Spiritimus Prime: Yeah, sorry it took so long. I was so occupied with my other stories that I'd almost forgotten about this. NOT! XD Yup, this is just full of drama at the moment. If you're wondering where the other Autobots are, I can assure that they will be appearing soon, just give me a couple more chapters until then, okay? :D Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 3:
The New Truck
Jason Clark was completely dumbstruck by the sight of Optimus Prime, who stood before him in his backyard. He'd expected him to be bigger than he'd imagined, but never this big. Of all the things he'd seen in his short life, this was truly a remarkable sight.
He shakes his head before he sits down on a chair that was sitting next to him. He continued to stare at Optimus with his eyes, as if he was trying to see into his soul. But Optimus's optics were just too hard to read, as if he was concealing every emotion so that no one else could see them.
"You have a lot of questions to ask, Jason," said Optimus in his baritone voice. "Do not be afraid to ask of what lies inside your heart. I am free to listen to whatever you wish to say."
Jason smiled faintly. This robot seemed to know what was on his mind, but he remembered that it had scanned his body heat. He nodded and he leaned back in his chair, glancing up at the robot, which blinked his electric blue optics with shutters that reminded him of human eyelids. "Okay, can you tell me what happened to cause the accident?"
Optimus closed his optics for a moment. He knew that Jason was going to ask that question sooner or later, but he had not expected it to be this soon. Nevertheless, he had promised to explain everything to him as best as he could. Somehow, this human seemed to have a gift of trying to look into his soul, but his experiences of keeping a calm look on his face… proved to backfire in Jason's face.
The Autobot Commander moved a little closer towards Jason until his nose was just a foot away from the human's head. He seemed so small and so defenceless compared to him, but his witness of Sam's courage to save his life, demonstrated to him that humans were capable of looking after themselves.
He took a deep breath, despite not having a need to breathe at all, and spoke in his calm tone. "Your sister's truck," he began, "was mistaken to be me by an arch nemesis of the Autobots."
He waited for a reaction from Jason, but the boy did not even flinch or even say anything at all.
Optimus then went into detail of what Starscream had done, and what he and his Autobots did to retrieve the girl's unconscious body from the rubble beneath the silver flamed Peterbilt truck that would've ended her life if Optimus had not pulled her to safety. Regardless of that, he knew that she may not remember who her saviour was, but he reckoned that she may have a few encounters in her memories.
When he had finished his story about the accident and after he had explained about the battle in Mission City, he closed his optics for a moment, still waiting for the reaction he expected from Jason. He had the feeling that the boy may get angry and try to kick and scream at him for having those stupid flames that were coated on his body, and for choosing a Peterbilt truck as his alternate mode.
Surprisingly, there was still no reaction.
He opened his optics and he saw that Jason had placed a hand upon his forehead. He scanned his body and he realised that his body temperature had dropped a little. He could see liquid forming on his forehead and neck, and his body was shaking a little. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Do you require medical attention? You're leaking lubricant from your forehead."
Jason removed his hand from his forehead and he glanced up at Optimus. He shook his head slightly. "No," he answered, "I'm just in shock, that's all."
Optimus tilted his head to one side, as if he was trying to make sense of what the boy had said to him. He knew that he still had a lot to learn about the human nature, but he decided that it could wait another time. Things were not exactly turning out as he had hoped. Yes, Jason was in shock, and he had been expecting that, but what he had not anticipated was his next reaction.
"Exactly why are you here? Why did you stay at the hospital the moment I had arrived?"
Optimus was indeed very surprised by the question, and it caught him completely off guard. He emitted a deep sigh, his broad chest lifting a little before it returned to its natural state. "I am here to talk about your sister's future, Jason," he answered softly, "She maybe in danger again the moment she steps out of that medical centre."
Jason was puzzled. "Are you saying that Starscream could come back and try to hurt her again?"
The Autobot Commander just nodded his response.
Jason stood up and paced in front of Optimus, who watched his movements in confusion. While it was strange to see this boy do such a thing, he knew that it was one of the only ways to express his impatience and annoyance. He waited for the boy to finish his pacing.
When Jason finally stopped, he turned and looked up at Optimus, and he noticed that the robot had put a hand underneath his chin and was busy looking ahead, as if his thoughts were wondering off somewhere else into a deep void of darkness. "Can I ask you something, Mr. Prime?" he asked.
Optimus snapped out of his trailing thoughts and glanced down at Jason with his electric blue optics. "Please," he said gently, "just call me Optimus."
Jason slapped his forehead and cursed himself angrily. "Sorry about that. Where are my manners these days?"
There was a deep vibrating sound from within the robot's broad chest and Jason realised that Optimus was laughing at him. Was it because of his mistake, or was it his attitude? He wasn't sure, but whether he liked it or not, he might as well as the question before Optimus decided he was not worth listening to.
"As I've said to you, Jason: do not be afraid to ask what lies in your heart. Or did you forget that saying?" asked Optimus as he tilted his head to one side again. This young boy was a very interesting character. No wonder why Jasmine and Jason were considered twins. Yes, they looked the same in appearance, but their personalities were a little opposite in every way he looked at them. Of course, that was not entirely the case.
The boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and he inhaled deeply. "No, I guess not," he said and chuckled before his eyes turned serious again, surprising the Autobot at his sudden change of mood. "Are you here so that you can protect my sister until you deal with this 'Starscream' guy, right?" he asked.
Optimus pushed his face further until it was just an inch away from Jason's. He knew that the boy was a little bit uncomfortable with this whole ordeal, but it was better this way.
The seriousness in his optics glowed brightly and he blinked his shutters as his breath came out like a gentle breeze, but with no odour involved in its wake. "That is entirely correct, Jason," he replied. "Until Starscream has been dealt with, your sister will be under my protection until further notice."
Jason rubbed his forehead, removing the beads of sweat that had been collected during the talk. Slowly, he stood up and turned his back on Optimus for a moment. If he agreed to this pact, then there was no doubt that his sister would be alright, but he knew that she was devastated with the loss of her arm and the hurt ran much deeper than anyone realised.
Sighing, he turned back to Optimus and he took a step forward, his right hand reaching out to the Autobot Commander. "I think Jasmine is hurting inside ever since she was diagnosed with brain damage and a paralysed arm," he said softly. "But, if there's anyone who can help her realise that things are fine, it's you who can do it. Something tells me that you'll be a perfect guardian towards her until she recovers from the accident.
However, I ask of one thing from you. Can you promise to look after her? She really misses our parents more than I do, and I know that she was closer to them than she was to me. She may not be able to drive anymore, but she maybe happy with having a new truck again."
Optimus's metallic lips formed a smile of encouragement. "I can assure you, Jason," he said softly, "that I will do everything I can to ensure her safety while she is under my protection, even if I have to sacrifice my life."
"Thank you," said Jason, "That's all I can ever ask from you."
There was a nod from the blue head and the electric blue optics blinked once more as he lifts a hand and his index finger shakes with Jason's hand. "Since I will be becoming her new vehicle," he said, "How do you propose that she'll react at the sight of me? Surely she would not be satisfied with me replacing her own Peterbilt that was destroyed in the incident."
Jason thought about it for a moment and he once again paced up and down as his right hand touched his chin during his pondering, and he never realised that Optimus's optics were watching him curiously again.
Suddenly, he stops as his fingers snap in excitement. "I think I've got it," he said happily.
Optimus lifted one of his shutters in the human expression of puzzlement. "Oh?" he asked, his deep baritone confused. "Would you care to… enlighten me?"
Jason beckoned Optimus to lean forward and listen. Optimus obeyed and he turned his head towards the human, his audio receptor now exposed to him, and he knew that the boy wanted to tell him something so that no prying ears could hear this ideal plan.
When Jason finished whispering his plan, Optimus pulled his head away and he could've sworn that his metal cheeks were heating up. Obviously this was an interesting plan, but he would have to play an embarrassing role, and it was something he never really liked doing in his long life anyway. "It seems like it would work, but are you sure that nothing bad will happen?"
Jason waved Optimus's question off. "Ah, don't worry, you'll be fine," he said. "Besides, I'm sure Jazzy will be very happy when she sees you and I waiting for her outside the hospital."
The gentle giant sighed and rolled his optics in annoyance. "Alright," he said faintly, "when does your sister come out from the medical centre?"
"From what Dr. Smith told me and Jazz," said Jason, "she'll be coming out in about… two weeks. It gives me plenty of time to set things up for her homecoming, as well as invite some of her friends from work, including her old friends from her high school."
Optimus inhaled deeply, filling his oxygen tanks, even though he didn't need to at the current moment. Heck, he didn't even need to breathe at all, but he just needed to do it for the time being. This was going to be a long period of two weeks… And it was going to be interesting as well.
For Jasmine Clark, during those horrible two weeks of healing from her truck accident, things were not looking too good for her. Throughout her time at the hospital, Dr. Smith could do nothing except try and sooth her that everything was going to be fine. But the whole building had become nothing but a hellhole to her and she wanted to leave this place as soon as she could.
But, that was easier said than done.
The operation, to remove the bone from her brain, had sent terror through her body like a wild fire passing through a forest at an alarming rate, which sent her heart pounding furiously against her chest. She was so afraid and so upset that she started kicking and screaming like a toddler going through a temper tantrum, and it had taken two nurses to try and calm her down before they inserted the needle into her arm that would send her into a deep sleep.
Coming through the operation had been the easy part, but waking up and realising that she was not at home… proved to be one hell of a nightmare. The recovering food was horrible, and the people drove her insane with asking her questions about how she felt and if she had suffered from any dizzy spells, or even went into unconsciousness. But, her only answer was a simple shake of her head.
Jasmine never felt like talking really. The only time she ever spoke a word was when Jason came by to visit her every second day of the week, creating a never-ending cycle of boredom and unhappiness for her.
A few times, however, Jasmine would suffer from light headaches and she would have to take painkillers to reassure the pain, but, most of the times it never worked much until Jasmine would weep in pain silently until her exhaustion from her crying would send her off to sleep.
She missed her brother dearly, but many times she had to spend the entire day alone and afraid. The pain of loneliness would never go away, nor would her headaches or the spasms in her paralysed arm, despite not being able to feel it being there at all.
Every single day, during the period of her time away from home, was nothing like those times she had spent her days with her truck, or with Jason. She sometimes wished that she was dead and did not suffer from anymore of those torturing pains and aches.
The whole hospital was no longer a sanctuary. Rather, it had become a devastating place of captivity and pain. Her freedom had been taken away from her completely until the period was up.
The warm Sunday sun shone brightly through the trees as the wind gently blew through their leaves, lifting them up and causing them to create a light whistling sound that was similar to the tone of a human's whistle, only quieter and less high-pitched than it actually was.
At the car park of the Tranquillity Hospital, Jason Clark was leaning against the front section of a blue Peterbilt truck with red flames engraved on its shiny frame and a… large red ribbon wrapped all from its sides where the doors were located.
The boy was running his fingers through his hair nervously. At this time of the afternoon, he knew that he should be in there to pick up his sister from within, but the doctors had assured him that they would be bringing Jasmine out to make sure that there were no problems at all. They had even told him that she might be a little unsteady on her legs due to having problems with walking again. It had, after all, been such a long while since she had gotten out of bed, but it seemed like things might improve.
The Peterbilt behind him vibrated from behind him, snapping Jason out of his thoughts, and he lifted his head to see what the problem was. Instead of seeing a problem, he saw a miracle.
Gently being led by Dr. Smith and using a walking stick in order to support herself due to her brain damage and getting used to walking again, Jasmine came out from the hospital's entrance. She was wearing black jeans, a white shirt, and her long brown hair was messed up a little from stress. Underneath her eyes, black rings surrounded them, telling Jason that she probably hadn't slept much since she'd first woken up in the hospital and learned what had happened to her.
Jasmine's paralysed arm was also supported by a sling to keep it in place until she'd gotten used to a useless limb.
Optimus Prime, who had quickly detected the presence of his new guard, sensed that Jasmine was in a terrible state at the moment. From her body readings, to her exhaustion, he knew instantly that she had been through a lot during her stay at the hospital. Unfortunately for him, it pained him to see her like this, but he hoped that, deep down, he may be able to find out to see what he could do.
The Peterbilt truck watched as Jason moved away from him and went to embrace his twin gently. He heard the human doctor talk about a few things with Jasmine's health and what he should do in case she suffered from a few things that she had had in the hospital, but he quickly turned off his audio receptors to give them their privacy. This was not his business, and he must respect that beyond all means necessary.
From the corner of his sensors, he noticed that the human doctor had handed Jason something. His optical scanners zoomed in on the item and he realised that it was a small bottle that contained antibiotics that was specialised in headaches and muscle spasms.
Suddenly, Optimus felt eyes lock onto him and he turned his attention to the one who noticed him. But, when his optical sensors saw the person, he felt himself shudder underneath that gaze that belonged to his charge. He had not expected her to be looking at him, but he sensed that she had not really noticed him, but was giving him a hostile look of distrust.
Was there something that the doctors had not told Jason? He wasn't sure, but he was bound to find out soon enough.
Jason thanked Dr. Smith for the antibiotics and he turned his attention to his sister. But he saw that she was eyeing the Peterbilt suspiciously. "Hey, Jazz," he said reassuringly as he placed a hand upon her shoulder, "I thought you might've noticed the new truck."
Jasmine tore her gaze from the truck and looked back at her brother. "Yes," she said quietly, "I did notice it. What is it doing here?"
Jason chuckled in a friendly tone and he led Jasmine towards it, but as soon as they were within a few feet from it, his twin sister had halted. Confused, he turned back to look at her. However, when he saw that hostile look in her eyes, he knew instantly that something was wrong. "Jazz, this is your new truck," he said, nodding towards the large vehicle. "I bought for you as a homecoming gift."
But when Jasmine turned to look at Jason, things simply got out of hand. "What makes you think I want a new truck?"
Both Jason and Optimus Prime (if he was in his robot mode) felt their jaws hit the ground in total shock.
Spiritimus Prime: Me and my damn cliffhangers. I swear some people are going to kill me if I keep this up. XD Yeah, like I said, there's mainly a lot of drama in this. Some action, but not a lot. :) I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please remember to R&R! :D