Thank you, everyone, for your comments and support, and waiting so long for this last chapter. The feedback from this work has reignited my desire to write and, with any luck, you'll see a lot more TFP stories from me as time goes on.
I don't own Transformers or the characters.
The beeping was getting on his nerves. Jack had been growing slowly more and more aware of it as it pierced the silence of his unconscious. He decided it was time to find the source.
It was like his eyes were glued shut. He tentatively began to peel them open, little by little. After what felt like an eternity he succeeded, but his vision was blurry and slow to adjust.
His limbs tingled as he became settled in his body again. As shapes formed out of the fog, he pieced together his surroundings. For a moment, the room felt oddly familiar.
"Of course," Jack realized, "all hospital rooms look the same."
His brain was still sluggish as he worked to remember why he was there. His last memory came back in flashes. Laughing, pain, blue optics and a worried smile. With a frown, Jack started to pick at the tape holding the IV into his arm. Surely he must have missed something, it didn't add up.
"Jack!" a familiar voice sobbed.
His dry lips twisted into a smile as he turned to face the now open door. "Hi, mom." His voice cracked.
June rushed forward, stopping herself just before she could pull him into a bear hug. Instead, she hovered, her hands delicately cupping the sides of his face. "My baby," Though she smiled her eyes were shining with tears. "You're awake, how do you feel?"
Jack thought on the question for a minute, allowing her touch to calm him as it always did. "Kinda like what I imagine dirt feels like. Can I have some water?"
She spun on her heels and got him a drink from the tray against the wall. Frustratingly, his hands trembled holding the glass, but his mom helped him bring it to his lips without incident.
"You're still getting your strength back, Jack. It's okay," She soothed, sensing the teenager's embarrassment. "Just take it easy."
"How long have I been here? What happened?" His blue eyes searched June's face desperately. She hesitated but, knowing he would never let the subject drop, slowly recounted the story. Jack listened on in silence.
"Your surgery went really well, and after a day your fever broke. That was yesterday, so you've been here a total of three days."
"You mean I was unconscious for two whole days?" Jack's voice was thick with panic.
"Considering this injury was left untreated for two whole weeks count yourself lucky, mister." She scolded, though her tone was soft.
Jack shrugged slightly, "Can this bed sit up?"
June couldn't help but smile at his non-reaction as she pushed one of the buttons lining the wall. The top half of the bed began creeping upwards until Jack was sitting up and facing her. "Now that the doctors took care of the tissue damage, all you have to worry about is letting the rib heal." She kissed his forehead lightly and started toward the door as she spoke, "I'm going to let your doctor know how you're doing. I'll be back in a bit."
"Okay, mom."
"Stay put." She teased, closing the door behind her.
Jack struggled to take in all she had told him, but it was only about a minute until a shrill ringing interrupted his thoughts and made him jump. With a wince, he grabbed clumsily for the phone. He huffed, annoyed with his own inability, before putting it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey, partner. Good to hear you're finally awake."
"Arcee," He breathed, relief flooding through him. "Hey"
"You sound like scrap," She teased, failing to hide the pain in her voice.
"Gee, thanks. I feel like it, too." Jack squirmed in the silence that fell between them. "Ya' know, it's funny, you called the exact minute my mom left the room." He babbled, mentally kicking himself for the lame excuse for a conversation starter.
"That's no coincidence, Jack. Ratchet told me the second you were awake, but June needed her moment with you. She's been out of her processor with worry lately." Arcee chuckled a little.
"Oh- wait, how did Ratchet know I was awake?" Jack asked cautiously, mentally running through all the things the medic could have done to him while he was unconscious. Like some kind of Cybertronian tracker, or a microchip for a pet.
"He's been monitoring your room 24/7. Raf and him patched into the Hospital's camera system."
"You mean he's watching me?" Jack's eyes fell on the small black camera attached to the ceiling in the far corner of the room. He gave an awkward little wave.
"Yeah, I had a feeling you wouldn't be the biggest fan of that. I know I wouldn't. But it gave him and Raf something to do so they felt like they were helping. Everyone's been really worried about you, Jack." Her voice faltered. Finally, the moment came Jack had been dreading. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know Arcee, I just.. I didn't think it was a big deal. It only hurt sometimes at first, and when I started to feel sick I figured that was the problem. I didn't want you to worry about me, or think I couldn't protect myself, or.." His voice trailed off into nervous silence. He had gone over the idea in his head a thousand times; the idea that one day, Arcee would decide the safest thing for him would be to leave. That she would push him away. Or, worse yet, she'd think he was weak.
This time, he didn't move to fill the silence between them.
"Jack, you..." Arcee paused to collect her thoughts, "you are more than capable of protecting yourself. I think Arachnid can attest to that. But your mind is always on everyone else. You didn't get hurt because you weren't paying attention, you saved Miko. Look, I won't lie, sometimes you get yourself into stupid situations, or take insane risks, and sometimes you make mistakes. But that's just who you are. You're selfless, Jack. And sometimes, yeah, it drives me absolutely crazy, and I can get angry at you."
She stopped to take a deep breath. "But I wouldn't want you to be any different. And, honestly? I wish I was more like you, in that way. I can get so wrapped up in my own stuff that I put myself and others at risk without thinking...I know you, Jack. I know that no matter how much anyone fusses, or lectures, or punishes, you won't change. You'll always push the other person to safety before yourself. Even me and I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting you. So while you watch everyone else's back, the least you can do is let me watch yours. That's what partners are for, after all."
The weight of her words hit Jack like a truck. He expected the lecture to end all lectures, and was wholly unprepared to respond to her blunt honesty. "I, uh.." He stuttered, "Thanks...I mean! That, that means a lot to me, 'Cee, more than I could probably say. I didn't know you thought that much of me." He winced at the awkwardness of his own words, but Arcee laughed.
"Of course I do, I don't just let anyone be my partner, ya' know. Junior or otherwise." She sounded lighter then she had in ages. "Of course, if you tell a spark about this you'll be a skid mark on the road faster than you can blink."
"Empty promises, Arcee." Jack laughed, causing his ribs to ache, but he didn't mind. "You like me too much, you're stuck with me."
Jack woke with a start the next day when the door came flying open, bouncing back against the wall.
"We're heeere!" Miko announced, bursting into the room in a flurry of color. She looked out of place in the dull, predictable hospital setting. Raf was close at her heels.
"Jack!" The younger boy cried out excitedly. The teens flew to either side of him, both hugging him.
Jack ignored the jolt of pain in his chest and wrapped an arm around each of them. "Hey guys," he chuckled, "I missed you too." They dropped their backpacks and pulled up a chair each.
"I just want you to know, I tried to tell Raf not to do it," Miko warned darkly. Before Jack could ask, Rafael opened his bag with an apologetic smile. From it, he pulled a neat stack of papers.
"His mom asked me to, Miko. He's going to have to catch up on homework somehow."
She sighed dramatically, "I still say we should have just burned it."
"Noo," Jack laughed, "Thanks for bringing it, Raf. I mean, I'm not exactly happy to do it, but I also don't want all those zeros. So, no burning, Miko, sorry." At Jack's direction, Raf put the papers on the table against the wall. "Aside from homework, did I miss anything?"
He listened contentedly as the two described the last few days, allowing the feeling of normalcy to wash over him. Raf went on about how he and Ratchet hacked into the hospital, clearly proud of his ability to help in some way. Miko moaned about how boring and quiet the base was offical story around town for his hospital stay was a motorcylce crash. "But Vince has been telling everyone its for a sex change." Miko added helpfully.
After a bit, June joined them as well. Jack was grateful for his friends' visit and the air of comfort that came with them, but he longed to escape his bland prison. He missed the Autobots, and their base, which was as much their home as his. He yearned to go riding with Arcee. And he wanted his clothes back.
Those were the thoughts that got him through the painful breathing exercises. They looked silly, but the doctors reassured him they were entirely necessary to strengthen his ribs.
When he had been at the hospital a week, three days of which he spent irritatingly conscious, he was finally allowed to leave.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jack bent over to tie his shoes. There was only a dull ache in his chest to contend with. He got to his feet with a pleased grin but wobbled slightly. A familiar hand steadied him by the arm.
"Easy there," June smiled before letting go of her son cautiously, "That's what happens when you lay around for so long, your legs forget how to do their job."
"My bad," Jack huffed, his smile cutting through his fake annoyance, "I'll remember that next time I have surgery."
"Be sure you do," June nodded confidently and led him from the room. Their path out of the hospital was dotted with hellos and warm wishes of the hospital staff, some of which Jack recognized others he only pretended to. By the time they socialized their way to the main exit Jack was utterly impatient.
Shifting on his feet, he watched June as she signed him out at the front desk. He groaned quietly when the paperwork turned into a conversation. "Mom, I'll be waiting outside," He called quickly, running off before she could argue. The glass doors slid apart and Jack burst into the Nevada sunlight. Stretching carefully he took a deep breath of fresh air and grinned. Free at last.
The parking lot stretched before him, dotted occasionally with cars. In the closest parking space to the entrance, right beside his mom's beat-up Sedan, was a sleek, blue motorcycle.
A grin split across his face and he ran toward his friend, never once looking back.