Arcee pulls up in front of the school just before the first of the parents start arriving to pick up their kids. The bell rings and the murmuring and chattering flood of fleshlings pass around her like a river. It isn't until the crowd dies down to a trickle that she spots Jack. He sluggishly steps through the doors of the school, Miko and Rafael trailing beside him with concerned looks on their faces. Arcee can see why.
The bags under his eyes are darker but his skin is even paler. Arcee will be the first to admit she's no expert on humans, but she can say for certain that he's not healthy. Not only that but it's getting worse.
With a couple more concerned glances, Miko and Rafael split away from Jack toward their own rides.
"How you holding up there champ?" Arcee asks, trying to go for good natured.
There's a moment of silence and then Jack blinks and focuses on her.
"Oh, um… fine," He says looking away.
Arcee snorts.
"Sure and Bulkhead's a Ferrari. Come on what's eating at you?"
"It's nothing," Jack says. "I just haven't been getting enough sleep is all… tests and stuff."
He swings into her saddle far more abruptly that he normally does. Arcee can tell she won't be getting any more out of him. She lets out an exvent and revs up her engine.
The ride is quiet. Jack remains withdrawn and Arcee fumes. She's annoyed at him for refusing to talk about whatever is bothering him and annoyed at herself for being unable to make it better. She's never been great at the whole emotions and forming healthy relationships thing. She forms her bonds over spilled energon and sarcasm, not through talking about feelings. That's Optimus' thing.
Jack is different than her past partners…
As distracted as she is with her thoughts she barely registers Jack's slowly wavering center of balance until he abruptly slumps to the side causing her veer left.
Jack lets out a yelp and his hands tighten on her handlebars. Arcee manages to correct before they go off the road. She pulls to a harsh stop and angles her mirrors so that she could see his face.
"What was that?!" She snarls, a cocktail of anger and fear making her energon pump a little too quickly. Her fans kick into a higher gear to rid her systems of the excess heat.
She can't see Jack's face through the dark visor of his helmet, but his shoulders are drawn in and tense. His hand shake.
Before he can answer the low rumble of another engine cuts him off. Bulkhead pulls up beside them.
"What happened?" The wrecker asks.
His window rolls down and Miko pokes her head out.
"Did you really just manage to fall asleep on a motorcycle?"
That makes Arcee pause. He had fallen asleep on her? She had known he wasn't doing well but…
"Okay. Off. Now," She says a little more sharply than she intends. "You're riding with Bulkhead. I can't risk you falling off me. I don't know what is going on with you but when we get to base you are getting checked over."
Jack tenses and Arcee expects him to protest but then, just as quickly, he lets out a breath and slumps. He takes his helmet off and dismounts. Bulkhead opens his back door and, without out a word, he enters and buckles in.
Bulkhead's door closes. Arcee can feel the concern radiating through his field as it brushes up against hers.
She draws in a few rapid vents of air to cool her systems before summoning her hologram Sadie to cover her lack of a rider.
"Let's go," She says.
Optimus glances up at the sound of engines. He resets his optics in surprise.
Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee have just returned from picking the kids up (expected), but Arcee is using her hologram instead of having Jack ride her (unexpected).
"Is Jackson unable to come today?" Optimus inquires as he turns away from the display.
Arcee transforms and scowls.
"He's here today, but he's riding with Bulkhead," She says.
Raphael jumps out of Bumblebee and the youngest bot transforms but Bulkhead is still in his vehicle mode.
"Are you all right Bulkhead?" Optimus asks.
Bulkhead's right front door opens and Miko pops out.
"Bulk's fine," She declares loudly. "But Jack's…"
She's interrupted by Bulkhead shushing her. His door closes softly behind her.
"Sorry," She says with a guilty smile, before continuing in a quieter voice. "Jack's asleep. He hasn't been sleeping well all week so we don't want to wake him up."
"That's not all," Arcee adds, folding her arms. "On the way here he actually started to fall asleep while he was riding me."
She lets out a huff of annoyance (Optimus is always amused to see the little human mannerisms his team is picking up) but there is concern in her optics.
He turns his gaze to the two younger children.
"Do you have any idea what might be causing Jack's lack of rest?"
Miko looks up at the ceiling, tapping her chin while Rafael worries the strap of his pack between his fingers.
Finally the two answer in the negative. Optimus nods.
"Very well," He says. "Then we shall allow him to sleep for the time being and then when he wakes Ratchet shall scan him and we shall have a talk. Are you fine remaining in vehicle mode a little longer, Bulkhead?"
"That's fine," The wrecker says. "I can just… Oh? Wait a click…"
The Autobots and the children exchange puzzled glances. A few seconds tick by.
"He's awake," Bulkhead says quietly, but his doors remain closed.
Optimus reaches out with his EM field and feels concern radiating from the Wrecker.
-What's wrong?- He asks him over internal com.
-Not sure- Bulkhead responds. –Jack just woke up abruptly and he seems really shaken. He's breathing fast and doesn't seem to be able to hear me.-
Optimus frowns. He's seen symptoms like that in his soldiers before. Sometimes when they went through a particularly bad incident their systems would put the memories into rapid recall and they would forcibly replay if they encountered a similar scenario. Arcee in particular suffered from this. Could humans have similar ailments?
Bulkhead's door opens and Jack emerges. He's pale and sweating. A quick scan reveals that his surface temperature is low and his internal temperature is higher than it should be. His pulse and breathing are both rapid.
"Okay," Ratchet says. He pushes forward and places his servo on the ground in front of Jack. "You are clearly not well. Let's get you to the med bay."
Jack leans back a bit and his eyes dart around.
"I'm..."
"Dude," Miko cuts him off. "You're not fine. You fell asleep on a motorcycle early and now you look like you're about to pass out."
Jack closes his mouth and steps onto Ratchet's servo.
The grouchy medic stomps off to the medbay.
Optimus considers for a moment before following.
They're going to find out.
Maybe they already know and they're just waiting for him to confess.
Jack is shaking. He grips Ratchet's thumb as the medic moves toward the table. He tries to calm himself down by taking some deep breaths.
They're supposed to find out… well not find out, but Jack wants to tell them. He needs to tell them. He just...
There's a slight lurch as Ratchet begins lowering his hand to the table. Jack's vision flickers and his stomach churns. The small amount of lunch he ate to ease Miko and Raf's worry threatens to claw its way back up his throat.
He slaps a hand over his mouth and swallows hard. His throat burns.
It takes him a moment to realize that he's stopped moving. It takes him even longer to realize someone's talking to him. He looks up and his eyes struggle to focus on Optimus' concerned face staring down on him. His mouth is moving but Jack can't hear him over the static in his ears.
It's been happening all day, but this is the worst it's been. He shakes his head and his vision briefly doubles for a moment before settling.
Optimus is no longer looking at him. His worried eyes are fixed on Ratchet.
"…need to call June," He's saying.
They're going to call his Mom, he realizes.
"Nnnn…" He tries to tell them 'no'.
They can't call his Mom. She can't know about this. She can't know that he… He…
Just then Optimus pauses. Jack faintly can see him put a finger up to his audial. He goes very still and tense. High above Jack's head he and Ratchet exchange glances.
Optimus leans down to him… or maybe Ratchet raises his hand… Jack isn't sure but suddenly the Autobot leader's face is much closer.
"Something urgent came up that I must see to, Jack," Optimus says. "Ratchet will take care of you until we can safely bring your mother here."
Then, with one last concerned stare at him, he leaves the med bay.