Disclaimer : I don't own it.
(Nex Day, Normal POV)
He wanted to believe she was a threat. All his training told him no human should know about them, and yet she knew things no one outside of NEST should have known. She knew Cybertronian terms, and at times seemed to shift between them and earth equivalents. She'd also referred to his alternate form as a 'Ratchet-mobile' and something told him she knew about him. Not human holoform Richard Wrenchit -He was going to offline Prime for that surname- but Ratchet the Autobot medic.
Yet seeing the earnest expression and honest pain was more than all his millenia had prepared him for. She honestly believed the man she was addressing was a friend, someone she cared for.
No.
With the level of pain in her eyes and voice, she cared for this other Richard as more than a friend, even if she wasn't speaking it out loud, and that only made it harder to tell her the truth. He wasn't the man she thought he was.
And still, as worried and confused as he was over her physical condition, knowledge and the lack of information his scans had revealed, he knew he had something else to focus on at the moment.
'Ratchet to Prime.'
It was only a second before the line opened. 'Prime here.'
'There's been a development.'
'Decepticon?'
Ratchet sighed as he wandered into the dispatch office for a call. He knew Optimus was asking both if she was a Decepticon, or if there was a Decepticon running interference with his mission. 'No. At least, I don't think so. My scans are revealing high amounts of allspark radiation, but no viable source.' He also wasn't getting full scans back, so he had no idea what the radiation might be doing to her body, but from her sickness, it couldn't be good. 'The development is that she may have possession of an allspark shard.' He secured the recorded conversation in a highly encripted file and sent it to his leader.
Collecting the report, he nodded and sighed a little when another medic, closer to the scene, was already out. Leaving the office, he made his way to his alternate form, and waited.
It was a few moments before Optimus responded, his tone sharp and precise.
'Continue to watch over her, I'll inform the others they will be running sweeps as well to offer assistance if you need it.'
As he conversed with his leader, his mind passed over the other girl. Didn't she mention she and her friend had received identical necklaces? Her friend had also yielded high levels of radiation in her body and he reported that too.
'We will keep close optics on both femmes, and gather more information before making our move.'
(Bella's POV)
When I finally woke up, it was to my phone ringing off the hook. My sinuses had cleared, along with all the dizziness and light headedness, but instead I was given intense pain through my head and chest, and my chest felt even tighter, more difficult to breathe.
Turned out it was Rika on the phone, and after a brief bitching match, she told me she'd more or less be hiding in her room if I needed her, though her work wasn't happy because she'd been out since she left my place. I could understand that. I was half tempted to drag my television into my room and go into long term hybernation.
Still, I had to drag myself out of bed, and tried once again to eat some toast, only to take a running leap into the bathroom and bring it back up.
"Ok, that's it." I got cleaned up and headed out. This time, I ignored the Hummer parked in the parking lot and made my way down the street right past it. The only time I stopped was when a voice caught my attention, and I turned to see a young man walk over.
He looked close to my age, but with rather average hair and build. He stopped next to me with a small uneasy smile, his eyes crinkled more in concern. "I saw you talking to Wrenchit yesterday."
It took a lot of effort not to laugh at the name.
"And I noticed you seemed unusually pale, and you stumbled a couple of times. I was just wondering...are you alright?"
Finally. Someone who cares less about how I speak, and more about my health! I shook my head a little, thankful the dizziness was gone. "I'm actually on the way to the hospital. I'm not feeling well at all, and haven't been for almost a week." I offered a small smile. "Thanks though, it's nice to see some paramedics take their job seriously." I'm sure my expression darkened when I glanced towards the Hummer, only for one of my eyebrows to raise when I saw him watching us with a deep frown from the driver side of the Hummer.
I sighed a little and turned back to the younger medic. "I'll be ok though." With a nod, I walked past the medic and on my way. The day was hot, and considering I was fairly sure I still had a fever, I was sweating like a pig. I could only grimace as I paused in the shade of a tree looking up and doing a double take.
This isn't happening. This is just...all one big misunderstanding. Pursing my lips, I watched the black GMC from before as it drove past, turning my head to watch, and my eyes widening. It's... It's there!
The Autobot insignia was etched into the tail gate proudly as the truck pulled over into a parking lot down the street.
Shaking my head, I felt the burn of tears coming to my eyes once again. This isn't possible! I sped up my walk, heading around a corner and towards the large white building. Hearing a blast of siren behind me, I stiffened up and groaned, before looking over. "You've gotta be kidding me." I turned back and ignored the Hummer pulling over behind me.
"Excuse me."
I ignored his voice, the pain in my chest increasing until I had to clutch the spot, feeling as thought my heart was imploding in my chest. Looking up, I blinked and sighed a little, seeing the one thing in this world that helped me calm down a little. "Rika!"
Her head snapped up as she got closer, and her eyes widened. A look of undiluted relief coursed through her face and she picked up her pace. The only time her expression darkened was when she was looking past me. "What're you doing here?"
"Hospital." I gestured vaguely to the building behind me. "You?"
She shrugged. "Same. Can't eat, sleeping all the time, and I feel like I'm coming apart at the seams." She shuddered a little and pulled a sweater tighter around her shoulders.
"As to when you just look like you're coming apart at the seams?" I raised an eyebrow, my lips tugging a little in the corners, but the smile not quite forming.
She raised an eyebrow in response, but I don't think either of us felt well enough for our usual banter. Instead, she frowned. "And what're you doing here?" I was about to ask what she meant when I realized she was looking beyond me, and I sighed, following her gaze.
"I feel...responsible-"
"You damn well better. Half of this is your fault, with those damn shard necklaces and then this stupid game of yours."
"-for your safety." He finished lamely, glaring at her. "Well, for yours, anyways." His eyes cut to me with meaning. "You haven't gotten any better? My sc-I...can tell you are...unhealthily pale, and you have dark rings under your eyes." He seemed to try and cover the slip smoothly, but Rika and I exchanged a glance, and I watched as he scowled at the pavement.
"Just stop." I felt my nerves fraying at the ends my heart still felt like it was shattering and at the same time lurching painfully. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear it was missing beats. "Just stop it all. Arguing, playing your games..." I looked at the man who resembled Richard to a T and yet was nothing like him. "Please? Just...for one day. I feel like I'm about to keel over, I just want to rest."
"Your illness has worsened? Are you still dizzy? Are you in pain?" His voice had taken on that same professional tone as he stepped closer and seemed to get anxious. "Do you feel nauseous at all?"
"I dunno. No. Hell yes. And no." I ticked them off on my fingers. "So can I go into the hospital and get a diagnosis already?"
His frown was deeper once again, and his eyes narrowed. When he nodded, albeit reluctantly, I turned and walked into the building behind us, heading straight for the desk. I registered with the nurse there, and then waited as Rika did the same, chosing for us both to go at the same time. Then we headed to a quiet, empty corner of the waiting room.
"So what's up with sir Lies-a-lot?"
"I don't think he's lying, even if that seems like the only possible explanation." I sighed and plopped down into a corner seat.
Frowning, she gave me an odd look before sitting next to me. "So what, he suddenly turned into a total stranger overnight?"
"Mrs. Craven doesn't remember him. The other paramedics don't remember us ever talking." I looked into her eyes, taking relief in the fact that they hadn't changed. "His eyes went from brown to blue and he's not wearing contacts, and..." I bit my lip, even as her eyes widened a moment, in alarm. "And the emblem on his uniform and the Hummer... It has the Autobot face. Rika, the GMC went by and it had the Autobot insignia on it, too."
"Hallucination."
"I hallucinated everyone forgetting that Richard and I were ever friends? I'm hallucinating his strange new attitude? Wow, that must've been some damn good shit."
She laughed a little, though it was higher in pitch and sounded a little forced. "What're you suggesting, Autobots exist? Richard's really Ratchet in disguise?"
"That's not possible." I knew my voice lacked the conviction I wanted it to have.
"But..." Rika's expression was as disbelieving as I felt, but there was a guarded look around her eyes, like she was considering the same things I was, but refused to admit it, even to herself. "C'mon, I know there's a but in there."
"There's a lot of 'butts' in here." I muttered quietly, before literally face palming with a giggle. "Damn I'm sick!" I listened to Rika giggle and laughed with her a moment, before we both went quiet. The quiet lasted a long moment. "But he seems so sincere, and it's the only explanation for his sudden physical and attitude changes, and everyone's memories suddenly changing. I mean, hallucinations, bad jokes... None of that fits everything."
"It's not possible."
"Tell me about it." I sighed, looking up sharply when a voice called our names. Standing, I shot Rika a look before walking over and following the nurse to a hospital room. She informed us the doctor would be right in and left us to our highly troubled thoughts.
"But what if it is? I mean, aren't we always told 'anything' is possible."
"Anything but that!"
Closing my eyes, I rubbed at them visciously, trying to wipe away the tears that had gathered on my lashes, touching wetly to my cheeks everytime I blinked. "I hate this, Ri-Ri. I really liked him, an now he's a totally different person. Everything is different. I feel like I'm on a whole different world."
"Oh Bells..." Her arms wrapped around me and I leaned into her embrace. "I gotta admit, I don't get why they'd play a joke, but unfortunately I can't just believe the Autobot thing. I'd have to see it to believe it."
"Me too." I couldn't be hurt by her reaction, as I slowly pulled away. Smiling at her, I shrugged a little, rubbing my chest where it ached. "I can't help but consider it, but I can't believe it without seeing it." The sound of a door opening caught my attention, and I looked up as an overweight, elderly man with obviously dyed hair walked in. "Here comes the doc."
He nodded at us with a smile as he flipped through a chart. "Isabella Cameron and Rika Kendrix?"
I bit my tongue to keep from correcting him. I didn't know this guy and had a feeling I wouldn't really be around to get to know him, so he could call me Isabella for now. Instead, I nodded when my name was calling and Rika when hers was.
"Alright, what seems to be bothering you?"
"Everything." I groaned, before shaking my head. "Four days ago we both just came down sick, and neither of us can figure out how or why. We had aches, fever, dizziness and nausea. Now, for me at least, the nausea and dizzine is gone, but my head and chest hurt a lot, and its a little difficult to breathe right. My chest feels tight."
He nodded, before getting a frighteningly similar story from Rika, making notes on the clipboard before setting it down on a table next to the gurney I was sitting on and walking over. "Any thoughts on how you got sick?" He took our pulses, and checked our vitals.
"We ate popcorn and had pepsi, but that's never made us sick before." I shrugged a little, leaving out the part about the fake allspark shards because that was too insane for us to believe, let alone a doctor.
He hummed thoughtfully and nodded, before turning to a tray by the wall and grabbing some vials. "Alright then. I'll just take some blood and we'll see if we can't figure out what's going on." Placing the items needed on the tray, he turned to grab some latex gloves, completely missing our exchanged glances and winces. Then he turned back and prepped a needle. "Who's first?"
"She is!" We both stated at the same time, pointing to each other. Then we exchanged a glance and began laughing.
Chuckling a little, he shook his head. "Are you sure you're not twins?"
"Funny. We've heard that before." I tilted my head a little. "But nope. Not related in the slightest." With a sigh, I held out my arm. "Better to get it over with, I guess." I made a tight fist, relaxing my shoulder as he approached with the needle and nodded, tapping my arm. I watched, fascinated, as a vein popped up and he gently pressed on the crease of my arm.
I couldn't even bring myself to look away as he approached my arm with the needle, and trust me, I desperately wanted to. I hated needles with a passion, but I'd prefer to get it done and over with than sit anxiously forever. As he touched the needle tip to my arm, I clenched my other hand and held my breath. He pressed the needle in gently...
...Only for the tip to break off.
The room went so shockingly quiet, I swear you'd be able to hear a mouse fart. When I managed to tear my eyes from the broken needle to the tip sitting harmlessly on my lap, I saw Rika staring with her jaw hanging limply, her eyes wide. When I glanced at the doctor, he wasn't much more composed. "Um, very funny?" I felt my own anxiety growing, even as I laughed nervously. "Now maybe we can try a real needle?"
The doctor shook out of his shock and made a small noise as he turned and grabbed another needle. He took a moment, before shaking his head. "Well, that's never happened before. I must've grabbed a weak needle."
"I'll say." Rika shook her own head, before averting her eyes as he pressed the second needle to my skin.
...And it broke again.
"Well...uh..." The doctor frowned deeply as he held up the second broken needle, carefully removing the sharp tips from my lap before staring at me, almost helplessly. "Those are good needles, I used one from that same box earlier and it worked perfectly. It's even a slightly larger gauge, so it should be stronger. You must have thick skin."
"I've been telling her that for years." Rika groaned, turning the context of the word right around, even as she shot me a slightly worried look.
I'm sure I reflected the look in my own face as I watched him pick up a slightly larger needle. "Think that'll work?"
"If not, I'm going to send for a general x-ray to see if I can see why, but it might be an overload of iron in your systems." His look belied the conviction in his words. As he prepped the needle, he once again hesitated. "So tell me, other than popcorn and pepsi, what else have you been eating? Lots of iron rich foods?" He pressed the needle to the skin again, and then hissed as it broke off.
I could feel my anxiety growing more into fear as I watched him almost angrily remove the broken needle and then glare at my arm. "Alright. I'm not sure what else I can do. If I use an even larger needle, there's no guarantee that'll work, it'll hurt a great deal more, and it'll leave a larger hole in the vein, increasing bloodloss after." He seemed to think a moment. "Why don't we try you, first, and if we have any issues, I'll send you to x-ray."
It took him one try with a smaller needle and one try with a larger needle to finally growl and toss them into the garbage, snapping the gloves off as he grabbed up the chart, grumbling incomprehensibly to himself as he wrote on it. It was only a matter of minutes before we were rushed to x-ray and set up. The machines gave little buzzes and squeals for me, and then I was ushered into the next room for the results.
There was an almost triumphant look on the doctor's face as he brought a brown envelope into the room. He flipped a light on a wall, and then pilled a sheet from the envelope, sticking it up to be highlighted. The triumphant look faded about as quickly as it appeared, and both Rika and I exchanged another look when he cursed surprisingly violently.
"What are you, robots?" He stared at the blank x-ray. "Necklaces, bracelets, earrings... None of that would account for these completely blank x-rays. This just...doesn't make sense." Scratching his head, he shook his head. "Well, we could try..." He began to list off a bunch of more invasive procedures, but I shrank back at the suggestion of surgery.
"Can I have a little time to think about it, please?"
"Yeah, me too."
I exchanged a look with Ri, whose face had gone white at the news. Considering how cold my face was, I was pretty sure I was in the same place. The doctor wasn't happy, but reluctantly allowed us to leave, and as we made our way, silently, out of the hospital, I spotted Richard outside, leaning against the Hummer. As we approached, he straightened, his expression changing from annoyed and bored to concerned.
And actually insulted when we walked right past him without a word.
Written : Jan 21, 2010
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Tenshi