Kerri stood staring towards the now dark groundbridge. This was unexpected. She hadn't planned on being left alone with the soldier, and now her confidence and control was replaced with nervousness. She turned back towards medbay to see Magnus staring at her, poker face in place.
'How in the hell am I going to do this?' she thought to herself. She felt the warmth creeping back into her body.
Attempting to get her nerves under control, she walked over to the Commander and climbed onto Ratchet's work bench.
"Do you mind laying back, sir? I think it will be more comfortable." While that was true, she was more concerned about trying to hold it together with Magnus sitting up staring at her. Having him in the prone position made her feel a little more in control.
Magnus laid back on the berth, arm outstretched and servo open. Kerri walked over to the machine and turned it on.
"We'll start out on low just to get some base readings. Ratchet set it according to your size and mass so it should be very comfortable for you. Just relax," she told him as she began the pulses. "Tell me if anything feels out of order."
"Of course," he answered. The machine had begun to pulse, and Magnus turned to look at the reading on the computer. While he studied the readout, Kerri studied him. She could see the scrapes and scratches on Magnus' armor. She could only imagine the stories behind the scars. She had been in battle, although nothing like what the Autobots have seen, and not for millions of years like the Autobots have done. 'What does that do to a soldier like Magnus?' she thought to herself. She knew how bad it was to bottle it all up. She was guilty of it herself, and wondered if that was what he was doing.
The beep of the machine startled Kerri out of her thoughts. She glanced at the readout and then Magnus.
"Hmm…looks like we found a loose wire, sir. Well, I can fix that right up for you," she smiled. She grabbed her box of tools and climbed down onto the berth and into Magnus' outstretched servo. She sank to her knees in the center of his palm and opened up the box.
"This won't take long. A couple of tweaks, sir." She smiled up at him before settling into the repair.
Magnus silently watched the woman work while a million thoughts raced through his processor. His spark was pulsing and he fought to keep his fans from kicking on. The woman climbing around on him was causing reactions that he was unfamiliar with. He could feel her light touch through his armor and it caused the same effect as the pulses of electricity working through his servo. He remained silent and tried to focus on the readout on the computer while she worked.
After several minutes Kerri looked up at Magnus and smiled. "All done. It just pulled apart a little. You're spliced and good as new."
Kerri climbed back onto the table and let the machine continue its work while she began typing her report into the datapad. The awkward silence was palpable, so she attempted to make conversation.
"It appears that the doctor has done excellent work. I'm not seeing any other glitches in your wiring. We should be able to start the actual physical therapy on your servo tomorrow. It shouldn't be long until you can get back to full duty. That has to make you happy."
"I am looking forward to being a productive part of the team again and not a burden. While writing reports brings certain satisfaction, it can become monotonous when it is all that you can do. As Second in Command, I need to be out in the field."
Kerri looked at the Commander in shock. "I can assure you sir that no one sees you as a burden! You stepped up to the plate when Optimus was gone and held Team Prime together. You led the charge against Darkmount and helped stop Megatron's plan. The Autobots were lost until you showed up. Nobody regrets your presence here."
"I don't think Wheeljack feels the same way."
"Let me tell you something, sir. The first time that Wheeljack realized that it was you piloting the ship, I looked his face. And I saw relief. Because before you arrived here, nobody knew what to do. We were scattered everywhere and the cause seemed lost. You came here, figured out what needed done, and did it. Wheeljack may give you a hard time, but he respects the hell out of you. We all do."
Ultra Magnus looked at the woman for a long moment before speaking.
"Thank you, Kerri," he finally spoke. "I didn't realize…that I was appreciated. I must say that it is a relief…to know how the others feel." He smiled at her and her heart started melting.
"Absolutely," she smiled. They looked at each, realizing that a moment had just past between them. He liked this woman more and more, and it was obvious that she had immense respect for him. It made him feel good.
"Ok, sir, you're all done. I'll get you disconnected and you'll be free to go. Ratchet will be happy about day one."
Kerri finished her work before Magnus sat up on the berth and tested his servo. "It feels good."
"I'm glad, Commander.", she smiled.
"Please, call me Magnus," he said as he stood up. As he walked away, he turned to her and smiled.
"Thank you again, Kerri. For everything."