The Diego Diaries: The Sound of Silence (dd8 374)
=0=At the Med Center
They walked out with the bundled baby who was resting against Drift's heated chassis as he carried Tell in his arms. His little amber optics were staring up at them out of a confused and frightened face. They paused at the street corner to take stock of the night.
It was cold and dark but for the lights of the downtown portion of Autobot City. The great neighborhoods all around the former quarries were bright with outdoor lights and those that illuminated the towers overhead. A checkerboard pattern of illumination signaled who was home or at least awake in the deepening nighttime of the colony.
Club lights, traffic lights, the lights of cars and that of the odd vehicle flying overhead pushed back the intensity of the darkness which a planet like this was famed for. Pedestrians, some out to club, others going home or to work, some with kids and some without walked past. Some nodded to them and some didn't. It could be any night on any street in any city on any planet in the universe.
The sounds of an ambulance and the honk of a car added to the sound of voices and laughter of those up and about. It was like any other urban center on the first orn of a weekend.
Ratchet grinned. "Let's get you home, then we can talk," he said, then stepped out to walk to Metro Station #1, the flagship in the colony's Metropolitan Underground System for the trip to Iacon. They disappeared down the steps, then landed on the platform taking the middle one to get a train straight through to the big sprawling city where Drift and Springer lived.
The train wasn't crowded so they sat and swayed with the train as it flew over the magnetic tracks that directed it at the perfect speed into the perfect direct for the destination.
Ratchet glanced at the baby who was staring at him. He smiled at Tell who teared up. Ratchet stroked his cheek, then glanced at Drift who looked a bit teary himself. "This is going to be a process but in the end he will hear. Its helpful though we can make it pretty good all in all without audial input."
Drift nodded. "I've known mechs who lost their hearing."
"Decepticon doctors are crap," Ratchet said as Drift nodded. "This kid will be aces in no time. You just have to stay home a few orns, put in the time and make it happen. Nothing good is ever easy."
They sat back to wait their destination, Drift and Springer with the baby and Alor and Ratchet for the ride along. Alor was in touch with the family, updating them about the goings-on. There would be no shortage of volunteers if they needed one in this crowd.
The train slid into the station and the doors opened allowing some to leave and a few to enter. They left and took the escalator to the street. Bundling Tell against the cold and noise, they began the long trek to the tower that was home.
They passed the bar that was a carbon copy of the one in Polyhex where Springer would watch his uncles and fathers play darts in the tournaments. He learned there himself a number of good and not so good things and was thrilled when his friends who owned it showed up and started one in the city. It was going great guns and on a normal weekend night they might have asked Trooper and Scout to watch Tell, their go-to babysitters while they played darts, drank beer and had a good time with old friends.
Not tonight.
They continued onward crossing the street to pass the cafe where the two had breakfast on weekends, lingering in the curbside setting to watch people and read the news. Tell had changed only one thing about that routine. They ate at 'their booth' inside to help him with the cold. Onward they went passing the small convenience store where they got the 'what nots' of daily life, the candy store where they updated their magazine and newspaper data pads as well as chatted up the owner for the 'word on the street'.
His son was in their mentorship group for the Watch and Medical.
Onward they went taking a turn from the business sector toward the vast neighborhoods that were part of every city. They were laid out to encourage the idea of neighborhood cohesion. Small parks for sitting and for kids to play were scattered around the city while at the far end of their long avenue lay the imposing tower of Intermediate Day School #1. The traffic was lighter here though it was steady. They paused to wait for it to pass, then continued onward until they reached their tower.
They entered, walked to an elevator, then took it to the 35th floor where they lived in apartment 27 which was a 'coveted' corner arrangement. The corner of a building gave the apartment located there two extra giant windows. They bent around a corner making a room wall an extra window, giving a very interesting view for whoever lived in that room.
Tell lived in that room.
They reached their floor, stepped out, walked down to the corner, then around it toward their apartment. Springer opened the door, then felt immediately better as always when he walked into a space that was familiar and filled with the things they loved and collected. It was neat, cozy and appropriate to two mechs who had never had a home in zillions of years until now. It was their haven and reflected their tastes.
Alor took Tell, then grinned at him. "I love you," he whispered softly.
Tell stared at him, getting the soft energy even if the soft words felt scary. He gave a weak smile, then leaned against his grandada's chassis.
:Off line until he's in bed: Ratchet said as everyone turned in. :Right now, put him through the nightly routine and get him into his little bed. He's exhausted and he needs you to fuss over him. Keep the noise to a minimum and whisper. Let him get used to the sounds each of you make:
Springer nodded, then led the way to the berth room of the baby. Drift, Alor and Ratchet followed. The lights came on low as the outside view sparkled. The room was surprisingly charming and unexpected from two such hard core mechs.
The walls were the usual off white but the rest of it was custom. Long curtains hung from rods and were pulled back to allow the view which was crazy good from the long double wall sized windows. His crib was gray and had some baby versions of sweet Cybertronian animals painted cartoon-like on the sides. They lay him on a matching dresser top to unwind his blankets and remove his gear. When that was accomplished they washed his little servos.
Watching them, Ratchet remembered when Springer was a wild aft kid with a burning rage against the state for destroying his family's business. He was smart, goodhearted, sweet in his own way but bold and violent when it was called for. He was a natural fit for leadership of the Wreckers following the death of Impactor.
Springer picked up the baby and kissed his cheek. Drift leaned in to do so, too, then they carried him to the crib. Drift arranged the bedding, Springer put him down, then they fussed with his coverings a moment. Rubbing his bottom, Tell fell asleep at last. The two stared at him a moment, then turned toward Ratchet.
:Come on out and lets talk: Ratchet said as he headed for the living room.
Alor followed, then the two. The lights were dialed down in the baby's room.
Ratchet sat down as did the others, glancing around at the apartment.
Guns, check.
Personal art of different places with family pictures settled here and there, check.
A sort of minimal neatness that was belied by the artistic interests of the two, check.
A new 'doll', a fabulously well made collectible from a warrior tribe on Earth's African continent lay where it was half unpacked. Apparently, it came at an inconvenient time for inspection.
A half assembled motor car, one that was from a kit lay on the dining table nearby, seemingly the effort of several orns waiting for more assistance from Springer. Their hobbies were well represented. So also was the baby. Toys and a playpen with soft blankets and stuffed animals was sitting by the window. A box of baby cookies was sitting on the counter in the kitchen. A stack of neatly folded wash cloths for babies and a couple of towels were waiting there to be put away. All in all, they had made this their home.
"What now, Ada?" Springer asked as he sat back wearily.
"Well, you have a baby with a pretty solid recovery of a major sense feature. That was a shocker. They usually come back gradually and fitfully. He's going to be sensitive to sound and it behooves you to make sure that the noise level here is minimal. Listen to the TV but route it through you so the sound doesn't play. Speak softly, hum or sing softly, get him used to different sounds. You can hold something like a fork in front of him, then let him see you tap it. When he reacts smile. That will allow him to associate noises with pleasure."
"He's going to be okay, right?" Drift asked. "He's not going to be hurt by this or feel pain, right?"
Ratchet nodded. "The sound can be painful, like irritation until he figures it out. But he will really fast and when he does the list of things that are scary will get smaller. You can't rush this. This is the fine print of being a parent. You have to help them find their footing. Fortunately, you have me," he said giving them his best and most majestic smile.
Springer grinned. "Is that a threat or a promise?"
Drift grinned at him.
"Its a curse," Ratchet said through his smile.
They chuckled, then Alor walked to the door when there was a knock. He leaned out, took a box and thanked someone they couldn't see. Walking with it to the table after closing the door, he set it amidst the parts of a miniature military vehicle and began to unpack food and beer. "I figured you missed dinner so I ordered food in."
He handed them boxes of food, beer and set a big box of donuts on the coffee table before the boys. He took his and sat. They silently began to eat for a moment.
"Thanks, Amma," Drift said as Springer nodded tiredly. "This is good."
"Not as good as home but close," Ratchet said. "The same place made both."
They chuckled, then Drift sat back. "How long are we off work?"
"At least four orns," Ratchet said. "Second Monday you have an appointment with the team. They're going to do testing, then figure out a plan with the District to get him into an immersion program to train him to begin to hear and figure out speech. The Deaf Education Department in this district is aces. I checked."
Springer grinned. "Thanks again."
"That's what family is for," Ratchet said as Alor nodded. "They're there for you to use up, drain, abuse, then toss on the scrap heap. Amirite?" he asked with a dazzler.
They chuckled, agreed, then began to eat in earnest. Fear made a mech hungry.
=0=Later
The two slipped out to go home with the caveat that Drift and Springer would call both if they had a need this night. They watched them go, then closed the door.
Springer leaned against it wearily. "This was an awful night."
Drift nodded. "I figured I'd be more happy at this news."
"I would, too, but hearing him cry like that was awful," Springer said. He glanced at the rocking chair nearby, then walked to it. Picking it up, he carried it to the baby's room and set it by the window. :You can have the chair. I'll sit here:
Drift glanced around, then walked to the comfortable chair they used to relax with Tell when he was fussy. He sat heavily. :I'll spell ya later:
Springer sat in the rocker, then nodded. :Okay:
The two sat quietly as the baby recharged in his crib. They would stay there all night long.
=0=TBC 2-23-2022
ESL
caveat: (cah-veee-ot) a hang up in the progress of something, something that is problematic. "The only caveat to being on the swim team was that she couldn't swim."
Be careful out there. The films of the storms are hideous. I heard another one was coming on Sunday. I hug you all tightly.
