CHAPTER 16
A Visit from The Hatchet

Tony's throat was completely on fire. He coughed quietly as Will carefully removed the thermometer from his mouth. Sighing quietly, he felt Tony's forehead yet again, carefully. "No fever. But you're DEFINITELY sick." Will noted, considering the fact he'd almost fallen down the stairs "One of the two is good news, I guess. If you're still feeling sick in a few hours, I'm going to give Ratchet a call." He added.

"But the field trip's today." Tony groaned.

"Yeah, better call up your History Teacher in that case." Will replied, running a hand along the boy's hair, he stared up at the Autobot peeking through the window "He's okay, big guy, he's got a little cold. Just relax, nothing life-threatening." He explained, knowing Ironhide was worried sick "Look after him while I make a call to his school, alright?" He asked.

As Will left, Ironhide gently moved the window open. He snorted, of course, he hadn't listened to him and locked it. Gently moving a finger through, he caressed his soon-to-be Godson's cheek. "Caught a virus, have we, youngling?" Ironhide asked, Tony nodded somewhat-understanding he meant he'd gotten sick "Don't worry, Ratchet'll come by before you know it." He added.

"Doesn't exactly make me feel better." Tony noted, he hugged the mech's thumb gently "You and Dad may need to hold my hand through that."

Ironhide gently chuckled wrapping his finger around the boy's body gently. He'd done this often when Annabelle didn't feel well, this was nothing new. Releasing the human after a few moments, his optics fell upon the boy. "Don't worry, little one. I won't let Ratchet be too rough with you." He noted, then did his own scan "You have the common cold, it will be gone in a week's time." He added.

"The way I feel, it's going to be a week in hell." Tony muttered.

"Not with Ratchet as your doctor." Ironhide snorted "There's a reason we wouldn't call anyone else unless you truly needed a hospital. Immediately." He explained bluntly.

"Mostly because Ratchet would kill us if you let that happen."

Ironhide smirked at Tony, the boy was way too smart for his own good, needless to say. Then again, one could never deny Tony's incredible ability to read through people. Ironhide supposed it was from years in the system, but he never really asked him. "Get used to it now that you're practically in the family, kid. We all tend to be protective of each other's charges." Ironhide explained, staring at Tony slowly "Anything I can get ye, kid? I was thinking of going for a drive." He added.

"Nah, get out of here, 'Hide." Tony smiled at him "You've been standing out there all night. You deserve a break from me." He added.

Ironhide nodded his head a bit, knowing full well that he would be worried for Tony while he was out. Tony was more than his charge now, he was his Godson, meaning he had a responsibility to the small human he hadn't had with Annabelle. Tony might as well had a bond with him, as it made him feel a certain level of protectiveness previously unknown to him. "I'll be back in an hour. You have a link to my com if you require anything outside of-" He began.

"Go on, big guy. Dad's got me covered." Tony grinned.

Ironhide sighed, leaving the window, Will re-entered Tony's bedroom slowly. "Momma Ironhide finally go for a break?" Will teased, Tony nodded his head slowly "Well, I gave Ratchet a call, figure it'd be better he just came over. He'll be here in an hour, but until then..." He gently tucked the blanket up to Tony's chin "You, kiddo, have been instructed to get lots of rest, and drink a lot of fluids." He added.

"Doctors orders?" Tony asked.

"Worse, my orders." Will replied, kissing the top of Tony's head "If you need anything, just call for me, alright?" He told him.

"Or Momma Ironhide." Tony laughed.

Will smirked, Tony certainly was learning the way humor worked around the house. Sighing a bit, he closed the window gently before he stared at Tony. "Just get some sleep, alright? It's early, i know. Bu it'll do you a whole lot of good." He added, being as calm as he could be "I'll wake you up when Ratchet's here, alright?" Tony nodded his head.

"Thanks Dad, you're the best." Tony replied.

Tony let his eyes close, and was out like a light no more than a second later. When he woke up again, it was with the feeling of something warm and fuzzy in his arms. Blinking slowly, he rubbed an eye tiredly. Finding a stuffed bear in his arms, it was new, a black color, and soft. "Would of been a dog, but I had bad memories of those little furry demons." Tony turned his head to Ironhide, who was looking through the window "Used to get one for Belle every time she was sick." He added.

"That's... Sweet of you, Ironhide." Tony replied "Thank you."

"Can't be rough ALL the time, now can I?" Ironhide asked, Tony pulled the stuffed animal close "I didn't mean to startle you awake, though. My apologies." Ironhide replied, he turned his head "Ratchet's here as is, so it's just as well I suppose." He explained "How are you feeling, little one? Any better?" He asked, Tony shook his head, and he sighed "Don't worry, colds are quick, or so I hear." He added.

"I'll be the judge of that."

Tony sighed as a tall man, grey haired, and blue eyed entered the room. Ratchet sighed, and settled his holoform down onto his bed slowly. "I know the gist of the problem, but I need to be certain. Especially before I put in a prescription." The mech explained, Tony nodded "The scans I'll be doing are going to be very uncomfortable. But they are for the best. I ask you do not fight it." He added.

"Wait a minute, there's such thing as an uncomfortable scan?" Tony gulped slightly.

"You're fourteen years old, Anthony, suck it up and be a man as you humans would say." Ratchet snorted, gently holding the boy's arm "If I didn't care about you a great deal, I'd just give a simple scan and be done. But considering I do care about you, immensely." He began his slow scan, Tony groaned quietly, but Ratchet simply held his arm a bit harder "Relax, little one, you have a sinus infection. Simple enough to fix." He added.

"As long as it doesn't mean I get a shot."

"You're getting a shot alright, it's the only way I can use our medicines on human beings." Ratchet then added "You could go through this for about a week, or be better by two days. Take your pick." He grunted.

Tony turned to Ironhide, his eyes begged for him to talk Ratchet out of it. Ironhide knew that was about as easy as telling Red Alert that they were very unlikely to crush the organics they guarded. "Grin and bare it, m'boy. I love ye like you were generated from my own spark. But I ain't taking a wrench to the head." Ironhide noted, Tony only glared "If it helps, Annabelle didn't feel much pain." He added.

"I fragging hate you." Tony muttered.

"You taught him how to curse?" Ratchet groaned.

"What can I say? Kid's smart as pit, he catches on quickly." Ironhide replied.

Tony heard the clang from outside, and knew that Ironhide had more likely than not just taken a wrench to the head. Carefully injecting the needle into his arm, Ratchet sighed a bit. Tony groaned quietly, but waited slowly, Ratchet sighed a bit. "Not too bad, was it?" Ratchet asked, Tony grimaced "Don't be a big baby, Optimus's charge took it better when he was five." He added.

"You really do have the bedside manner of Dr. House." Tony laughed.

He had the feeling if he weren't sick, Ratchet may have backhanded him for that one. "Yes, well, you get better, and YOU..." Ratchet turned to Ironhide, who rubbed the back of his helm, which had a large dent in it now "Set a better example for your Godson, and do NOT teach him our curses." The rest was inaudible as he spoke entirely in Cybertronian, but Tony was sure he wasn't 'clean' in his words either "And with that, I take my leave. Feel better, youngling." He added.

When Ratchet had left, Tony turned his head to Ironhide. He clutched the stuffed bear to his chest, and his eye twitched quietly. "Not even a lollipop after that?" Tony asked, a bit stunned, and a bit freaked out "I'm starting to understand why Belle told me to just FAKE feeling well even when I am sick." He added.

"Stick around me, kid. I've been avoiding annual check-ups for vorns now."

For once, Tony had a feeling, he was better off following Ironhide's however crooked example with this one.