A Spark of Hope

Chapter 2 - Fixing Him

Lucas and Cade returned to the barn after a few more minutes with supplies. Lucas gave the medication and bandages to Tessa who helped apply the ointment on my bare back scorned with scars and open sores. It stung harshly, but I did my best to suck in the pain. Once the ointment was applied, she helped wrap the bandages around my body, covering my whole midsection. Tucking the end of the wrap in the bandages, Tessa finished, letting me stand. I faltered a step, but caught myself, continuing to walk toward Cade. He organized his tools, putting back on his heavy working apron. Optimus knelt to get closer to Cade.

"I'll help a little," I announced, grabbing the rollaway stairs.

"No, you're-aaaand you've already grabbed it," Cade said, putting a tool down to assist me.

"See, I got it fine," I told him, motioning to the stairs I had pushed over to his workspace.

He sighed. "Estella, you need to be easy on yourself. Even though you've got the medicine on you, that doesn't make you invincible. And this isn't the first time you've done this either."

"I just want to be helpful," I said, my head hung low.

He looked at me for a moment, sighing and turning to his tool self. "Alright. You can be my assistant."

I jumped up and hugged him. "Thank you, Thank you!!" I squealed, then ran to the side of the tool self. He stared at me for a moment, then sighed into a smile and a chuckle. He swiped his hand through his hair and grabbed his melting pot, beginning to warm it. He turned to Optimus and climbed onto the stairs to get a better look at the damage.

"Alright, big guy. Let's see the damage."

~

Cade had been working on Optimus for quite a while. He had checked his injuries, seen where the missile had lodged itself before it had been extracted earlier and began welding some pieces to apply to his wounds. I sat on the upper platform of the stairs, dangling my legs off the edge watching Cade work. Optimus and I had exchanged several glances at each other, my only reaction being a smile back. He would muster the best smile he could back at me, though it was very small. I thought it was quite cute how he tried so hard. I guess smiling isn't something he does a lot. All the while, my heart was beating as fast as a roadrunner. I couldn't tell what the source was but just passed it off as adrenaline.

Cade beat another piece of metal into shape in his welding station, walking over to the stairs with it clamped in a welding clamp. "You took a hell of a hit, you know. The missile just missed your power source." He said, climbing the stairs.

"We call it a spark." Optimus pointed out, looking to his chest containing a glowing sphere with swirls of light emitting from it. "It contains our life force and our memories."

Cade looked at it, as did I. "Yeah we call it a soul."

I nodded in agreement. "It looks epic though," I said, pointing at his exposed spark in his chest. He turned to me and chuckled with his deep voice. I didn't even think that was possible.

"Thank you." He responded.

Cade laughed and continued to place repairs on Optimus.

~

"Cade?" Optimus asked, twisting a lodged bullet out of his chest and flicking it off to the side. "Why are you willing to help me?" I turned my attention to him.

Cade looked up to him while securing his torch. "I guess maybe because you trust me to." He responded, clicking his flint and steel tool, generating a spark, lighting the torch. He turned down the power of the gas and pulled down his welding helmet to begin his work. I smiled at his quick response only looking up to see Optimus looking towards me.