mlev. Autobot City Infirmary. Helpful Harms

[mylittleeek]

Kia: *enthusiastically pounding the inside of Sunstreaker's helmet with a hammer that she can barely lift*

Sunstreaker: *sitting and looking stunned and dazed on the nearby table*

Ratchet: *walking in, holding a cube of energon in one hand and a data pad containing the latest issue of the human-based International Medical Journal in the other* *distracted, so he hasn't really registered the hammering yet*

Kia: *BANG!*

datapad: *CLATTER as it falls on the floor*

Ratchet: *double takes from where his startle at the BANG had made him drop his datapad to reach for a weapon when he sees the cause of the racket* Kia! What are you doing?

Kia: *looks up with wide eyes* I'm repairing Sunstreaker again.

Ratchet: *stops reaching for his hip, hand empty* *seems to be having deja vu* *looks around and then spots Perceptor on the other table and walks forward* Perceptor!

Perceptor: *startles* *faintly* Please stop shouting, Ratchet.

Ratchet: *looks apologetic* Sorry, I didn't realize I was shouting.

Perceptor: *wan grin without switching his eyes on*

Ratchet: What happened?

Kia: I lost my balloon in the mall during lunch, and Perceptor climbed up to get it for me. But he fell down.

Ratchet: *gets right to the matter* *to Perceptor* Have you had your processor scanned yet?

Perceptor: I have not.

Sunstreaker: *falls off his table. Nearly chokes in his effort to not say something that will make Ratchet angry*

Kia: *trying to help him back up!*

Ratchet: *had been about to remedy Perceptor's lack of being scanned when Sunstreaker so gracefully falls off the table* *start!* *refrains from "shouting" again when he finally becomes aware of Sunstreaker* *quickly* Leave him there, Kia. *to Sunstreaker* And why are you here again?

Perceptor: *speaks up, voice still faint* Because when I fell from the ceiling of the promenade, Sunstreaker broke my fall.

Ratchet: *mixes it up from his usual facepalm by pinching what on a human would be the bridge of his nose* Do I dare ask how the two of you got in here if Kia's been given charge of the medbay again?

Perceptor: *tries to sound crisp, but it doesn't work* Kia is not in charge. I took her with me to see the bear cubs at the promenade during lunch, leaving First Aid in charge.

Ratchet: *Silent as he mentally counts up and down from 1 and 5* *it was frustration surrounding Kia, but Kia is not the cause* *she is a good femme, but she, despite her eagerness and compassion, does not have the experience to handle the medbay by herself* *though with how increasingly often she was left, maybe Ratchet should spend more time on that area* . . . *tries to keep his vocalizer steady* And where is he now?

Perceptor: I have no idea.

Kia: He went to fix Optimus again.

Ratchet: *turns to Kia and raises an optic ridge* What?

Kia: Optimus was playing basketball.

Perceptor: *groans*

Ratchet: *stops himself from asking what exactly had happened to Optimus to ask the more pertinent question* And Hoist?

Perceptor: Hoist is working with Grapple.

Ratchet: Does he know what happened here?

Perceptor: I have no idea.

Ratchet: *will follow that lead then, even as he turns to lift Sunstreaker and put the mech back on the table since his onboard scanners have shown that Sunstreaker is actually worse off than Perceptor* *Ratchet reflects on the misfortune of being without Wheeljack and the femme science bots while they're in Japan, but he's also glad that they're not here to add to the things falling through the cracks* *comms Hoist* // Hoist? Are you aware we've had a couple of emergencies back here? //

Hoist: *there's a slight pause over the line before he responds, sounding a bit strained* // Emergencies? That's never good. I'd heard about Optimus' basketball game with the Dinobots not going over well, but nothing else. What happened? //

Sunstreaker: *very soft "hurk" sound as he's lifted*

Ratchet: *distracted from the comm by the sound* Could you grab a bucket and bring it over here, Kia?

Kia: *looks at the helmet she was working on, then shakes her head and runs for the bucket*

Ratchet: *sees that she's off and retrieves the equipment needed to have a closer scan of Sunstreaker's processor* // Perceptor apparently tried to retrieve Kia's ballon from the top of the promenade and fell and had his fall broken on Sunstreaker, who seems to have gotten a head injury. Both mechs are currently in medbay. //

Hoist: // *sound of a sympathetic grimace . . . followed by uncomfortable silence* //

Ratchet: *arches a brow in response to the silence over comms as he continues to work on Sunstreaker* // And what about you? Perceptor said you were working with Grapple, but you've been sounding . . . strained. . . . Is there something wrong? //

Hoist: // *sound of an embarrassed 'clearing of the throat'* Ah. Yes. Well, you see . . . Well, it's--It's like this. Grapple was oversee-eeing the uh, pouring of the uh, cement in that new section of the City--you know the one, and well, uh, Bluestreak came, and uh, decided to "help." I guess what I'm trying say . . . Long story short is . . . I've uh, become literally buried under work. Actually, it's concrete, but-- //

Ratchet: *interrupts this Scanning of Sunstreaker(TM) to bring you a Facepalm(TM), sponsored in part by Why the Heck is My Staff so Suddenly Incompetent?, Inc. and the International Facepalm Society, securing the facepalm's place in the world, one Internet at a time--* // And who and what exactly are the casualties of this "help"? //

Hoist: // That, I am not entirely sure. I'm completely covered--and not in the most comfortable position, which you've already deduced. Grapple is in here somewhere because he has been grumbling about it most the entire time, and the rest of us are still trying to figure out if Huffer's been buried, so we can get him to get the rest of us out and--I'm afraid I won't be able to help you out. //

Kia: *slips in with bucket. The one someone painted a face on*

Ratchet: *comes out of his facpalm shaking his head* // Out of your hands. Just conserve your energy. *and since Prime was out* Does Jazz know about your accident? // *turns to Kia* Thank you, Kia.

Kia: *big sunny grin, and then back to worrying about Sunstreaker*

Hoist: *sounding surprised* // I thought you knew. Jazz and Prowl went into the nearby human settlement this morning. //

Ratchet: *The Facepalm Strikes Back and turns into a face rub!* // How the--?! . . . I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that never happened while the Decepticons were active! //

Hoist: *sound of strained agreement*

Sunstreaker: ...I can't urk in Megatron.

Kia: o.0?

Ratchet: *Ratchet tries not to think what would happen if the Decepticons suddenly decided to be active now* *remembers that he was going to let Hoist save his energy* // I'll let you go. Ratchet out. //

Hoist: // Best of luck. Hoist out. //

Kia: Where's Megatron?

Sunstreaker: The bucket's Megatron.

Kia: *studies bucket, and then turns it over and studies the face on it* *laughter!*

Sunstreaker: *weak grin*

Ratchet: *quiet for a moment as he thinks before he acknowledges the presence of the bucket that had been mysteriously painted at some point* *offhandly* I can understand the sentiment, but you're also not doing it on the floor.

Sunstreaker: *arm over his eyes as he grits his teeth to hold in a whimper of pain*

Kia: ;0_0;

Ratchet's comm: *ping!*

Ratchet: *glances up from the results of the scan to check up on Sunstreaker* He's going to be okay, Kia. *about to move to get started on repairs when he gets the ping on his comm* // Ratchet here. //

male voice: //Hi, are you the Ratchet that ordered a doohicker from The Three Jacks a few days ago, and asked for personal delivery?//

Ratchet: *raises an optic ridge at the nature of the call* // . . . I don't think I asked for a personal delivery. //

voice: //...I thought it was probably 'Jack's idea. Can I bring 'em anyway? I'm safe. I'm a security bot.//

Ratchet: *thinks about the two mechs he has got on the table and a short staffed medbay* // Now isn't the best time. Can I get a raincheck? //

voice: *sharpens with concern* //Not the best time? Are you under attack?//

Ratchet: *reminded enough to the dilemma with Sunstreaker to check to see if he has everything he needs close at hand* *hesitates about telling the other 'bot' the exact details of the situation and merely settles for* // Only if you call an application of what I've heard Perceptor call "Murphy's Law" an attack. //

voice: *calms* //Do you need another Ratchet?//

Ratchet: *has gathered what he needs* *to Sunstreaker* I need to put you in stasis, if you don't mind. // *sighs over comms* No, that would make things a bit more complicated. I just need five minutes to get everything back in order. //

voice: *quietly hopeful* //I've assisted in a medbay for an old red and white.//

Sunstreaker: *quietly and very out of character* Just make it stop ringing.

Kia: *wants to pat pat, but thinks it would hurt him. Just does sympathetic looks instead as she hugs Megatron*

Ratchet: *does what Kia doesn't and pats Sunstreaker on the shoulder* It'll be gone in a few minutes. Here it goes. *puts Sunstreaker into stasis* *begins the delicate work of repairing the cracks in Sunstreaker's processor* // I'm not going to get rid of you that easy, am I? //

voice: *quietly* //I'm coded similarly to Red Alert and Inferno.//

Ratchet: *steady hands working very carefully* *frowns in response to comms* // Meaning you're programmed for rescue operations? //

voice: //Mostly security and assistance.//

Kia: *little voice* Why are you frowning, Ratchet?

Perceptor: *looks over with concern*

Ratchet: *thinking about the chaos probably still going on outside without Prime, Prowl, and Jazz* // How about a bunch of bots stuck in concrete? //

voice: *perk is audible* //I have a couple wishes.//

Ratchet: // Wishes? Who is this? //

voice: //My name's Keg. I work security in the reality with the red and white Ratchet that owns at the poker table, and I moonlight at the desk in the visitor's centre in the Backwater. I bought the wishes from the dragon Optimus.//

Ratchet: *mulls over the idea of using a wish in this situation*

Keg: //I've worked in other realities before. I'm a Traveller.//

Ratchet: // That mean you know how to blend in? //

Keg: //I know how to come and go with very little trace. And I'm the same tech as you guys.//

Perceptor: *quietly* Ratchet? Is something wrong?

Prowl: *pings Ratchet*

Kia: *softly* Ratchet? Should I report?

Ratchet: *to Perceptor* Hold that thought. *to Keg* // Give me a second, Keg. // *about to comm Prowl when he's interrupted by Kia* Report?

Kia: *nod nod* We still have Elita. She's not broken. I just asked her. *still hugging the scowling bucket*

Ratchet: *looks really, really relieved* Yes. Can you tell her about everything that has happened? *how'd he forget Elita was there?*

Kia: I can! I'll go sit on my beanbag chair so I'm out of the way. *turns and scoots over toward the big pink poof*

Perceptor: *slight, proud grin for the youngster*

Ratchet: *smiles as he realizes that Kia's a bright, young femme with attention to detail and that Elita-1 will hear all that's happened* *comms Prowl* // Sorry about that. We've come into a bit of trouble. Where are you two, Prowl? //

Prowl: *sounds a bit weary and grim* //Incoming. I was calling to ask you to have the medbay prepped.//

Ratchet: *stops working on Sunstreaker's processor cracks so that he doesn't make a mistake* // What happened? //

Prowl: //A semi operator fell asleep at the wheel. Jazz stopped the truck. I've got her leaks tied off and tied her together with hazard tape.//

Jazz: *weak and in pain, but sounding pumped* //I regret nothin'!//

Ratchet: *shudder* // How are you getting her here? Do you need an evac? // *to Jazz* // You did good, kid. Save your strength. //

Prowl: //That would be appreciated. I'm not built to carry this much weight for this long.//

Ratchet: // You're--?! Hang on, mech, I'll scrounge up some help. // *looks around, as if trying to find something* *sighs and then comms this "Keg" again* // You wouldn't happen to be able to do evacs, do you? One of ours just took on a semi. //

Keg: *sudden focus is clear even over comms* //Who was hurt and where are they?//

Ratchet: *to Keg* // Jazz. And they're somewhere on the way back to base. I'll see if I can get an exact positon. // *to Prowl* // What's your position? //

Prowl: *relates coordinates*

Ratchet: *sends them to Keg*

Keg: //And your base? Where's that?//

Ratchet: // Autobot City, Oregon // *sends the more specific coordinates* // Just keep following the highway north until you get to the--Prowl knows the way. //

Keg: //I know where it is.// *quick pause* //Do you have Sludge and Swoop?//

Ratchet: // Yes. // *doubletakes* *where is Swoop?*

Keg: //Tell them there's a poor hurt bot that needs to be carried home. They'll do it.//

Perceptor: Ratchet, are you speaking to someone?

Ratchet: Hmm? Oh, Jazz tried to take on a semi. I'm just organizing the rescue. *pings Sludge and Swoop*

Perceptor: *softly* Oh my stars...

Swoop: //Optimus nearly better, Ratchet! Him First Aid do goood job!//

Sludge: *accidentally hangs up. As usual*

Ratchet: *doubletakes again* *he'd forgotten that Swoop was a Dinobot had been playing basketball and thus probably had been helping First Aid fix Optimus* *can't help but smile when he hears First Aid doing well* // Good. I'm glad to hear. But we've had another accident. Can you take Sludge and help Prowl bring Jazz back? She's been hurt pretty bad. //

Swoop: //Me Swoop do! But him First Aid say bring to Perceptor's infirmary.//

Ratchet: *somewhat lost* // Bring who to Perceptor's infirmary? //

Swoop: //Jazz! And him Optimus too.//

Ratchet: // Is First Aid planning on working on them there? //

Swoop: *silent for a moment* *then* //Him was.//

First Aid: //Do you want me there, Ratchet?//

Ratchet: *to First Aid* // If you would, with Prime, Prowl, and Jazz out of commission, I feel like I'm the one supposed to be in charge, and I can't do that if I feel like my attention's divided in ten places. // *yep, First Aid, Ratchet's pretty frazzled*

First Aid: *gently* //Alright. We'll be there shortly.//

Keg: *soft, soothing music as he waits*

Ratchet: *sigh of relief* // Thanks, Aid. // *seems a bit lost as he tries to remember what he's doing* *startles when he realizes he's still got the comm with Keg open* // You still there, mech? //

Keg: *easy and calm* //Still here. Can you give me coordinates for your bots in concrete?//

Ratchet: // At the new addition. // *sends the coordinates* *thinks*

Keg: //Alright. I'm here. I've stopped Bluestreak from shooting at the concrete. Currently hugging Fireflight and patting him on the back. Where are his siblings?// *Ratchet, you have a professional who is going to give you a running report unless you say otherwise*

Elita: *walks in following a Grimlock with an armload of Optimus* I know that expression. What do you need to know, Ratchet?

Ratchet: *STARTLES, and grabs the edge of the table to steady himself* *And he used to call himself a war veteran*

Elita: *blinks, and then walks over to put a hand on his shoulder* *quiet and calm, sounding much like a female version of her husband* Intake deeply.

Perceptor: *looking at Ratchet like he's lost it*

Ratchet: *starts to want to protest, but like other times Prime has tried to help him, he relents* *exhale* *Congrats, Elita, he's accepted you into the clan. :P*

Elita: *approving nod and a calm smile* Good. Now give me an update.

Ratchet: *pushes back the thought that Kia already gave her one and starts from the beginning and from the closest thing first* I've got Sunstreaker about wrapped up, I still need to do a more thorough check on Perceptor, you just brought Prime in, I'll need to look into that, Swoop and Sludge should be helping Prowl bring Jazz in, I've found a way to lessen some of the chaos at the concrete fiasco site, but I have no idea who is available to actually get them out of that mess.

Elita: *can tell that the poor mech is frazzled, so she doesn't point out that she only wanted to know what he was looking so thoughtful for as she came in* Who's at the concrete site now?

Ratchet: I only know that Hoist was buried in it, he thought that Grapple was also buried in it, Bluestreak was shooting at it, and that Fireflight is there too. Speaking of, where are the other Aerialbots?

Elita: Slingshot's at work. Skydive's at the library. Air Raid's probably bothering her. And Silverbolt has Danny.

Ratchet: *thinking face, thinking face*

Keg: //Sparkplug's here.//

Ratchet: *finally* We need to distract Fireflight.

Elita: I'll call Skydive.

Optimus: *groans*

First Aid: *soft talking*

Elita: *distracted, though making the call*

Ratchet: *thinking on her choice* That'll be good. *looks over at Optimus, but First Aid seems to got it* *. . . And he needs to get back to Keg* // What's he doing? //

Keg: //Sparkplug's currently chortling with Hoist over an unused wish. Grapple is trying to complain around the concrete that's in his vox. Bluestreak is hugging him.//

Ratchet: *wondering just what Keg's been telling them* // Oh? //

Keg: //What do you want elaborated on?//

Ratchet: // Did you tell them it was a wish? //

Keg: //Nope. I went into technobabble.//

Ratchet: // Ah. // *feeling a bit sheepish*

Keg: //Like I said, I'm a Traveller. We learn how to deal with closed realities.// *sound of Grapple complaining bitterly in the background* //Huh. Sparkplug used the wish.//

Ratchet: *still sounding a bit lost--something he's been sounding a lot in the past however long it's been* // Right. Thanks, mech. // *registers what Keg said* // . . . What did he wish for? //

Keg: //For Grapple to be concrete free.//

Ratchet: // I don't think I have to tell you that Grapple won't appear to appreciate it. //

Keg: //I've worked with one of his alts.// *small sound of surprise* //He stopped complaining and is patting Bluestreak on the back.//

Ratchet: *smile despite himself* // She has a way of doing that. //

Keg: //Poor kid was crying when I got here. Should I go meet the Dinos and the black and whites?//

Ratchet: *reflects on what he said about Bluestreak* *and then hears what Keg asks about the Dinobot rescue* // Uhhh. //

Keg: //I've actually met Jazz before. She's been to the Black Dog a few times.//

Rumble: *is that exclamation of dismay from the door*

Keg: //Uh. Never mind. Hoist asked for a ride.//

Ratchet: *about to ask something else when he registers Rumble's dismay* *turns* What is it?

Rumble: What happened, Boss?

Ratchet: *somewhat confused look as he glances about the room to see what Rumble is talking about specifically*

Kia: *gets up and comes over to Rumble* Where were you?

Rumble: Cleanin' da floor at quarters.

Kia: *blinks* You got dirt on it?

Rumble: *looks at her with surprise* You drew on it!

Kia: What? Ohhhh nooo! You erased my diagram???

Rumble: o.0? *looks up at Ratchet*

Ratchet: *looks incredulous and is totally distracted from finishing his repairs on Sunstreaker at this point* *to Kia* Why were you drawing on the floor?

Kia: *looks up at him too* *earnestly* It was my engineering diagram. I wasn't finished using it.

Rumble: *looks confused and guilty*

Ratchet: *tries to remember if Wheeljack used the floor* The floor isn't the place for engineering drawings.

Kia: *bewildered and a little sad* The marker wouldn't work on the wall or table.

Ratchet: Sounds like we need to give you a 'whiteboard.' *turns about* *what was he doing again?* *oh, right* *fixing Sunstreaker* *sees if he can do that*

Kia: *puzzled look, but then glances over as Elita calls her softly. Goes to see what the First Lady wants*

Ratchet: *sees if he can finish up repairing the cracks in Sunstreaker's processor and tries to convince himself that things are taken care of*

Kia: *soft coo of wonder*

Ratchet: *tries to ignore everything else for just a little bit longer*

Rumble: Heh. Virtual screen. *looks up at Ratchet and stands ready to bring anything the medic might want*

Ratchet: *perks at the words* *sounds like Elita might have taken care of that problem too?* *he's almost done* *he just needs to be able to concentrate just a couple more minutes . . .*

Kia: *soft and happy* I remember my diagram.

Elita: Good girl.

Ratchet: *there!* *does one last scan of Sunstreaker and then closes him up*

Optimus: *groans*

First Aid: *soft and reassuring talking*

Optimus: ...What hit me?

First Aid: I think it was Slag.

Optimus: *face palm*

Ratchet: *sees that First Aid has Optimus well in hand, he will hold off checking on him until he sees what Perceptor needs*

Perceptor: *seems to have needed a nap*

Ratchet: *will let Hoist fix the dents at his convenience, but he will fix Perceptor's balancer* *proceeds to shut him down since the mech was already sleeping peacefully and he's known him long enough*

Perceptor: *as usual, he manages to sigh as he shuts down*

Elita, Rumble, and Kia: *looking over questioningly*

Ratchet: *something he has wondered about, himself, but he manages not to notice his audience as he goes to work*

Keg: *ping*

Ratchet: // Yes? //

Keg: *sounds cheery and amused* //Incoming.//

Ratchet: *raises an optic ridge?* // . . . //

Grapple: *can be heard. A low drone of steady complaining offset by Bluestreak's soft and excited chatter*

Ratchet: *luckily, he's done recalibrating Perceptor's balancer, so he can see to what sounds like the incoming from the concrete accident*

Keg: *sounds of him pushing in a Transformer-sized wheelbarrow containing . . . a cheerfully, caped Hoist*

Hoist: *sitting up in the wheelbarrow while covered mostly in a tarp* *looks around to make sure no one's doing anything super important before he begins* I AM THE GREAT PIRATE HOIST. THERE WILL BE NO SURVIVORS. CHECKUPS FOR YOU ALL.

Ratchet: *as soon as he sees what Hoist is doing he starts to laugh*

Optimus: *is that low rumble of laughter from his table*

Elita: *chuckling*

Keg: *big grin as he halts the barrow far enough inside the room so as to not be blocking the door*

Grapple: *fuss fuss, complain gripe*

Ratchet: *struggling to keep his laughing under control* And-And just where did-did you find the wheelbarrow?

Hoist: *taking off the tarp* We remembered that we had left it with the albino, and we thought to take it among our assets. . . . *looks back at Keg* How did we find it?

Keg: I tripped over it when you said you were only mostly dead. *snerk*

Hoist: Oh yes. That's right. Speaking of. *carefully gets himself out of the wheelbarrow as best he can with a busted shoulder* My shoulder needs a slight fix, and then I can help out in here.

Ratchet: *seems to have gotten his laughter under control* *grin* Not a problem. I just finished up with Perceptor. Does Grapple still need anything?

Kia: *giggle*

Grapple: It is NOT funny, I assure you!

Kia: ... *wibble*

Grapple: *ack!*

Keg: *looks at Grapple. How COULD you???* *as he gives Grapple the studious look, he replies to Ratchet* Grapple's full of concrete. Hoist cleared his vox.

Ratchet: *corrects Grapple* Hoist was very funny, and please don't upset Kia. *leaves the rest of the Grapple disciplining to Keg* *to Elita* Has Prowl given you any updates?

Elita: Swoop decided to carry him so that he could concentrate on his scolding.

Keg: *snerks without halting on the making Grapple feel like a heel*

Ratchet: *looks confused* Carrying Prowl so he can scold who?

Elita: *slight smile, her eyes dancing with exasperated affection for her friend* Jazz. Who else?

Optimus: *sigh* Who else.

Ratchet: Do they have an ETA?

Elita: *wryly* "Soon soon soon."

Ratchet: That good, huh? *shakes head at Prowl and Swoop and everything* *to Grapple* I'll fix Hoist's shoulder so he can get the concrete out. That sound good? *turns and sees that Hoist is already tinkering away at it*

Grapple: Hmmph. *now in a silent sulk*

Keg: *burly green guy with a homely, trustworthy mug. Standing and trying to help Hoist with the shoulder*

Ratchet: *had stopped short at Hoist trying to do the repair, especially since the mech only has one real hand to begin with* *then he wonders at Keg* *a security mech from the Nexus completely comfortable with helping with rescue missions and medical repairs in a reality that is not his own? It was a lot to take in* *he just hoped he wasn't doing wrong by asking this request* *to Keg* Erm, I can do that. Will you go make sure Prowl and Jazz get here in one piece?

Keg: *glances over and grins, the expression full of good nature* Yessir. *pat pats Hoist* Try watching 'Gummi Bears'. I think you'll like it.

Hoist: You don't say? I'll have to look it up. Thanks for the assistance. I'm not sure what we would have done without you.

Keg: *grin grows a little* Doing my job. *turns toward the door, then grunts and looks down*

Kia: *HUGGA Keg!* *softly* Thank you.

Keg: *glances at Ratchet*

Ratchet: *smiles when he sees that Keg has Kia's approval* *nods*

Keg: *stoops and gives the little femme a very gentle squish, that homely mug gentle as he watches her scoot back to Rumble in the corner*

Grapple: *starts hacking as his vox catches on a tiny fragment of concrete*

Ratchet: *starts* *that's what he was supposed to be doing* Hang on, mech. *scans Grapple to see what's going on*

Grapple: *still has a lot of concrete in there, looks like some melted away, and the rest was shattered with a sonic screwdriver. Grapple might be too contrary to even let a wish work properly*

Ratchet: *more concerned about immediate danger* *huh, Wheeljack had been wondering where that had gone* *to Hoist* Did you use the sonic screwdriver?

Hoist: Hmm? Oh. Yes. The possibility enhancement matter Keg had didn't work quite as well as it first seemed. I was going to take care of it at the site, but there was too much in there still, and I decided it was better to come back.

Bluestreak: *stops fussing and coos softly as Kia hugs her*

Ratchet: *thinks* *knocks Grapple out and puts him on the table*

Kia: *brings Bluestreak over to the corner, sits her on the beanbag, and gives her a dolly*

Ratchet: *frowning in thought as he turns to repair Hoist's shoulder* And how did you find it?

Hoist: Found it right after Wheeljack left. Decided to hang on to it until she got back from Japan.

Elita: Keg's met Prowl's party. Swoop set Prowl down to hug him.

Ratchet: *mentally gauging how long it'll take him to fix Hoist's shoulder* How far out are they?

Keg: *pings*

Elita: About half an hour's travel.

Ratchet: // Ratchet here. // *nods in response to Elita* *he should be done by then*

Keg: //Jazz is being held together with hazard tape. Should I teleport in?//

Ratchet: // I've been wondering about how long it's been taking. . . . How would you explain it? //

Keg: //I already told Swoop I'm new to Earth. I am, to this one.//

Ratchet: // So you would pass it off as an ability? Or new technology? //

Keg: //Exactly what it is.// *chuckle* //Tech I picked up somewhere.//

Ratchet: // Good point. Give me a moment to clear a space, and then do it. // *sees how much more he's got left on Hoist's shoulder, and then looks to see what Kia is doing*

Kia: *is wowing the uncomprehending Bluestreak with her engineering diagram*

Bluestreak: *has noooo idea what you're talking about, Kia. But it's interesting!*

First Aid: *telling Optimus that he can't sit up yet*

Elita: *seconding that*

Optimus: *tired grumbling*

Ratchet: *finishes work on Hoist's shoulder and tells him to bring some equipment around before he starts on Grapple* Kia? Can you grab a few things from the storage room?

Kia: *gives the datapad that's generating her hologram to Bluestreak, then bounces over to Ratchet* Sure! What do you need?

Ratchet: *lists several items that he'll need for Jazz's surgery that don't involve a lot of heavy lifting*

Kia: Okay! *away she goes, Rumble at her heels*

Elita: Rumble seems to be at home.

Ratchet: *doesn't respond as he immediately turns back into one of the operating bay and starts setting things up* *after a moment or do of this, he comms Keg* // Okay. I'm in operating bay 2. Send her in. //

Keg: //Coordinates?//

Ratchet: *sends them the moment he asks*

Keg: *there's a swish and a slight flash, and then Sludge is softly saying that his tank doesn't feel good*

Swoop: Ratchet appear like bunny hat!

Prowl: *soft sound as his hand covers his mouth*

Keg: *is pat patting Sludge*

Jazz: *one shoulder is shaking very slightly with silent laughter as she lays in Sludge's careful arms* *is indeed tied together with bright yellow hazard tape*

Ratchet: *inner wince* All right, Sludge, put her down on the table gently, and then you can go. Swoop, Kia's bringing in some supplies. Meet her before she comes in and take them. Tell her to let Elita know that Jazz is here if she doesn't already know. And I'm kicking you out, Prowl.

Swoop: Me Swoop do! *strides to obey*

Prowl: *meekly nods his head and turns toward the door. Hand is still over mouth*

Jazz: *soft squeak of pain as Sludge very carefully sets her down*

Sludge: *gasps and starts apologizing. Sounds like he's going to cry*

Ratchet: *pats Sludges arm* She's going to be all right. You didn't hurt her. Bluestreak is in the main medbay. Why don't you go see how she's doing?

Sludge: *gives Ratchet an uncertain look, but he trusts his creator. Nods and lumbers out* Me Sludge stay in bot mode. Not break house.

Ratchet: *recognizes that Sludge is reminding himself* *surprised that lesson stuck with the Dinobot as long as it has* Thank you. *nod* I appreciate it. *then he looks over Jazz's damage* *to Keg, who is the only one remaining* I don't know what your plans are, mech, but I think I'm going to be at this for a long time.

Keg: I don't have anywhere to be, if you need me around. Or I can just set your order where you want it and make myself scarce.

Ratchet: I think we have things covered. *pauses in his looking and glances up at the ceiling in thought* *turns to Keg* I can take them. *holds out a hand*

Keg: *removes a nice size crate from subspace* LittleJack says you can return the hammer box the next time you go past the shop.

Ratchet: *easily takes the crate and looks at it, not sure what he was expecting* *seems a bit distracted* I'll have to remember that. *adds that note to the reminder he has set to go off in 72 hours about the crate that he is finally putting into subspace*

Keg: *looks around, and then back to the white and red medic, his homely mug serious* Is there anything else I can help with?

Ratchet: *started gathering tools that are not already on board* *pause* I think we're okay. Key word being think. *turns and smiles* *reaches out a hand to shake Keg's hand* Thanks for your help, mech.

Keg: *homely face has a wonderful grin* Doing my job. *has a strong and honest grip in keeping with that grin*

Ratchet: *humans were on to something when they developed the handshake custom, he thinks* I'm sorry to shoo you out of the room, *gestures in the direction of Jazz* but I need to proceed with the surgery.

Keg: *nods, the grin fading slightly* I'll pray. See you around sometime.

Ratchet: *looks down at Jazz* We might need it. *nods without turning* So long, mech.

Keg: *salutes, and then vanishes with a swish and a slight flash*

Ratchet: *puts words to action and spends the next several hours putting Jazz back together again* *at some point, the elderly Sparkplug peeks in, tendering his humble services, and the two repairers soon have Jazz's systems back in working order* *however, due to the strains of the day, Ratchet is only able to get Jazz's vital systems fixed before he has to call it a night* *leaving a message with Sparkplug to give to First Aid or Hoist--whoever is free first--about what remaining structural damage there is to fix, Ratchet is only able to make it to his office and shut the door before he figuratively crashes on his floor, out like a light for the next several hours until he either wakes up or one of his "kids" finds him there*



((co-written with random_xtras))