ratchet.

xxxxxx

Ratchet located Paige lying on her back in the sand in the shade of the palm trees. She didn't stir as he approached, but her chest rose and fell with her breathing. Her supplies were scattered nearby and her water bottle was next to her. Ratchet knelt and placed a hand on her forehead. She was still warm, but not as warm as the previous day. Her fever seemed to be subsiding. Grey eyes opened in slits at his touch meeting his optics. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Paige groaned in response. She closed her eyes and then opened them again trying to focus. "You have such pretty optics," she said gazing at him.

Ratchet paused taken aback by the unexpected compliment. "I read up a little on the flu," he said. "And you appear to be delirious or are all you humans just really vain?"

"With our life span, if you don't appreciate what you find beautiful, what's the point in living," she replied her eyes closing again.

Ratchet stayed with her for a while longer before returning to base.

xxxxxx

It took Paige an entire week to feel good enough to return. When she did, she was bridged back to base right in the middle of a unique situation. Team Prime with the exception of Ratchet were frozen in position by what she assumed was the immobilizer. Fowler, Ratchet and the kids were making plans to infiltrate the Nemesis in order to get the Iacon database. She would have joined, but she was a little too big and the ship would most likely see her immediately. All she could do was relieve the kids of a dazed Fowler when he returned and place him on the hospital bed while Ratchet returned with Jack and the flash drive.