J.R. woke up as the sun rose. She saw the two sleeping mechs, got up, and walked away.
Good, I doubt they've recharged much the past few days. I know they'll want me to check on Jamie. Only five-thirty A.M, it's going to be a stressful day. Where the fuck are you, Jayce?
J.R. sat at the table, reviewing the notes from yesterday morning before moving the chair next to Jamie. She grabbed her hand.
Shit. Jamie's hand felt warm. J.R. looked at the monitor.
No, no, no. J.R began crying, not knowing Crosshairs and Drift are watching. She slipped off the chair to her knees.
"Shit, this isn't good," Drift left to get Cade though he didn't want to at five in the morning. Crosshairs activated his holoform and ran to J.R. He sat on his knees beside her and hugged her. J.R. hugged him, burying her head on his chest.
"What's wrong?" He asked, but J.R. was distraught to answer. Cade runs in, "she's too distraught to say anything," Crosshairs tells him as he walks up to Jamie.
"Oh shit," Cade exclaimed as he read the monitor. Drift, now using his holoform, stood at the entrance and watched, terrified.
"J.R., how serious is this?" Cade asked, but she still wouldn't answer. Cade walked away; he didn't want to force her to talk.
Drift tried to wait until J.R. could tell him what the problem is but he couldn't. He ran into the building, taking his usual place by Jamie. He held her hand, feeling how warm it was, which terrified him more. Crosshairs noticed tears going down Drift's face and wondered if this is what he does every time he sits by Jamie or just now? He tried not to think about why two of his friends are in distress to avoid becoming distressed himself.
"Who's there?" Crosshairs hears Hound yell five minutes later. Crosshairs couldn't see what was going on and couldn't move to get a better look.
"Whoa, it's just me," a voice says.
"Jayce? It's about time," Hound scolded.
He tells her how stressed J.R. has been in the past two days.
"What?!" Jayce runs to the building. Hound follows her. They both didn't expect to see Crosshairs and J.R. on the ground, J.R. crying, and Drift near Jamie, crying. Jayce didn't know the Autobots' holoforms could do that. She wondered if they could cry in their Cybertronian form?
"What the...," She couldn't say anything more as she read the monitor.
"It's about time you came back. You have no idea how stressed J.R. has been," Crosshairs scolded. By now, J.R. stopped crying, but tears continued to roll down her face.
"And Drift?" Jayce asked.
"Until now, he's been concerned about J.R. Whatever she just found out has him worried," Crosshairs explained, trying to be calm.
"Who the hell are you?" Cade yells. Jayce runs out of the building.
"She's a friend, Cade, and..." Jayce trailed off, not knowing what else to say.
"Bulma," the blue-haired woman says before walking to the building, Jayce following her.
Cade and Hound knew who the woman was, but still, furious Jayce left without telling them.
Bulma and Jayce stood close enough to Jamie to read the monitor without disturbing Drift. Crosshairs and J.R. watched Bulma and Jayce.
"Well?" Jayce asked. Bulma
"We need to do a blood test."
Bulma wasn't sure who the man by Jamie was, but she saw how upset he was and hated she would have to ask him to move. Jayce also hated having to do that. Jayce walked up to Drift and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Can you step aside just for a minute?" She asked. Drift could tell by her voice that she didn't want to disturb him.
"It's fine," he took her hand, stood up, and the two stood by Bulma. Jayce was getting worried watching Bulma. Instead of drawing blood, she was doing a full check on Jamie then drew blood. Jayce figured it was what Bulma wanted to do since she just got here, but she still worried. She hugged Drift, and he hugged her back. While he would try to comfort the girls, he couldn't now. He was too worried himself that if he said anything, he'd be lying. They watched Bulma for fifteen minutes before Bulma turned to face them.
"Do you want to get the others?" She asked them. Drift and Jayce looked at each other, Drift nodded.
"Yeah," Jayce replied before looking at J.R., who was no longer watching them, "should we get Crosshairs?"
Drift looked at J.R. Crosshairs had been watching them, he shook his head no.
"I'll tell him later, come on," Drift tells them.
The three leave the building. Jayce did her best to avoid looking at Crosshairs and J.R.
They gathered at a carport away from the building.
"What's going on?" Hound asked.
"Is Jamie..," Drift trailed off. Bulma wasn't sure why Drift seemed more concerned than the others, but she knew they were Jamie's friends. She looked at Jayce, uncertain if she should continue. Jayce nodded.
I want to say don't tell them, but they want to know.
"Jamie has a high-grade fever, 105° isn't good, and the chemical level is the highest I've seen even after..." She trailed off, not knowing if she should continue.
"It's the same as when we got back from Jadin's hideout," Jayce added.
Drift couldn't hear anymore and ran off. Bulma didn't understand why he was running off. She noticed that it upset Jayce.
"What... what will happen?" Cade had a hard time asking.
"It's uncertain," Bulma frowned, "I thought we were past this level of not knowing."
"Not with that bastard," Hound commented.
"Why'd you leave, Jayce? At least without telling us?" Cade tried to change the subject.
"To ask Bulma if she could create a way for the Autobots to help care for Jamie or if I'm not with her. You saw Crosshairs and Drift. In this situation, they forgot about holoforms also in the event you guys couldn't use them. That bastard will be back. You guys need Autobot sized equipment, and I know Bulma can come up with something. I'm sorry, I didn't think J.R. would end up very stressed if I left," she runs off.
"I've never seen her like that," Bulma comments.
"It's been a long, stressful twelve days," Cade sighed and walked towards the building.
"Who are those two?" Bulma asked Hound. Hound knew she was talking about Crosshairs and Drift's holoform.
"Those are holoforms. The one with J.R. is Crosshairs, his Cybertronian form is over there," Hound points to the green and black Cybertronian form, "the other one is Drift; his Cybertronian form is over there," he points to the samurai's Cybertronian form, "I'm Hound, and this is Bumblebee," he points to Bumblebee, "we all have holoforms. Crosshairs and Drift have been using theirs a lot lately."
No one questioned why Jayce couldn't wait until Jamie recovered from this flare-up to ask Bulma to make Autobot sized equipment. They were all too worried about Jamie's decline.
Cade didn't see Crosshairs or J.R., but Crosshairs' Cybertronian form was still standing at the entrance.
He must have taken her away from here. Cade thought.
Cade took his usual place beside Jamie. He just stared at her until Bulma came in.
"Is someone always sitting by her?" Bulma asked.
"I stay for two to three hours, but Crosshairs and Drift stay for five hours. They stayed away from here for the first eight days, but...," he trailed off.
"I know, I would like to tell everyone she won't again, but it's uncertain."
She sat at the table and reviewed Jayce's notes.
"You ok now?" Crosshairs asked J.R.
"No, but go find Drift."
I can't leave her alone now, and I can't bring her with me. Even though she knows what's going on, she'll get upset hearing me tell Drift and his reaction.
"You want me to sit with her?" Hound asked from behind him.
"Go ahead," J.R. Insisted. Crosshairs stood up and walked away as Hound sat next to J.R.
"So, how'd Drift take what's happening?" J.R. asked after five minutes of silence. Hound wasn't sure if he should answer, knowing she'd be saddened.
That's ok, Hound, I know how he took it, and Crosshairs will be the same way.
No longer using his holoform, Crosshairs searched for Drift.
I doubt he'd leave, so he must be at the back of the property.
Sure enough, that's where Drift was. He also wasn't using his holoform. Crosshairs sat next to him, waiting for him to say something.
"Is J.R. all right?" Drift asked after five minutes of silence.
"She said she's not ok but insisted I find you. Hound's with her," Crosshairs sighed, "what's going on?" He said in a sad tone. Drift informed him, the two mechs now were in a state of despair.
