The Diego Diaries: Lo-Lo, Otis and Tell (dd8 69)
Had a birthday thing last night and today. But here we go. :D:D:D:D:D:D
=0=Chat
:Is there anything you would like to tell the people of Earth before we close?: -LHB
Optimus considered the question a moment. "I would like to tell them that their well being and security is equal in importance to our own. We will defend Earth and her good people the way we always have. You were not prepared to know what was in store for you but we do. We have survived it in spite of things. We shall ensure that you do as well. We hold out the hand of friendship to you. Always."
The scene ended on Prime's face.
Cut To: the opening sequence stage
"Tonight, we got to know more about the remarkable individual that is Optimus Prime. I would hope that you have learned a little bit of why the human community on Mars holds him in such high esteem. Good night from Autobot City, Mars," she said, then the screen went to black. The credits began to scroll along with Platoon's theme.
=0=Around
"That was good," Drift said as he rose to gather their snack and drink dishes for the sink.
"It was," Springer said as he stared at Tell. "He told more than I thought he would."
Drift nodded, then tossed Springer a beer. He took one himself, then walked to the couch to sit. They clinked their beers together, then stared at Tell. "He's awfully quiet."
Springer nodded. "He is." He sat forward, then stared at the baby closely.
Tell smiled that wide smile that babies smile in all dimensions and universes everywhere. He waved a fist as he did.
Springer grinned. "Do me a favor. Go behind him and make a sound."
Drift stared at Springer, then sat down his beer. He rose, then walked behind the baby. He stared at Tell, then gently clapped his servos together.
Tell didn't react.
=0=Ratchet
He stepped out of the elevator and spotted Springer pacing in the hallway of their apartment floor. He walked to the big mech who looked as tense as Ratchet had ever seen him. "What's the short version?"
"We made a sound and he didn't hear it. We know he's quiet but I think he can't hear us," Springer said as the two entered the apartment.
Drift was sitting on the couch gently patting the baby. He glanced up with a worried expression. "We don't think he can hear. What's the deal? He got a clean bill of health from you, didn't he?"
Ratchet nudged Drift aside as he slid into his place. "I gave him a standard 'look and poke' overview. You were told to bring him in for a deep scan and overview after the holiday. Let me see what's going on."
Ratchet pulled infant plugs out, set them into the baby's tiny ports, then attached them to the machine. He grinned at Tell who smiled that face breaking smile baby's have when they're overwhelmed with joy, waving his arms and legs as he did. Ratchet programmed the machine and it warmed up slowly. Then with a click, it began to analyze the baby down to his CNA.
Drift and Springer watched them, both of them grim faced with fear and tension. Fists balled, stances almost in fight mode, they watched with fluttering sparks as their son was given the once over from Doctor Granny. It seemed like forever before Ratchet glanced up at both.
"What's the word? He's going to be alright? This isn't you know … fatal or something," Springer stuttered as the words choked his vocal capacitor.
"He's going to be fine. What I'm getting is a genetic thing, a defective gene marker that can lead to a number of possibilities. Deafness and blindness can come from this one marker and I see two of them."
It was as if the bottom of the world fell out of them as Drift and Springer took it in.
Drift knelt beside the baby feeling light in the processor. "He's going to have problems like that?"
"No," Ratchet said. "Both of you sit and take a moment. There's a fix for this."
Drift rose stiffly, then sat on a chair as Springer sat on the couch beside Ratchet. "What's the fix, Ada? What can we do?"
"First of all, you don't need to panic. If I'm not panicked, then you shouldn't be."
They stared at Ratchet, then each other.
Drift forced himself to relax. "Okay. Fair enough. What do we do?"
"Well, we go to the Med Center and have a scan with the geneticist on call who's one of the best. We know what we know and when we get it clearly mapped, then we begin gene therapy of the protoform to change the defectives to what they should be and not what they are."
"How does that work? Does it hurt?" Springer asked with barely concealed fear.
"No. It doesn't hurt but it takes time. He's got good eyesight, well within acceptable parameters but no hearing. We can reverse and halt the decline of his sight and start from zero on his hearing. This is a relatively easy process. All we have to do is be patient. When the change in his hearing begins it comes fast and sometimes its scary. He won't know what sounds are so he's going to have to learn them just like the twinnies. I'd suggest carrying him around when he can hear and showing him sounds aren't scary by being calm and happy. Ironhide can help you there as well."
"So … how long does this take?" Drift asked as he felt infinitely better at the news.
"It can take about three treatments, more or less. It depends on the full findings. We infuse him with code and a chemical treatment that goes into his infusion port since this involves protoform. It won't hurt him but it takes about a joor to fully infuse." Ratchet put his machine back together, then rose. "Lets go get the word from Seminal."
Ratchet watched as they gently wrapped the baby up and stowed him in Drift's hold. A solemn group walked from the apartment to the elevator to go downward to the metro nearby.
It was dark outside and cold when they reached the street. Walking together, Ratchet glanced at both. "You two need to relax. I mean it when I say if I'm worried, you should be. I'm not worried."
Springer felt his insides relax from the gasping moment when he heard genetic problems. "If he wasn't four decaorns old, it might not have been so shocking to me."
"It'll never not be shocking, infant. You're a father, both of you. This is one outstanding sparking, that far along the scale. You're never going to not be scared shitless the moment something like this happens. Check with Sunstreaker and the trine."
"What's the deal with deafness and this family?" Drift asked as they walked down the steps to the train platform.
"It happens. Our audials and optics are our weakest points, if we have any, and I don't say I agree that we do. Our physiology is damned near perfect but both those places are the ones that have the most problems. As for the genetics, if a pair of genitors carry the same imperfection, the infant will receive the disease or defect. If only one does then they don't. Did you know must humans carry about one or two fatal illnesses and defects in their genetics? It only matters if their partner has the same one or ones. It takes two to tango. Once we coax the genes to repair, then he's going to be alright. In fact, getting it done so young won't impede his progress, if at all."
The train slowed, then stopped. They entered, the doors closed and they were on their way.
=0=Up there
"Thanks, Ravie," Ironhide said as he kissed Ravel on the helm.
"Its my pleasure. Go and do," Ravel said with a big smile.
Ironhide grinned, then walked to the door to leave. He hadn't told Ravel why he was going. Bad news spreads fast enough anyway. He was called to come by Ratchet to sit with the boys as they worked on the baby. Having another deaf grandchild had been shocking. That the baby could be helped through this was incredible concerning the relief he felt.
He disappeared into the elevator and was gone.
=0=At the Genetics Lab, Autobot City Medical Center, Autobot City, Mars, Cybertron and the Empire, Postal Code 2
They sat in the waiting room for Seminal to come. Tell was laying on a blanket on a low table grinning at his Abies as they hovered in front of him. Ratchet was at a computer going through the protocol for this particular genetic defect as well as the usual plan and follow up for the treatment.
The sound of heavy peds down the hallway greeted them as Ironhide appeared.
Drift and Springer would talk later about how comforting it was to see him, this mech who wrote a book on kids, who could tell them anything they asked and they would.
Ironhide paused before them, then grinned at the baby who looked up at him and waved his fists. "Well, aren't you a fine little mech," Ironhide said as he scooped the baby up and expertly settled him on his arm. He looked at the two who looked sick with relief that he was here. "You two look like slag."
"Go easy on me. I may cry," Springer said.
Ironhide nodded. "You remember when Orion whistled and blew out his audials? Then there were the twinnies and now Tell. Our audials are fraggers."
Drift snorted, then chuckled. "That was funny. I don't know why but it is."
Ironhide grinned. "Good. Ratchet told me about this and I looked it up. Totally doable."
Springer sat back with a grin. "I feel immeasurably better then."
"You should. I AM IRONHIDE! I LOOK SLAG UP!"
"And I'm Doctor Seminal. Unhand that sparkling," a big mech said as he walked out of the examination room nearby.
Ironhide slid the baby over to Seminal who grinned at him. "What a cutie. What is he? Three or four decaorns old?"
"He's forty one orns old," Drift said as he stared at the doctor, then the baby who smiled at him, then the doctor. "What else do you need to know? He's really quiet and nice. He's a nice baby."
Springer nodded. "He sleeps straight through and eats a lot. I mean, he eats what he needs each time he's supposed to. We don't worry about that. We didn't know he had a hearing problem. We keep him with us all the time. I didn't notice. Did you?"
Drift glanced at Springer, then Seminal. "No. I just … he was sweet and quiet so I just thought he was quiet by nature. You know … mellow."
Springer nodded as both fell to silence together.
Ratchet who was watching their anxiety breakdown felt sympathy from the bottom of his peds to his helm. He just hid his better than them having been in every kind of catastrophe known to their kind and a few rarer ones. "Seminal is a great geneticist and he's going to take Tell into the examination room to run tests. He's going to sequence Tell's CNA and find the area where the breakdown is. That's the point of treatment when its located and the code disruption read thoroughly. You just have to sit here and wait."
"He … does he need one of us with him? We can do that," Springer said as Drift nodded.
"I can do that if you want," Ratchet suggested.
They glanced at each other, then Ratchet. "Thanks, Ada," Springer said. "Um, it won't be painful will it? He might cry. He hasn't so far but if it hurts and we're not there…"
"There's no pain," Seminal said. "No sharp objects. Just little plugs. He's going to lay on a blanket and be a champ. I'll come back with him in about a joor and a half. If we need you to come in, I'll have Ratchet get you." He glanced at Ratchet. "You can give updates."
Ratchet nodded, then smiled brilliantly. "No problem."
With that, Seminal and Ratchet walked into the room and the door closed.
Drift and Springer stared at it, then Ironhide.
"I think I need a hug," Springer said.
TBC 01-19-2021
NOTE: I have always tried to put reality, relatable reality into my stories. Orion and Halo's glitch, the twinnie's audials and now this baby. Perfect is awesome but doesn't make the story feel like it might happen to you when its always there. Everyone no matter what has a seat at my table. Hugs, darlings. :D:D:D