A/N: It's not as edited as I'd like, but hey, look, a chapter!
The sun was high above the plains of the Nevada desert when the children finally fell into an uneasy sleep. June spend her morning monitoring Ratchet's vitals, rubbing at her eyes until they were red and aching and downing cup after cup of the strongest coffee she knew how to brew. Optimus stayed by her side well past noon until Bulkhead practically dragged him off for a much needed recharge. The Prime protested but finally conceded that he was of little use in his current half aware state. Agent Fowler, as promised, stayed as long as he could but was called back to report to his superiors just passed dawn. Arcee accompanied Bumblebee on a long drive, providing the young scout with a much needed distraction.
Under the ever vigilant watch of his friends and family, Ratchet survived the day and the following night. This was a monumental accomplishment in June's eyes and it was with a smile that out shone her tired eyes that she informed the others that the majority of the danger had passed. Everyone slept easier that night.
"Morning Prime." Optimus turned and greeted Wheeljack from his place perched atop the medberth situated nearest to the CR Chamber. He accepted the offered cube of energon with a smile. The wrecker made himself comfortable in Ratchet's wheelchair. He rocked back and forth idly.
"Thank you, Wheeljack," Prime mumbled, "For all your assistance these past few orns."
"Really haven't done much," Wheeljack countered, now flicking the chair's locking mechanism on and off. "Unless you count royally pissing him off a few times."
"I do not blame Ratchet for having such frayed nerves," Prime agreed. He glanced at the form suspended in the CR Chamber. Ratchet's optics were cracked open, but unlit. His hands twitched minutely and occasionally his helm would jerk to the side.
"He's going to be fine, Prime," Wheeljack assured, following the larger bot's gaze. "I can't truthfully say he's survived worse but he's a tough bot and he's come this far." Optimus nodded silently, leaning forward on his elbows to stare more intently at the chamber. Wheeljack sighed, shaking his head. Prime was set on worrying, little would say his focus.
The two sat in silence for a long while, Wheeljack swinging his feet and Optimus unmoving. The silence was broken by the medbay doors squeaking open, revealing a shuffling Miko. Both bots watched as she made her way over to stand in front of the CR Chamber. She stared up at Ratchet for a long moment before pulling out her phone and taking aim. Wheeljack lunged and she ended up with a blurry picture of his hand.
"Hey!" She protested as he scooped her up. She slapped his hand as he brought her to rest on his knee. "What was that for?!"
Wheeljack frowned. "I don't think Ratch would appreciate photos right now." Miko huffed, her face falling.
"I only have one other of him," She mumbled, "I just wanted another for my scrapbook."
"Miko," Optimus rumbled, catching the child's attention, "While I understand your intent, Ratchet is not aware to give or deny consent to having his picture taken. It's disrespectful to do so without his knowledge."
Miko bowed her head. "Sorry, Prime. It won't happen again." Optimus' expression softened and he heaved himself to his pedes.
"I believe I have a solution." He motioned for her to follow as he exited the medbay. Wheeljack remained silently for a moment as the door slit shut. Once the others disappeared he unlocked the wheelchair and rolled about the room, a slight smile on his derma.
Optimus led Miko through the main room and into the hall containing the base's quarters. Miko gapped as he punched out the code for his own door. None of the children had ever seen the inside of the Prime's quarters, though they had fantasized.
Stepping inside at Optimus' nod, Miko decided the experience was oddly disappointing. The room was mostly bare beyond a berth and several data pads piled onto a night stand. The crystals Ratchet had given Prime were displayed along with a few other trinkets on a wall mounted shelf. Optimus searched through the items for a moment before selecting a metallic chrome cube. He motioned for Miko to join him on the berth.
When he pressed a small switch on the object's side, a hologram sprang forth. The image was of several unfamiliar bots, one a bright Pink femme. They all smiled and waved at the camera.
"I can download any image you wish to a datapad," Optimus explained, "which you then may use to print them for your scrapbook. I don't believe I have any recent captures of Ratchet." He flicked quickly through several images as he spoke, "but I do have quite a few of him with his Cybertronian kibble."
Miko gapped. "Hold on," she practically squealed, "We have to show the others." With that she dashed from the room, returning moments later with a baffled Jack and groggy Rafael in tow. Optimus opted to sit with them on the floor instead of lifting each up to the berth. Miko, unafraid of the giant, clambered up to sit on the Prime's knee. Optimus smiled at her eagerness. He placed the cube on the floor, reactivating the projector.
"This," he explained, motioning to the displayed image, "Is the original crew of the Ark." The children stared wide eyed at the plethora of bots. They ranged from all shapes and sizes. Minibots occupied the front row of mechs, along with several cassettes while the team's warriors and frontliners towered over them.
Miko jabbed a finger at a white mech in the back of the photo, the largest of them. "Bet that guy packed a wallop."
"That is Skyfire," Optimus shook his head. "He is a scientist, a pacifist."
"There's Bee and Bulk, and you," Jack pointed out Optimus, standing tall in the center of the photo, surrounded by his crew. "Where's Arcee and Ratch?"
"Arcee and Cliffjumper joined out team after we arrived on Earth via space bridge. Ratchet is there." The medic was standing on the tips of his pedes to be seen over the rather enthusiastic visor wearing bot next to Optimus. His helm was a deep red, graced by a mat black chevron but the frown he wore gave him away. The children chucked at the sight, and Optimus flipped to the next capture. This image was two separate photos displayed side by side. The first was of a black and white bot, the second was of Ratchet. The pictures were nearly identical. Both mechs were slumped over the front of their desks, sound asleep amongst a sea of datapads.
"I want that one," Miko mumbled, and Optimus clicked a second button to save the image in a separate file. The next few photos were candid as well. Two bots sitting behind bars, one red, one yellow. The yellow bot was making a rude gestured at the photographer while the red one was grinning happily.
"That's Sunstreaker?" Rafael pointed to the yellow bot. "Bee showed me his art. He's really good."
Optimus hummed in agreement. "Sunstreaker was one of Cybertron's more well know artists. Sideswipe managed the business and sold his works. They are two of my best frontliners." The next capture was of a larger red and black mech, Ironhide, Optimus supplied, staring down an indoor shooting range, the barrel of his gun smoking and the drone he was practicing on spattered across the back of the range.
The image changed, this time showing the inside of what used to be a laboratory. The walls were blackened and equipment was strewn about in bits. Skyfire was holding a rather disgruntled bot with what appeared to be a microscope mounted on his shoulder, while Ratchet searched the debris for the scientist's missing arm.
"Rare that Percy would do something like that." The children turned to see Bulkhead leaning against the door frame, a smirk to his face. "That's more Jackie's style."
"It happened on occasion," Optimus agreed, "Though I believe this one was the result of one of the twins' pranks." Bulkhead scooped Jack into his lap to make room for himself on the floor. The teen grunted in surprise but did not protest.
"You still got one of Bee back in Iacon?" Bulk asked, leaning forward. "We've got to tease the kid at least a bit. Show his baby pictures and all." Optimus chuckled, nodding. He scrolled through the index for a moment before finding what he was looking for. A small, dandelion yellow bot stare back, large optics wide with curiosity as he reached out for the camera. His small doorwings were held high behind him as he crawled forward on all fours.
"Is that Bee?" Rafael asked, reaching out as if to touch the hologram.
Optimus nodded. "Bumblebee's carrier was killed on the outskirts of Iacon, when the city's borders were bombed. My team took him in. This was taken just before his first frame upgrade."
"Bee's not very old is he?" Miko mumbled, wringing her hands in her lap.
"'bout the equivalent of your age, actually," Bulkhead supplied. Optimus flipped to the next photo. This one of an older Bumblebee, smiling at the camera man, holding up his first ion cannon, which was nearly half his size. The next capture was of Ratchet at Bumblebee's bedside, holding his hand. The scout's lower face and neck was covered in metal sheeting, and his torso was missing the majority of his armor. He looked rather forlorn, and exhausted, though his optics still shown back with a hard earned determination. Optimus glanced at Miko to ask if she wanted the photo. She merely shook her head, gaze turned down.
After a few more scrolled though photos, one in particular caught Miko's attention. It was of a large gathering of bots, the Ark's early crew. At the photo's center, two bots stood hand in hand, dancing, one was the same visored mech that had blocked Ratchet from view in the crew capture, and the other the black and white Praxian from before. Miko cooed at the looks on their face plates.
Bulkhead waggled a finger at the photo. "I remember that," he remarked, "boy was that some night. The officer's party just after the Ark had launched. Took Jazz a good half joor to convince Prowl to dance with him." Optimus chuckled at the memory.
"Didn't Ratch drink himself under the table?" Bulk asked.
"Ratchet? Drunk?" Miko practically shouted. "Please tell me you've got a photo of that!" Optimus sighed but flipped through the holograms until he found the correct capture. Ratchet sat at a circular table, head tilted slightly to the right as if gravity was no longer parallel to the ground and empty cubes surrounding him. His face was pulled into a broad, if somewhat lopsided, smile. Several bots sat around him at the table, all but Ratchet soundly in recharge, having drunken too much for their tanks to handle. In the background a blue and white bot was purging his tanks into the nearest waist receptacle.
"Looks more like Ratch drank everyone else under the table," Jack snorted, clearly somewhat disturbed. Miko made to open her mouth, but Optimus cut her off.
"I don't believe you should include this one in your album, Miko." The girl's face fell, but she seemed to understand. Even at her young age she could recognize that ill or not, Ratchet was not always of sound mind and confidence. He teetered on the edge of depression and severe anxiety at all times. It would not do well to remind him of past grievances while he was in such a fragile physical state.
"Prime?" Arcee slid around the door frame, smiling at the sight that greeted her. Optimus nodded for her to continue. "Sorry to interrupt, but the ground bridge is giving off some weird readings. I'm not sure how to fix it." Prime placed Miko on the ground as he stood. The children seemed disappointed to have their story time cut short but they understood and did not protest. Bulkhead showed Miko how to work the controls on the holo-emitter, much to her delight.
Optimus followed Arcee through the base to the main room. Sure enough, warnings had popped up all over the main screen. Prime frowned, scratching at his chin. "You've rebooted, correct," he asked jokingly. Arcee rolled her optics but nodded. Optimus pecked at the computer for a moment before standing back and staring.
"You don't know, do you?" Arcee mumbled.
Optimus shook his head. "Technology and engineering is not my specialty. I know my way around a database, but not systems as technical as this. Rafael may be able to assist." Arcee nodded and turned to fetch the child. Within a few moments of examining the computer, Rafael sat back.
"I think it's an electrical problem." He shrugged. "I can't find anything in the coding or database that would be causing a problem." He glanced up at Optimus. "Have you activating the ground bridge yet?"
"No," Prime replied, "We were unsure if it was safe to do so."
Raf scratched the back of his head, ruffling his hair back into its proper shape. "I don't think it will cause a problem. And unless we amp up the power considerably there's little to no chance of it blowing up, if that's what you're worried about." Optimus strode over to the ground bridge, pulling the lever with one last glance towards Rafael. The bridge threw off several sparks before going silent again. The rooms occupants glanced between each other before settling on the sole human. Raf exaggerated a shrug, holding up his hands in a defensive gesture.
"I think that confirms that it's an electrical problem," Arcee sighed. "Wanna help me lift this panel off, Prime." Optimus simply moved the smaller bot aside and heaved concrete slab off by himself. Rafael hopped down from the observation deck to take a look at the wiring.
"Here it is!" He called from his spot crammed inside the systems internals. Several wires had been twisted together too tightly and had snapped. Unfortunately each was the same color as the next, making it nearly impossible to tell what was supposed to go where. Optimus leaned down to examine the break.
"Ratchet kept notes on the base's systems in the database. Perhaps he has something that can help us." The Prime moved to look though the database, glad to be back in his element.
"Schematics?" Rafael asked.
"Perhaps…" Prime trailed off when he came to a file he did not recognize: Omega Base Repair and Upkeep. His expression became one of confusion when he opened the document. Inside there were detailed instructions for every aspect of system repair. Further back in the file was a similar document, instead outlining everything for minor welds to major surgeries. Optimus checked the file information. Ratchet had last edited the file only a month ago, shortly before he was confined to bed rest.
Arcee leaned around his waist to look for herself. "Slagger," she mumbled. For a moment she stared, face slowly contorting into a look of rage. "That Primus fragging slagger!" She stomped her pede and whirled about to face the medbay.
"Arcee?" Optimus asked, a look of worry on his face.
Arcee's shoulders sagged. "He never expected to survive, did he?" She sighed. "He wouldn't leave us something this through to be out for only a week or two."
Optimus kneeled level to Arcee's optics. "Ratchet has worked for a cure for over six million years," he reminded, "While I believe he respects June's medical knowledge and intelligence, I also believe you are correct. No, he does not expect this plan to succeed, and has planned for the worst."
Arcee nodded. "Let's just fix the ground bridge," she murmured, trudging back over to Rafael, who was reading the instructions, pretending not to hear the conversation to his side. With a last check over his comrades, Optimus returned to the medbay. Wheeljack had fallen into a heavy recharge on one of the medical berths. Prime let him be. Instead his sat in front of the CR chamber.
He placed his elbows on his knees and leaned into his hands, sighing. Ratchet had closed his optics, much to Prime's relief. While he knew the medic was soundly in stasis it was disturbing to see his optics open in a mockery of consciousness. Optimus glanced at Ratchet's hand when it twitched. His own hand ached in sympathy and a throbbing ache was building between his finials.
"I understand your doubt, old friend" he mumbled after a long moment, gaze never leaving Ratchet's still form, "but we need you back. Please hang on." Ratchet was still. Optimus sighed, placing his head back into his hands. "June said the treatment is going well. If everything keeps progressing the way it is, we can start repair on your processors in half a megacycle." He smiled softly, "Rafael has gone over the coding for the nanites at least a dozen times. I've reassured him that he is capable and it is doubtful that he has missed anything but he is still unsatisfied." Wheeljack stirred behind the Prime. He stretched and heaved himself from the berth.
"Think he can hear you?" Wheeljack stood behind the stool where Optimus sat, rubbing his optics.
Optimus nodded. "Even if he can't, it is soothing to simply talk." Wheeljack hummed.
"Well, I'm going back to the Jackhammer for some proper recharge. Medical berths are slagging uncomfortable." He waved over his shoulder as he walked from the medbay. "Night Prime, Night Ratch." The medbay doors shut with a sickeningly high pitched wail. Optimus flinched at the sound, staring at where Wheeljack had vanished with wide, unfocused optics. A tapping sound at his back caught his attention. It was so soft he nearly missed it.
Ratchet was awake, his optics dim but online and his knuckles wrapped lightly against the glass. Once he noticed that he had the Prime's attention he allowed his hand to drift back to his side. Prime gently pressed a hand to the CR Chamber where Ratchet's had been. His other hand moved to his finial and activated his comm. link. The phone at the other end rang annoyingly in the Prime's helm.
"Afternoon, Prime," June's soft voice murmured.
"Hello, June," Optimus greeted. "Is it normal for Ratchet to regain consciousness while in the CR Chamber?"
June hummed, "It's not dangerous, if that's what you mean. The glitch should be weakened enough at this point that the nanites will do their job, conscious or not. I assume he's up?" The Prime grunted an acknowledgment, watching Ratchet's half shuttered optics focus on the bubbles floating up in front of him.
"He woke only a few moments ago."
"Alright," June said, "I have to go attend to a patient. Check his levels, make sure he's not in pain and I'll check back later."
"Thank you, June." Optimus clicked off his comm. and moved to check the monitors. The readouts remained steady, much to his relief. Turning back to the CR Chamber, Optimus smiled at the sight of Ratchet's cross-eyed expression. He tapped lightly on the glass to regain his attention. The medic jolted, startled.
"Sorry," Optimus murmured. He hadn't considered how loud the sound would be while submerged. "Are you in any pain, Ratchet?" He asked. The medic stared at him blankly. "Pain?" Optimus repeated, louder. Ratchet's helm shook back and forward lethargically. No pain. He clicked in Cybertronian, the sound barely escaping the chamber. Optimus smiled gently. His processors had yet to be repaired. He was still speaking non-sense.
"We were worried about you, old friend," Optimus said loud enough for Ratchet to hear. "I am glad to see you're well." The white mech nodded slowly in a manner that left Optimus unsure that he'd understood. It mattered little when Ratchet's optics began to flicker. Optimus ran a finger down the glass, watching with a smile as Ratchet drifted off.
"Recharge soundly, Ratchet." Optimus sat back to continue his ever vigilant watch.
A/N: I've posed this challenge to my beta already but I figured it'd be fun to see what you people think. I'm big on symbolism. There's a lot throughout this piece. Characters, objects, events. Pretty much anything is a possibility. There's a major reoccurring one that's in this chapter. I'd love to hear what you guys can come up with.