Chromia has visited Brandon in the medbay a few times. She’s seen how upset Drift has been since Jamie has been in the medbay but hasn’t talked to him. Today she’s feeling like she needs a distraction. She skips talking to the medics right when she gets to the medbay and goes to Jamie’s room.
She’s not surprised to see Drift already holding Jamie. She understands why that helps him. She stays for twenty minutes before seeing Jolt go to Brandon’s room.
“How long has it been?” Chromia asks
“Three weeks,” Jolt sighs, “and currently, tests show he’ll die in minutes if we turn the ventilator off. Unfortunately, he won’t regain consciousness.”
“Unbelievable, that aft killed two families in the city and many other people.”
Chromia sits by the bed, hating that the dreaded talks have started.
“Are you ok?” She hears Crosshairs ask. He looks at Brandon, “scrap, stupid question, I’m sorry.”
“The fragging holiday killer did this. Jolt says Brandon is brain dead. I don’t know if I’m making the decision or not. Either way....”
Tears roll down Chromia’s face as Crosshairs hugs her. He remembers how he felt after being told that Trinity died from her injuries, hating that Chromia will go through the same pain.
“Come back to Jamie’s room with me. There might be good news today. I know it will not help a lot, but maybe a little.”
Chromia goes back to Jamie’s room and holds her. Hoping Jamie will wake up as she holds her.
At least the day won’t be entirely full of heartbreak. Chromia tells herself.
“I know we believe in giving patients a chance better than doctors on this planet, but,” Jolt sighs.
“I know, but when tests show that he’ll die soon after we turn off the ventilator. I hate when we have to make decisions like this.”
“So do I.”
The two medics hope they can time things right, and Jamie waking up will help Chromia.
They wait an hour before talking to Chromia, hating that they have to upset her.
Chromia knows what’s coming, seeing Jolt and Ratchet walk into Brandon’s room.
“I don’t even know him, but—.”
“I know, it’s never easy to decide to let a patient die,” Ratchet cute in, “but he’s been like this for most of the three weeks. It’s possible for a human to not show signs of severe brain injury, and Brandon had a delayed brain bleed.”
“As I told you, he’ll die soon after we turn off the ventilator,” Jolt adds.
Chromia leaves the room, unable to watch Brandon die. She sits in the hallway, watching Ratchet pull the shades down on the door and viewing window. Chromia feels someone pulling her up to stand up, and they hug her as she lets herself cry.
Drift sees Crosshairs hugging Chromia as she cries. He wants to be with Jamie when she wakes up, but can’t ignore how upset Chromia is.
“I’ll be right back,” he tells Jamie as he lays her in bed and kisses her.
Jolt walks in as Drift leaves. Drift still worries that there are signs Jamie is getting worse though it’s rare at this point.
Crosshairs and Drift take Chromia to Ratchet’s office. There’s not much they can do but hug her as she cries, and Ratchet dreads the scene as he opens the door. The three mechs wait until Chromia stops crying to suggest she holds Jamie. Chromia knows what they are hoping to achieve, knowing how relaxed Drift is when he holds Jamie.
“Reminds me of how Sideswipe joked Jamie is a witch for getting everyone together. For getting four Autobots to stop arguing about the situation that landed her in the medbay. Ask Sunstreaker,” Crosshairs smiles.
“She must be,” Ratchet Jokes, “how else can we explain feeling relaxed while holding her?”
They know the reason is how much everyone cares about Jamie, but this silly idea gets Chromia laughing.
Ratchet raises the head of the bed to a 45° Angie, so Chromia can lie on the bed with Jamie laying on her. Chromia worries Jamie will panic if she’s not on Drift, but Ratchet thinks it’ll be ok. Drift covers both femmes with Jamie’s red blanket. Chromia is informed that when Jamie wakes up, she’ll likely not be awake for long before going back to sleep, but it’s normal.
“She’ll be out of the coma, but all coma patients still feel out of it for a while. Same with us,” Ratchet explains.
Ratchet leaves the room, allowing Crosshairs and Drift to move the two chairs by the bed.
“Isn’t there a catheter he was supposed to pay attention to?” Chromia asks, not expecting to be told the two mechs are using diapers.
“I still haven’t figured out if she’s more embarrassed than if we use a catheter, but she’s out for a week, so we use diapers rather than do another procedure,” Drift explains, “even if it’s noninvasive as putting a nasogastric tube in.”
Chromia knows there’s a lot to Jamie’s condition, and she won’t be able to learn everything today.
Jamie’s guardians question turning off the monitor, uncertain if it’s troubling Chromia, and they know Jamie is not going to decline. Chromia feels strangely better hearing the beeping from the monitor.
The trio waits for a half-hour before Jamie wakes up. Chromia sees how tired Jamie is. Drift gets Jamie to drink a little water before resting her head on Chromia’s chest.
“I thought she’d worry that you’re not the one holding her,” Chromia admits.
“No, she knows we’re here,” Crosshairs explains, “not sure if she’d panic if we weren’t considering how out of it she is.”
Chromia stays as she is. Eventually, Jamie falls asleep, and it’s not long before Chromia is asleep. Crosshairs can’t resist taking a picture.
“Let’s go,” Drift whispers.
The two leave the room, inform Ratchet that Jamie woke up, but as expected, she’s asleep already along with Chromia, and leave the medbay to tell Lightning and the terror twins that Jamie woke up, and they’ll leave out the day Chromia had.
“A week?” Optimus repeats.
“Yes, he’s up to something, and if it’s bigger than the day of attacks...”
“He’s done this before, but would he repeat attacks?”
“What else can he do?” Ironhide asks, “especially when he’s pissed an Autobot interferes.”
“We need to be prepared for anything,” Optimus stresses before getting a text from Ratchet. There is a mix of good and bad news about patients, and even Ironhide and Prowl feel both happy and sad.
“Another murder on his rap sheet!” Prowl rages, “we need to catch this aft!”
YOU ARE READING
The Holiday Killer ✔️
FanfictionWashington D.C. has been dealing with a string of murders since the beginning of December. Prowl helps the local police department with the case, but no one is prepared for the attacks the killer has in store for several members of N.E.S.T. and the...
