Summary: After the events of "Additional Medical Assistance Required," Knockout decides to put Danny on Bedrest. But Danny has other plans.

Danny's been put on bedrest, and he was not happy about it. He couldn't believe it. And surprisingly, it was Knockout who had been the one to try to ensure Danny took care of himself.

"According to this information," Knockout gestured to the screen behind him that displayed diagrams of human biology and notes that he had accumulated over the last day, "and what the human medic insisted," He rolled his optics. "Humans need rest to heal properly after sustaining significant injuries such as yours. Without it, they risk worsening their condition. So, until you're healed, you'll need to remain under constant Decepticon surveillance."

Danny stared, slack-jawed, perched on the edge of the medical berth. Starscream stood on the other side of the medbay with his arms crossed as he listened. "You can't be serious. I don't need to be babysat! I'm fine! This sort of thing happens all the time," Danny argued.

"The human medic was very clear that rest is essential. Well, when she was not scared out of her mind anyway," Knockout replied, optics narrowing with a touch of exasperation. "And as the Decepticons' chief physician."

"Only physician," Starscream muttered.

Knockout continued, ignoring the commander. "It's my job to ensure the health of those on the ship.". Danny would have appreciated the care that Knockout seemed to be showing him if it weren't for the fact that Danny. Didn't. Need. Babysitting!

Danny scoffed, throwing his hands up in disbelief. "Since when do you listen to humans? I know my limits—it's not that bad." He paused, frustration filling his field. "And I'm not a Decepticon. You can't just order me around."

Starscream's optics flickered as he stepped forward, his tone sharp but with an undertone Danny could almost mistake for concern. "If your health is at risk, you will listen to Knockout."

Danny glared over his shoulder, eyes narrowing at Starscream. "You never follow orders when you're on bedrest. You can't make me stay here," he snapped.

Knockout rolled his optics dramatically. "Yes, we can. Until your injuries heal, you are to—" He glanced at the notes on his monitor. Danny didn't know if they were from the internet or from what the human nurse explained to the mech while Danny was unconscious. "—reduce strenuous activities such as stretching, running, walking, and maintain as much rest as possible. You're to also remain in calm, non-stressful situations."

"Right, because living on a Decepticon warship in the middle of a war is so stress-free." Danny couldn't help but laugh, though the motion made him wince as pain flared across his torso. He clutched his side, and Knockout raised an optic ridge while Starscream looked Danny up and down, wings flicking with concern.

Knockout let out an exaggerated sigh. "Doctor's orders. Starscream, take him," he said, waving a servo dismissively behind him. "I need to clean up my lab after the organic mess you left behind." Knockout shuddered.

Danny opened his mouth to protest, but Starscream scooped him up with both servos before he could get a word out. The Seeker moved carefully, making sure he didn't move Danny too quickly and accidentally strain his injuries.

Danny sighed as Starscream carried him out of the medbay. He was now stuck with a crew of twenty-somthing-foot-tall, metal, battle-hardened babysitters who wouldn't even let him walk on his own. It was going to be a long week.

x

Danny was already bored, and it had only been two hours. Usually, he would be perfectly fine sitting around in Starscream's quarters while the Con went over datapads, but the fact that he had to stay there because the Cons said so made him want to explore more than ever.

Danny waited another few painstaking minutes, glancing around at his personal shelf. More and more personal items seemed to be added each month. Sometimes, he would find extra things placed in with his belongings that he hadn't had before — things he was sure Starscream must have picked up on his little missions. He'd noticed that Starscream was a hoarder, but the Seeker kept everything meticulously organized and enjoyed collecting little gifts or souvenirs. Danny was confident that if he ever asked Starscream where the items came from, the Con would either ignore him or deny everything. The thought made Danny smile to himself.

But he was still bored. And salty about being put on bedrest. He was sitting on the old beanbag, already having tossed one of the miniature datapads haphazardly to the floor. Soundwave had a few extras in storage, and Danny had no idea why the Cons had miniature datapads, but he wasn't complaining. He rolled his head back and stared at the ceiling.

He needed to stretch his legs. He glanced up to ensure Starscream was still hard at work—and he was. Danny stood up slowly, taking care not to tear his stitches, and walked to the edge. His steps were silent as he kept his eyes on Starscream and jumped off the shelf, floating safely to the ground.

Once on the ground, Danny headed for the door. He felt the pull at his stitches with every step, making him wince, but freedom was worth the pain. He only had about twenty more steps to go until—

Suddenly, Starscream's large, heeled pede slammed down in front of him. Danny stumbled back and looked up, meeting Starscream's scowl. Danny returned the expression, crossing his arms. "I was just stretching my legs," he tried.

Starscream stooped down and snatched Danny up without a second thought. "I believe 'stretching' and 'walking' were both on Knockout's 'not for the human' list," the Con said briskly, striding back to his desk. Instead of placing Danny back on his shelf, Starscream set him next to the datapads on the desk and sat down to continue his work.

Danny frowned. "Right, and now I have nowhere comfortable to rest," he muttered, crossing his arms.

Starscream barely looked up. "You should have thought of that before trying to escape," he said, swiping on his datapad. Danny rolled his eyes and sat down on the cold, hard desk.

He noticed Starscream glancing at him a few times, each look more annoyed than the last. Danny wasn't even doing anything! Abruptly, the Seeker stood up and walked to the other side of the room, where Danny's shelf was.

Danny stood up to see better and walked to the edge of the desk. Starscream turned on his heel and brought back Danny's beanbag, blanket, and one of the datapads.

Starscream glanced down at Danny near the edge and used his servo to push him back to the middle of the desk, likely assuming Danny was trying to escape again. The Con promptly dropped the items next to Danny and sat down to resume his work.

Danny bundled the items together to create a comfortable sitting spot and smiled up at the Con, who kept periodically glancing over as if to make sure Danny was still there. "Thanks," Danny said.

Starscream ignored him, but Danny could see his wings twitch in acknowledgment.

x

It was the next day, and it was time for another escape attempt. Danny was sitting on the counter with Breakdown and Knockout in the room. He had been told to "stay put," but there was no way he was going to listen. His wounds had healed more, and the pain was bearable. He was perfectly fine to start walking around now.

He glanced up as Breakdown and Knockout were thoroughly distracted by each other — Knockout fussing over a new ding or scratch in his paint and Breakdown trying to calm him down and help buff it out — an exhausting experience, from the looks of it.

Even though it was entertaining to watch the two scramble like that, Danny had some escaping to do, and this distraction was perfect. He quickly jumped off the counter, landed softly on the ground, and headed for the door. Instead of almost getting stepped on this time, he made it, and the door opened easily for him.

Luckily, the hiss of the door hydraulics was quiet enough not to alert the two mechs. Danny made it down two hallways before a large tentacle wrapped around his torso and lifted him into the air. Danny let out a surprised yelp as he looked around to see who or what had grabbed him, only to meet Soundwave's visor.

"Oh, hey," Danny laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "What are you doing out here, Soundwave? I thought you'd be in the control room."

Soundwave tilted his helm, and the security footage of the medbay flickered onto his screen, showing Danny's escape. Danny sighed and slumped. Soundwave raised both servos, placed Danny into them, and retracted his tentacle.

Danny sat down in the servos with his legs to the side. Soundwave spoke up. "Statement: Danny is injured. Statement: Knockout has placed Danny on bedrest until further notice. Observation: Danny is not abiding by the rules." If Danny could see the Con's optics, he was sure he'd be getting a disapproving glare.

"I'm fine!" Danny threw his hands up in exasperation. "Really, you guys are worrying over nothing."

"Incorrect." Danny stared up at the Con. "Soundwave and Decepticons: concerned for your wellbeing. Danny: almost died without intervention." Danny felt a pang of guilt. He really had almost died. The Cons were just trying to help, in their own way.

Danny sighed. "Fine. I'll rest," he relented. Soundwave flashed a smiley emoticon on his visor and started walking back toward the control room. Danny looked up at him, confused. "Am I not going back to the medbay?"

Soundwave glanced down. "Negative. Breakdown and Knockout: proved insufficient at guarding you. Soundwave and Laserbeak: much better."

Danny laughed and leaned back in Soundwave's servos.

x

Needless to say, the next time Danny was put under Knockout and Breakdown's care, he found himself placed in a large glass observation tank to minimize any escape risks. It was something that would easily contain an average human—not Danny, of course, But Knockout didn't know that. And at least it was comfortable.

Knockout had looked so proud of himself when he set Danny in there, too. If Danny hadn't been so tired, he would have tried to escape the moment the Con turned around, just to prove a point. But for now, he leaned back on the blankets that had been placed inside the tank with him. This wasn't so bad.

x

Danny managed to escape from Knockout two more times, and now Soundwave had transferred Danny's care to some of the Vehicons whenever Soundwave and Starscream weren't available to watch him. Danny didn't mind; he loved the Vehicons.

Danny glanced up at Roddie, who had him clutched in his servos as he and C-27 patrolled the ship's hallways. C-27 was always a stickler for the rules, while Roddie tended to be a troublemaker. The two were often put on shifts together to make sure that they kept each other balanced. Or, at least, so C-27 could keep Roddie in line.

Roddie was always excited to see Danny, jumping at every opportunity to pick up the "human" and ask him questions. C-27 always seemed snippety around Danny and would tell Roddie off for harassing him. C-27 cared about Danny and Roddie in his own way; he didn't want either of them hurt, but he masked this behind his professionalism and strict rule-following.

As they walked, Danny shifted in Roddie's hold a little too quickly, sending a sharp pain shooting through his side. He hissed and grabbed at the injury reflexively. Both Vehicons stopped immediately, alarm sparking in their fields.

"Are you okay?" Roddie's tone, usually light and playful, was now serious and tinged with worry. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Just moved too quickly," Danny waved them off.

C-27 levelled his visor at Danny. "If you are experiencing any excess pain, we are instructed to take you to Knockout for an examination," the Con informed him.

Danny sighed. "Really, guys, I'm fine, see?" Danny smiled brightly and stood up on Roddie's servos, who promptly used his other servo to cup around him to make sure he didn't fall. He was met with more flat looks and concerned fields. "Okay, if it happens again, you can take me to the medbay, okay?"

The two Cons glanced at each other and decided that was a good enough compromise. "Fine." C-27 reluctantly agreed.

"But if you feel any more pain… just tell us, okay?" Roddie said.

Danny smiled up at them. "Promise."

They continued their patrol, light commentary passing between them—mainly between Danny and Roddie—as C-27 tried to remain professional. But Danny could tell he enjoyed the conversation, not to mention the company.

x

Needless to say, after all of that, Danny never ended up able to escape. Now, his injuries were finally healed enough to be taken off bed rest, no longer a need for constant supervision. He was still told to keep an eye on his injuries, but he was free to do what he wanted. But now that Danny had the choice, he still wanted to hang with the Cons all day anyway.

Authors notes

Beta read by Arvensia.

Ha ha! I love my babies so much. Thank you for reading!