CHAPTER FIVE- Meet the Twins

RATCHET'S POV

My spark felt like it was being terminated when Cherish passed out. What was the point of this? Why in the name of Primus would this have to happen to her?

I kept my holo form online even as my alt form picked up speed, going down the road towards the autobot base.

I tried to lean her seat back so she could relax. Her body started shivering, so I heated the interior. She didn't stop shivering. If anything, it got worse.

Then her body started convulsing. I literally felt my spark stop for a moment.

I was sure I was going past 200 mph when we got to the hanger. I quickly released the seatbelt and picked her up gently.

As quickly as I could, I set her down. My holo form disappeared as I transformed out of my alt form.

Her body had stopped convulsing. I scooped her up and took off to the medical bay. I got right to work. I injected her with an antibiotic immediately.

Next, I had to clean her wound again. It was definitely getting infected. Why didn't she just let me fix it to begin with?

I had my suspicions that she had been ill beforehand. That would explain why the infection took over so quickly.

'Focus, Ratchet.'

Right. There was too much going on in my processor. I needed to focus. I cleaned the cut and had my holo form sew the cut carefully. It was lucky she was unconscious, or she would have been in immense pain.

I finished the minor operation. I set Cherish on the human sized bed that was kept for times such as this. I gave her a sedative so she would have more time to heal, but I knew she would definitely wake up in pain.

Cherish.

I'd looked the name up. In human terms, it meant 'to hold or treat as dear; to feel love for'. I thought it a curious name for a child, but I decided that it suited her.

I shook my head. What was with me today? Why did this matter? She was just another patient, right?

Yes, that was it. Just another patient…

Then why did my spark flicker when I saw her?

I shut that thought out of my processor immediately. I needed a distraction, but I couldn't leave her in this state.

I commed Optimus.

CHERISH POV

I awoke feeling like my arm was on fire. I sat up and gasped. I felt myself immediately pushed down.

"Cherish, stay lying down. You were sick before you got hurt, weren't you?"

I smiled weakly and looked up at him. "Ratchet, only you would pelt the injured with questions moments after waking up."

He smiled slightly. "I'll take that as a yes."

I nodded. "Just a little."

He frowned. "That 'little' almost off lined you!" I knew he was overstating that, but I got the idea.

I ducked my head. "I'm sorry."

I felt him lift my chin so that I was staring right into his optics. "Don't be. Understand?"

I nodded hesitantly. He stood up. "Good. Now, if you'll wait here, I have somebody who really wants to meet you."

I nodded. He turned to leave. "Are you sure you'll be ok?"

I chuckled. "Yes! Ratchet, I'll be fine. My arm hardly hurts anymore."

He narrowed in his optics. "I will ignore that lie for now. I'll be right back."

I sighed and laid back down. I didn't want any more surprises today. But since when have I ever gotten what I wanted?

Ratchet came back a few minutes later with a huge 23 foot tall alien robot. "Hello, Cherish. My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the autobots."

He's blunt, ain't he? "Hi. Um, sorry for taking up your medical officer's time…"

Optimus was about to speak, but Ratchet beat him to it. "What are you talking about 'wasting my time'? You almost died! I swear to Primus-"

Optimus held up a hand. "Ratchet. That's enough. She's still weak. No need to stress her more."

Ratchet frowned, but kept silent. Optimus looked at me. "You need not apologize. You will stay here at the autobot base until you heal…"

At my expression he added, "Unless of course you need to go home…"

I shook my head laughing. "No, I'm not going home, and I'm done with college until next month."

Optimus looked surprised. "College? Are you not Sam's age?"

I sighed. Not this story again. "Yep. Skipped senior year, blah blah blah. Here I am."

"You are very intelligent."

"Ha. Try telling that to my professors."

Optimus stood. "If you are sure you can stay, I would prefer if Ratchet could oversee your healing. I'll have Ratchet show you to your room."

I nodded. Optimus left, leaving me with an angry robot alien. He turned to me. "Why must you be so stubborn?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, trying not to wince at the pain in my arm. "Genetics and a crappy childhood. What's your excuse?"

He grumbled to himself. "Come on. Primus knows what trouble you'll get into if I leave you alone in the med bay again…"

I rolled my eyes and for once was silent. Ratchet held out his hand and I hesitated, before stepping on it. He turned down various hallways that all looked the same to me. Suddenly a yellow and a red blur sped past us, making Ratchet lose his balance.

He yelled at them and the two mechs turned around to face us, laughing. They looked identical, except for color "Come on, Ratchet… we were just playing."

He glared at them. "Well don't. Especially with humans around."

The red one perked up. "Sam and Bee are here?"

He was slapped in the back of the head by the Yellow one. "Idiot. He's holdin it in his hand…"

The red one leaned forward. "Hey Ratchet, who's the chick?"

Ratchet growled. "Her name is Cherish. She's staying for medical attention, and I don't want you two getting her involved in your stupid ideas."

They nodded. "We promise not to get her involved in any of your stupid ideas."

I laughed as Ratchet glared at them. They ran off before he could say anything else. Ratchet sighed. "Those were the twins- Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. They are the most irresponsible, disorderly-"

"I get it. They annoy you."

Ratchet smiled. "That's about right."

He led me two a room that had been outfitted for humans. He nodded towards the furnishings. "Mikaela picked out the decorations. Sorry if they aren't to your liking."

I felt my face pale at her name, but I played it off. Hard to do when you're in the room with a alien robot medic. Needless to say I failed. He turned to me. "Is something wrong? I sense a rise in heart rate."

I shook my head. "No." I lied. "Just a memory…"

He looked down on me. "You're lying."

I smiled. "Yes. Yes I am."

"So you're not going to tell me the truth?"

I shook my head. He seemed to hesitate. "Does it have something to do with Mikaela?"

I cocked my head to the side and answered nonchalantly. "Maybe, maybe not…"

He rolled his optics. "You can be quite infuriating at times."

I grinned up at him. "So I've been told."

He just shook his head. He lowered his hand next to the bed and I crawled off. He looked at me. "Will you stay put if I leave?"

"Nope."

He sighed. "There's nothing I can say to convince you, is there?"

"No. What's the matter? You giving up already?"

He glared. "It has been a rather long day of making sure your arm didn't fall off."

"Fine. I'll stay in the general vicinity." He sighed

It was the least I could do after all he'd done. He left. Not 30 seconds after he left, did the two bots I'd seen earlier come in.

"Hey! You're that girl from earlier. Cherish, right?"

I nodded. "Call me Cher."

The red one grinned. "Cool. I'm Sideswipe. This ugly mech over here is my brother, Sunstreaker. You can call me Sides."

He was quickly whacked upside the head by his brother. "You glitch, we're twins. Call me Sunny."

I nodded. "Nice to meetcha."

Sunny stepped forward. "You gonna just stay here all day?"

I shook my head. "Nah, but I promised Ratchet I'd stay put."

Sides laughed. "You always do what you're told?"

"Nope. Only when it's kinda a life or death thing."

His optics widened. "Really?"

I shook my head. "Nope, but it hurts pretty bad when I move my arm."

Sunny laughed. "Hey, you hungry?"

I nodded hesitantly. I was pretty hungry. Sides smirked. "Well, we know where the kitchen is…"

Sunny finished. "but you gotta come with us!"

I grinned at them. "You two are manipulative, you know that?"

Sides bowed. "At your service."

Sunny slapped him. "Hey! Ow…"

I smiled. "This doesn't have anything to do with pranking Ratchet, does it?"

Sides spoke. "Yes, I mean, ow!"

Sunny slapped him again. "No, of course not."

I sighed dramatically, a plan forming. "Well, that's too bad… I was trying to figure out a way to get back at him for earlier…"

They looked at me. "Seriously? Sweet." That was Sides.

I nodded. "So, if we were to go to the kitchen, figuratively speaking…"

Sunny grinned. "And one of us happened to 'notice' you missing from your room…"

Sides grinned too. "And then happened to mentioned it to Ratchet…"

"He would freak." I concluded. "…figuratively speaking of course."

Sides grinned as he offered me his hand. "Of course."

I stepped on it and he walked me down the hall. Thank goodness the kitchen had a human sized refrigerator. Suddenly a thought struck me. I looked at Sides.

"Hey, do you have any oreos?"

Sides smiled. "I think we have something of that sort…."

I smiled. I could get used to staying here…