Transformers Prime: Triage

7. Foggy

Lots of things happening in this chapter. I hope it's not confusing :)

Stay calm. How many times have you had to keep your head in a tight situation? Ratchet's processor was shouting at him as he bent over Optimus' wounded frame.

Flashes of the triage unit where he served as a medic on cybertron invaded his thoughts. Then he blinked back into focus and all he could see was the gash in Optimus' chest plate.

"Optimus, please tell me you can hear me!"

An explosion of gunfire from the remaining Seekers rattled him. Since when did he get so rusty? His mind was fuzzy. He couldn't think. A hand went to his head as if that would steady his racing thoughts.

"What in the name of Primus is wrong with me?"

The missile wound wasn't the only dent tainting Optimus' chassis, Ratchet noted. He grit his teeth and hoisted the bigger 'Bot across his back. Across from him Bulkhead and Bumblebee were working to detain the other Seekers. Where was Starscream?

He felt the heat from a jet rush past his back. Turning he saw a familiar silver jet disappear over the edge of the canyon. Starscream had escaped.

"Bulkhead! Bumblebee!" Ratchet called over the bedlam, which was beginning to fade. Only one Seeker remained aloft. The others were grounded, hopefully for good. Optimus stirred and Ratchet laid him down as gently as he could.

"Easy, Optimus."

"Chris. Did you...?" Optimus murmured, fighting to come back around.

"I don't know."

The words sounded distant, as if Ratchet hadn't said them. He comlinked Arcee. She should have contacted him by now; she should have told him that Chris was with her, safe.

"Arcee? Arcee, come in!"

His optics flashed from Optimus to the canyon and back again.

"Go." Optimus told Bulkhead and Bumblebee, "Find Arcee."

Bumblebee beeped worriedly, asking if Optimus would be alright.

"He will be, if his wounds are treated in time." Ratchet said quickly, drawing something from his medical kit, "You need to get going. Quickly!"

Bumblebee and Bulkhead transformed and were gone within moments. Optimus slid back so he could lean more comfortably against a boulder and Ratchet set to work in silence.

The medic's mind was turning too fast to really think about what he was doing. He shut his eyes and reassured himself: Bumblebee and Bulkhead are on their way. They'll get the human back. Stop worrying about an alien being and buck up already!

"Are you injured?" Optimus' question brought Ratchet back to the present and the medic snapped his head up in surprise.

"What? No, no. I'm fine." He said gruffly.

"Something is troubling you, however."

Ratchet's hands stopped their feverish work and he sighed.

"This is why I never wanted the responsibility of looking out for a human."

"She was never declared your charge." Optimus reasoned.

"Yes, well, for a while it seemed..." Ratchet shook his head, "Nothing. I don't care anyway."

"Ratchet," Optimus replied knowingly, "I don't believe that."

Ratchet scoffed, "Please! I've never bothered about the humans. I'd prefer if we never met them. Now another human stumbles in the middle of things and even I can't function anymore! They're worse than scraplets!"

The faintest hint of a smile appeared on Optimus' face.

"It has been a long time since you had someone look up to you. Perhaps this is an opportunity for a new beginning."

Ratchet looked anywhere but at Optimus, as if he feared making eye contact would reveal everything he was thinking; the old memories he had tried to forget.

"The war took many lives, old friend. But that does not mean you should reject the opportunity to form new alliances. One should not allow their fear of loss to split them apart from a potential companion."

...

Chris couldn't move her feet or hands. It was like being part of a movie, but you could only watch. She tried to jog her memory as to why she was stuck this way, but it was foggy.

All she knew was that she was in the front seat of Knockout's alt. mode, and they were racing across the desert. Outside her window a blue motorcycle drove into view and she remembered somehow who it was: Arcee.

Knockout swerved and crashed into the motorcycle. Arcee spun out; Chris could see her in the rearview. A part of her worried if Arcee was okay, but she couldn't remember why she cared. All she had was a name and a feeling of concern.

How did she know these names? Why? The cluelessness was frustrating. Something was blocking her from thinking.

Two more vehicles drove alongside Knockout; a green hummer and a yellow and black sports car. She recognized them too, but again, names eluded her.

The sports car came alongside Knockout and bumped him, and Knockout returned the measure. The yellow car lost control. Meanwhile the green hummer sped up until he was practically in front of Knockout. Then he transformed and smashed a fist in the middle of Knockout's hood.

Chris lurched forward in her seat, the seatbelt wrenching her back tightly. The green robot looked familiar to her somehow. Only this time she couldn't put a name with the face.

"Let her out!" The green robot threatened, "Now!"

Chris was relieved when the door opened, but she couldn't even turn her head to look out of it. The seatbelt unhooked and released her. She remained stiff as a statue.

"Chris? You alright?" The green 'bot asked, holding out a giant hand.

Chris stared blankly into space.

"Uh," Bulkhead murmured, scratching his helm, "Chris? You alright?"

A familiar beeping noise came from just outside the open door.

"I don't know, Bee. She's not responding."

The green robot then growled at Knockout, "What did you do to her?"

The 'con chuckled, albeit painfully. He knew the dent in his hood would take weeks to buff out.

"Nothing physically harmful. I can't say she has much freedom anymore though."

"Whatever you're doing to her, shut it off! I'm warning you!"

Rapid beeping from 'Bee' turned their attention to something in the sky. Chris could see it in the rearview but her mind couldn't register what it was.

The sound of jets rushed nearby. Then two loud thumps followed as peds hit the dusty earth. A strangely familiar voice made Chris shudder.

"Step away from the human, Autobots. You wouldn't want her to get hurt."

The name entered Chris' mind, and even though she didn't know where it came from it frightened her:

Megatron.

Dun, dun, DUN! Megatron!
I don't know why but lately these chapters have been getting easier to write. I just hope I'm not becoming overconfident and making mistakes. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, good or not so good. Thanks! :)