Knock Out smiled as he walked to the front desk, and then drummed on it.
"You are looking marvelous, Starlight." He smirked. "What did you change?"
The femme behind the desk smirked. "Morning, Knock Out. I did change something. Can you guess?"
"New polish?"
"Exactly! I was thinking I needed a little extra something."
"Femme, it's beautiful. I love it." He then peaked over the counter. "Got anything for me?"
"Yes, sir! Got a few more patients just for you."
Knock Out walked over to the file holders on the wall where datapads were placed inside. Each one had a name of a doctor so they would know which patients were theirs. Knock Out grabbed the datapads from his file holder, then noticed a familiar name in Flatline's holder. He lifted the datapad, reading the full designation, "Seeker Starscream of Vos."
His optics shuttered. He glanced at Starlight, making sure she wasn't watching, then traded one of his datapads for the datapad with Starscream's designation. He quickly walked away, opening the datapad and reading through the file.
Emergency, brought in via ambulance, in stasis. Nurse placed him on an energon drip.
He quickly walked to the room noted on the datapad.
Starscream slowly onlined his optics, taking a moment to focus on anything. He saw the white walls with cabinets first, then a sink, then the line attached to his arm. It took him a moment to concentrate before he realized where he was: He was in the hospital!
He needed to get out! If Knock Out found him he'd kill him!
The Seeker started to sit up, but… Couldn't. His frame was simply too weak. He winced when he felt pain in his spark. He whined, trying to force himself up, but he couldn't even move his arms. His spark was starting to pulsate faster, which brought only more pain.
Then the door opened.
Knock Out was standing there, looking at him, his optics surprised almost… Then he smirked. The most evil of smirks.
"Well, well, well," The doctor sounded so triumphant. "Look what garbage was dragged into my hospital."
Starscream's spark raced faster, he was trembling now. This was it. This was how he would die!
Knock Out stood beside the berth, just smirking, then turned to the datapad he still held. "Hmm, too weak to move." He tsked. "Such a shame." He placed the datapad on the counter. I will have to find out why that is, my patient." He winked, then turned and walked to the sink.
He turned on the faucet, washed his servos, then dried them with a towel, which he tossed into a basket on the floor. He then took a mask and placed it over his faceplates, so it covered his mouth and olfactory sensor.
Starscream felt coolant pooling in his optics. He tried to move, but just couldn't. He was going to die horribly!
The door opened and a femme walked in. "Sorry, for being late, doctor."
"That's alright, Shadow." Knock Out replied casually, like nothing was happening.
Shadow looked at the datapad, reading through it quickly before washing her servos, and then putting on her own mask.
Knock Out waited for her to be ready before speaking. "Inability to move, low energon reserves, and overheating. I need a spark sample and energon sample."
"Testing for toxicity of energon?" She asked as she grabbed the equipment for drawing energon.
"Toxicity of energon, present viruses, and engex. His optics are dull, which could be from over energization or circuit booster use." Knock Out then turned to Starscream and carefully touched his plates.
Starscream trembled, but was surprised with how gentle Knock Out was as he manually forced open his chestplates. He swallowed when his spark was exposed. The nurse handed Knock Out a device, which Knock Out pressed against Starscream's spark. The Seeker winced from the pain, it feeling like a hard pinch. Knock Out handed the device to the nurse who placed it in a small container and labelled it with a marker.
Knock Out then opened more plates, exposing Starscream's organs. He looked at the inner workings and spoke as he did so.
"Fuel pump is working at 50%, T-cog is offline. Fuel tank is almost empty, reserves are at 40%." He continued as the nurse typed everything out on the datapad with Starscream's info. Finally, Knock Out got to the gestation tank. "Gestation tank… has buildup around the birth tube. Significant leakage. Hand me a swab."
The nurse did so and Knock Out used it to wipe up some of the black good on the gestation tank. He placed the swab into a small container which the nurse closed and labelled.
He looked up at Starscream, then reached down. Starscream swallowed as he felt Knock Out pulling his legs apart… Then open his codpiece.
"Hand me two more swabs." He instructed. "I need a rape kit as well."
"Yes, doctor."
Starscream swallowed, feeling more coolant leak out.
Knock Out glanced at Starscream before taking one of the swabs. He reached down and pressed the swab a little roughly into the Seeker, ensuring it wasn't pleasant. Starscream whined, but couldn't move. Knock Out placed the swab into a container that the nurse labelled. He took another swab, and this time pushed it into the Seeker's waste port, again, harsher than necessary. This too went into a container that got labelled. He then took the rape kit and pushed this swab in too harshly.
Starscream whined, biting his lower lip plate, only able to twitch some digits.
Knock Out finished taking the samples, then continued his examination. He closed Starscream's codpiece, washed his servos at the sink, dried them, and then walked to Starscream's face. He tilted the Seeker's helm back, and pried open his mouth. His one servo transformed into a flashlight, which he shined into the Seeker's mouth.
"Denting on the back of the throat." He spoke, to which the nurse wrote it down on the datapad. "Minor denta damage." He paused. "Hand me another swab."
Starscream whined as this swab was pushed to the back of his throat a little harsher than necessary.
Knock Out now looked at his optics, shining the light in them. "Optics have no damage." He then checked the Seeker's audio receptors, then looked at his throat. "Denting on the neck consistent to strangulation. Pinched cable on the left side."
He transformed the flashlight back into his servo, and began to look over the Seeker frame some more.
"Dents on his wrists, consistent to servos clasping." He looked at Starscream's waist. "Dents on the waist, both left and right. Hips also have dents." He pushed Starscream some so he could look under him. "Damage to the aft. Note, dents, scraped paint, and streaks of paint not consistent to the coloration of the patient."
He set Starscream back down and walked to the sink to wash his servos.
The nurse finished writing down everything Knock Out had said. "Would you like an officer to come down?"
Knock Out looked at her as he dried his servos on yet another towel before tossing it into the bin. "Not yet. Let me speak to the patient. Send the samples to the lab. I am going to get a pain reading."
The nurse set the datapad down on the counter, grabbed all the containers with the samples, and walked out.
Starscream's optics widened once the door closed, and he was alone with his nemesis.
Knock Out slowly removed the mask, smirking. "I know Megatron didn't do this to you."
Starscream swallowed. The doctor grabbed the wheeled chair from the corner, pulled it over, and sat on it. He crossed his arms as he leaned back.
"It's almost poetic how you, being you, end up in my hospital. What was it you said? You'd scrap me like an Autobot, or something like that?" He grabbed the datapad, his smirk growing. "Now looks who's the scrapheap."
"Knock Out…" Starscream said so weakly, surprised by how soft his vocalizer was. "Don't do this…."
"Do what?" Knock Out raised an optical ridge. "I'm just taking care of my patient." He smiled, it being so sinister. He looked at the datapad. "Now, tell your doctor how you feel."
"Are you being serious or threatening?"
"Serious. Are you dizzy? Nauseous? In any pain?"
"I want another doctor…"
"They're busy."
"I really need another doctor."
"Want to talk about who you were fragging?"
"No…"
"Then tell me how you feel. Is your spark hurting?" He said it a little harshly.
Starscream swallowed. "Y-yes… A little bit… It… Burns some."
Knock Out typed on his datapad. "Burning spark… When did that begin?"
"I don't know… I felt it… When I onlined… Two orbital cycles ago."
"So… After the hearing?"
Starscream felt coolant pooling in his optics, remembering the hearing. "Yeah… Like… That night. But it was worse yesterday."
Knock Out wrote that down. "Any other pain?"
"I… Feel queasy."
"Have you vomited?"
"I did. I think… Yesterday. I-I can't remember the last two orbital cycles too well…"
"When did you start to lose your ability to move?"
"Yesterday…"
"Have you felt dizzy? Disoriented?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Two orbital cycles ago…"
Knock Out wrote all of this down. "Now, Starscream… I need to ask you some more personal questions. I can tell you were fragged a lot. Definitely by more than one. Don't deny this. I am a trained medical professional and know the signs. You had oral interface, correct?"
Starscream swallowed. "Yes…"
"And you were penetrated by the valve and waste port, correct?"
"Yes…"
"Did anything else happen? Sparkbonding? Hitting?"
"There was some sparkbonding… I really don't remember much."
"Don't remember much of the interface? What happened?"
"Why do you need to know?" Starscream narrowed his optics.
"Because, prior to the hearing you were fine. Afterwards, you immediately took ill, as you recant. I need to know how and why so I can do my job."
"Why does it matter? You're just going to kill me."
Knock Out gave him a hard look. "You don't know me at all. I took an oath, Starscream. In this hospital you are my patient."
"I don't believe you. You're going to kill me." The Seeker said it firmly.
"Believe whatever you want. Now, what happened?"
"I don't remember! I was… fragged. By mechs… And I… I don't remember, okay!?"
Knock Out gave him a look before writing down something. "Is there anything else I should be apprised of? Did you do circuit boosters? Drink engex?"
"I don't know…"
"Well, when your test results come back, I'll know." Knock Out grunted.
The speedster stood and held up the datapad so Starscream could see.
"See this? This says you're in bad shape. You're going to be in my care for some time. Better get your attitude checked." He placed the datapad in a file holder on the side of the counter.
He then adjusted the energon drip, making the needle inside the Seeker's arm move some to ensure it hurt. Starscream whimpered, then glared at the doctor. Knock Out placed the nurse call button in Starscream's servo, then washed his servos at the sink once again.
"I enjoyed catching up, Starscream." He grunted, tossing another towel into the bin. "I suggest you get some recharge. I will be back to administer drugs. Not the kind you probably were just using…" He grumbled the last part.
The speedster walked to the door, looked back at the Seeker, then walked out. Starscream felt relieved when the door closed. He vented loudly, trying to think how he would get out of here. He looked around the room, but there were no windows, nothing. Just the berth, the counter, sink, cupboards, the chair with wheels, two chairs without wheels, a scale, and posters on the wall showing the different anatomy.
He couldn't believe he would be murdered by his enemy in a hospital. Why couldn't it be on the battlefield?
Starscream online a couple of joors later to the door opening. He felt his spark pulse quickening when he saw it was Knock Out who had entered the room. The doctor walked over to the Seeker and began to mess with the energon drip.
"What are you doing…?" Starscream asked weakly.
"I am giving you medicine." He connected another bag to the drip. "Some pain dampeners as well. You are too weak for an immediate full dosage so… I shall administer it with your energon."
"It's not poison, is it?"
Knock Out gave him a look. "If I was going to poison you, I wouldn't do it with the energon drip. That would leave evidence behind. I know how to hide a poisoning."
Starscream swallowed.
"How are you feeling?"
"Sick…"
"Be a bit more descriptive than that."
"Weak… My helm is killing me, my spark hurts, everything is sore… I feel like I transformed a thousand times at once…"
Knock Out picked up the datapad, wrote that down, then placed it back. He then vented a sigh. "Why do you smell so bad?"
Starscream didn't look at him, remembering onlining in the garbage and waste with the retrorats.
"You really need to be open with your doctor."
"You are trying to kill me!"
"You are my nemesis, yes, but right now, you're also my patient. My disgusting, idiotic, selfish, miserable, and plain stupid patient… But still my patient."
"I will report to your CR about abusing a patient."
Knock Out chuckled. "You want to report abuse when this hospital is run by Hook? Good luck!"
"You already are in trouble for your porn getting out…"
"Yes, that did get out. And I found out it's very popular and now many of my patients are excited to see the doctor they get off to at night. It's absolutely disgusting and gross and an insult to the sanctity of my mating, but… You made me a mini celebrity. They wouldn't fire a mini celebrity."
"I'm sure I can convince Hook."
"I'm pretty sure Hook eats nails with his energon. That mech doesn't let anyone convince him of anything."
Starscream tried to sit up, but he was still too weak. "I'll let them all know how you threatened me."
Knock Out shrugged. "You're a liar, Starscream. Everyone knows it. That's why Megatron was always beating on you. You lie, you betray, you're just a terrible person. You're the reason Fracture has night terrors!"
"He does not!"
Knock Out glared at him. "He doesn't remember exactly what happened to him, but his sub conscious does. And he has nightmares about a 'big, mean mech' attacking him. That's your fault." He pointed a claw at the Seeker. "You were never meant to be a carrier. You can't take care of a sparkling, much less yourself." He gestured at the Seeker for emphasize.
Starscream was furious, his optics narrowing. "You stole my son! And all you've done is lie! He's not yours!" He started to try and sit up again. "You're nothing but a backstabbing glitch! You said you'd help me and all you've done is hurt me! Over and over again! You took my sparkling!"
"The court gave him to me because you're so unfit to care for him. Fracture is healthy and alive because I stepped up to be the carrier he needed."
"You stole him from me! You miserable grounders took him from me solely because I'm a Seeker! I should kill you! You and your idiot mate! I'll cut out your sparks and-" He started to cough, his rage tiring himself out. "And shove them down-" He felt a horrible pain from his abdomen, then his helm started to become dizzier.
"And you'll…?" Knock Out raised an optical ridge, crossing his arms.
"I'll…" Starscream felt more ill, his body trembling, then… He purged all over himself.
The Seeker's optics widened, realizing he just vomited onto his own chestplates, unable to move himself to at least purge off the side of the berth. He swallowed, his fuel tank feeling like someone was punching it, and his entire frame hurting.
Knock Out didn't even flinch. He watched the Seeker a moment, then simply turned to the cabinets, grabbed cleaning solution and towels, and walked back to the Seeker. Without even hesitating, he began to wipe clean the Seeker's chestplates of all the purged energon. Starscream swallowed, watching him, expecting to see disgust in the doctor's face, but there was nothing. It was like Knock Out was doing something as simple as wiping down a counter.
The Seeker was beyond embarrassed, feeling disgusted with himself, and positive that Knock Out thought him to be filthy. But to Knock Out, it was just another orbital cycle dealing with sick patients. He was use to cleaning waste, purged energon, and other bodily fluids off patients for thousands of vorns. He was a doctor who dealt with the very sick, the injured, and even delivered sparklings. An orbital cycle he didn't have to handle body fluids were rare and far in between, especially after a war where he had to repair serious injuries that would be spurting energon, oil, and grease into his face.
This was just another sick patient needing to be cleaned to him. But for Starscream, it was utterly humiliating, and he was positive Knock Out would always mock him for this.
Knock Out finished cleaning off the vomit, then washed his servos. He looked at Starscream, noticing coolant leaking from those dim optics. The speedster turned back to the cabinets, grabbed a small bucket and more towels. Starscream watched as the grounder filled the bucket with water and soap, then set it down on the medberth beside him. He wrung out a sponge in the soapy water, then began to clean off the Seeker's plates.
Neither of them said a thing as Knock Out cleaned Starscream's arms, torso, legs, peds, codpiece, and even pushed the Seeker onto his side to reach his back plates. Knock Out had to dump out the filthy water, refill it, and go over the Seeker again, this time also cleaning the wings.
Knock Out paused when he reached the face. Slowly, he wiped Starscream's cheekplates clean, then his brow. He cleaned the helm, neck, and finally around his optics. He wiped down the flier with a towel.
Starscream swallowed, watching the doctor pour out the dirty bucket water, and toss the towels into the basket to be washed. Knock Out then washed his servos.
Knock Out started for the door, but stopped. He vented a sigh as he walked back over to the Seeker and unsubspaced a small box.
"You cannot be my patient and look like this." Knock Out sat on the wheeled chair as he prepared a brush.
Starscream didn't say anything, just bit his glossa as Knock Out began to paint optic liner on him…. Just as he had so many times in the past. The speedster didn't say anything as he worked, concentrating on making sure the Seeker's paint was perfect.
He then buffed the flier's cheekplates and fixed up the paint on the faceplates. He grabbed a mirror from a drawer and held it up for Starscream to see. The Seeker swallowed, seeing his face the way it always looked after Knock Out had beautified him.
Knock Out put the mirror back, subspaced his box with all the brushes, paints, and buffer, then handed Starscream the remote for the vidscreen. He walked out without another word.
Starscream watched the door, half expecting Knock Out to come back and push him off the medberth or something, but he didn't. Did that grounder do this to all his patients, or was he trying to lure Starscream into a false sense of security and then wham! Poison him.
The Seeker may never know…. Until it was too late.
"I'm home!" Knock Out announced as he walked into his house.
"Carrier!" Many voices screamed out at once.
"Hey, my mechlings!" Knock Out held out his arms as three sparklings all ran into him and hugged him.
He purred his engine, holding the older two mechlings with one arm, as the other was lower to hold Dead End close. He gave each mechling a kiss on their cheekplates before releasing them.
"How was your orbital cycle?" He smiled at them.
"School sucked." Fracture grunted.
"I fell down and scraped my knee!" Wildbreak proclaimed, displaying the injured knee to his carrier.
"How did that happen?" Knock Out raised an optical ridge.
"He pushed me." Wildbreak pointed at Fracture.
"Why did you push your brother?"
"He was being annoying." Fracture grunted.
"That's still not a good reason to push him."
"I HELPED PUSH HIM!" Dead End shrieked, then giggled before he resumed hugging Knock Out's leg.
Knock Out rolled his optics. "Don't be violent to each other. You will get enemies when adults so will have to depend on each other's help. Being violent to the ones you love won't get you far in life. It will leave you sad and alone."
"Hey, babe!" Breakdown greeted as he raised his arm high and smacked Knock Out on the aft hard.
"Ouch!" Knock Out spun around and shoved at him. "I am literally telling our creations to not be violent with each other and you are violent towards me!"
Breakdown only laughed. "You love it."
"I do not! You have hit my aft literally every orbital cycle since the wedding and I am sick and tired of it!"
"You never tire of me."
"I do." He pushed at his mate.
Breakdown only grabbed his wrists, pulled him closer, and wrapped an arm around Knock Out's waist. "You love it when I piss you off."
"Stop it." Knock Out raised a claw in the truck's face. "I mean it." He said sternly as Breakdown only inched his face closer to Knock Out's. "Stop! Don't make me tell the mechlings to save me from you."
"They like it when I annoy you with my infinite love." His face was almost in kissing distance of Knock Out's.
"We actually don't…" Fracture replied.
Breakdown looked at him. "Just you wait until you have a mate. Then you will be annoying them every single orbital cycle and will be happy about it."
"Or be the one being annoyed…." Fracture grumbled.
"Even better!" Breakdown laughed before forcibly kissing Knock Out on the cheekplates despite the smaller mech's struggling.
"Stop! Breakdown, don't-!" Knock Out continued trying to escape, only for his Conjunx Endura to viciously tickle him.
"Say you love me." Breakdown smirked, not ceasing his "torture."
"If you don't stop, I won't tell you drama!" Knock Out barely managed to yell because his forced laughter from the tickling.
Breakdown immediately ceased. "Drama? Ooh! I love drama! Did Bolt finally break up with Gearshift? Is Celestial getting the divorce!? Tell me!"
Knock Out managed to push himself free. "Calm down. Let me tell my beautiful sons I love them, first."
Knock Out turned to the mechlings and first cupped Wildbreak's cheekplates. He lovingly nuzzled his eldest son's faceplates and kissed his brow. "Love you, Wildbreak."
"Love you, too, carrier!" Wildbreak beamed, so happy to have Knock Out as his carrier.
Knock Out then kneeled and did the same to Dead End. "Love you, Dead End."
"I LOVE YOU, CARRIER!" Dead End exclaimed for the whole universe to know.
Knock Out then stood and cupped Fracture's faceplates. The mechling smiled up at him, but his smile wasn't like this "siblings." He looked nothing like the other two. Wildbreak and Dead End were so obviously related. They had the same optics, same orange faces, everything was either from Breakdown or Knock Out.
But not Fracture. He was painfully obviously not their biological son. Other people noticed and asked Knock Out if he was from another partner, or something scandalous. It scared Knock Out that Fracture may figure it out on his own and be upset he was never told, or might be bullied for being adopted. He didn't want to tell Fracture the truth, but it was going to come out sooner or later…
"Carrier?"
Knock Out noticed he had stopped smiling. He quickly forced it back, then nuzzled Fracture on the faceplates, his engine purring when he heard Fracture purr his own. "I love you, Fracture. My sweet mechling."
"Love you, too, carrier." Fracture broadly grinned, looking up at Knock Out with so much love and pride at being able to call him carrier.
How could he ever tell that face he wasn't actually his?
He kissed Fracture on the brow before releasing him. "I love you three so much. I need to talk to your sire about something real quick, and then I'll tuck you all into berth."
"Okay, carrier!" Wildbreak skipped off.
Fracture glanced back at Knock Out before chasing after his brother. Dead End refused to leave and only hugged his carrier's leg in defiance. The speedster couldn't deny that pudgy face of his youngest, so picked him up, which was getting harder. The sparkling was almost too big to carry, but how could Knock Out stop holding his little sparkling?
"So…" Breakdown pried as he watched Knock Out kiss Dead End on the cheekplates. "What's the gossip?"
"Oh my gosh…." Knock Out turned to him, smirking. "Guess what miserable pile of scrap got checked into emergency this morning."
"I can't guess. Tell me!"
"Our former Air Commander."
Breakdown's optics widened. "What for? Did Megatron beat him?"
"No, he is diseased. I am waiting for the test results, but he has some serious virus. He can't even move. I suspect he got something from whoring himself."
"Why do you suspect that?"
"Because his…" He paused to cover Dead End's audio receptors, and then continued with whispering. "His intimacy was covered in trans fluid and… Specific signs of intercourse I'm not saying while Dead End is right here. His gestation tank literally was tearing apart from having so much…. Sparkling juice put into it…. He had dents in the back of his throat."
"But he looked fine at the hearing."
"He said he had intercourse after the hearing, but won't say with who. Multiple mechs for sure. He's in a bad state. All he can do is speak, and he can barely do that."
"Who is his doctor."
"I am."
Breakdown gave him a look. "Don't do anything illegal."
Knock Out smirked. "I won't. You'd be surprised how much is actually legal."
"Babe…"
"I joke!" Knock Out gently shoved at his mate.
"I know you're not. I mean it. Behave or else."
"Or else what?"
"You know what I'll do."
"You leave my aft out of this. I'm not going to do anything, promise. Starscream is my patient."
"Uh huh. I better not hear anything on the news about the passing of the infamous Starscream of Vos."
"And if you don't trust me then… I guess no fun times for you." Knock Out said it sternly.
"How dare you threaten me with no fun times! I need those times!"
"Then trust me."
"Fine. Did you report this to Prime?"
"Why?"
"He should know. There's still a custody battle going on."
"Yes, I'll make a report once I know what Starscream has."
"Good." Breakdown then smirked. "Can we put the mechlings to berth and have some fun time?"
"After this victory?" Knock Out then lustfully smirked. "I'm sucking you dry, big guy." He purred.
"WOOOOOO!" Breakdown threw his fists in the air. "Everyone in berth! Time to recharge!"
Starscream onlined when he heard the door to his room open. He had been cared for all night by a nurse, so he expected it to be the nurse again… It wasn't.
Knock Out walked in with a datapad. The speedster sat on the wheeled chair, rolled it over to the medberth, and leaned back.
"I have your test results, commander." He mockingly said the last part.
Starscream narrowed his optics. "What is it?"
"You, my nemesis, are infected by not one, not two, but three ITVs. That's Interface Transmitted Virus. It's something you get when you frag without using protection, or know who you're even fragging. But you being a whore…" He lifted the datapad to read off it. "You have an ITV we like to call, 'Spark Rust.' As the name suggests, it causes erosion to the spark. This is a serious virus, Starscream. This virus kills many. If you hadn't been admitted to hospital when you were you'd be dead." He paused. "Pity… Would have saved me a lot of trouble…
"Spark Rust loves to chomp away at the spark and weaken it. It means, for your simple processor to understand, that your spark is growing weaker each orbital cycle and will continue to do so unless you have surgery. But, Spark Rust has yet to be cured. People suffer from this for life! While we do have the technology to treat it and ensure people can still live a very long life, even by our species' standards, it does come with one major problem: It reduces the chance of a successful spark fusion. In bolt processor words, your chances of making another spark, and therefore life, is significantly lowered. Thank Primus… You already majorly fragged up your first carrying…"
Starscream swallowed. "I… Might never become sparked again?"
"Very likely. It's sadly not zero, but you're not as fertile as you were before." Knock Out grunted. "And that's just one of the viruses you contracted. You also have an ITV lovingly referred to as 'rust valve,' because it rusts away your privates and makes it very itchy in your intimacy. So that discomfort from your valve, birth tube, and waste port is coming from this. The third ITV is wonderful as well. This one is less of a virus and more of a tiny, microscopic androids eating away at your inside. Think scraplets, but smaller, and all up inside of your valve, birth tube, gestation tank, and making their way to your organs. That's why you're vomiting so much, because they are inside your fuel tank and fuel pump munching away!"
Starscream just stared at the ceiling, feeling coolant pooling in his optics. He didn't say anything, not wanting to respond to Knock Out's condescending tone.
"I'm not done yet." Knock Out continued. "While those are the ITVs, the viruses you got from fragging strangers for Shanix or just because you love a different spike in you every night, you also have another android disease. This one you didn't get from your interface partners. This one is common in retrorats and other little trash dwellers. They are energon fleas, and they are sucking your energon out from the tubes while we speak. They burrow inside your tubes, and just drink up all they want while laying their little android eggs. Circle of life happening in you as we speak. Thankfully, they are very easy to kill. The ITVs will be a bit more difficult."
He lowered the datapad and watched Starscream, but the Seeker remained silent. Knock Out grabbed the other datapad, worked on transferring the test results to Starscream's file, and then placed that datapad back into the file holder. He waited to see if Starscream would say anything, but the jet still didn't speak. Knock Out rubbed over his faceplates.
"Part of me wants to just leave you to die of these very painful diseases." The speedster finally spoke, his arms crossed. "You really deserve it. After everything you put me through, what you did to Fracture… Everything you did to so many throughout the war… You're such a terrible person, Starscream. It's like your fate to suffer for causing so much suffering!" He paused before continuing. "But, you're also my patient and I do love a challenge. I really should give you a new brain module because… You are so fragging stupid. Gosh, I pray Fracture did not take after you in that."
He stood. "The plan of action is this: I will treat the android fleas first since that's the easiest. You will feel worse as your energon will be tainted, but it's the only way to kill them. I will then have to flush your energon and replace it with new energon to ensure all of the android fleas and their larvae are out of you. Then, I will focus on the ITVs in your intimacy. The ITV androids will require a freezing treatment. They can't handle the cold and depend on warm engines to survive. It will be unpleasant, but lowering your body below freezing will kill them off, and then I will have to flush your organs to ensure they are gone. Rust valve simply is an ointment. It's the most common ITV so don't worry about it. I've treated it many times. I probably treat it at least once an orn.
"Once the androids and rust valve are cured, your frame will be able to heal. You won't feel nauseous, you will gain strength, and your intimacy won't itch. I will allow your frame to heal and grow stronger before I do surgery on your spark. The surgery is… Not as simple because it is your spark… But I've done far harder spark surgeries. You will be put in stasis lock for it."
"And I suppose that's when you will 'slip' the scalpel and finish me." Starscream said softly.
Knock Out rolled his optics. "Don't insult me, Starscream. I am a perfectionist at my craft. 'Slipping' would only embarrass me. When you die it will be obvious that your stupidity was the reason, not me making mistakes I never make."
Starscream didn't speak immediately. "How soon until the surgery?"
"Depending on how quickly the other viruses die, and how quickly you self repair… An orn. Definitely less than a decacycle."
"That long…?"
"What, you have something better to do?" Knock Out raised an optical ridge.
Starscream remained silent. He didn't want to talk to Knock Out anymore.
Knock Out walked to the door. "Rest, Starscream. I will be back to begin the treatment."
And with that, he left the room, leaving a very anxious Seeker alone.
Starscream onlined again to find Knock Out washing his servos at the sink and a nurse setting up an energon pump. He felt his spark pulsating faster, watching the doctor closely.
"Ah, you're online." Knock Out said once he noticed Starscream's optics were glowing. "We are about to begin the energon drain. You will have your infected energon pumped out of you, new energon pumped in that has the poison for the android fleas, that will be allowed to circulate for a joor, then it will be pumped out and normal energon pumped back into you." He explained as he started to help the nurse prepare the equipment. "My assistant for this procedure is Gunsmoke."
"Hi." The mech nurse smiled.
"Gunsmoke is good at what he does so please don't give him a hard time."
Starscream remained silent, watching them work. Knock Out removed the energon drip, a little roughly to ensure it hurt, and then put in a new needle, this one thicker. He ensured it hurt enough that Starscream yelped a little. Knock Out then opened Starscream's abdominal plating, pushed another needle into a primary fuel line, which hurt, and then readied the machine. Soon, energon was being sucked out of the Seeker as new energon, tinted pink, was pumped in. He could feel the energon moving inside of his fuel lines. It wasn't painful, but definitely not pleasant.
The Seeker whined, not liking the feeling.
"Would you prefer to be in stasis during this? It's going to be a while." The doctor asked as he checked over the readings on the pump machine.
Starscream swallowed. "And you kill me while I'm unable to defend myself?"
"You can't defend yourself now…"
Starscream winced from the pumping getting a little faster. Knock Out vented a sigh.
"I'm putting you in stasis lock. When you online the pump treatment will be over, and I'll allow you to rest for the rest of the orbital cycle. We'll do the freeze treatment tomorrow morning."
Starscream felt his spark jumping when Knock Out placed a servo on his helm. He felt the plates moving, he felt Knock Out plugging the chord in, his HUD popped up with a system alert, then… Everything was black.
Starscream onlined, feeling weird, and tired. He looked up to see Knock Out before him.
"The android flea treatment was a success. All the bad energon has been removed and replaced with good energon. Samples were taken and it appears the android fleas are gone. I want you to rest the rest of the orbital cycle." He then handed Starscream the remote for the vidscreen. "Not too much. Recharge as much as you can. I'll see you again for the freezing treatment. Gunsmoke will apply the first round of treatment for the rust valve in a bit." He patted Starscream on the shoulder. "I will see you in the morning. I will be spending my night having interface with my mate, and reminding Fracture he is safe and loved with me." He smirked.
Starscream glared at him.
Knock Out evilly smiled as he walked to the door and out, leaving the Seeker alone.
"Mmmm, I deserve this." Knock Out smirked as he sat in the bathtub filled with oil, a glass of engex in one servo, and the other servo held by Breakdown as he filed the claws.
"You deserve everything, my queen." Breakdown smiled, sitting on the floor next to the tub as he worked on his mate's claws, sharpening and shining them.
"Work was so hard…" Knock Out offlined his optics, sinking deeper into the oil until it reached his neck. "I had to deal with Starscream some more."
"And how did that go?"
"Not too terrible… The android fleas have been dealt with, so just the ITVs are left."
"I'm sure that won't be hard to handle."
"Hmm," Knock Out sipped from his engex. "His test results also showed he was inebriated. He had a lot of excess energy in his energon."
"You think he was drunk when he fragged whoever he did?"
"Oh, I know he was. He definitely was quite intoxicated. The question is if he was drinking with the mechs who fragged him, before he fragged them, or after."
"Do you suspect it was forced?"
"He's a whore so probably was consensual. But, I'll have to talk to him about it. Not like he will be honest with me."
"Did you contact Prime?"
"I sent him everything I'm legally allowed to. He knows the viruses Starscream has, the treatment plan, that he was drunk, the results of the rape kit, and how Starscream is physically doing."
"What were the results of the rape kit?" Breakdown finished filing Knock Out's claws and now began to shine them.
"I can't tell you everything, but five mechs injected their trans fluid into him."
"All together?"
"Seems like it happened in a gang bang." Knock Out rolled his optics. "Slagging whore…" He grumbled before sipping more of his engex.
"That's why we have Fracture." Breakdown grunted. "Keep him far away from that world."
"It terrifies me thinking what might have happened to Fracture if Starscream never came to us when he did, or if we never took action. He would be dead…"
"Don't think about those things. He's here, he's alive, and he's loved." Breakdown massaged Knock Out's servo now.
"I really don't want to see him again… That Seeker is just a drain on everyone…"
"Well, you always can come home to be spoiled by me." Breakdown smiled.
"I love being spoiled by you." Knock Out smiled back.
"We should hop in the shower and-"
The door was opened, and Dead End raced in.
"Carrier! I want bath, too!" He proclaimed as he went straight to the tub, used his sire's legs as a ladder to help him climb up, and fell face first into the oil, flipping over as he did so.
Knock Out vented a sigh. "It was nice while it lasted…"
Dead End shot his helm out from the oil, spitting out oil at his sire, and then flaring his arms, making oil splatter all over his creators and the washroom. He laughed, sitting on his carrier's lap as he splashed in the oil, so happy to be included in whatever his carrier was doing.
"Would you like me to do your digits?" Breakdown inquired of his youngest.
"Yes!" Dead End held out his servo, posing just like his carrier.
Breakdown took the tiny servo and began to file the tiny claws. Knock Out sighed before sipping from his engex.
Starscream bit his lower lip plate, his HUD warning him about how cold his systems were. He looked down, watching Knock Out closely as the doctor stood by. Starscream's body was in a large tube-like machine, only his helm sticking out as he lied down. The machine made him freezing cold, far colder than the tundras of Cybertron. But, this extreme cold was supposed to kill the androids eating away at his organs…
"Doing alright?" Knock Out inquired when he finally looked down at the Seeker.
"Yeah… Just peachy." Starscream grunted, trying to ignore the warning he was now receiving on his HUD about how his fuel pump was having trouble pumping.
"Just a little bit longer." Knock Out commented, looking at a datapad, then back at the Seeker. "So… Your test results from yesterday also showed you had been drinking. Want to elaborate on that?"
"No." He snapped, his optics narrowing.
Knock Out smirked. "Even to your own doctor you lie. I know you were drinking a lot, Starscream. Want to see the results? I also know from a certain other test that at least five mechs used you as their plaything. Was that consensual or…?"
"Why do you care?"
"Well, I am your doctor. Should you have been inebriated to the point of being unable to consent… I am a mandated reporter. I would have to inform the cops." He paused to wave the datapad he held some. "The Prime has the results. He knows you were fragged by at least five mechs, that you were intoxicated, and about the viruses. He also knows the state you were in when you arrived and how you currently are doing." He paused. "He might pay you a visit when you are no longer unable to even move."
Starscream swallowed. He did not want Prime to see him like this… Or anyone.
"Be honest, Starscream. What happened that night?" He said it in a tone that wasn't mocking, but actually sounded like the old Knock Out.
Starscream glared at the ceiling, not sure if he should say anything. At least, not say everything.
"I… I did go to a bar to get something… And I might have had more drinks than I had originally intended…"
Knock Out cocked his helm, leaning against the machine. "And…?"
"And…. I don't really remember much. I remember… Some mechs… And I remember going with them somewhere…. And then…" He bit his lower lip plate, remembering some of what he could… And none of it was pleasant.
Knock Out rubbed his faceplates when he saw the coolant pooling in Starscream's optics. "Stars…." He watched him a moment. "I can make a report and they will be found. We have their CNA. I will be your witness."
Starscream shook his helm. "I'm not going to court."
"If they hurt you-"
"Just… Drop it. You're supposed to be curing me not pestering me about what I did with some mechs."
"Starscream, if you were under the influence your processor wasn't in any state to make educated decisions. And if those mechs took advantage of you in such a state, action should be taken. Especially if one of those mechs is carrying such a deadly virus. It would save many other people to find out who he is and ensure he can't make anyone else sick."
Starscream didn't speak, instead he looked away, wanting to forget the few things he did remember about that night. Knock Out bit his glossa, rubbed his faceplates, then turned to the machine. He turned it off, and pulled the tray berth Starscream was lying on.
"That's enough. They should all be dead." The doctor spoke.
He pulled the wheeled stretcher over, then helped Starscream sit up. The Seeker could move his arms some, but still not his legs. Knock Out picked him up bridal style, turned around, and gentled placed him on the stretcher. He helped adjust the Seeker's legs and wings, so he was comfortable, then started to wheel him out of the room.
Starscream didn't say anything, his servos slowly clasping each other over his abdomen as he looked at his HUD. Knock Out also remained silent, only speaking when a nurse walked over and helped him wheel Starscream back to his room, and then assisted Knock Out in lifting Starscream up and placing him back on the medberth.
Knock Out wrote something in the datapad, set it back in its holder, then scanned Starscream.
"It looks good. I will let the nurse finish the treatment for this orbital cycle and then I'll catch up with you tomorrow." He studied the Seeker a moment. "I hope you are a little more open with me then."
Starscream only looked down, not wanting to look at the speedster. Knock Out gave some instructions to the nurse, then walked out.
"He's either ashamed or hiding something. He wouldn't tell me." Knock Out whispered as he picked up a recharging Dead End from the couch.
"He's prideful. Why would he tell you if he was taken advantage of by a group of creeps." Breakdown grunted, turning off the vidscreen, and then carefully picking up a recharging Wildbreak from the couch.
"He needs to tell me so I know if I need to make a report."
"You're not going to get him to talk if you're mean to him." Breakdown held Wildbreak with one arm against his chestplates as he scooped up a recharging Fracture in the other arm.
"How can I be nice to someone who has done the things he's done?" Knock Out growled as he started for the stairs, his mate following.
"He's a terrible person, I'm not disagreeing with you. But of how awful he is if he was raped he still needs that justice."
Knock Out walked into Dead End's room and carefully placed the little one on his berth. "He could just be playing off his emotional outburst from the hearing." Knock Out placed a blanket over Dead End, then walked out of the room to go into Wildbreak's.
"I don't think he was lying about Megatron raping him. Megatron has been using Starscream for the entire war." Breakdown followed his mate into the second berthroom.
Knock Out carefully took Wildbreak from Breakdown's hold, and placed him in his berth before covering him with a blanket. "He shouldn't have kept that secret from Prime. He has to lie about everything."
"He does…" Breakdown followed Knock Out out of Wildbreak's room and into Fracture's. He then carefully placed Fracture onto his berth, and Knock Out covered him with a blanket. "But there's some things he wouldn't because of his arrogance."
Knock Out walked out of Fracture's room and towards his own, Breakdown right behind him. "I suppose you're right… But he only admitted to the drinking and being fragged by so many after the test results. When he couldn't hide the truth."
"Well, you have him in a corner." Breakdown turned off the light in their room.
Knock Out sat on the berth, then lied down. "Yeah, a cornered animal becomes more aggressive."
Breakdown got on his side of the berth, then wrapped his arm around Knock Out's waist, pulling him close to him. "They do get aggressive, but that's when you offer them treats and be nice so they earn your trust."
"You're suggesting I bribe him with treats?" Knock Out looked back at his mate.
"Well," Breakdown smirked. "That would work on me!"
Knock Out rolled his optics. "Starscream isn't you."
"You know him better than me. You do what you think is best." He then kissed Knock Out on the cheekplates before settling down and offlining his optics.
Knock Out settled down himself, a servo lowering to rest over his mate's as it held his waist. He vented a sigh, then offlined his optics.
Five Orbital Cycles Later:
Starscream hadn't seen Knock Out since the freezing treatment. Only a nurse ever came to visit him to give him energon, check on him, help him clean, and treat him for the rust valve. Thankfully, Knock Out did manage to kill both types of androids that had been infecting him, and all tests came back negative for their presence.
He was getting better from the rust valve, and his strength was returning to him. He could sit up on his own, but his legs still didn't want to work. He got tired very easily, and his helm still got dizzy. But at least he no longer felt nauseous and could move his arms.
The Seeker was watching the vidscreen, unable to do anything else, when the door opened. He swallowed when he saw it was Knock Out.
"You're sitting up. Good." The doctor walked in with a tray of energon.
"Where have you been?" Starscream eyed him, trying to perk his wings, but they refused to rise.
"I have been seeing other patients. You didn't need me every orbital cycle hovering over you. The nurses took good care of you, I'm sure."
"They have been very nice… Minus that magenta femme… She's a glitch."
"Lightsaber? Oh my gosh, she is such a glitch!" Knock Out replied as he placed the tray on the counter beside the Seeker.
"She is! Why is she so grouchy?"
Knock Out grabbed the wheeled chair, sat on it, and rolled over. "Maybe she never has had a good overload." He shrugged, unsubspacing the energon he had brought from home.
Starscream watched the doctor pour additives into a glass of the energon on the tray, and then place the tray over Starscream's lap with the legs on the tray resting on the medberth. He then grabbed his own energon and leaned back.
"Are you poisoning me?" Starscream eyed the energon before him.
"While I'm on break I'm also still on the clock. I'm not killing you while working. While my work does try to kill me, I still like my job." He then sipped from his energon.
"Why are you spending your break with me…? Don't you have a breakroom you can hang out with the other doctors…?"
"Doctors never break at the same time. And, I never go in the break room… The nurses have taken over. That's their territory now…"
"Do doctors and nurses not get along?"
"Oh, we get along fine, just… Nurses tend to do the most labor, so sometimes they are a little mad at the doctors who don't do as much labor. And also, the fact the doctors boss them around… We just don't mingle on breaks. Before the war when hospitals weren't so understaffed, yeah, sure, we could mingle. But now… We stick to our own kind more."
"Who knew the inner workings of a hospital were so complicated." Starscream picked up the glass, still not sure if he should drink it.
"You have no idea." He drank his energon, then noticed Starscream's arm was shaking.
The Seeker managed to raise the glass to his lip plates and sip a little, but his arm quickly grew tired, and he had to place the glass back on the tray.
"Doing alright?"
"I'm fine." Starscream offlined his optics for a moment, wishing he wasn't still so weak.
Knock Out quickly drank his energon, finishing it, then set aside his glass. He wheeled the chair over until he was beside the Seeker, and reached over. The speedster picked up the glass and held it up to the Seeker's lip plates. Starscream glanced uncertainly at him, but opened his mouth. Slowly, Knock Out helped him drink his energon until it was all gone. The grounder set the glass on the counter next to his, grabbed a towel, and wiped around the Seeker's mouth as if he was cleaning the mouth of a sparkling.
"How is your spark feeling?" Knock Out inquired.
Starscream looked down at his servos. "It still hurts some. Not as bad as it was a few orbital cycles ago."
"That's good. And I saw the androids are all gone. How is the rust valve?"
"Still itchy but not as bad."
"Good. You are repairing nicely. Hopefully, I will be able to perform the spark surgery within the next three orbital cycles."
"Not an orn?"
"It's already been just over half an orn since you checked in."
"Right…" Starscream didn't look at him.
"It's okay to be scared of surgery."
"I don't trust you." Starscream said it firmly.
"I know you don't. I know nothing I say will change that. But I'm not killing one of my patients. Maybe after you are released from hospital, but not while you're here." Knock Out grunted.
Starscream was silent a moment. "How… How's Fracture?" He asked softly.
"He's doing well. Close to being the top of his class. He's been having a few struggles in some of his classes, but he's working hard. He spends a lot of his time training Diesel."
Starscream didn't speak, just watched his servos as they slowly wrung.
"Starscream," Knock Out hesitated, then placed a servo on Starscream's thigh. "Did those mechs rape you?"
The Seeker didn't say anything.
"You know… During the war I had to deal with a lot of assault. So many mechs, and femmes, would come into my infirmary and be in pain. I saw the signs of their assault, and knew what happened. And they would confide in me. Some of the mechs who were assaulted were not tiny. I would have tanks crying their sparks out to me telling me how they were hurt. And I would have to report all of it to an officer or Decepticon High Justice." He studied the Seeker's face, but Starscream wasn't looking at him still. "I told you some mech tried to assault me once, right? And how pissed Breakdown was? We live in a fragged up world… Everyone can be hurt."
"Please, just… Drop it. I'm not saying anything." Starscream squeezed his own servos tightly.
"Are you embarrassed? Or is it because it's me?"
"I'm not saying anything."
"Would you like another doctor to make a report? I won't see it if someone else does it. It's the policies here."
"I'm not talking about it."
"Alright…" Knock Out stood, grabbed the tray, and the empty energon glasses. "I'll check on you again in a couple of orbital cycles and see if you're strong enough for surgery. If you do change your mind… Let a nurse know."
The speedster then left. Starscream swallowed. He did want to talk to Knock Out about what happened, and be comforted by him, but… This wasn't the old Knock Out. He couldn't trust him anymore. What if Knock Out was trying to get information to use against him in the custody battle?
No, he had to stay silent. Even if he really needed someone to talk to and have them give him a hug.
Starscream was lying on his medberth watching TV when Knock Out came in. It had been a few orbital cycles since he had last seen the doctor.
"Morning, Starscream," He greeted, neither friendly nor aggressive. "How have you been feeling?"
"Alright." Starscream replied softly.
"Any pain?"
"Just in my spark."
"Any itchiness? Nausea? Dizziness?"
"No to the first two. I am sometimes dizzy, but it's not as bad as it has been…"
"I'm going to check you now. Do not claw or bite me…" He grunted the last part.
Starscream remained silent as he watched Knock Out wash his servos, put his mask on, and then approach. The doctor carefully opened up plates on the Seeker's torso and began to inspect the organs, cables, pistons, etcetera inside. The Seeker swallowed, nervous about his arch nemesis literally messing with his insides, but he was too weak to fight back.
"You're looking good, Starscream." Knock Out commented. "No signs of rust, or leakage. The damage from the androids looks like it has recovered nicely. There is some scaring on the fuel pump and the gestation tank, but nothing that will cause issues." He then carefully replaced the wires, plates, and cables he had moved to see the organs. "I'm going to look at your intimacy now. Can you open your codpiece or are you unable to?"
Starscream bit his lower lip plate. He saw that the ability to move them was online again, but he… Couldn't bring himself to doing it.
"That's fine." Knock Out said calmly, reaching down and so gently manually doing it. It was nothing like when Megatron forced it open. "The rust is gone, at least on the outside. We'll continue treating it just to be sure." He closed the codpiece back up.
Knock Out walked over to the sink, washed his servos, dried them on a towel, and tossed that towel into the basket to be washed. He approached the jet, and this time opened up his chest plates. The grounder inspected the spark, then very carefully poked around it.
"Does that hurt?"
Starscream anxiously looked up at him. "A-a little…" He stuttered, feeling his spark pulsating faster.
"This might hurt a little. I'm going to rotate the spark to see the backside. I need you to stay calm."
"Please, don't touch my spark." Starscream said quickly, feeling his servos trembling.
"I have to check it to make sure it's healthy enough for operation. Rotating a spark is harmless."
"I don't trust you!"
"And I don't trust you."
"Please… Don't touch it…"
Knock Out ignored that, and began to carefully rotate the spark, being very slow and gentle. Starscream was trembling more now, positive he would die this way, unable to even fight back.
Knock Out slowly rotated it back into place, then closed up the spark chamber and the chest plates. He removed his mask.
"Hey," He waited until the Seeker was looking at him. "It's healthy enough for surgery. I'll have you scheduled for tomorrow."
He then went to the sink and washed his servos. Starscream swallowed, watching him closely.
"Why do you constantly wash your servos?" The Seeker finally blurted out.
Knock Out looked up at him as he was drying his servos off. "Because I need to ensure that I don't get you sick, and you don't get me sick."
"You do it a lot when around me…"
"I do this with all my patients, Starscream."
"You didn't do it much on the Nemesis."
"The Nemesis was severely out of stock on soap and many other necessities. I had to sterilize my servos with heat. It was unpleasant and terrible for my claws."
"You're not doing this because you think I'm a gross Seeker?" Starscream raised an optical ridge.
"I can assure you that is not the reason. This is a hospital, Starscream. I'm required to remain clean at all times. Why do you think I have to fix my digits so often? The constant washing is not ideal…"
Starscream eyed him, not sure if he believed him or not. Knock Out vented a sigh.
"I will see you tomorrow, Starscream."
And with that, he left.
Starscream swallowed as he sat on a wheelchair being pushed down a hallway by a nurse. He Didn't want to be here. He didn't want Knock Out to perform surgery on him!
He was brought into the operating room. It was so plain, nothing on the walls, with the operation table in the middle surrounded by smaller tables filled with surgical equipment. Bright lights shined down on the operation table, and several nurses wearing masks were present.
Starscream looked over and saw Knock Out. The doctor was wearing his mask and checking the equipment he was going to use.
Two nurses lifted the Seeker up and laid him down on the operation table. The nurse who had wheeled him in left with the wheelchair, and the door closed behind him.
Starscream glanced from nurse to nurse, not recognizing any of them. He began to tremble.
"Morning, Starscream." Knock Out said as he turned around, a scalpel in one servo.
Starscream felt his spark pulsating faster, his optics widening.
"Please, put the patient in stasis lock and we will begin."
A nurse reached over to touch Starscream's helm, but the Seeker jerked it away.
"Don't touch me!" He shouted, weakly trying to sit up, but having difficulty. "I'm not getting surgery! He's not touching me!"
One nurse grabbed his arm and shoulder and pinned him down. The Seeker tried to claw him with the free arm, but another nurse quickly grabbed that wrist. He tried kicking, but his legs barely moved. His spark suddenly sent searing pain through his chest, causing him to cry out.
"Put him into stasis lock!" One nurse holding him down shouted.
"No! Stop!" Starscream kept struggling, not wanting to die this orbital cycle.
"Stop!"
The nurses froze, looking up at Knock Out.
"Let him go." The speedster ordered, setting aside the scalpel and removing his mask.
"But-"
"Do it."
The nurses slowly released Starscream and stepped back. Knock Out approached the jet.
"Hey, Stars, look at me." He said it like how he used to speak to the Seeker. "I've done this surgery many times. It's going to be alright."
Starscream looked at him, a servo over his chestplate, his spark pulsating vicious pain. Coolant filled his optics, partly from the pain, and partly from the fear. "Don't kill me… You have taken enough from me…"
Knock Out hesitated, then took his servo in his. He leaned over the Seeker, holding the black claws against his chestplates. "I'm not killing you. I'm repairing you. I would never kill my own patient. Listen, Stars, you have to relax. You're stressing yourself and causing your spark to damage itself more."
"Don't kill me…" He said it so quietly.
"Listen, you are going to have this surgery, you will online, and you'll be seeing Fracture again. I promise."
Starscream swallowed, still not sure if he could trust the very person who had promised to kill him before. "I… Knock Out, please don't do this…."
"It's already done."
Starscream's optics widened, feeling the nurse opening the panel on his helm. But before he could react, everything went dark.
Starscream slowly onlined. He felt so groggy, so… Out of it. What had happened? Where was he?
His optics widened remembering where he last had been. He startled, but was too weak to move. He could only lie there, looking around, trying to online more.
He noticed he was connected to an energon drip, and was in his room again, the remote by his servo. Then he noticed the nurse.
"Feeling alright?" The nurse inquired.
"I… Feel exhausted…" He could say barely louder than a whisper.
"You will feel tired for some time. Spark surgeries are very hard on your frame. It was a successful surgery, and you simply need to rest, now." He explained. "Do you need anything?"
"Where's Knock Out?"
"Knock Out got off two joors ago. You've been recharging all orbital cycle."
"He didn't kill me…?"
"No, silly." The nurse smiled. "You had a good surgery." The nurse patted his shoulder. "You rest. Ring if you need anything. I'll be checking on other patients."
Starscream watched him leave before falling back into recharge.
It had been a few orbital cycles since the surgery and Starscream was feeling a lot better. He still wasn't walking, but he didn't have pain in his spark, he could refuel himself, and he could sit up with relative ease.
He hadn't seen Knock Out since the surgery, only the nurses, which he was fine with.
He looked up when the door opened, his wings perking at who he saw.
"Hey," Breakdown smiled. "You feeling okay?"
"Yeah… I feel a lot better." Starscream said softly.
"Do you mind visitors?"
"That's fine."
"Great." Breakdown looked back into the hallway. "Come in!"
Dead End charged in first, carrying a datapad in one servo and a stuffed toy in another. He went straight for the chair with wheels and climbed onto it. Wildbreak skipped inside behind his little brother, grinning broadly, somehow looking even more like his sire than ever before. Lastly, Fracture walked in, holding a card.
Starscream's wings fluttered, then lowered. He was happy to see his son, but also wish he didn't see him like this…
"Hey, Starscream." Fracture said, walking over. "Uh, we made this for you." He handed the card over.
"We made it with love!" Wildbreak giggled, hugging Fracture from behind.
Starscream took the card, reading the front of it. It read, "Get Better Soon!" He opened it to see the signatures of all the mechlings. Dead End's name was not very well written, and some spelling mistakes. His message beneath his name read, "gut budder son! I haev cupcuk!"
Wildbreak's name was much better written with his message being, "Hope carrier is treating you well! He'll get you fixed in no time!"
Fracture's message below his name read, "Feel well soon, Starscream. Rest a lot, listen to what carrier says, and eat lots of goodies."
Starscream saw that Grit had signed it, his message simply reading as, "Get well soon, nice aft!" With a winky face drawn at the end.
Breakdown had signed as well, his message being, "Feel better, Starscream. I hope you can trust my mate. He really does want you to recover. We have had our differences, and we've fought so much, and there's a lot of anger, but we don't want you to suffer like this. Please, take better care of yourself. You're worth more than being an object to strange mechs."
Even Diesel had signed it with his pawprint in the corner and Breakdown's handwriting spelling his designation.
Somehow, they even had managed to get Soundwave to sign it, but there was no message. Prime's signature also was present with a simple, "Get well soon." There were a few other signatures from other Decepticons Starscream had known well. He wouldn't say they were friends, but he had worked with them a lot.
The one signature that surprised him was Knock Out's, written in his usual fancy handwriting. No message was with it, but the signature was not sloppy meaning he took his time to ensure he did it right.
Starscream swallowed, not expecting this. Maybe from Breakdown and the mechlings, but certainly not from these other people… Especially Knock Out.
"Thank you." Starscream wiped at his optics as coolant leaked out. "This is very thoughtful."
"You're welcome!" Wildbreak beamed.
Breakdown opened a cabinet and pulled out a blanket. He walked over and covered the Seeker with it from the waist down.
"You need to keep your core warm." The truck said as he adjusted the blanket. "They keep this hospital so slagging cold…"
"It is cold!" Wildbreak exclaimed, hopping onto the medberth next to Starscream without even hesitating. "What's on TV?" He took the remote and started to switch through channels.
Fracture hesitated, then got on the berth on the other side of his carrier. He lied against the jet, snuggling as he watched the TV.
Starscream swallowed, then slowly wrapped an arm around his son. He leaked more coolant, hugging the mechling close. His son was actually cuddled against him!
Breakdown rolled the wheeled chair over so that Dead End could watch TV as well.
"I'm going to go find your carrier. Stay here with Starscream." Breakdown ordered before leaving the room.
Starscream kissed Fracture's cheekplates, his engine purring. "H-how has everything been?"
Fracture shrugged. "Same ol'… Just been doing school."
"I was in a play!" Wildbreak piped up.
"And I sat on the dog!" Dead End screamed for the world to hear.
"He did and Diesel bit him." Fracture grunted, ignoring how tightly Starscream was hugging him.
"HE BIT ME RIGHT HERE!" Dead End pointed to his leg. "And-and I cried! And sire said it was my fault! BUT I DIDN'T BITE!"
"He deserved it…" Fracture whispered to Starscream.
"Does he annoy you?" Starscream asked his son.
"All the time…" He grunted. "He is constantly screaming…"
"He screams and throws things…" Wildbreak grunted as well.
"I DO NOT!" Dead End shrieked.
"Hey, better not scream at carrier's work. They will cut you open here and dump you with the dead people." Fracture snapped.
"NO!" Dead End began to cry.
"They're going to chop you into tiny pieces if you don't shut up." Fracture warned him sternly. "All that's going to be left is a single ped which they will throw to Diesel as a chew toy."
Dead End could only cry louder at the description of his own demise.
"Ugh!" Wildbreak rubbed over his faceplates. "Now he won't stop!"
"Have you tried not threatening him?" Starscream suggested, getting annoyed by the crying himself.
"No…" Fracture gave his carrier a look like he was insane for suggesting they not threaten their little brother.
"Maybe you should start there."
"Or he could just grow up…"
"He's a sparkling."
"He's almost 5…."
"Still a sparkling."
The door opened and Knock Out walked in with Breakdown.
"CARRIER!" Dead End shrieked, crying louder as he held out his arms.
"Hey, sweetie, don't cry." Knock Out picked up Dead End and hugged him. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"Fracture is mean!" He then buried his faceplates into Knock Out's neck and continued crying.
"Fracture…" Knock Out vented. "How many times do we need to talk about this? You need to stop being mean to your brothers."
"He was being annoying." Fracture said it like it was obvious.
"He's 4 stellar cycles old. He's going to be annoying. Please, apologize."
Fracture rolled his optics. "I'm sorry, Dead End. You're not going to be chopped up and used as a chew toy for Diesel."
"Why would you even say that?" Breakdown gave him a look.
Knock Out looked at Starscream. "He probably just has it in him from a certain Slag Maker…"
Starscream narrowed his optics, holding Fracture closer.
Knock Out wiped at Dead End's coolant with a thumb before kissing him on the cheekplates. "Hey, it's okay. Fracture isn't going to say that again. Because if he does he won't be allowed to attend a certain recharge over with his friends." He gave Fracture a glare.
"You better not be targeting him." Starscream glared back.
"I'm not, Starscream. I'm treating him as I do the others. What, do you want me to let him bully his siblings? Is that how you'd raise him? To dominate like you know who?"
"You can say his designation."
"They are too young to know about him."
"How about we change the subject?" Breakdown hugged his mate from behind. "Starscream, how are you feeling? Think you'll be out of here soon?"
Starscream didn't reply immediately. "Maybe… I suppose it depends on what my doctor has to say." He looked at Knock Out.
"You'll need only a few more orbital cycles of rest and monitoring. Then, you will be free to go. But you will be taking medicine with you." Knock Out said, stroking Dead End's back as the little one still clung to him.
"I can't wait to be out of here…."
"Same."
"How about I go get some cake from the cafeteria?" Breakdown smiled.
"Cake!" Dead End exclaimed; his previous woes forgotten.
Knock Out rolled his optics. "Fine, you may spoil them. But don't eat a whole cake yourself. You're big enough…"
"You like a big mech." Breakdown smirked.
"Not in that way…."
"I'll be back. You all play nice with each other. Wildbreak is in charge while I'm away."
"Yes!" Wildbreak fist pumped.
Knock Out gave his mate a look as he walked out of the room. He turned back to Starscream. "Do you need anything?"
"I have everything I need." Starscream gave Fracture a squeeze.
Fracture gave Knock Out a look, not sure why Starscream was so obsessed over him. Knock Out bit his lower lip plate, not wanting to tell him why, but that orbital cycle was nearing fast.
Starscream was resting on his medberth when the door opened. His wings perked, surprised with who just walked in.
"Hello, Starscream." Optimus Prime said as he approached the Seeker. "How are you?"
"I am doing better, Prime." The Seeker pressed the button to make the medberth rise at the top, allowing him to sit up.
"Good." Prime pulled the wheeled chair over and sat on it. "I am glad your surgery and treatment has gone well. I came to update you regarding your custody battle."
Starscream swallowed. "Yes…?"
The Prime laced his digits together as his elbows rested on his knees. "The orbital cycle after the hearing I confronted Megatron about your accusations."
Starscream's wings lowered. "W-what did he say?"
"He… Well, after some colorful language about me I won't repeat, he did eventually confess that he was visiting you against your will, that you had told him multiple times to leave you alone, and that he was forcing himself on you and to perform certain acts on him." The Prime paused to study the Seeker. "Because he admitted he was doing this against your will, I will not hold any of it against you. You stayed faithful to our deal. I also granted your protection order against Megatron. He is not allowed in your residence, or to be anywhere near you, or to even contact you with a commlink or any other form of communication. He also has been told he cannot use Soundwave to spy on you or speak to you on his behalf… If he breaks the protection order, he will serve a minimum of three stellar cycles in prison."
"You… confronted him for me…?" Starscream said softly, his wings slowly rising.
"Of course. I will not allow Megatron to harm anyone, even you."
"Thank you…" Starscream felt coolant pooling in his optics, amazed anyone would stand up to the mighty Megatron on his behalf.
"Knock Out and Breakdown also are aware of the protection order, and have been apprised that Megatron admitted to abusing you. I also informed them that I have granted you more visitation joors with Fracture. You have the right to visit Fracture a minimum of six orbital cycles each orn. I haven't granted any overnight visitations because I am concerned about your… Night behavior, such as what landed you here in the hospital."
"I-I'm not going to have interface anymore…. At least, not for like a vorn. This experience has been awful." Starscream said quickly.
"Well, prove that to me. Prove to me you will take better care of yourself and be responsible. If you can do that for yourself, then I will know you can do it for Fracture."
"Yes, sir."
"I also suggest you find a new apartment somewhere with better security incase Megatron decides to not listen to me… I will put you in touch with someone who can help you with that."
"I appreciate it. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Optimus then stood. "If there is anything else give me a call."
"I will. Thank you."
"Have a good rest of your orbital cycle, Starscream." The truck started for the door.
"You, too!"
Starscream perked his wings when Optimus walked out, then slowly lowered them. He had Fracture for more visitations, but still didn't have custody. Fracture would be an adult in 8 stellar cycles… He had 9 stellar cycles of his son's life taken away from him by this stupid legal system!
When will he have the right to his own son?
Knock Out practiced that entrance. He was on his way to Starscream's room thinking of what he was going to say! Such a dramatic queen, he is.
My friend really wanted Starscream to get a lot of STDs and be super sick. Being forced to be with Knock Out when so vulnerable will force the both of them to have to see truths about the other. Knock Out sees Starscream is NOT doing well, and Starscream sees Knock Out is not a monster out to get him. He could have killed Starscream, but instead does everything he can to heal him and make him better. He even cleans him of his own vomit. No awful person who hated you would do that. Knock Out cares. I don't think he's ever been a truly evil person, in comics or the cartoon. It think Knock Out is a good guy who has been swept up in a nasty war and has made mistakes. But deep down he loves his husband and friends. And he does do his job as a doctor well. Him not being a good doctor to Megatron in the cartoon... Come on, Megatron is a coked up asshole in the cartoon. No one wants to save his life... Minus Soundwave but he's a simp.
Also, did you notice Knock Out call him "Stars?" That's what he called him before they became enemies.
Fracture is becoming a bit of a grouchy kid. It happens. He's the eldest and has an annoying baby brother. Doesn't help that he knows his parents are at war with this person who wants to visit him all the time for some reason.
Hope you're enjoying the fic thus far!