When All Lights Go Out I (TFP)

Chapter 77

Azura whimpered as she was forced to keep her mouth open as Ratchet gently applied the metal burn gel to her throat. While the gel itself was soothing, it was uncomfortable feeling the tool in her throat and feeling the gel being rubbed in her throat. Ratchet was extremely gentle, and Optimus gently her to make sure it would go smoothly. She had already ingested some medicine before for the infection, but she needed the gel for the burns, and she certainly wasn't happy with it. If there was another way to do it, Ratchet would. She kept her optics closed as she waited until he removed the rod from her mouth, and she was able to relax, even though she shuddered and some tears fell from her optics form the discomfort.

Ratchet himself was having to focus while the sparkling was in a state of discomfort. One of wrong move with the rod, and he could cause damage to her throat, and no one would be happy. Ratchet at least was glad that Azura was tolerating the procedure at the moment, as it made his job easier to finish without her squirming. It did help that Optimus was there to keep her comfortable and to ensure she would not move too much so that the procedure can be done in a timely manner.

"At least the metal burns will heal quickly. So this won't need to happen every day, Azura." Ratchet smiled as Azura snuggled again Optimus with a slight frown. Her reaction to him was adorable and Ratchet was amused. "Now you can go and spend time with Rafael and watched Bulkhead and Bumblebee play some version of basketball. I am not sure of I am fond of that idea if I am honest. Especially since I know how rough they can be when it comes to lobbing."

Azura smiled a little as she was happy about that. "I am still interested in seeing what it will look like, Ratchet. Personally, I am more interested in helping Rafael with his assignment."

"Yes, yes, I overheard that. You told him his assessment should be of the Great Barrier Reef. And I have no idea what that is." The medic also likely didn't care too much about it. He walked over to his desk to put things away and tidy up. "At the very least, we can also start to prepare for the procedure as well. I think that'll be more important." Azura nodded as she was also happy about it, but also nervous. "And if Megatron is out of the picture, we can at least be rest assured that it will go smoothly." Azura grumbled for a moment with a slight frown and Ratchet looked back at her curiously. "Oh, right...it still bothers you..."

"As it should, Ratchet," Optimus responded calmly to the medic. "Megatron is Azura's sire. Like it or not, she has the right to feel some sort of feeling about him." Azura looked at Optimus as she was surprised that he said that. He smiled at her and hugged her against his chassis. "Azura, I will not ever be mad at you if you have some feeling to Megatron. It wouldn't be fair to say you should not. His CNA is a part of you, and while Megatron may never be part of your life, he still played the role of creating your spark, before you ended up within my body from that pulse."

Azura didn't really know how to respond to that. She hugged her Angel plush that she was still holding onto as it brought her comfort. She thought on his words for a moment and looked at Optimus. "So you aren't mad that...um...when I-I saw Megatron on the screen...with the cortical psychic patch...you aren't mad that I kind of felt curious?" He shook his head and kissed her forehead gently, knowing she was a little fearful. "Really? Y-You're not?"

"No, Azura. It is natural for you to have some kind of interest in knowing both of your parents. You know me, and you might think you only need me. But it is a natural instinct. Deep down, your system knows which parent created you. It steers towards them. And in this case, it is Megatron." Azura couldn't help but feel guilty, even if it was something she couldn't necessarily control. "It is unfortunate, but it is the way it is. I am sure that while you are happy to hear stories about Megatron before he became a decepticon, you probably have a wish to speak to him."