I hadn't even noticed, but my body had started to shake in a combination of fatigue and pain. Lennox noticed, and led me away. I still pulled my awkward I.V. stand with me, and Lennox took me to a room that was fairly secluded but in the middle of the base near the Autobots' hangar. There was a cot set up and Lennox motioned to it.
"Go on, you need some rest." he said. I nodded.
"Thank you all so much." I said. He waved me off, setting my duffel and other items next to the cot.
"No prob. See you tomorrow Captain." Lennox said, saluting me. I saluted back with my arm that wasn't in a sling and he walked out. Sleep sounded amazing, and I carefully positioned the I.V. stand so it wouldn't rip the lines out of my hand if I rolled over or something. Gingerly climbing onto the bed, I arranged myself so I was comfortable and closed my eyes.
...
A loud engine startled me awake the next morning, and I winced when the sudden movement of me bolting upright made my side throb. I grimaced, swinging my legs over the side of my bed. I stood uneasily, going to reach for my I.V. stand for balance, I then realized it wasn't there. The back of my hand had a piece of gauze taped to it, the medic must have taken the I.V. out while I was asleep.
I adjusted my arm in the sling, heading for the door. My Navy training had taught me how to hide my pain well, which was good, because I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. Right before I reached for the doorknob, I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror on the wall. I almost didn't recognize myself, I looked so beaten.
My eye was dark purple and swollen shut, my lip was split, and there was a bruise along my jaw as well. I also wasn't used to being in my uniform and not having my hair pulled back, though with only one arm to use, styling was out of the question. I touched a hand to my face, though I grimaced at the sensation. I sighed, straightening my uniform and turning, opening the door and emerging into the inner part of the base.
Immediately I identified the source of the engine noise, though it cut off shortly after I left the room given to me. A brand-new looking black and yellow Camaro was sitting in the middle of the hangar, and as I watched, a guy that looked about twenty got out of the passenger side. I also noticed there was no driver, and assumed that this must be Sam and Bumblebee. I tried not to limp as I made my way to the hangar, but my shin hurt like crap.
Lennox appeared out of nowhere and checked to see if I was okay.
"You feeling alright?" he asked. I shook my hand in a 'so so' gesture.
"Really sore." I replied. I pointed to the Camaro and the kid that had just gotten out of it. "Is that Sam and Bumblebee?" I asked. Lennox nodded.
"Yeah, come on, those two have been wanting to meet you." Lennox said. I raised an eyebrow.
"Have they really?" I asked. Lennox shrugged.
"At least Bumblebee wanted to, I don't know if Sam got the memo." Lennox said. I chuckled. Lennox led me to the kid and the Camaro, and as we stopped, the car started to transform like Ironhide had. In a few seconds, an Autobot was standing next to the boy called Sam. Sam raised his eyebrows when he saw me.
"Whoa, what happened to you?" he asked. I glanced at Lennox, then answered.
"I uh, got a vacation from duty. First day I come home, I get mugged in an alley. Thanks to Ironhide I'm not dead, evidently he's my guardian now." I said. Sam tilted his head.
"Really...? Well, if you haven't heard, this is Bumblebee, he's my guardian." Sam said. Bumblebee gave a small nod, and I heard a short bit of static before it sounded like someone was rapidly searching through radio stations. It actually came up with a clear message though, and I realized it was Bumblebee that was talking.
"Sam is right. What is your name?" Bumblebee said using the radio. I raised an eyebrow, looking from Bumblebee to Sam.
"Can he not talk?" I asked. Sam shook his head.
"No, but you just heard that he uses the radio." Sam said. I turned to Bumblebee, answering his question.
"I'm Morgan Greene, nice to meet you, Bumblebee." I said. He nodded again, and I glanced at Sam. "You got a last name?" I asked. Sam nodded.
"It's Whitwicky." he said. I raised an eyebrow.
"Whit-what?" I said. He laughed.
"It's weird, I know. So, uh, are you alright then? You look pretty banged up." he said. I rolled my eyes.
"Gee thanks, a girl just loves being told she looks terrible." I joked. Sam waved his hands in front of him.
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant..." he said. I chuckled.
"I'm just messing with you, yeah, I'll be okay. Mostly just bumps and bruises, a couple glass cuts, you know." I said. Lennox nudged me before adding on to my explanation.
"One of the guys had a switchblade; she took it to the ribs." Lennox said. Sam made a face, and Bumblebee spoke through the radio.
"Oh, that has gotta hurt." he said. The audio sounded familiar, like a movie from somewhere, but I didn't ponder it long. I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, Autobot ones, and turned to see my new guardian walk up and stand next to Bumblebee. He talked down at Sam.
"She didn't give up though, you should have seen the other guys. I barely even needed to run them off." Ironhide said. I rolled my eyes.
"Liar, if it wasn't for you I'd be dead in that alley, or worse, locked up in some dude's apartment." I said. Sam cut in.
"Alright, enough flashbacks and compliments, let's change the subject please?" he said. I laughed again, and Bumblebee spoke up.
"Hey, is someone's phone ringing?" he said. I quizzically looked at Lennox, who checked his and shook his head, Sam glanced at his as well, though it wasn't his either. I listened closer, then whirled back to the room I'd stayed in when I recognized my ringtone.
"I'll be right back, sorry." I apologized and moved as quickly as I could to the room. I dug my phone out of my bag and answered it without looking at the number. I recognized Hawkeye's voice as soon as I picked up.
"Yo Twiggy, you there?" he said. I sighed in relief, thankful I'd been able to get to my phone in time.
"Yeah, I'm here. What's up?" I asked.
"I heard you're on medical leave, you okay?" he asked. I reassured him.
"Yeah, just got roughed up by some guys." I said. Hawkeye didn't sound convinced.
"They must've hurt you bad if someone declared you on medical leave. Come on, tell me what happened." Hawkeye said. I sighed.
"It's really a long story, and I'll be fine. I'm just a little sore and bruised, I got a few glass cuts." I said.
"That all? Doesn't sound like enough of an excuse...?" Hawkeye prodded. I muttered to myself under my breath before answering.
"Okay, fine, I let my guard down for half a second and one of them got a switchblade in my ribs, happy?" I snapped.
"Ooh, ouch. Not a fun night I would assume."
"Not at all. So why are you calling? Did you just want to see if I was okay or is there something else?" I asked. Hawkeye was quiet a moment before answering.
"Our team is gettin' deployed in a few days. I wondered if you were coming along." he answered. I chewed my lip, testing my arm silently and grimacing at the pain.
"Of course I am. I may be banged up but I can still pull a trigger." I said. I heard Hawkeye laugh.
"That's the Twiggy I know. Be at the Navy air base around 0900 tomorrow, we're all getting briefed then. Talk to you then." he said.
"Bye." I said.
"Bye." Hawkeye replied, hanging up his phone. I put mine in my bag and hurried back out to the hangar where Lennox, Sam, Bumblebee, and Ironhide were waiting for me. I explained quickly.
"I have to get out of here, nothing against any of you, I just...have something I have to do." I said. Sam raised an eyebrow.
"What's so important?" he asked. I glanced at Lennox.
"He obviously has clearance above top secret, we barely caught wind of these Autobots, yet he's the best of friends with one. You suppose it's alright to tell him about me?" I asked. Lennox shrugged.
"The kid can keep a secret if that's what you mean." Lennox answered. I took a breath before explaining.
"As you obviously figured out before now, I'm active duty in the military." I gave a brief salute with my good arm before continuing. "U.S. Navy Captain Morgan Green, a.k.a. Twiggy on my team. I'm part of a Black Ops unit that you will never hear about anywhere but from me. If you're wondering, a pardon granted to me allows me to be in combat, I'm one of the best snipers around if I do say so myself." I said. Sam seemed a bit taken aback.
"Whoa, big title. But, I thought you were hurt? You're going to go straight back into the fray?" Sam asked.
"Yep. I feel like this is what I was meant to do in my life. So I'm a little sore, oh well. You ever heard the expression, 'pain is just weakness leaving the body?'" I said. Sam shook his head. I huffed.
"Our drill instructor pounded that line into our heads so much I almost believe it." I said. I looked at Lennox.
"Is there any chance of me getting out of here today? I have a briefing tomorrow at 0900 tomorrow." I said. Lennox shrugged.
"We can go ask the medic." he said.
...
Ten minutes later I was packing up my things and saying repetitive thanks once more. I slung my weighty duffel over my uninjured shoulder, striding confidently to the hangar once more, though disguising a limp. Ironhide was waiting for me, though in vehicle mode. I inquired as I walked up.
"Are you taking me home or something?" I asked. Ironhide answered.
"Yes, I'm your guardian now. It's my duty to protect you, and honestly I'm not to fond of the idea of you going somewhere I can't." Ironhide said, opening the driver's side door on his vehicle mode. I waved my goodbyes briefly to Lennox and some of the other guys I'd gotten to know. Sam waved as well, though it appeared he was going to hang back in the base for a while. Ironhide shut the door, and I continued with our conversation.
"Don't worry about me, and besides, I'll be back before you know it." I said. Ironhide still seemed uneasy, and I glanced down at the steering wheel, which was constantly adjusting itself on its own since Ironhide was driving and not me.
"It's weird, it seems like it was so long ago when last night happened, though I only just met you a few hours ago. If it weren't for the pain and scars I would've forgotten it already..." I trailed off, glancing over at the passenger seat where I had been bleeding out last night. To my dismay, I could see bloodstains on the seat and floor mat, as well as the door panel. I sighed.
"Ironhide, I told you I didn't want to get your interior dirty." I said. Ironhide probably would have rolled his eyes.
"I told you it was fine, I'm just glad you're safe." he said. I put my face in my hand.
"Find a carwash somewhere, I'm going to do you a favor." I said. Ironhide started to decline.
"No, you don't have to do anything, I don't want you to overwork yourself. We should really get back to your apartment where you can rest." Ironhide said.
"You're new to this guardian thing, aren't you? And don't worry about it, I'll be fine. It's my pleasure to take care of you as well, you did save my life after all." I said. Ironhide was quiet a moment.
"Honestly, yes, I'm new to the guardian responsibility. Bumblebee is really the only one who as ever filled that role, he protects Sam." Ironhide said. I responded, noting with satisfaction that he was headed for the driveway of a carwash and not my apartment.
"Well I think you're doing a great job so far. Give me just a second." I said as he pulled into the carwash lot and stopped, putting his vehicle mode in park. I unlatched my seatbelt and dropped to the ground, keeping my weight off my bashed shin.
I left Ironhide in the parking lot, feeling a little bad since I left him alone. I walked across the gravel lot to the building attached to the wash. Going inside, I searched for a worker and found one quickly. I must have looked odd with my arm in a sling and walking with a slight limp. I also was aware that my face was a mess... The indifferent young worker looked at my face a mere second before replying in a monotone.
"Hello and welcome to the Scrubber's car wash, how may I help you?" he asked. I asked him in a very polite voice.
"Uh, you wouldn't happen to have a stain remover for interior, would you?" I asked. He silently reached behind the counter and handed me an un-labeled white spray bottle and a clean rag.
"Thanks, I'll bring this back in a little while." I said, hurrying back to Ironhide. I walked around to his passenger side, pulling open the door and surveying the work I had to do.
"Geez, I really made a mess. Sorry, I wish I hadn't bled so much on you." I said. Ironhide chuckled.
"No problem, but you see now why I was so concerned about getting you back to the base." Ironhide said. I started using the cleaner to scrub the blood off of the door panel and seat. Surprisingly, whatever the substance was did a great job and the stains came right off. I had to scrub a bit harder on the seat but it still came out. Finally I cleaned the floor mat, and then the only reminder of the blood was a slight chemical smell.
I stepped back, examining my work.
"There, that's much better." I said. Ironhide spoke.
"Thank you, you didn't have to do that." he said. I waved him off.
"No prob. I'll be right back." I said. I returned the bottle of cleaner to the worker, but left the rag in a trash can. Going back to Ironhide, I climbed into the driver's seat and buckled my seat belt.
"Okay, we can go home now." I said. Ironhide seemed happy with this, and promptly took me to my apartment. He pulled up in front of the building, and I picked up my duffel before opening the door.
"Um, you aren't going to sit here all day are you? I mean, that seems like a bother to you." I said. Ironhide chuckled.
"I wouldn't have a problem with it, but no, I wasn't planning on parking here all day. I'll be around though, if you need me just call and I'll be here as quick as I can." Ironhide said. I smiled.
"I know I've said it so many times already, but thank you so much for everything." I said, slipping from the inside of Ironhide's truck mode and onto the ground. He shut the door behind me, and I good-naturedly patted the hood of his vehicle mode as I circled in front of him.
"You're welcome." he said.
"I doubt I'll be out of the house today, I need a day to relax and heal. I'll call you if I need you, but don't worry about it too much. Can you be here around eight tomorrow?" I asked.
"I'll be waiting." Ironhide said. I waved as he drove off, and went into the apartment complex where I lived. I had to go to the front desk and ask for my room key because I'd misplaced it, and I'm sure I looked odd in my camo and with my face a swollen mess.
"Hi, would I be able to get a spare key for apartment 207?" I asked. The receptionist glanced up and down at me before turning to her computer.
"Name?" she asked.
"Morgan Annabelle Greene." I said. The receptionist scrolled a minute down the screen before nodding.
"Oh, there you are, apartment 207. I believe I have a key back here, just a moment." she said, ducking below the desk and rummaging around. She emerged quickly, and pushed a key across the counter. I picked it up gratefully.
"Thank you." I said. She ignored me, going back to whatever she'd been doing. I crossed to the elevator in the lobby, going up to my floor and then to my apartment door. I unlocked it, and sighed when I went in.
It was just as I left it, and I was so tired and sore at the moment that I just wanted to lay on the couch all day and focus on healing. I dropped my duffel in the laundry room once again, though this time I dumped all my uniforms in the wash except my official dress one. I methodically poured in the soap and detergent, punched the wash button, and exited the laundry room.
On my way to the destination I had in mind, the couch, I tossed my ruined clothes in the garbage. Content now, I eased myself onto the couch cushions, taking the sling off my arm and tossing it over the back of the couch. I unlaced my boots, slipping them off, and with a groan stretched out on the couch. I picked up the remote for the T.V. off the armrest, aimed it at the screen, and punched the power button.
Settling back, I half-watched a marathon of House before drifting off to sleep.