BW 'verse. Axalon. Waking

Optimus groaned softly and blinked dazedly at the ceiling of his room, then tried to get his hand to obey him so that he could rub his face. This mastered at last, he became aware that the windows had been covered with blankets and puzzled over the fact for a few moments before he put that together with how weak and slow he could feel himself to be and concluded that he must have been damaged or sick.

He lay and frowned about this for a few moments, then startled as someone moved beside him and bumped him in the arm with their elbow. "What? An?? Why... why are you on my bed?"

His friend sighed and stretched slightly, then opened her eyes and gave him the same sleepy half scowl that he remembered from the Vok dream. "Because it's the only empty space left on the ship. Don't try getting up."

Optimus' frown deepened. "Only... What happened?"

"Some kind of plague. Everyone got it, even Windracer." She turned so that she could look at him more comfortably. "But it only bothered her for a couple days. You've been sick for over a week."

He looked at the dark shadows under her eyes, then turned his head further and looked over at Windracer's bed to see that it had been reinforced and now held a feverishly sleeping Cheetor. "Does 'everyone' include the villagers?"

"No. It's a Cybertronian thing. Rattrap thinks Codeak brought it with him." An sat up, then changed her mind and leaned over to rest her head on his stomach as her eyes slipped shut again.

"What are you doing?" He gave Cheetor another look, worried that the younger mech would wake up and see how they were laying.

"Snuggling," said An firmly, her loose leather gown rustling as she put an arm up and patted him.

"But...."

"Oh stop it. We've got a daughter. As far as anyone in the village is concerned we're married anyway." She opened her eyes to frown at him severely. "I don't care if it did only happen in a dream, it still happened, and I'm slagging well going to lean on you now."

Optimus lay and stared at her for several minutes, his optics wide with surprise.

"This is where you say 'yes, dear'." Her mouth twitched.

"Yeah, right." The corner of his own turned up slightly, then went down again as he frowned. "You never told me you felt that way."

"You were never sick enough to need a cuddle before." She patted his side gently. "Besides, we've got a good system. I just...." A sigh moved her shoulders. "Realized I'd better say something while I had the chance."

"How sick was I?" he asked quietly.

"Sick enough." She sat up and looked at him, then gave Cheetor a quick check as the catbot whimpered. "Not as bad as some of the crew, but even for you guys anything that lasts as long as this has is serious."

He looked at her in silence for several pump beats, then looked at the other bed. "Cheetor's in here because...."

"You kept going to look for your 'little guy' till Rhinox brought him in. Windracer had to stay here a lot too." She looked down at him, her dark eyes sympathetic and just slightly amused.

Optimus sighed and rested a hand on his chest, then asked quietly, "How long was I delirious?"

"Most of the time. Thankfully we never had to tie you down."

That explained the restraints on Cheetor, he thought. "Who else is awake?"

"Some of the crew never got too sick to wake up, but if you mean who else is over the fever... nobody yet. Dinobot was the first after you to fall."

He frowned at her expression, then went wide-eyed with dismay. "Do we have any casualties?"

"No." She gave her head a decisive shake. "He and Airazor are only in stasis lock. Windracer, Tirzah, and Mara have been doing what Rhinox and Blackarachnia said to do for them, and they're in CR chambers. Silverbolt was in the third chamber, but he got better. Enough to panic about being shut in."

"He's back in he and Blackarachnia's quarters now?"

"No. We couldn't move him that far. He and Blackarachnia are resting on the holo table now."

"Not the first time that thing's been used as a bed." He sighed and moved his head restlessly, feeling sleep creeping up on him again. Then he started and tried to sit up as a thin cry echoed down the hall.

"Stay down." An shoved him back firmly. "It's only Rattrap having nightmares. Rumor's taking care of him."

"Rumor?" Optimus blinked and looked up at her.

"Yes. A little fembot who came a few days after you got sick. She was helping Rhinox and Rattrap till they fell. Now she's making sure we don't have to dig Rattrap out of the ventilation system."

"Came... from where?" He frowned.

"I haven't really had time to ask. But Windracer says Dinobot knows her and seems to like her."

Optimus' frown deepened, but he put the questions of how the newcomer had arrived to the back of his processor for now. "Is she a Predacon?"

"If she is she's a small one. Her alt mode's a little fluffy wildcat." An put a hand to his forehead. "Are you thirsty? And yes, speaking of Predacons. They tried to attack. We changed their minds."

He winced as she read his mind, then nodded. "A drink sounds good."

Her hand slipped around to behind his head, and he found himself grateful for the support as he drank from the shielded container. "Ugh... thanks."

"Get some more sleep." She lay him back and sat the container aside. "You'll be back on your feet soon."

"I hope so," he muttered, relaxing as the room stopped spinning and then automatically checking on Cheetor before switching off his optics.

An also checked on the young mech, then rubbed her close cropped hair and resumed her place by Optimus.

"What?" she asked as his arm moved slightly.

"You don't have a pillow," he said, hesitant and awkward.

She understood and moved so that she lay between his arm and his side, her head on his shoulder. "Thanks."

"No problem," he murmured, then sighed and slept.

"How is he?" Tigatron blinked wearily from the door, not turning as Rattrap cried out again somewhere behind him.

"The fever's broken, but he's still weak." She gave the green and white scout a frown. "Go back to bed. Airazor doesn't need you getting sicker."

Tigatron darkened his optics for a moment, then nodded and turned to obey.

An watched him go before closing her eyes and dropping back to sleep.