Nexus. Safe house behind Blue's. Needing a boost.

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((continued from here))

Arcee grimaces as her spark gives another flare. //I'll... never... be up to speed... again. ...Worn out. Worn out.//

The outside door opens, followed by heavy footsteps and an exclamation of surprise in the voice of the big yellow Ratchet. "Columbia, what did you do to this place?"

"Um... it didn't look like this when we left it, Dad. I don't know what happened... here. Somebody's hurt."

"Hrrrm, I see that. Stay here." The footsteps approach the room.

And Kia crawls under her berth.

Comments

[critical-medic.livejournal.com]

Ratchet instinctively takes half a step back, optics narrowed against the brilliant light. Sari holds her ground a moment longer, shielded by the key, then withdraws it quickly when it sends her an unspoken prompt...

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Ratchet hesitates, looking over his shoulder from where he's shielding the two little femmes with his body, then blinks as the light winks out and Arcee groans.

"What.... Did someone get the number of that drunk driver?" She sits up, blinks, and closes her chest panel.

[critical-medic.livejournal.com]

"I guess third time's a charm?" Sari hops into Ratchet's hand as he offers it and clambers back up onto his right shoulder. "I've never had to use my key so many times on one Autobot. Or even on any machine, period!"

"At least it worked." Turning his attention back to Arcee, he's not sure whether to frown or smile. He's glad her vitals are back up to speed, but he's not pleased that they were so shot to begin with. "One of these days, you're going to give me a spark attack."

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She looks back at him soberly, her hand still on her chest. "Don't even joke about that."

Then she looks around, starting a self diagnosis as she does. "And I'm sorry, Sari. I didn't do it on purpose."

Her expression lightens as yellowRatchet turns and sets Kia free, and she gives the young femme a smile and looks to her own Ratchet to see if it's alright for Kia to come over. She herself feels fine, but he's the doc and right now he's in charge.

[critical-medic.livejournal.com]

"Well, at least from where I stand, it seems you're back up to speed again. I'm not sure what all that many jolts from Sari's key did, but I gave you an energon infusion and installed that custom spark booster," Ratchet says with something of a sigh. "Kia found us out by the sign and told us you were broken. A good thing it was my turn on watch here in Nexus, and that Ratchet and his daughter were also around."

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"I feel fine." She looks down at herself, but then sighs and holds out a hand to Kia. "My processor... I was trying to find my communicator so that I could call you, but I was so confused that I kept forgetting what I was looking for, or even who I was. I finally became convinced that I'd come to the end, but I tried to hold on so that Kia wouldn't be left alone."

Her voice is embarrassed and apologetic as she speaks.

[critical-medic.livejournal.com]

"Why were you trying to call Ratchet?" Sari can't manage to keep herself out of the conversation, but at least it's a question that needed to be asked. And her own curiosity has her asking it more readily than the medic himself.

"Seems that, in a way, Kia's sort of repaid you for taking her in." It bothers Ratchet that Kia is Arcee's only named reason at the moment for wanting to hang on, but he maintains his silence on that part. Before he can continue, however, his own comm beeps and he reaches up to the side of his helm to put the call through. "Ratchet here."

"Ratchet? Prowl. My shift on patrol is coming up shortly. Will you be returning on time?"

"Yeah, I'll be back in a few. Just taking care of some business at the safe house. How is our guest?"

"No change, but I suppose that is better than a change for the worse. I will see you when you report back. Prowl out."

Ratchet takes his hand from his helm as the transmission cuts out. "And life goes on. Tch."