Hands grip each other and fields mingle.
Not a word gets spoken and they find peace in the silence, letting their fields convey everything they have to say.
After a week, none of the nurses or physicians find the occurrence between the two seekers strange.
Thundercracker's presence has made working with Skywarp easier for all of them.
The will to live and recover has returned and he is finally cooperating.
Echo observes the silent interaction between the two seekers with worry.
Skywarp's wings are healing and the time for the removal of the titanium bars grows closer. Soon the black and purple seeker will be able to move around in the berth, and she fears that Thundercracker has found comfort in the fact that Skywarp can't move.
When Thundercracker finally rises from the chair and leaves the ICU, Echo sits down in the chair beside the berth. As so many times before, she reaches her hand out to gently touch Skywarp's to let him know she is there, but this time something is different, and she instantly finds her hand in a painful vice-like grip.
A tiny sound of pain escapes her and she tries to free her hand, but to no avail. The grip tightens to an almost crushing force the more she fights against it.
"Release your field!" The black and purple seeker growls menacingly. "Now!"
Her field?
"Why?" She asks in confusion but does as he orders.
The grip lessens and then her hand is released.
"You truly don't know anything about seekers, do you?" Skywarp asks astounded, all signs of aggression gone. "What do you think Thundercracker and I have been doing the last week?"
"Neither of us told you his name, so how do you know?" She stares at him in confusion, rubbing her bruised hand.
"He didn't need to, his field told me. Just like yours told me that you have no ill intent towards him, have a desperate urge to help your friend and that you have no idea how," Skywarp answers matter-of-factly before his voice becomes solemn. "Thundercracker has suffered for so long. Being alone is not healthy for a seeker. Am I truly the first seeker he has communicated with since his rescue?"
"He didn't want to talk about it, and we tried to protect him." She says guiltily, understanding dawning. While she has been worried about their silent interaction, the two seekers have taken the next step in the recovery process and have somehow shared experiences through their fields.
"He is stronger than you think. There is no reason to coddle him," Skywarp murmurs reassuringly, his attention immediately shifting to the door when he senses Thundercracker return. "Sorry about your hand, but I needed to be sure about your intentions."
Thundercracker stares at the door in front of him, shyness more than fear keeping him from opening it.
He knows it is silly.
They have shared fields for more than a week.
Skywarp knows everything there is to know about him.
Everything except how he looks.
He takes a deep breath before he reaches for the door handle and pulls it down.
The door swings open, and he stares into the recovery room.
For a moment images of 'The Room' filter through his processor, but then Skywarp turns around and banishes the approaching flashback.
"Am I to your satisfaction?" Skywarp asks cheekily, slowly turning around on the spot to show off his wings and impressive size, and Thundercracker slams the door shut while his cheeks begin to heat.
"Is there anything wrong?" One of the nurses asks, walking over to him.
"That idiot in there," He states incensed and turns around to leave the medical bay.
The door to the recovery room bursts open, and on his way out of the medical bay, Thundercracker hears Skywarp frantically attempt to apologize. But the black and purple seeker's apology is cut short when the physicians instantly are at him, forcing him back into the recovery room and ordering him to stay on the berth.
A surge of power fills Thundercracker's spark and he laughs heartily at the situation.
The medical bay's automatic door opens, and Echo waits for him on the other side.
"How did it go?" She asks curiously, but Thundercracker doesn't give her an answer. Instead he shakes his head as he walks towards the elevator.
"I'm going on a flight," He calls down the corridor to her before the elevator door closes.
His spark flutters with giddiness when he reaches ground level, and he pings the airbase control tower for permission to take flight.
::It is good to see you again, Thundercracker.:: Airwave responds.
::Likewise, Airwave.:: Thundercracker greets the air traffic controller warmly.
::Don't go above Mach 3. New protocols. We need to be able to keep up with you,:: Airwave adds, his tone turning serious.
Thundercracker halts in his transformation.
::Reason? I had hoped for a more extended flight to stretch my wings.::
::Can't disclose. You will have to talk to Megatron about this since it is his order.:: Airwave apologizes.
::Understood.:: Thundercracker says as he receives a data-file with the flight zone he has to remain within for them to keep track of him.
As he completes his transformation into alt-mode, his sensors take over his awareness, and he performs the pre-flight check on instinct. His processor diverts all of its focus to the task ahead and allows his systems to de-stress.
Activating his thrusters, he slowly gains speed until he shoots into the air with a sonic boom. A chorus of hails immediately follows his take-off as the on-duty military personnel sees his presence as a chance for them to get away from their boring assignments on the ground while those that are fortunate to be in the air attempt to goad him into a playful game of tag in the air over the base.
::SILENCE!:: Airwave's voice booms over the airbase's control tower's general communications line. ::Firebolt, you and your flight have been chosen to escort Thundercracker during his flight.::
The six fighter jets rapidly catch up with Thundercracker and box him in on either side. He wiggles his wings in greeting and then increases the speed, quickly reaching Mach 2 and then a second later Mach 3.