RiD 'verse. The Megastar. Two days after Ro-tor's return from the shadows

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((Warning: This gets a bit bloody.))

She'd finally found her way home. It had been a hellish journey as she had dragged her mangled and bleeding form through the back hallway of the Megastar, but she'd finally reached the hole in the wall and managed to wedge herself far back inside where no one would be able to reach her.

Now she's still, her skin greyish as her temperature drops. She knows she's going into shock, but she can also feel the faint tingle of her healing factor trying to work.

-(Starsinger, help me, please,)- she thinks hazily, grateful that at least she can no longer feel the pain.

Then her eyes close and she's still.

And out in the hallway she's left a trail of blood.

Comments

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

It's raining outside, which makes it a good day for a drive, in Rollbar's opinion. But the rain is easing off, and he's coming in to get the mud off his tyres and find the others.

It's lucky he's never taken up whistling, or his cheery noise would be drawing Megastar denizens from out of the metaphorical woodwork to pick a fight with him. As it is, he's free to notice the smell and the feeling of a congealing puddle under his foot.

The Decepticon pauses, drawing back and looking down at what he's stepped in, picking out the trail that leads off down a side-passage. Rollbar considers it, optics brightening. It smells organic. There are two creatures around the base likely to leak organic fluids; the Decepticons are interested in them both.

And I've a hunch our pet human ain't runnin' around anywhere right now.

Rollbar gives a low chuckle, and follows the trail.

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It gets thicker as it goes, till it finally ends at an open ventilation grill that's set a foot or so above the floor.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Rollbar surveys it for a couple of moments, optic ridges raised, though his good humour hasn't diminished. Then he steps round the mess and leans against the wall next to the grill. He reaches down and raps just above the opening.

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Strangely for Liedherz, there's no reply. No sudden appearance from the shadows behind him; no display of Earth derogation.

Lost in the fog of near coma, she didn't even hear it.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

"Huh." He straightens up slightly and calls down, "Hey, you in there!"

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She starts slightly, making a slight sound with the movement, but then fades back into the darkness.

And her heart slows.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Well, he can hear something in there. Rollbar crouches down and looks inside to see what he can make out. "Hey, Liedherz."

Course, he thinks, that's an awful lot of blood to be outside one little organic. Could be she's past hearing anyone by now. He considers, then shrugs to himself. He's not a medic, let alone an organic one. And if it's survived being kicked around by Megatron, it's obviously got a bit of strength.

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She's still ticking. But she's crawled back so far that all he can see is more blood puddles.

And a rat. She'd told them they were there.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Damnit, looks like they're gonna have to fumigate the place next time they're underwater. Rollbar sighs and tries reaching in. If she isn't too badly damaged, maybe the boss can talk to her.

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His fingers... just... don't... quite reach.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

"Well, ain't that a glitch." He pulls back and sits on his haunches, considering the options. If he can't reach, chances are none of the others will. And he's not in the mood for screwing around with hooks and things to get one fleshbag out of the wall.

Not when he can see so very well where the metal around the vent is weak enough to be torn there, and there, and here...

He knows what he's doing. He can minimise the damage. Still, he coms Mega-Octane to check in first.

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The rat returns and stares at him with beady eyes as it contemplates the puddles of food all over the floor. From Liedherz there's only a fading heartbeat and breathing.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

"Hey Mega-Octane, I found the wingnut for you." He watches the rat, absently calculating how fast it can move. "Don't know how long she's gonna last, though: she's leakin' all over the place, though..."

It only takes a second or two. He confirms what he's supposed to do, then cuts the link. A moment later, his hand snaps out for the rat.

Well? It's there, and it's got no business being there. And grabbing it won't take a moment, either.

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It squeals loudly and tries to bite, teeth scrabbling futilely against his hand.

And a gasp and a twitch comes from Liedherz as the animal's terror penetrates her fading senses.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

((*eyes coding in own last reply*))

He gives the rodent an amused look, then tosses it aside. Hard. Odds are it won't be getting up again.

Then he sets about opening the wall. Fortunately, some of it's removable. Heck, nearly all of it's supposed to be removable, but he's short on time and it's been sitting undisturbed long enough to stick.

Hey, at least it'll see some maintenance after this, right?

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Liedherz... well, if another human being saw her now they'd probably being sick. Her basic skeletal structure is intact, but she's been nearly torn in half. Her wings are twisted and wrenched, and she's literally covered with blood and dirt.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Rollbar grimaces when he sees the mess. That can't be good for the fleshling, and he's damn sure he doesn't know how to patch it up. If they're going to get anything out of her, he'd best get her up to the boss before she kicks it.

Looking disgusted at the smell, he goes to scoop her out. He's trying not to damage her any more than he has to, but there's no way all the movement is going to help her injuries.

It's also going to be painful, to say the least. The Decepticon has no interest in that detail.

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She's past feeling the pain, but the shock of the rough movement is enough to stop her heart.

Congrats, Rollbar, you broke the shadow expert!

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Rollbar can feel something's off. He frowns at her as he stands up, then confers with Movor as he heads up to Mega-Octane.

"Try thumping her on the chest?"

"Didn't you hear me? I'm not tryin' to squish her this time, dimspark!"

"No, seriously. That's what they do."

Rollbar blinks, then tries prodding Ledherz as directed.

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The most notable result is a slight gush of blood.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

"Gah!" "That didn't help!"

"Well, I don't know then. Maybe you need a defibrillator."

"Say what now?"

"A little zappy thing. Gives organics a jumpstart."

"You think we have one of those?"

"Nope."

Rollbar grumbles and hurries up to the repair bay.

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Normally the winged woman feels like a hot brick when she's held for whatever game she's being the ball for. But right now her body is cold, and her skin, in the places that it can be seen, is greyish pale rather than its usual inky black.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Rollbar has no idea how they're going to fix this one...

Nor, to be honest, does Mega-Octane. But when his subordinate comes in with the dying organic, he orders Rollbar to put her down and leans over her with an appraising frown.

No. She won't be able to talk. And organics...

He lifts his hand and puts the human in it on the table. "Her heart has stopped. Restart it."

Dr. Onishi catches his balance, stomach churning, and looks down at Liedherz. He gasps. "What-"

He could be asking 'what is she?' or 'what did that?' Mega-Octane isn't interested. The Decepticon subcommander folds his arms. "Now, doctor."

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The doctor's lighter pressures result in less blood gushing, and after a tense few moments a thready beating starts up. However... her lungs don't follow suit in the coming online.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Fortunately Dr. Onishi's first aid training is coming back to him, because he doesn't wait to be told before starting artificial respiration. It's part of the procedure anyway, of course...

He can't remember the last time he ate, part of him thinks distantly, ironically, but he can remember the proper CPR procedure for a winged woman in an alien robot base.

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She finally draws a breath on her own, though it's weak and bubbles in her throat. It's pretty clear that she won't be able to keep this up on her own.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

That breath gives the doctor fresh hope, and he redoubles his efforts, working to keep her alive while Mega-Octane finds some tiny clamping devices and sets them down beside him.

"Are they sterilised?" he spares the time to ask hoarsely when he sees them. He's not a medical doctor, but he knows the basic rules. Despite the lack of obvious face, the Decepticon gives him a look that makes him wish he hadn't spoken.

"Of course," Mega-Octane says coldly. "This isn't some filthy organic base."

Dr. Onishi just turns back to his patient wearily. They haven't killed him yet. He doesn't suppose they will this time.

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Even comatose the cough reaction can happen, and it does now, her body spasming as it seeks to free her airwaves of the blood in them.

Her heart falters again, but then resumes its hushed whisper.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

As soon as she looks like she's self-sufficient, he moves for the clamps. His fingers are dulled by cold and his own grogginess, but the urgency of the situation is prompting an adrenalin rush that speeds him on. He's still clumsy as he sets about clamping the bits that look like they should go together, and he has to fight nausea at the sheer mess that's been made of her.

But he works, barely heeding the watching Decepticons. This is the first time in months that he's been awake, and out, and doing something. He can't enjoy it, but... it's something. Something to be the master of his own brain for a while, and the fate of someone else.

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Her insides are in terrible shape, but nothing seems to be missing other than blood. But there's dirt in there, too, gritty desert sand and dustbunnies from the hall.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

He looks up, about to ask- and a bucket of water and a pile of swabs are set down next to him. Mega-Octane apprently isn't waiting for him to doubt their cleanliness this time.

Dr. Onishi shakes his head and focuses on telling the colour of dirt from flesh, and cleaning one from the other, and patching together what he can.

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The work continues uninterrupted for some time, but then Liedherz coughs and her lungs once more fall silent.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

The human freezes- and then shifts over hastily, applying CPR again, the giant Decepticon growling at his back.

I'm not letting you die now, he thinks, partly from habit, partly from reasons he can't analyse with his scattered thought patterns. But he holds onto that thought, and repeats it to himself firmly, pumping determination into it as he pumps air into the woman's lungs.

I'm not letting you die now. Not now.

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It's not working this time. There's too much blood in there. And now her heartbeat's faltering again.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

The doctor can't see the blood filling her lungs. A Decepticon with working sensors can.

Onishi hardly processes the noise of two Decepticons moving around the room until something else is put down beside him - a tube, connected to a simple-looking machine.

"Insert the tube as I tell you," Mega-Octane rumbles coolly, then begins giving him instructions. The human does as he's directed, putting it down her windpipe and feeling it vibrate as the machine starts, sucking the blood from her lungs. It's a lot of trouble to go to to save one woman, he half-thinks as he goes back to cleaning and repairing what he can. Perhaps that's why Mega-Octane sounds so discontent.

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There's a lot of it in there, but the vessels that it came from are closing off... and running out of stuff to leak, too. It's soon cleared out.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Mega-Octane has the doctor take the tube out and continue working. He'll leave the machine there for now and recycle it when they know it's no longer needed. Across the room, Rollbar is leaning against the wall, arms folded as he watches.

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Despite everything her vital signs are growing weaker. It's very likely that the only thing holding her here now is the same sheer orneriness that led her to make her home in the Megastar to start with.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

By this time Mega-Octane has dispatched Movor and Ro-tor to locate some organic medical equipment. They've just reported arriving at a hospital; Movor claims he knows what to get.

Since the two fliers are most interested in the shadow-creatures they need Liedherz to reach, Mega-Octane reckons he had better.

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Her skin grows colder and greyer. And then she falls silent again.

[namedbyothers.livejournal.com]

At around which point Rollbar looks around expectantly and the door slides open, Ro-tor and Movor striding in. "Got it, chief," the shuttle-bot says, coming over and putting down a handful of portable life support equipment. Behind him, Ro-tor slips over to stand by Rollbar. "You don't want to know how, but we did it."

Mega-Octane merely gives a grunt and a curt nod, not pointing out that he'll end up finding out anyway. "I suppose you know how this is supposed to be connnected to her?"

Dr. Onishi looks up into the silence that follows between the Decepticons. He's relieved to see they're staring at each other.

"Well, it can't be that hard," Movor says after a moment's reflection. "Hey doc, stop pumping her and start hookin' this lot up."

Onishi would point out that he has no more idea than they do what to do, but the white Decepticon sounds like the type who wouldn't understand the problem.

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Time is of the essence, 'Cons.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Onishi works his way rather haphazardly through setting up the ventilator, hindered assisted by the occasional suggestion from Movor and directions from Mega-Octane, who can see how it might fit together even if he has no idea of the procedure.

It's as well Liedherz isn't human. This is a job for trained professionals. It's not getting any.

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They manage to get it right which goes to show that the Starsinger's still keeping an eye on His ornery kid, and soon the room echoes faintly with the steady rhythm of artificial breathing, and the slow beep of a heart monitor.

[alterrainterror.livejournal.com]

Movor smirks. "Hey, not bad. We could really do this Casualty thing."

Please don't, Dr. Onishi thinks lightheadedly as he sits back, looking with hope at the monitor. Yes, yes, it looks like she's safe! He smiles to himself in weary triumph, still woozy.

Mega-Octane leans forward, peering at the unconscious woman and the equipment. A moment later he looks down at the human and gives a short nod. The doctor feels the rush of a combination of emotions - relief that the Decepticon is satisfied, relief that it seems she'll live, satisfaction at the recognition-

And the cold, unhappy realisation that his work is done. It's time for him to go back down to bed.