Jayce couldn't tell Crosshairs or Drift about Jamie even though she said she would. Every time she thought she should, she thought of how they're already feeling terrible and would decide not to. Cade seemed to have dropped the subject. He never mentioned it in the past three days. Cade would sit by Jamie a few times a day by choice and not at the request of Jayce.
"You know you don't have to be here?" She asked as she walked towards him.
"I know, I don't sit here all day. "
"I know," she laughed, "but it seems like you do. Why are you here so often?"
"No reason."
"Ok, do you want to learn some of this?"
"Now? No, just focus on getting Jamie better."
"Not much I can do. It's up to Jamie's body," Jayce explained as she did her daily checking on
Jamie's vitals, "I'm hoping soon I can... "
"What?"
"Damn it," she sighed, "I will have to wait longer. "
"Why?" Cade asked, concerned.
"Might be nothing serious, hold on," she grabbed her laptop.
"You have to wait to do something, but this additional issue is nothing?" He watched Jayce review some previous flare-ups. She asked him to leave as she can't concentrate while he's hovering. Cade moved his chair further away from her. That was fine with Jayce.
Twenty minutes later, she informed Cade that he could come back.
"So?" He asked, still concerned.
"Well, it's minor. It's good, Jamie has a slight fever, and her white blood cell count is high, but the good high. Means Jamie is getting stronger to fight this. I doubt I'll ever have the answer to how much Jadin injected. It's most likely more than what's noted in the records, but as I said, I'm monitoring. There are no drugs to help fight the high levels of the chemical, only the effects like the low heart rate."
"Something happen?" J.R. asked as she walked in. Jayce told her what she found, "you going to tell them?" J.R. asked.
"I'm not telling them," Jayce sighed and walked out of the building before Cade and J.R. can lecture her. No Surprise Drift was sitting by the entrance, meditating. What was surprising was seeing Crosshairs lying on rusted cars in recharge. Odds are, a short one, but Jayce counted that as Crosshairs taking a break. Jayce noticed Crosshairs and Drift recharged less since the attack. Jayce wasn't sure if Drift's meditation was a way to recharge since he meditated more.
As long as he's not neglecting himself. Jayce thought as she walked by the two Autobots. She wasn't sure how often the Autobots needed to recharge but was concerned they're doing what humans do when loved ones or friends are in the hospital, sick.
Jayce had her motorcycle in a capsule kept in her belt. She got it out, opened the capsule, and jumped on the bike that appeared. The sound of the engine broke Drift's concentration. He watched Jayce ride away, unaware Cade and J.R are also watching at the entrance of the building.
"Is she mad or stressed?" Cade asked.
"I'd say stressed," J.R. answered.
"Is something wrong?" Drift asked, startling J.R. The two were not sure if they should wait for Jayce, "nevermind, I'll ask Jayce when she gets back," he told them as he got up and walked away. Drift was trying not to worry so much, but why wouldn't Cade or J.R answer his question?
Jayce had a spot she found two days ago while flying to destress. She decided she'd drive to Lake Pleasant instead of fly this time. The thirty-minute drive helped a little more than flying. She was not concerned about leaving the junkyard. It's not like the others couldn't contact her if they needed her. She can fly back fast. Jayce didn't need long to feel better but wondered why is she so stressed this time? Is it because Jadin did it? Was it because these severe flare-ups are rare now, so watching Jamie go through one is harder now? Because she was trying not to worry the Autobots more, especially Crosshairs and Drift? Besides all that, this was like any other flare-up. Thinking about all this didn't help her at all. She started feeling stressed again.
As much as J.R. knew Jayce needed a break when she noticed Jayce was gone for several hours, she had to find her. J.R. informed Cade, thinking if she didn't, then something serious would happen. She wasn't surprised that Jayce hid her energy, J.R. couldn't find Jayce that way. J.R knew Jayce wouldn't go far even though she can fly fast.
It shouldn't be that hard to find you. J.R. thought as she flew around, searching for Jayce. She wasn't sure if Jayce would have gone to the nearby town or not, but she skipped looking there. She wasn't too surprised to find Jayce at a lake. She made sure no one else was around before landing. How could she explain that she's a human that can fly?
"There you are. Out longer than normal," J.R. said as she walked up to Jayce, "you're making yourself more stressed than you need to be," she said as she sat next to Jayce.
"Don't even repeat what Cade has been saying."
"Ok, How about that the Autobots have been fighting a war and have watched countless Autobots get injured or killed. Fellow Autobots that they called their friend. It's no different than how humans feel and Cade's right; you're not protecting them from feeling...spark break. You're making it worse. I know saying nothing seems better, but it's not since this will happen again. I mean, we hope not this bad, but you know. I don't tell them because you're more the one in charge of Jamie's care. I'm just an assistant."
Jayce laughed, "no, you're not. "
"You do most of the work."
"No, we both do what's needed-."
"I'm trying to make you feel better here," they both laughed, "oh, and why are you hiding your energy?"
"So you wouldn't find me, why else? But that didn't work."
"Thought I'd follow you soon after you left?"
"Yeah, I did. I just wanted to be alone. Surprised, you waited three hours to find me."
"I knew you were stressed, and you've gone off the past few days, but you come back after an hour. "
"You think I'd just go off without a plan in case I was needed? How long have we known each other?" Jayce laughed.
"Come on, let's go back. You kinda disturbed Drift, and he noticed you left."
"Oh, crud."
With her bike back in the capsule, the two flew back to the junkyard.
When the two got back, they spotted Cade and Hound but not Bumblebee, Crosshairs, or Drift.
Did they go out to find me? Jayce wondered. The two landed very close to the others.
"Look who came back," Cade jested.
"Where'd they go?"
"Out for a drive," Hound informed, "just a drive and not looking for you."
Without asking where Bee was, Jayce returned to the building, sat on a chair, and buried her head on her hands.
"So?" Cade looked at J.R.
"I..I think Jayce needs a break so-"
"No, J.R, I'm not doing that!" Jayce yelled.
"What?" Cade asked.
"No, I am not moving, Jamie. First off, she's too weak to be moved!" Jayce yelled as she walked fast towards the others, "I thought we agreed, only if we have to?!"
"Wait; what?" Hound asked.
"There's a plan, if needed, to have Jamie moved to Bulma's dimension," Jayce lowered her tone a little, but she was still talking in an angry tone, "only if it's not safe, like if the fucking Decepticons attacked now. That is if she wasn't so weak," she looked at J.R, "NOT TO TAKE BREAKS!"
"Ok, stop," Cade pushed Jayce so she'd take a few steps back, "terrible idea, J.R."
Jayce decided she had enough. She returned to the storage building, Cade followed her, and J.R. walked away. Hound watched for a moment before walking away.
"So much for distressing," she mumbled.
"Let me do that. You go sit down," Cade insisted. Jayce didn't argue. Easy enough, reading a screen. She'll do the hands-on half of checking on Jamie soon. Jayce was aware she most likely will have to retype what Cade types as he most likely can't figure out how she records this stuff, but she appreciated the help.
I guess you have been watching. It surprised Jayce how well he was doing. When he finished, Cade showed her what he typed. A simple but easy to understand list. She took her laptop from him and reviewed what he recorded and what she had recorded earlier. She glanced at the monitor screen, hoping Cade wouldn't notice; he didn't make any errors.
"Well?" He asked, not looking for praise but wanting to know if there are changes in Jamie's condition, even if it was bad.
"You want to learn how to test blood?" She asked, half-serious and half-joking.
"What?" He replied, concerned.
She showed him the two sets of records. Jamie now has a low-grade fever.
"Might still be nothing, but it's bad to assume and not make sure," she stood up and got what she needs to draw blood. She knew Cade already said he'd wait, he didn't want to learn while Jamie was this weak, but she felt this was the best time. She was silent for the next twenty minutes.
"It's still nothing..well you know," she said. "I just hope it stays that way."
"I Know," Cade replied before walking away. Jayce moved the chair to the table and sat down. She looked at the two sets of notes. Every time she checked the records, she tried not to be bothered by slow results. Supporting her head in one hand, lost in thought. Revisiting what Cade and J.R have been telling her. She wasn't aware of how tired she was. After five minutes, her head started slipping off her hand. Her arm fell onto the table, now serving as a pillow for her head.
"Jayce?" A concerned voice asked. Jayce felt a cold metal hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head to see Crosshairs standing by the table, "you ok?"
"I'm fine," she replied. Crosshairs didn't believe she was fine. He looked at Jamie and started walking out of the building.
"Come with me," he requested as he walked out.
Jayce noticed Cade, Drift, and J.R at the entrance. Jayce found that a little odd.
"I'm sorry I had to tell them," J.R apologized. Jayce knew what she meant but not how to respond. She was a little angry at J.R but, mostly guilty now that they know why she wouldn't keep them informed.
"I know you had good intentions," Drift was trying to be nice but also trying to show how disappointed he and Crosshairs are.
"They're pissed you won't tell them anything!" J.R yelled. Crosshairs and Drift both looked at her in disgust, "well, it's true."
"No, disappointed," Drift corrected.
"There's a difference between disappointed and pissed," Cade added.
"You remember when I said a friend would learn everything they can about a friend?" Drift asked, "a friend wouldn't keep things like Jamie's condition from friends either."
"You're just doing more harm," Cade added, "more to yourself. J.R tells me you're never this stressed. I know how bad Jamie's condition is stressing you, but you let yourself get stressed from trying to keep them from being disappointed."
"You have to tell us," Crosshairs requested, kneeling to put a hand on Jayce's shoulder. Hearing them say they wanted to know made Jayce feel a little better.
Jayce is still a little hesitant, but she told them. They felt the same way Jayce did, knowing how Jamie is should be expected but concerned. Not just about Jamie like Jayce os but also how Jayce put so much stress on herself. They knew both Jayce and J.R struggled with Jadin's return, what she did, and watching how slow Jamie is recovering. Everyone is bothered by how all they can do is wait.
"Come on, show us this lake you found," Drift suggested. Jayce didn't even question how Drift knows about the lake. She just agreed to go. Crosshairs and J.R. also went with them.
When Crosshairs and Drift saw the lake and the specific spot Jayce had been going to, they thought they had to show Jamie but didn't mention it to the girls.
There were humans, so Crosshairs and Drift couldn't transform. The Autobots parked near the lake where there are no humans. The girls got out and sat with the two mechs on the hood of their alt modes. The girls didn't want to walk around.
They stayed for twenty minutes before feeling bored but happier than when they arrived. That's all Crosshairs, and Drift wanted.
