Honest fact: I did have the croup when I was little, but I don't exactly remember when. I remember a dark pink blanket…and that's about it. My pediatrician saved my life when they couldn't get an IV in, and she is the inspiration behind my trying for a medical degree.


"Normal Talk"

"Bee's Talk"

"Bee's Talk Holoform"

"Other Side Over the Phone (Comms)"

'Thoughts'

~Bond communication~

~Telepathic communication~


Sick

The Next Morning, Ratchet's POV

I wake up at six, as usual. I glance at the crib to find Mariposa still asleep. 'That's…unusual.' Her tiara is sitting on the changing table so that it will not harm her as she sleeps. Her skin is slightly pale, but I believe it is because she has not been outside the base for a month. I groan softly. The nausea isn't going to allow me to worry about the still-sleeping princess anymore. I swallow hard against the nausea before running for the bathroom. I barely reach my destination before starting to purge. After a few minutes, I hear Mariposa start to cry, but she sounds different, somehow. I stand, using the wall for support, then quickly run to my daughter.

"Dada." She then starts to cough.

"Scrap." Once she stops, she starts to cry, reaching for me. I switch on my holoform and pick her up with her blanket and slip a pink rhinestone pacifier into her mouth. "Daddy's here." I sigh heavily before deactivating my holoform and activating my comm. "Optimus, I need you to meet me in the medical bay."

"What is wrong?"

"Mari's sick. I need your help." I hold her close before running for the medical bay.


Medical Bay, Ratchet's POV

I lay her on the berth as Optimus walks in.

"Ratchet?"

I ignore him and activate my scanner, then run it over her quickly. After I finish, I sigh. "She's overheating…Optimus, I don't know what to do. She's human—not like us."

"I will contact Agent Fowler." He lays a hand on my shoulder. "You need to calm down. Pull yourself together. Agent Fowler and Maya will know what to do."

"I know." I sit on the medical berth and pick her up before holding her close. "Hurry, Optimus."


Optimus POV, main room

"Autobot Base Omega One to Special Agent Fowler."

"What's wrong, Prime?"

Optimus sighs. "Mariposa is sick. Ratchet knows very little about human medicine, and is rather worried about her."

"I'm on my way."

"Stress is not good for him in his condition, so I ask that you hurry."

"I will."


Main Room, Five Minutes Later, Ratchet's POV

"Prime?"

"Agent Fowler."

The Special Agent walks over and looks over the tiny princess. "It's probably just a cold. I can get some medicine for her, but there's not much to do. She can recover on her own."

I sigh before joining the two in the main room. "Are you sure about that, Agent Fowler?"

"Positive. Kids get colds. It happens. I'll be back with the medicine for her fever."

"Hurry." I smile weakly. "And thank you."


Six Days Later (January 1st)

I wake up, because of the nausea, at six in the morning. I glance at my sleeping daughter in a pink sleeper with a white dog print, then reach for the garbage can beside my berth. I groan before purging into the can, too worried about my daughter to leave the room. Her cough has gotten severely worse. That, coupled with the fact that I barely know anything about human medicine, leaves me feeling helpless. 'I'm a doctor, but I have no idea of how to help her. She could be dying for all I know…' I sigh before wiping a tear out of my eye.

Mariposa wakes up with a sick sounding, seal-like cough. I stand and activate my holoform before picking her up. Her breathing is ragged and wheezing.

I sigh before heading into the medical bay. After laying her on the berth, I return to my normal form, then scan her carefully.

"Ratchet? How is Mariposa?"

I shake my head. "She's not doing well, Optimus. Listen to her."

"I know." Optimus sighs. "I will contact Agent Fowler. Try to keep the femme comfortable."

"Slag it, Optimus, I'm trying!" I sigh, trying not to cry.

"Keep it together, old friend. Mariposa will be fine."

"How do you know?" I sigh. "Go. Contact Agent Fowler. I will see if there is anything I can do for my femme."


Half an Hour Later, Ratchet's POV

Agent fowler walks in and crosses his arms. "What's wrong with her?"

I open my mouth to speak, but Mariposa's barking cough interrupts me.

"That doesn't sound too good."

I sigh. "You think? Slag it, Fowler. Would you just tell me what I can do for her?"

"Get her dressed."

"What?"

Agent Fowler sighs. "Get her dressed. She'll be ten times worse off tonight, and she can barely breathe as-is."

"But what good will getting her dressed do?"

"She needs to go to the hospital, Ratchet. I can come with you if you need me."

"With her as sick as she is, I think I will."

"I'll go call Maya and let her know what's going on."

I nod, then carry the femme into my berth room. Once there, I shift into my holoform and dress her in a lavender short sleeved onesie with a pink and purple Batsymbol, pink and purple plaid shorts, lavender socks, and brown and pink Velcro tennis shoes, talking softly in an attempt to comfort her. She doesn't talk anymore, and she hardly moves. She's having too much trouble breathing to speak.


Main Room, Ratchet's POV

"Optimus, where is Agent Fowler?"

"He will return shortly. He was calling General Bryce to apprise him of our situation."

"And Maya?"

"Insisted on meeting the three of you at the Emergency Room." Optimus sighs. "How are you handling things, Old Friend?"

I sigh. "I don't know what to do for her, Optimus. I've studied on human childhood illnesses, but this…" I sigh before sitting on the wall beside the platform. "I've never heard of something like this, especially not with a sparkling—human or Cybertronian."

Optimus lays a hand on my shoulder before sitting beside me. "She will recover." He sighs. "You have another little one to worry about, Ratchet."

"I know." I sigh. "The sparkling is doing fine so far."

Optimus looks down at Mariposa. I can tell he's worried just from the look he's giving her. Very little slips past me anymore, since I took Mariposa in. "Optimus?"

"I was… skeptical about our raising a human sparkling at first, but she has brought a light to this base that we have not had in a long time."

"I know." I smile weakly. "She's become my light for sure."

"Ratchet!"

I quickly stand. "Agent Fowler."

Agent Fowler walks over to me. "Let's go, quickly."

Optimus lays a hand on my shoulder. "Take as long as you need. I will handle the monitors until Mariposa is healthy enough to return."

I smile slightly. "Thanks, Optimus."


Hospital Parking Lot, Ratchet's POV

I pull into the hospital entrance and activate my holoform.

"Ratchet?"

I sigh and turn to the liaison. "What?"

Agent Fowler scowls. "You'll need to know a few things before you take her inside. I got her records from the parents. I was able to get you listed as her guardian, and the name on the birth certificate changed to Marianne Rachel, but until someone formally adopts her, you'll have to sign her in using their surname, not yours. Also, her medical records still have her former name listed."

I nod. "Did you find out anything about the parents that I need to know now?"

Agent Fowler sighs. "She was on her way to having a very bad life, Ratchet."

I turn to him in shock. "What?"

"Her parents both do drugs and drink. Her father drinks more than her mother, of course, but they're both at fault." Agent Fowler shakes his head. "The father admitted to harming her, and the grandmother admitted watching the mother feed herself before even worrying about Marianne."

I sigh. "No wonder she was so agitated around them. They treated her like she was some kind of scraplet!"

"I'll take her in and get her signed in. You need to park somewhere."

"Just be gentle with her."

"I will."


ER, Exam Room, Ratchet's POV

I sit beside the berth Mariposa is laying on and watch her sleep. She's wearing a lavender hospital gown with fairies and her socks, with the rest of her clothes under the bed in a bag. The hospital's doctor has been in for only a minute or two, and has yet to come back, but a nurse has been in frequently. She looks familiar to me for some reason. I can't help noting a haunted look in her eyes.

I hear the curtain move and glance up to find the nurse returning with a bottle for Mari.

"I figured she may want this when she wakes up."

I sigh softly. It is still quite early, only about seven in the morning, and I'm still nauseated. "Could you sit with her for a minute? My friend had to answer a call and his wife has not arrived yet."

"Of course, Sir."

"Call me Richard." I glance down at Mariposa. "Thank you."


Parking Lot, Ratchet's POV

I reach my vehicle mode and lean against the side. A moment later I purge on the ground. I straighten up shakily while leaning on my vehicle mode, one hand on the side for support. I groan softly. 'Primus, energon definitely doesn't mix well with our holoforms.' I sigh softly as I glance down. 'Need to have someone clean that up before it blows our cover.' "Optimus?"

"Are you and Mariposa returning? How is she?"

"Not yet, Optimus. I need you to send Arcee."

"Is something wrong?"

"I purged in the lot. We can't blow our cover, but I cannot allow Agent Fowler to handle this."

"Are you all right?"

"I will be."

"Arcee is on her way."

"I have to get back to Mari. Have her comm me when she arrives."


Cafeteria Garden

I follow a path after leaving my vehicle mode, and come to a small garden. I walk over to a bench facing the building and sit down with a sigh.

A few minutes later the nurse I had left with Mari walks out a nearby door. "Do you want me to get you something?"

I shake my head. "Not really." I sigh. "Who's with Marianne?"

"I'm June." She sits down beside me. "Your friend returned." She smiles gently. "He told me his wife was having some trouble finding a sitter."

I smile slightly. "They have a two-year-old daughter."

"My son's eight now. You'll find out soon enough that they grow up so fast."

"I watched my niece grow up, and I'm raising an older boy."

"So you know what I mean then." She glances at her watch. "I need to get back to work."

"I'd better get back to my daughter."


Hospital Room

I sit back in the recliner, staring at my baby girl. They have her in a crib with some kind of tent over the top, and they are pumping oxygen in. They struggled to get a needle into her arm earlier, but thanks to June, they were able to get access and give Mariposa the medicine she needs. Maya has finally arrived, and has offered to watch Mariposa for an hour so I can get some energon. I plan to return after, and will spend most of my time here by her side. She's sleeping now, her pink rhinestone pacifier about to slip out of her mouth.


Two Days Later (January 3rd), Hospital Room, Ratchet's POV

I wake up when I hear Mariposa cry. She's gotten a lot better over the last two days, and has almost fully recovered. They have disposed of the tent that was over her, and have put her into a regulation hospital crib. I sit up slowly, having recharged in holoform in the chair in her room. Thankfully the purgings have not been severe, otherwise I would have had to ask one of the nurses to watch her in the mornings. As it is my whole body aches from the purgings. Apparently, energon is as painful to our holoforms as it is dangerous to humans.

"Dada?"

I sit up and turn to the crib they put her in. "Daddy's right here, Mari."

"Dada." She reaches out to me.

I smile and pick her up. "You look like you're feeling better."

Mariposa nods. "Op?"

"Sorry, Sweetspark. He can't come here."

"Op."

I sigh. "And you can't go home until you are healthy again."

A nurse walks in and examines Mariposa before turning to me. "I'll be back shortly with the doctor." She turns to Mariposa. "You may get to go home soon, Little One."

Once she leaves, I sigh before starting to hum the tune of an ancient Cybertronian lullaby—one my Carrier used to sing when I'd get sick. It happened often, since I used to have a Cybertronium deficiency, which has been in remission since I reached adolescence. I still test my energon every vorn, but since I've taken Mariposa in, I plan to run the test more often. Even so, I pray the disease is gone for good. My daughter needs me.


Later That Afternoon, Ratchet's POV

I pull into the base with Mariposa snug in her car seat. Arcee takes her out so I can transform, then hands her and the car seat to me. I activate my holoform and take the blanket off her before taking her out. She's wearing a white short sleeved onesie with "My Daddy is a Doctor, What SuperPower Does Your Daddy Have?", dark pink pants, white socks, and brown and pink Velcro tennis shoes.

Optimus walks over. "Welcome back, Little One."

Mariposa looks up at Optimus. "Op!"

Optimus smiles slightly, though it still doesn't reach his eyes.

I sigh. "I need to get her into my berth room. She is still very sick, and needs to rest."

"We are just glad she is home, Old Friend."

"I am too."