Psychiatric conference:
Present: Solace(Dr. med. dipl. psych.), Echo(Cand. psych. ph.d.), Serenity(Psychotherapist.), Megatron(Functioning director at D-14.), Sonar(Supportive function.), Nacelle(Dr. med. dipl. psych.).
"As you all have noticed, we have a new face among us," Solace says with a nod towards his fellow psychiatrist. "I have asked Nacelle to come because we need someone that has a deeper insight into seekers and how prolonged trauma might affect them."
Nacelle looks around the table, his optics not missing the way Megatron radiates restrained anger before they return to Solace.
"Thank you for summoning me, Solace. I have read the files you sent me, and as Echo has suspected, Skywarp is a clear case of PTSD while Thundercracker is harder to diagnose. I will have to conduct a deeper examination of him before I can give you anything concrete to work with."
His attention keeps returning to the director and Megatron's deepening frown.
"How are they doing?"
Sonar's rotor moves imperceptibly, but Nacelle detects it with his sensitive sensors and frowns at the way the guard looks subdued down at the table.
"How is Skywarp doing, Sonar?" He asks, trying to get a reaction out of the helo-former. "I can understand you have been assigned to him the last few weeks."
Sonar looks up, his optics helplessly searching Megatron's while the director's anger visibly skyrockets.
"He is in isolation." Megatron finally answers, his voice full of restrained anger.
"You put a traumatized seeker in isolation?" Nacelle asks incredulously.
"HE MOLESTED THUNDERCRACKER!" Megatron's chair falls to the floor as he leans threateningly towards the guest psychiatrist. "That seeker has suffered enough! Yes, I put Skywarp in isolation! To protect Thundercracker!"
"When did this happen?" Nacelle looks around the table while Megatron rights his chair and sits down, still bristling with barely contained anger.
"Yesterday," Sonar answers almost in a whisper, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.
"I would have liked to know this beforehand," Nacelle says with a frown and focuses his attention on Solace. "I will need to see it."
Megatron throws the datapad containing the footage from Skywarp's recovery room onto the table.
"There you have it." He growls challengingly.
Silence fills the room as Nacelle in deep concentration watches the footage from the incident between the two seekers, and his optics follow Skywarp's behavior closely. When he looks up from the datapad, he meets Megatron's challenging gaze: "Release him."
If looks could kill...
But Nacelle remains unwavering, staring into Megatron's furious optics.
"No." Megatron refuses, his voice cold.
"He has done nothing wrong." Nacelle stresses. "On the contrary, he helped Thundercracker."
"Helped him..." Megatron splutters incredulous.
"Yes." Nacelle leans forward, his voice forthright and severe. "It is a 'cold' overload, not a case of molestation."
"I think you need to explain that since I haven't heard that terminology before," Solace interjects.
"It is a rather extensive topic that goes into the deeper aspect of the seeker's anatomy and will have to wait for another time," Nacelle explains and rises from his chair. "Right now, I need to see Skywarp."
Meeting adjourned.
The next psychiatric conference scheduled.
"How has he been?" Nacelle asks Hotglide while he follows the guard down the corridor to the isolation cells.
"Silent," Hotglide shrugs. "Hasn't moved at all."
"No violence or other reaction at all?" Nacelle asks with growing worry.
"Nope." They arrive at Skywarp's cell and Hotglide unlocks it. "Didn't even fight when he got put in there."
"Thank you. You can go. I'll handle this."
"Are you sure?" Hotglide asks doubtful, visibly sizing Nacelle up, but then he seems to come to a conclusion and shrugs. "If you need assistance, don't hesitate to hail us. We won't be far away."
Hotglide leaves and Nacelle turns to the door.
Skywarp looks up when the door opens and light from the corridor begins to spill into the room. The door closes a moment later and casts him into darkness again, but the light in the ceiling turns on a moment later and his optics slowly adjust to its intensity.
"Skywarp."
A gentle, calm voice.
His field reacts to another reaching out to him.
'Carrier. Bonded. Understanding. Care.' Washes over him, and he stares in marvel at the green and white seeker in front of him.
Nacelle feels Skywarp's optics map him out, but his bonded status should keep the black and purple seeker from getting ideas.
"I know what happened," He states softly. "You helped him, but they don't understand the deeper interpersonal relations between seekers. They think you hurt him, but I know that isn't true."
A violent sob.
Finally someone that understands!
Tears press on behind his optics, and when the green and white seeker kneels in front of him, he leans into the offered embrace. When he feels the soothing field encompass him, the tears burst from his optics, and he cries loudly.
"I didn't hurt him," He snivels. "I never would."
"I know, and I am here to release you," Nacelle murmurs soothingly, his anger rising at the feeling of Skywarp's despairing field.
He needs to have a serious talk with Megatron about the use of isolation.
It is not healthy for anyone to be isolated, but it is like torture for a seeker.