Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers and likely never will.
It Never Hurts To Be Prepared
It is precisely 7:36 AM on a Monday morning. Medical officer Ratchet is standing in front of the large , green, holographic computer screen in the heart of the autobots' base. His optics are hastily reading information on the screen.
A ghost of a grin appears on his face as he swipes downward on the screen revealing more information. Hastily his optics flick through it before swiping downward for yet even more information. The base rings with an unusual quiet. Before he had never minded the quiet; actually quite the opposite, he had welcomed it. Quiet always meant that the base was distraction free and ensured that he would get more work done. However, now the quiet felt unnatural and hollow. He wasn't sure when exactly, but somewhere along the line he had gotten used to working with noises like laughing, shouting, giggling, talking, or yelling in the background.
At first it had been a distraction, but over time he grew to tolerate it, then one day out of the blue he realized that he had grown to enjoy it. In its absence, or rather he should say in their absence the base felt deserted and empty. Somewhere along the line his annoyance at having three human children around had seeped away, becoming more of an appearance than a reality.
In the beginning the annoyance had been real. Oh, it was so real. The very idea that the humans were allowed to walk around inside their base and that it was the autobots' responsibility to watch where they stepped so as to make sure that they didn't squish the humans had annoyed Ratchet to no end. Humans weren't originally supposed to have even been there in the first place! Well, except for agent Fowler of course, but he was supposed to have been the only one! Besides it wasn't the autobots' faults that humans are small and easily squishable! Why should they suffer themselves to make accommodations for such an easily breakable species?
However after Megatron's initial 'death' the medic came to the begrudging conclusion that the three children were now part of the team and hence weren't going anywhere. At first it was all he could do to keep himself from shipping the children off to Japan through the ground bridge, but ever so slowly all three of them wriggled their way to a special place in his spark chamber.
As he would be working on various projects in the large common area of the base he would often find himself grinning at the interactions between the children and their autobot guardians. Ratchet would often hear snippets of conversations between Jack and Arcee about how a certain red headed girl at school spoke to him that day, waved to him in the hallway, or sat with him at lunch. The boy would always get the widest smile on his face with a bright twinkle in his eyes.
Miko would often come through and play far too loud rock music with Bulkhead over the base's speakers. Both of them would be bobbing their heads contently to the beat. Sometimes Miko would jump up and down playing something she refers to as 'air guitar'. Other times she would pull out her black guitar and strum along with the music.
Raf would often sit typing away on his laptop with Bumblebee leaning over his shoulder as the two of them discuss the latest videogame on the market or how to beat the next level of whatever video game they happened to be playing. The kid often had to hold his glasses in place to keep them from slipping off his nose while he let loose a joy filled laugh at a joke Bumblebee made through a beep or a whir.
However endearing the children's interactions were with their autobot companions it was nothing compared to their interactions with each other. On more than one occasion the medic has had to stifle his out right laughter at the excited yells of victory accompanied by the frustrated groans of defeat as one of the kids beats the other at that racing video game they like. On more subdued occasions the autobot has glanced over at the children during their bi-weekly movie night after they have been a little too quiet for a few minutes too long to find the three of them piled on top of one another on the couch fast asleep. Though the old autobot would never admit to it aloud, he did believe that the three small humans looked almost cute when they were asleep. Miko would have her face buried in her purple zebra print pillow half leaning on Jack. Raf would be laying on his side wrapped like a mini burrito in the fuzzy red plaid blanket the three of them were sharing. Little snores slipping out of his mouth. Jack would be laying slumped over with his head pillowed in his arms resting atop the arm of the couch. Often when this happened Ratchet would find himself tiptoeing around the room to keep from disturbing them.
Ever since the children became a part of their lives, on virtually every mission Ratchet can practically see the burning question of " Does this jeopardize the children's safety?" in his leader's optics. The kids and the other autobots' guardianship of them are always a factor in the prime's choices. After all, the three children have become some of the select few beings in existence that the five autobots have come to consider family. They know that they wouldn't be able to forgive themselves if something happened to any one of them. Just the thought of something bad happening to the responsible, thoughtful Jack, exuberant, daring, Miko, or quiet, understanding, Raf made Ratchet's jaw clench and his arm blades flex. He already knows that nothing bad is going to happen to the kids as long as the other autobots and himself have anything to say about it.
However he is too old and has seen too much to not know that mistakes and accidents happen. One day himself or one of his fellow autobots might slip up, or maybe a decepticon might get a lucky shot, or one of the kids might simply not run fast enough. Then one, two, or perhaps all three of the kids would be hurt and he, the team's medical officer, would have no idea what to do.
Sure he knows some about human anatomy and medical procedures, after all he did help agent Fowler when the man was tortured by the decepticons. However even in that instance all he'd really had to do was hook Fowler up to an IV bag full of sedatives to help the man sleep it off. That is a whole lot different than one of the kids breaking their ribs and puncturing a lung in a scrap with decepticons. Deep down he knows that if something unimaginable like that did occur and one of the kids required immediate medical attention or an on the spot life saving surgery he wouldn't be able to help them; he wouldn't know how. All he would be able to do is watch helplessly as they would die. Facts like that keep Ratchet from sleeping at night. After all, what is the point of being the team's medical officer if you can only help 5/8 of your team? That's nearly half your team you don't know how to help! To Ratchet this is highly unacceptable, he should be able to efficiently help any member of his team.
This is precisely why at 7:37 AM on a Monday morning , he is reading page after page about human anatomy on the screen in front of him. Ever since Raf introduced him to the internet a few months ago the old autobot has been working through several dozen human medical e-books he rented online. The book he is currently knee deep in is advanced human anatomy. He chooses this time of the day to plow ahead in the books because right now Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee are taking their charges to school and Optimus is on a wide sweep patrol, which leaves Ratchet as the base's sole occupant. It is like this every weekday, so he has taken to using this time to pour over the books unobserved. He studies them in secret because the absolute last thing he needs is his teammates joking around with him about how it is ironic that he, who had been so annoyed at the slightest prospect of being around three humans, now liked them enough that he was willing to spend hours learning human anatomy and how to perform human medical procedures because there was a chance that one of the kids might get hurt.
He has a feeling that Arcee would find it sweet, and likely wouldn't give him a hard time about it. Bulkhead and Bumblebee on the other hand, would not let it go. They would make jokes about how he'd gone 'soft' and about how 'who would've thought that he considered something more important than fixing equipment.' Oh no, there was definitely no way he'd let that happen! He had a reputation to keep after all and being 'soft' certainly wasn't a part of it!
The medic was always careful to never get caught reading his human medical books. When he would read them he always kept one optic on the time to make sure that he closed his digital book or in some cases, books at least five minutes before any of his fellow autobots would be even close to due back. He was always so careful and never got caught, at least until now. The medic's mouth runs dry as he hears the telltale kathump, kathump, of Optimus' peds against the concrete floor.
" Uh, oh." Ratchet thinks as he feels his leader's thudding footsteps approach him from behind.
" Did I miscalculate the amount of time Optimus was going to be out on patrol?" The medic fights the sudden urge to close the window his book is open in and jump to a different one.
" Nonsense." He mentally scolds himself for thinking about acting so foolishly. He is a full grown Cybertronian, not some sparkling caught with their servo in an energon jar. " It is best to simply leave it alone. If he comments, he comments and if he doesn't, he doesn't."
" Ratchet." Optimus exclaims in greeting, coming to stand by the medic in front of the screen.
" Optimus." Ratchet responds in an even tone just like normal as he gives his leader a small nod in acknowledgement sending the prime barely a side glance. Optimus' eyes settle on the screen reading for a moment, before commenting quietly,
" This isn't Cybertronian, this is English. What project are you working on now, old friend?"
" Scrap!" Ratchet thinks, his mouth pressing into a thin line as he decides how to respond. Optimus' optics read through several more sentences of script. The medic can't help but note the small smile starting to form on the prime's face. " Double scrap! Well, slag it , I might as well explain to him what I'm doing. No doubt he's already guessed." The old medic thinks barely holding in a sigh.
" Well," Ratchet begins slowly, " since the children are here to stay, being members of the team and all, I figured that since I am chief medical officer it is my responsibility to learn about human medical procedures so that I would be able to perform them should the need ever arise. After all the health of all my team members is my business, not just the health of five of them." Out of habit Ratchet reaches up to pinch what would be the bridge of his nose if he were human. " Honestly," the old medic continues in his grave tone. " I should have started this research a long while ago. Considering how fragile they are we're just lucky nothing serious has happened." The prime nods in understanding as he turns to his friend with a serious expression seeping onto his face.
" I fear one day the children may be in need of your medical expertise. Perhaps luck has been on our side these last months, but luck always runs out sooner or later. I believe it is best to be prepared for when it does. It was very wise of you to look into this Ratchet." Optimus' optics scan a few additional sentences. "I take it we are lacking in human medical equipment?"
"Sorely." Ratchet states bluntly. " The base's selection is quite pitiful. All the human medical supplies the base has is a gurney, some IV bags, and a basic first aid kit." The prime nods slightly as though in thought.
" I'll have to talk to agent Fowler about getting some more human medical supplies. Considering his bout with the decepticons I doubt he'll object. He will probably think it is long overdue. Carry on with your reading old friend." Optimus calls as he starts to walk away. Ratchet turns facing his leader.
"Optimus." He says, trying to keep his voice neutral, trying desperately to keep the edge of hopefulness out. " We don't need to mention this to the others...right?" The prime's small smile is the only reply Ratchet receives before Optimus turns, resuming his trek. "Optimus!" Ratchet exasperatedly calls after him.