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7

Familiar sounds!

Beeping of machinery! The quiet flow of air as a diagnostic drone was flying by!

And strangers many for his optics to follow, but New Master was OK with them, so he didn't resist. Then one doctor (yet another stranger) started a full checkup on him. It was all familiar! He knew in advance what was going to be the next demand, and when he had moved just so, Stranger Doctor said something to New Master, to which New Master reacted happily! New Master even shook the doctor's hand!

Then came the specific examinations, for which he had to sit motionless for five-six breems. Had it taken this long back then, when he had been on the other side of the scanners?

But then, something started to make sense to him! They showed him the scan results of his damaged facial sensors, and he understood over 73% of it! He was shown the list of the most essential frame repairs, and New Master actually let him choose where the medic would start! He chose 'new visor' first, because he hoped getting back his vision would help him with everything else; 'fixing the transformation seams in left shoulder', because transformation was essential for a Cybertronian, and he had not been in his alt for over three vorns; and finally, 'in-situ repairs of ruptured valve', because he was certain New Master would not want him with damage left by Past Master.

Then the assistant rolled in with the processor activity readouts.

Stranger Doctor hesitated before handing them over, but New Master spoke to Stranger Doctor arrogantly, and then he immediately surrendered the datapad.

The scan results showed he'd lost more than 80% of his processor functions. There were blocks on all high-quality communications, over half of his own body control, 78% of his rapid access memory, but even worse: his personality-identifying protocols had been re-wired into being the positive feedback loop of his interface drive.

Sense!

Suddenly, it made sense!

And there was one more thing to recognize: he was a medic!

Or had been. That must be why he understood those scan results, all that medical stuff, even though the mechs around him talking still sounded like they spoke Bocce.

Need! Sudden need!

His valve demanded to be filled, by gorgeous New Master, now!

Legs spread, valve lubrication initiated. New Master should take him, frag him, dominate him, right now, right here! The need was only increased by the many wounds in his interface parts.

But New Master was moving away. NO!

He sobbed. He begged.

New Master demanded something different, however.

Of what he could make out of his words, New Master wanted him to pay attention to the sheet in his hands.

It was just a sheet. But New Master said it was important. New Master made it a condition of interfacing!

Ah, the priority list. With a touch of his fingers, he moved 'in-situ repairs of ruptured valve' to the top.

Desired New Master said something familiar, but not opened his cover yet.

His frame demanded New Master's spike, he needed it NOW!

Stranger Medic touched his neck right where the surgical deactivation override plug was.

8

"We're deep in the scrap," Shine exclaimed. "We have a medic. To help him re-discover himself being a medic, and for the entire healing process, he needs his self-identification. Which has been re-routed into his interface loop."

"This can actually be beneficial," Flatline pointed out. "We have a relatively easy access to his personal identification, which then will rocket boost his healing. And mind you, he needs every bit of help he can get."

"And didn't you buy him to be your interface toy?"

"NO!" Leader shouted. "No, definitely not!" His blue gaze almost pierced the assistant who had asked the not-so-innocent question.

"We were only playing with the 'Con whose ship engines we retrieved while looking for Shockwave. Primus knows neither of us would ever buy a mech for any personal reason," Shine continued.

"Primus is very far away…" the assistant murmured.

Leader picked up the sheet the sedated mech had dropped. "Are you sure making use of that positive feedback loop would work?"

Flatline reset his vocalizer. "As a former medic, the remaining 20% of his capacity was more than enough to understand exactly what he had lost. And I bet he understood why this was happening to him."

"Understood, but could not do anything against it," Shine whispered. "He was completely overridden by that loop."

Silence fell on the mechs, the only sound the surgery sanitizer being scrubbed onto the mech's frame.

"Doctor Flatline… How certain are you that keeping his identity and interface in one loop would help him recover?"

Flatline stood quietly, waiting as white and red paint became visible under whatever scrap the Decepticon had covered the mech in.

"Doctor?"

"I'm not sure… I'm not sure how much that would help, but I can tell you, pulling his processor out from the loop is impossible without igniting his self-repair in advance." He might have muttered something like 'sorry'.

"In other words," Shine murmured, "using the interface loop is not guaranteed to heal him, but without using it, either he would remain as he is now, or he would die during processor surgery."

"Piiiit…" Leader sighed.