I only own Marianne! Everything else belongs to Hasbro!
~Bonds, Hot Spot~
~Bonds, Blades~
~Bonds, First Aid~
~Bonds, Groove~
~Bonds, Streetwise~
~Bonds, Marianne/Mariposa~
"Normal"
'Thoughts'
"Comms or phone, other side"
"Bumblebee, Tones"
"Bumblebee, Comms"
"Bumblebee, Radio"
Odd Side Effect
Medical Bay, 1:00 pm
I follow Aid into the medical bay, then run over to where Ratchet's sitting on one of the medical berths, looking over a datapad, leaving Aid by the cabinets. "Hey, Ratch! What're you doing?" I make a face at a new smell—and, being 23, I don't normally get that on my own property. "What's that smell?"
"What's—" He moves closer to me before sighing heavily. "Someone's been purging, recently." He moves toward the cabinet where they keep the scanners.
I blink up at him, confused, before sighing and sending a worried glare to the medic on the farthest berth. "And Ratch was the only mech in here…" I tense up, and my doorwings start to tremble. It's all I can do to hold back the majority of the panic, and not completely flip out on my brother and the maybe-sick CMO.
Aid nods and sends a sense of calm through the bond. "Which is why I'm getting a scanner. I still haven't done his medical exam."
I rub the back of my neck. "Right."
"Don't panic until you have a reason to." He sighs. "And you shouldn't have a reason to."
Ratchet sighs heavily as Aid takes the medical file before closing it. "I am fine, Aid. One minor upset is not cause for panic."
"It is for my baby sister, so I'm doing this whether you want me to, or not."
~Aid? You okay?~
~He doesn't get angry like this often, but when he does…~
~Ah…thanks, Groove. I take it he's got a temper?~
~Yeah…~
~Really long fuse, though…~
~Even I don't get him worked up that bad…~
~So…don't threaten his family, or…~ I can't help but smirk, even though they can't see me. ~Same here. I'm usually very sweet and quiet—got snapped at once for being too quiet in the back of the ambulance, actually—it takes a lot for me to try and defend myself, and—bad judge of character, even while hyper-aware—I usually do that when I shouldn't open my big mouth, but…~ I sigh over the bond. ~But you hurt my family, and I'll almost turn into Blades!~
~Really?~
I shrug to the medic who just went off at Ratchet. ~Really. I hate to kill, but if it's the only way to save my family, I'll do it—I'll regret it later, but I'll do it!~ I cross my arms and glare at the medic. "Just let him scan you, Ratch. You'll get to finish reviewing charts after you're taken care of." I watch Aid run the scanner over him nervously. ~You're sure he's gonna be okay?~
~Of course he is. I know what I'm doing, Little Sis.~
~Aid?~
~She's just worried about Ratch, Spot. We're okay.~ He looks over the results before shaking his head. "This can't be right…" He starts fiddling with the scanner.
"Aid…"
"Spark echoes…"
I step over to my brother and slip the scanner out of his hand and set it on the counter before laying my braced hand on his shoulder. "Treat your patient, not your equipment." I sigh softly. "What does a spark echo mean?"
"Normally it means that a mech or femme is carrying, but Ratchet's been in here since we revived him, and he's not seeing anyone…"
I shrug lightly, pushing my panic back so I can reason with my brother. "So he shouldn't be carrying. That doesn't mean he isn't. You keep everything in here in perfect condition, Aid. I sincerely doubt it's the scanner…" I look down at my hands, then remember a supposed result of my power I had come to when I was still living in a fantasy world, and the proximity of said power to his spark. "Aid… I think I know what happened…" He turns to me as Ratchet walks past us, the latter scoffing softly at me before turning to put the scanner away. "Hey! Hear me out, Doc!" I sigh softly. "The blue inferno comes from Primus, right?" Aid nods, causing me to continue. "And Primus is your creator?"
Ratchet scoffs from his place, back on the berth on the other side of the room. "Everyone knows that."
Aid sighs softly. "She's never been to Cybertron, Ratch."
I nod. "And not everyone here on Earth knows about Primus. I'm just trying to verify things before I say something I'm not entirely certain about." I sigh softly and turn back to Aid. "So…since it's from Primus, and Primus is a creator, wouldn't it stand that using the inferno close to a mech or femme's spark would create a second spark?"
"It makes sense…" Aid turns to me. "You came to that on your own?"
I nod. "I've had a lot of time to think about its effects, and…if it can revive, then it can create, and if it can create…"
"The scanner isn't broken…"
"Which means he's not really sick…" I smile. "And I won't be the youngest around here anymore!"
"Mariposa!"
I cringe at the CMO's yell before turning to Aid. "Four? months of Hell?"
"Four months? Yes. Hell? Doubt it."
"But he…"
Aid rests a hand on my shoulder. "He's not going to be this cranky all the time, Mari. Maybe for the first month, but he'll level off after a few weeks." He sighs softly. "He's probably not feeling good right now, or he has a helm-ache, both of which make him crankier than he usually is."
I nod, then stand. "I need to tell him what we know."
"I can—"
"I'm not letting Mr. Cranky-Bot ruin your relationship with him, even if you are used to his attitude!" I huff before rubbing my arm. "Sorry, Aid… I may be the youngest, but—"
"You're an advocate against mistreatment, I know."
I nod before hugging him. "And you're so…sensitive…" I sigh softly. "My cousin Eli is too, and I did everything in my power to make sure no one ever treated him like this—him, or his siblings."
"Siblings?"
"Older sister—Liv—who's emotional, and…kind of a diva. He's got a little brother too—Jack—who's too smart for his own good, added to being four and hyperactive…" I shake my head. "Except for the "four" part, it's like dealing with Spot!" I giggle before shrugging. "Guess that's why I'm the only one who can keep up with him…" I shrug. "Whatever. I need to get to Ratch before I forget. Sometimes, I hate being flightier than Flight!" I pause. "And I've never even met him!"
I walk over to where Ratchet's again sitting on the edge of the farthest berth, looking over the patient files on a datapad. "Ratchet?"
He looks up at me before switching off the datapad. I guess he's already learned I love reading over peoples' shoulders. "What do you want?"
I force myself not to glare at the obviously cranky medic. "I just want to talk with you, about what Aid found on the scanner."
"Why is Aid sending you?"
I sigh softly. "I volunteered. I don't want anyone yelling at him. I can take it better than he can."
"Mari… I do not yell without a reason."
"I know…it's just… You're cranky today. I can handle yelling a little better than the others can because I got it all the time growing up."
"Mari…" He stands with a heavy sigh. "You may think you can handle it, but I have dealt with abused younglings."
I cross my arms and glare up at him. "I'd rather shutdown or meltdown on you or Spot than have Aid closing everyone off again." I rub my arm nervously. "He was the first person on this planet to make me feel worthwhile." I pause before rubbing the back of my neck. "Well, not counting my EMS mentor back in Indiana, but I'll probably never see him again…" I sigh heavily. "If he hadn't come along…if they hadn't come along…" I shake my head, trying to shake that thought out. "Ratch, I wouldn't be standing here today, because I'd have died on the streets of Chicago that first night!" I throw my arms in the air, then huff softly and cross them across my chest. The simple action brings back old memories, but I force myself to continue through them. "You don't know the hell I went through before I met them, Ratchet. Death was my only escape, and I was too strong to go through with it." I shake my head and get back to the original train of thought. "I can't feel that again…I need Aid…"
He sighs before patting the berth beside him, an almost hurt look on his faceplates. "What did you need to tell me?"
"I-I didn't—" I sit beside him and hold his hand lightly. "Don't cry for me, Ratch. I survived for a reason, and I can get through this…" I smile when I remember what Aid and I had learned. "Th-the inferno…we think it might have created a second spark… Aid saw some spark echoes, and…" I sigh softly. "Ratch… if I'm right, you're carrying."
To my surprise, he actually smiles. I'd been expecting him to lose it, like Aid just did a few minutes ago. "It is not unheard of, Mari, but it has not happened to a normal mech for hundreds of vorns."
I pause for a moment to think about that. "It's like a virgin birth, right?"
He nods, surprised I get it. "The carrier is not always a virgin, though."
I cross my arms and smirk. I can't help but quote Transformers Prime right now. "TMI, Doc!" I sigh heavily at his unamused look. "It doesn't matter. Primus sent you back to us, which must mean it wasn't your time yet. You have a second chance at life, and I don't want you to waste it." I pat his hand before standing. "Don't push yourself too hard. We need you."
"Well, you need medical training if you plan to work out here."
"Aid can do it! He's done good so far! I helped fix you, and I saved you!"
He runs a hand over my head, as if soothing a small child. "I know you did, and I promise, you did a very good job, and he did teaching you as well, but I am the senior medic, and Aid still has to finish his own training." He nods to Aid before sighing heavily. "Who do we need to revive next?"
"Hide's."
He gives me a look before turning to Aid. "Ironhide." He rubs the back of his neck. "She doesn't feel regressed, so I don't know what that was…"
I glare between the two. "Hide's frame." I huff. ~Don' wanna talk, Aid!~
~It'll make things a little harder, with Ratchet back, but we'll deal with it.~ He starts toward Ratchet's office. "I'll—"
"Get your brothers." Aid gives him a look. "Ironhide is too heavy for you to carry on your own, I doubt Mari can handle much weight if manual labor caused her to collapse when she was younger, and I am in no condition to attempt lifting Jazz, let alone someone Ironhide's size."
Aid sighs. ~Spot, we need some heavy lifting.~ He sighs through the bond. ~And stick with the bond for now. Mari's in a non-verbal phase. She may not feel right about using the bond if we're not.~
I nod, silently agreeing with my brother. ~Huh-uh. 'S weird…~
~Blades and I are on our way.~
~Streets? Groove?~
I watch them step through the door, barely glancing at me as they walk to the back room. ~They're in the main base helping Bumblebee and Drift get quarters ready for Optimus' team.~
Blades turns to me at the door. ~Before you ask, Hound's on patrol, and Crosshairs is with the Yeager family for the day, so they needed help.~
~Op'mus?~
Hot Spot's head peaks around the doorframe as the mech smiles at me. ~He contacted Bumblebee an hour ago, they should be here tomorrow.~
~I getta meet Op'mus? Tomorrow?~
~Yep.~
I can't help but bounce in place as I watch them lay Ironhide's frame—and severed head—on the berth Ratchet had been laying on before now.
I turn when I feel Aid's hand on my shoulder. ~Try not to use as much power in your reviving, and we might be able to prevent this next time.~ I blink up at him. ~Unless you think it'll start to bring our race back, because that's a really good idea.~
I shake my head. ~Not yet, Aid. May not be safe. Wan' my own family too, but not yet. I not ready, and it not safe. Galvy's still out there. War's still raging…~
~Your family's still out to get you…~
~That too…~ I shake my head. ~Wait till war ends, then rebuild race. Not smart to do before war ends.~ I smile. ~But when war ends, watch out! We have lots of Autobots then! I no let anyone be one with the All Spark, an' we haves sparklin's too!~
~Mari…~
I cross my arms and glare up at Spot. ~Autobot like autonomous robot, not like faction! No war means everyone Autobot!~
~She has a point…~
~Blames Ratch. He say it in'a movie!~
The three turn to stare at Ratchet, who looks confused. "What?"
~Opt said "Autonomous robotic organisms", Ratch said "Autobots for short"…or something like that…might be paraphrasing…~
Third POV
Ratchet turns to Aid with a heavy sigh. "Aid?"
Aid turns to him. "Mari regressed through the bond, talking more like a human four year old." He smiles at me. "She's coming out of that now."
Ratchet sighs softly. "Still non-verbal?"
"That could last a while. We're still getting to know her, but she warned us against making her talk when she gets like this, or she'll snap. She told us it usually happens when she's upset, tired, or cranky, but…"
"What set her off this time?"
"I don't know…" He glances at Mari as she watches their two brothers leave the medical bay. "She doesn't seem cranky—we'd be able to tell through the bond—and she's not tired enough to warrant something she explained only happens when she's been awake for more than a full Earth day." He sighs heavily. "What were you two talking about?"
Ratchet sighs heavily. "She still wants you to teach her…"
Aid nods, then sighs softly. "She's upset with your rules, but she doesn't want to melt down in your medical bay, so she won't let herself talk." He scowls in the CMO's general direction.
"Aid…"
He shakes his head slightly before smiling back at Ratchet. "Don't. I'm not mad at you. Her human family caused this. As long as we treat her right, she'll learn that we won't go off if she doesn't want something." He shrugs. "Even if it is your medical bay."
Normal POV
I turn back to the two, having heard every word. ~But Ratchet melts down worse than I do…~
Aid laughs softly. ~You're right, he does, but that's only if people bother him on a bad day. If Sides' pranks backfire, or Wheeljack blows something up, expect him to go off at someone if they argue with him.~ He smiles. ~But I know how to defuse him when he gets like that, so you have nothing to worry about. I could even show you how to do it yourself, since we know how you feel about him…~
~Thanks, Aid… Love you!~ I hug him before starting over to the medical berth where Ironhide is, and run a gentle hand over the mech. 'We'll have you back before you know it, Big Guy. I'll make sure of it.'
