The doctors had gotten her calmed down and put into recharge. It took a while, but once they injected the medicine she was just fine. Once the doctors left Arcee they exited to find Ratchet was no where to be found. They needed to talk to him and so went looking for him throughout the hospital.
Ratchet though had just been wandering around for no reason at all. He needed to clear his thoughts and walking seemed to help, but not this time. His feet only ended him back at Arcee's room where she peacefully recharged again. He was afraid to even look at her in case she wake up and start screaming at her when all he wanted to do was see if she was alright.
It nearly broke his spark seeing her like this. He was a medic and only wanted to heal, but whenever he was near her it seemed she only hurt herself. If that was the case then maybe he should stay away from her. But deep down inside he wanted to help her get through this memory loss . . . If she'd let him though.
He tried to go back in the room, but stopped. He couldn't even force himself to go in. He was afraid. He thought to himself how ridiculous it was of him being afraid of a single femme whose lost her mind—he's been in harsh war worse than this!
Still though . . . he couldn't go in. He just bowed his head and sighed. He stood there for what seemed like forever or until a doctor found him. They ran up to him and asked if he needed help—
"Do I look like I need help?" asked Ratchet with his gaze towards the floor.
"In my opinion, yes," said the doctor 'bot. "You may not look it, but it appears you've sustained some mental trauma. You may need therapy for it. May I suggest someone for you?"
"Hhh, whatever takes away the pain," sighed Ratchet looking at him with heavy optics.
And so the doctors referred him to a transformer by the name of Preceptor. He was to see him daily no matter how much Ratchet didn't like it. The first day he saw him he knew he was going to hate it. He was a medical 'bot, he didn't have time for things like this.
"Oh, Ratchet, I've been expecting you. Please take a seat," said Preceptor as he came to sit in his chair.
Ratchet did as he was told and waited for Preceptor finish looking at his files to start. After he was done he looked at the medic 'bot for a short moment and then leaned back in his chair and said—
"Do you know why you're hear?"
"Yea," sighed Ratchet. "Like I need reminded."
"Oh—but I do," said Preceptor. "Do tell."
"Well they all think I've gone a bit crazy myself and need—therapy," Ratchet said with a cringe of the teeth.
"Why is that?" asked Preceptor still looking at him. "It says here you were supposed to rescue an intelligence officer and failed."
At the word of failed Ratchet flinched as the stone cold truth came back into realization. Everyone else kept telling him he didn't fail when he knew he did. They all said he rescued the intelligence officer and so completed the mission, but he knew it was to rescue the information she had and he didn't, therefore he failed. Preceptor saw his reaction and so said—
"Tell me Ratchet, have you ever failed a mission before?"
"Yes, but what has that got to do with—" he started.
"Then what makes this failure different from anything else?" asked Preceptor holdng a finger to his bottom lip.
"Hhh, nothing I guess," sighed Ratchet bowing his head not really wanting to look at him.
"Wrong!" pointed Preceptor. "I can see it in your optics. This was far different from anything."
"What?!" asked Ratchet looking at the transformer confused.
"You let this mission get to you. You let it get personal didn't you?" asked Preceptor trying to peel into the part of Ratchet's mind that Ratchet couldn't understand himself.
"I—I," tried Ratchet, but he couldn't speak.
"Why did it get personal Ratchet?" asked Preceptor. "Was it this Lockdown? Was it that bounty hunter who did that to you?"
At that Ratchet touched his head spike which was broken and it only reminded him of his failure.
"Or was it her?" asked Preceptor getting Ratchet's attention once again. "Was it . . . Arcee? The 'bot who can't remember her own name?"
Ratchet's mouth was open but he couldn't speak. It seemed to happen all the time Arcee was mentioned or he was even near her. Preceptor soon continued—
"I see in your files there is no indication of a sparkmate."
"Who could have one at a time like this?" asked Ratchet finding that phrase ludicrous.
"Oh there seems to be quite a few," said Preceptor crossing his arms.
"But what has that got to do with any of this?!" asked Ratchet not liking where this was going.
"What I am saying officer Ratchet is that do you like Ms. Arcee?" asked Preceptor.
"You have GOT to be kidding me! I barely even know her!!" said Ratchet raising his voice.
"Calm down Ratchet," said Preceptor quite calmly. "Why I am saying this is because whenever she is mentioned you can't speak, now is that guilt or attraction? I heard she is quite an attractive femme and without a sparkmate as well."
"Now look here!" pointed Ratchet ready to chew into this 'bot.
"Guilt or attraction?" asked Preceptor firmly.
Ratchet just sighed and bowed his head. His mind was so confused at the moment he didn't know what to say and so he sighed and said—
"I guess . . . a little bit of both."
"I see," said Preceptor writing a few things down.
"N-not that I'm saying I want her to be my sparkmate," said Ratchet as his head shot back up with his hand trying to make Preceptor understand. "I mean she is beautiful and all, but I don't think I'd ever . . ."
"You'd ever what Ratchet?" asked Preceptor gazing at him under his brow.
Ratchet just stopped and cast his optics down for a short moment. He then said with a hint of anger—
"Well I can't now can I?!"
"I see," said Preceptor. "So you're saying if she hadn't lost her memory you might have continued on with a relationship with her?"
"W-what? NO!" said Ratchet. "I mean if she would have . . . what is the point of you asking me about these things?!"
"Because," said Preceptor placing his note pad down. "I believe you let this mission get personal either because you feel it could have been different circumstances with the bounty hunter Lockdown, or that you took in a feeling for the femme Arcee, say—perhaps, love."
"No, that's where you're wrong," said Ratchet with a smile. "Love takes a milliennia to work or even take affect."
"So some say," said Preceptor. "It may not be love now, but later . . . I wouldn't be so sure."
At that Ratchet stood up angered and said—
"Who do you think you are PRIMUS?! Who are you to decide whom I fall in love with or ever will! You don't know anything about me and just so you know how I feel about this—I think this was just a complete waste of my time!!"
At that Ratchet stormed out of the room. Preceptor just stared at the door and then went to his note pad writing down a few more things saying—
"Actually Ratchet . . . I know more about you than you think."
Ratchet decided a good walk was what he needed at the moment, but Ultra Magnus soon found him and wasn't too pleased he stormed out of therapy like he did.
"Ratchet what is wrong with you?!" he asked coming up to him.
"I can't do this Magnus," said Ratchet. "Just get me back on the battle field. I'm ready."
"Not with that attitude," said Ultra Mangus. "Now since you seem to be in no better condition than Arcee I'm putting you on leave till you get, whatever is in there, straightened out."
"But sir!" protested Ratchet.
"That is an order soldier!!" said Ultra Magnus with a stomp of his hammer.
Ratchet let his shoulder's fall and gaze as he sighed and said—
"Yes sir."
"Good, not I expect you to finish your sessions with Preceptor. He's a good 'bot and can help," said Ultra Magnus.
At that some nurses were walking by with Arcee to take her somewhere. Ratchet looked at her and she did him. She just stared at him with wondering optics at who he was. His spark only sank seeing this.
Ultra Magnus turned to see Arcee walking by and then he turned to Ratchet and said—
"My I suggest you go NOW!"
"Yes sir," bowed Ratchet as he turned and left back where he came from.
Hot Shot's girl: Okay guys I might not update in a while 'cause my dad's turning off the computer for a month. I shall try and go to the library as much as I can okay so see ya later :)
