Jules of Nature
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@grumpydocbot
OOC
((I've done some really hard thinking, and I'm gonna have to drop Ratchet. I hate to do it, but I seem to have lost the muse, and I don't want to hold anyone up waiting for me. I'm sorry, everyone. I had fun, but I just can't manage Ratchet anymore.
I have skype, if anyone still wants to chat with me.))
Time To Collect.
It’s not even that..
*Bumblebee politely follows Ratchet’s lead and allows himself to be scanned, moving as directed.*
It’s more that if I already had the virus, then I could have spread it amongst my friends. I don’t want to lose anyone else like this.
*He waits for the scan to show a result, turning to Rodimus in the meantime.*
Where are you keeping his body?
“I actually doubt you got it. I think the symptoms show sooner.” He gives Bumblebee a reassuring little smile from his spot beside the medical berth. “If I am not mistaken, his body is in one of the rooms beside the medbay. Am I right, Ratchet?”
"Yes, but the room is currently sealed." Ratchet smiles tiredly when he sees the results on the scanner. "You're clean. Just a moment and I'll get the Matrix for you."
He disappeared through a door, returning shortly with a large case, opening it to show Bumblebee the Matrix was inside, then closing the case and handing it to Bumblebee. Looking up at Rodimus, he said, "If there's anything else you need me for...?"
((By the way, if you're waiting for a tag from Ratchet, please let me know. I've forgotten which threads he's currently in. D: ))
OOC: Semi-Hiatus
((I need to go on a semi-hiatus, guys. I'll still be available for threads if needed, so send me an ask on my personal- http://ratha-is-me.tumblr.com/ -when/if you need any of my characters.))
Remedies
Eject pauses as Ratchet mentions how the sedatives could make Rewind even more upset. Was this such a good idea? “Yeah, I… I don’t wanna be so knocked out that I can’t get up when you need me to.”
The shame sharpens in his mind. Here he is, thinking about himself when his brother is suffering. Eject looks at the floor for a few moments, silent. He has to keep at least moderately well-rested for the crew. It’s too dangerous to stop his vigil now, but… it feels so much like betraying Rewind.
“Maybe…. maybe I shouldn’t. I mean, what if he needs me while I’m out?” There’s already so little Eject can do for his brother. Being there to try and calm him through the bond is all he has to offer. “Is there something I could use to stay awake, instead?” That would let him respond to his brother’s distress and keep doing his job.
“No, you need rest, Eject.” Hypocrite much, Ratchet? “I have a few things that could work, but I think…”
Ratchet trails off briefly, thinking again, then goes to dig in a cabinet. Coming up with a bottle, he counts out some pills into another bottle, then hands the second bottle to Eject. “Try those. One a night before you sleep. It should help you sleep without being too deep to wake if you’re needed.”
Eject knows that Ratchet will probably remain firm on this, but he adds, “I can keep goin’ for a long time if I’m hooked up to a power source in alt mode. I’ve done it before…” and a little chemical boost would help him stay alert even longer.
He reaches up to take the bottle from Ratchet, nodding. Even as he subspaces it, he feels the guilt eating away at his spark. “How’s…” He’s afraid to ask, but he has to know, “how’s he holdin’ up, Doc?”
"Don't make me make it an order for enforced medical rest," Ratchet warns with only a hint of teasing, and quite a bit of serious threat. Because Eject knows Ratchet will make it an order.
"He's physically stable for the most part," he replies quietly.
Nightmares
Ratchet didn’t answer immediately, working in silence for several moments. Eventually, however, he finally said quietly, “Without a cure, odds are the virus will be fatal.”
Rewind lowers his head into his hands at Ratchet’s confirmation, giving a long shuddered sigh, and when he speaks again it’s in a tone that suggested that he wasn’t all too shocked at the revelation, “I sort of assumed that would be the end result. I was kind of hoping to be wrong, though.”
He gives a small laugh to cover up how rightly horrified he was, putting on a brave front for Ratchet’s sake as well as his own, “I’ve seen enough of Chromedome’s work to know how it’s supposed to go down. Rossum’s Rule of Thirds, right? If the processor fails then the other two follow shortly after.”
He looks up to Ratchet, a sad smile planted on his exposed face, “Thank you, Ratchet. I got to admit, I prefer the scenario where we find the cure and there’s Engex and oil cake for everyone, but…” He pauses for a moment, his hands wringing anxiously, “But I guess it’s better to prepare myself for all possible outcomes.”
He sucks in a breath through his vents when his thoughts turn to Chromedome and he finds that it’s a lot harder to keep up this composed façade when the possibility that he may, one day, get to a point in his delirium where he won’t be able to recognize his friend…
“If something happens and I-“He clears out the static from his voice before he continues, “Will you keep an eye on Chromedome? Make sure he doesn’t do anything he’ll regret.”
"I prefer the cure scenario myself," Ratchet mutters as he works. At Rewind's question he looks up, meeting the Cassette's gaze. "I'll do what I can," he promises.
“Yes, Rewind’s infected, too. But not Eject, though he’s had contact with Prime, too.” Ratchet rubbed the bridge of his nasal. “We’re doing our best. I’ve got Wheeljack, Brainstorm, and Atomizer helping me. We don’t know yet if the virus itself is fatal because no one’s actually died because of the virusyet, but I’m going to assume it can be if it causes enough damage to the meta processors.”
He paused slightly. “Atomizer suggested something that apparently happened in the alternate timeline he came from, and it could buy some time, for Magnus and ourselves.” He went on to explain what Atomizer had told them about the mass displacement gun and the tentative plans to use it to deal with the virus in Ultra Magnus, since he’s the least worst off of those confirmed infected.
Prowl exvented slowly. What Ratchet had to say about the virus and its progression was, for the most part, simply confirmation of what he’d feared. What was actually news was Ratchet’s lack of information on the virus. While he hadn’t assumed that they were close to a cure, the medic didn’t seem to even know the virus’ full effects, and that was worrying.
Given Magnus’ current condition, it was extremely worrying.
Prowl didn’t have time to be worried, and he forced himself to brush aside his concern for Magnus. He didn’t know where the virus had come from, since presumably it had been designed—viruses that acted like this one seldom showed up naturally, and in the wake of Pharma’s recent plague, it seemed less than prudent to assume there wasn’t anyone behind it. If that was the case, if the virus was deliberate, he didn’t know for what purpose it had been spread. He didn’t even know how to begin to look, unless the mirror Wheeljack decided to be talkative.
And, in the event that Ratchet was unable to develop a cure until it was too late, there would be a logistic mess to deal with—at the very least. Not to mention that he still had no idea what to expect if the virus had been planned, if there was any sort of followup to come. His jaw clenched for a moment. He hated situations like this. He felt blind, impotent. He had no idea what to expect, let alone how to prevent it.
And Atomizer’s plan… It seemed outlandish, to say the least. Still, if there was the potential that it would help, he could hardly dismiss it. “When did you intend to try this, Ratchet?”
"As soon as possible," Ratchet replied quietly. "Before his condition becomes too unstable to risk it."
Ghosts of the Past
Blaster nodded while sending soothing and warm sensations through the bond to both Rewind and Eject, hoping to keep his composure in place for their sakes moreover than his own. His spark felt like it was going to collapse with how tightly it had been constricting in his chest and he hoped that Primus would be kinder to his family soon. With shaky and nearly uncoordinated movements, the communications officer got to his feet and sighed while closing his optics.
“Thank you, Ratchet…” He murmured, traces of static lacing his voice from holding back his emotions. “I’ll try to stay out of the way for you, okay? And Rewind? Don’t hesitate to reach for me if you need me, okay? Same goes for you too, Eject.”
Rewind gave his carrier a small grin, giving a quick nod, “Gotcha!” He pauses for a second before adding, “Don’t worry, Blaster, I’ll be fine. It’s like Eject said, I’m in good hands. This is just-just a mild inconvenience. I’m just going to be out of commission for a bit. It’ll be like when I get those bad cerebral processor aches and have to sit out a day or two…only this might be a little longer…”
He presses his EM field against Eject and Blaster, a comforting gesture, “So, I’m counting on you two to stay out of trouble till then.
Eject looks to Blaster. Even before his carrier speaks, he can feel the emotions churning through the bond. He clenches his jaw and tightens his fist. As tough as this is for all of them, he thinks it’s probably toughest on first Rewind, and then Blaster. Part of him just wants to bury his face in his carrier side and feel the instinctive comfort of the symbiotic bond wash through him, but he knows that he should be strong for his host.
“We’ll make it, Boss,” he says softly.
Rewind commands his full attention, and he watches the other’s face as he speaks, aching with the need to hold Rewind, to assure him it’s going to be okay. He can sense the fear lurking behind his twin’s practical courage. His feature soften slightly and he gives a small nod. “Don’t worry, Rewind. I’ll keep us all out of trouble. It’s what I do, right?” He offers a half-smile.
Ratchet rests a hand on Blaster's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. He doesn't like interrupting, but he's given them as much time as can be safely risked. "I'm sorry, but Rewind needs to go in the isolation room now."
Remedies
Eject is silent as he considers. He lowers his head, thinking, before raising it again to ask, “D’you think a deeper sleep would help Rewind any? Because, I mean, if I’m havin’ trouble gettin’ some recharge…” Then what must it be like for his brother? Being sedated wouldn’t carry through the bond, but perhaps a deep, intense calm might.
“I mean, I ain’t real concerned. One kind of sleep seems like pretty much any other t’me. I just…” He looks down, not finishing his sentence, torn between his concern for Rewind and his obvious shame at coming here to even ask for this.
Ratchet frowns slightly as he thinks (which is a bit more difficult than usual). “I think…too deep a sleep could upset Rewind because he couldn’t feel you. But not deep enough and he’d disturb your sleep…”
That narrows the options down quite a bit, and he considers each one, absently tapping his fingers on the counter as he thinks.
Eject pauses as Ratchet mentions how the sedatives could make Rewind even more upset. Was this such a good idea? “Yeah, I… I don’t wanna be so knocked out that I can’t get up when you need me to.”
The shame sharpens in his mind. Here he is, thinking about himself when his brother is suffering. Eject looks at the floor for a few moments, silent. He has to keep at least moderately well-rested for the crew. It’s too dangerous to stop his vigil now, but… it feels so much like betraying Rewind.
“Maybe…. maybe I shouldn’t. I mean, what if he needs me while I’m out?” There’s already so little Eject can do for his brother. Being there to try and calm him through the bond is all he has to offer. “Is there something I could use to stay awake, instead?” That would let him respond to his brother’s distress and keep doing his job.
"No, you need rest, Eject." Hypocrite much, Ratchet? "I have a few things that could work, but I think..."
Ratchet trails off briefly, thinking again, then goes to dig in a cabinet. Coming up with a bottle, he counts out some pills into another bottle, then hands the second bottle to Eject. "Try those. One a night before you sleep. It should help you sleep without being too deep to wake if you're needed."
Time To Collect.
*Their reactions are comforting, but he still can’t calm himself. He covers his face with his hands, blocking out the world for a couple of seconds, then draws them down his face and away, venting heavily.*
Sorry. I just- this is really not something I want to have to deal with right now. If you could run the scan, that’d be perfect - is there no way you can run it on the Matrix, too? I don’t want to risk anyone touching it if it is a carrier of the virus.
“No, it’s perfectly okay. I understand. You’re responsible for your universe, I would be trying anything I could to not bring a virus home with me too.” He almost reaches out to pat Bumblebee’s shoulder - almost, but he lets his hand drop to his side instead. “Ratchet, if you could run this scan…”
Ratchet nods slightly and grabs a scanner to start the scan. "I've already run multiple scans on the Matrix to be sure there's no trace of the virus on it. The gloves are just a precaution to make sure it stays that way as long as it's here."
Nightmares
Rewind wanted to believe Ratchet, but all of this felt too real for this to be a figment of his own fevered mind. This itch he felt under his circuitry, the pain he felt in his wires, they were real.
He gave Ratchet a pleading look, showing the contents in his hand to the medic one more time, hoping that this time the doctor would see what he was seeing, that he wasn’t losing it.
“…But, the room…”
It slowly started to dawn on him the room was empty, except for the two of them. There was no infestation, nothing, only the mess he made during his episode.
Rewind cupped his head, gripping on tightly to his helm, “It felt so real, I swear,” His hands started to shake, “It’s-It’s getting worst, Ratchet.”
“I know, Rewind,” Ratchet said quietly. “I know. We’re trying to figure out a cure. I’ve got Wheeljack, Brainstorm, and Atomizer helping me. Now come on, let’s get you on the berth so I can get you fixed up.”
Guiding Rewind to the berth, he waited for the Cassette to get settled, then started working to repair the damage Rewind had done to himself.
“Thanks, Ratchet.” Rewind replied softly as he allows himself to be steered toward and onto the berth. He sat in silence as he watched Ratchet go about with his repairs, seemingly lost in thought.
“Ratchet?” He finally asked, looking to the medic, “If you don’t find a cure, or at least one in time, what would happen to me?”
Ratchet didn't answer immediately, working in silence for several moments. Eventually, however, he finally said quietly, "Without a cure, odds are the virus will be fatal."
Nightmares
“No, Rewind,” Ratchet replied patiently. “You ripped out your own wires. There are no cyberpedes. It’s another hallucination. Just calm down and I’ll get you fixed up.”
Primus, he really didn’t want to have to restrain Rewind, but if this kept up…
Rewind wanted to believe Ratchet, but all of this felt too real for this to be a figment of his own fevered mind. This itch he felt under his circuitry, the pain he felt in his wires, they were real.
He gave Ratchet a pleading look, showing the contents in his hand to the medic one more time, hoping that this time the doctor would see what he was seeing, that he wasn’t losing it.
“…But, the room…”
It slowly started to dawn on him the room was empty, except for the two of them. There was no infestation, nothing, only the mess he made during his episode.
Rewind cupped his head, gripping on tightly to his helm, “It felt so real, I swear,” His hands started to shake, “It’s-It’s getting worst, Ratchet.”
"I know, Rewind," Ratchet said quietly. "I know. We're trying to figure out a cure. I've got Wheeljack, Brainstorm, and Atomizer helping me. Now come on, let's get you on the berth so I can get you fixed up."
Guiding Rewind to the berth, he waited for the Cassette to get settled, then started working to repair the damage Rewind had done to himself.
Nightmares
Ratchet heard the cries before the surveillance feed from Rewind’s room registered, and he was hurrying to the door as he pulled on some gloves.
Opening the door, he hissed slightly at the mess, quickly moving to Rewind’s side and grabbing his arms to try to stop him. “Rewind, stop! You’re hurting yourself!”
Rewind let out a distressed cry when Ratchet restrained him, “Ratchet, please, they’re under my plating- Primus, I can feel them in my spark chamber!”
He tugged and squirmed against Ratchet’s hold, in a pitiful attempt to free himself, “I’m not delirious; I’m not making this up! Look!”
He opened his palm, showing a large collection of wires and cords that he had ripped from his frame, clearly believing that what he had in his hands were-
“Cyberpedes. I think this room is infested with them!”
"No, Rewind," Ratchet replied patiently. "You ripped out your own wires. There are no cyberpedes. It's another hallucination. Just calm down and I'll get you fixed up."
Primus, he really didn't want to have to restrain Rewind, but if this kept up...
Nightmares
It had been orns since Rewind had been able to have a peaceful recharge, nowadays his nights were restless and lonely; the bond with his carrier and brother had helped and at one time used to be enough to keep him grounded, but now it’s not even enough to lull him into a secure sleep and keep him there.
Tonight had been one of those rare night in which Rewind had been able to drift into recharge without trouble and he had even slept for a few good dreamless hours without stirring, but as the hours progressed a soft scuttling sound was caught by Rewind’s audial sensors and that was enough to rouse Rewind from his recharge.
Rewind sat up, rubbing the back of his neck as his optics adjusted to the dark and when he glanced down at the source of the noise he was met with a rude awakening.
The entire chamber was infested with Cyberpedes.
He staggered back against the wall, only to knock a few off the wall and onto his back. He gave a startled yelp, brushing the insects off and rushing over to a small clearing in the corner.
“Ratchet,” Rewind’s voice was barely above a whisper when he called for the medic, but as his panic grew so did his voice, “Ratchet, let me out! Ratchet!”
“RATCHET, CHROMEDOME!” He could feel them under his plating, shifting and crawling through his wiring, “EJECT, BLASTER! LET ME OUT! PLEASE! PLEASE, SOMEONE, HELP!”
He clawed at his armor and dug into his seams, ripping out wiring and cables, in his panic, frantically trying to rid himself of the unwanted guest. He was in such a state of panic, he didn’t realize the harm he was causing himself; he paid no mind to the energon that was pouring from his self-inflicted wounds, all he was concern with now was escaping this nightmare.
What had stared out as hundreds suddenly multiplied to thousands than to millions with just a shutter of the optics. In the back of his mind, Rewind knew this couldn’t be possible, but how could this be a hallucination when he could feel them squirm though his seams and bite at his inner wiring?
Ratchet heard the cries before the surveillance feed from Rewind's room registered, and he was hurrying to the door as he pulled on some gloves.
Opening the door, he hissed slightly at the mess, quickly moving to Rewind's side and grabbing his arms to try to stop him. "Rewind, stop! You're hurting yourself!"
Remedies
And it’s just as Ratchet thought. He considers the request for a moment, frowning slightly. “…how deep of a recharge are you looking for?” he finally asks, mentally running through the various items he has available.
Eject is silent as he considers. He lowers his head, thinking, before raising it again to ask, “D’you think a deeper sleep would help Rewind any? Because, I mean, if I’m havin’ trouble gettin’ some recharge…” Then what must it be like for his brother? Being sedated wouldn’t carry through the bond, but perhaps a deep, intense calm might.
“I mean, I ain’t real concerned. One kind of sleep seems like pretty much any other t’me. I just…” He looks down, not finishing his sentence, torn between his concern for Rewind and his obvious shame at coming here to even ask for this.
Ratchet frowns slightly as he thinks (which is a bit more difficult than usual). "I think...too deep a sleep could upset Rewind because he couldn't feel you. But not deep enough and he'd disturb your sleep..."
That narrows the options down quite a bit, and he considers each one, absently tapping his fingers on the counter as he thinks.
DISNEYLAND RATCHET GOT DISNEYLAND FOR CHRISTMAS
...what the slag am I going to do with Disneyland?
