One Day At a Time ✔️

Ch. 5 Away From Here

Drift's P.O.V.
Another long week has passed. Ratchet tells me there's little progress. I can't take seeing my girl like this for months. How she'll be once she wakes up also worries me. Is my girl going to be severely disabled? All because of Megatron. I'd decide if I knew for sure, but Ratchet isn't sure. Even if it's a small chance Jamie could fully recover, I don't want to let her go, knowing there's that chance. I don't know if she'd want to live if she's going to be severely disabled, but she's a fighter.
"I love you, Jamie. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Being careful of the tubes, I kiss her on her cheek before running out of the medbay, crying. I feel like I just said goodbye to my girl.

I run into Optimus Prime and Ratchet. Prime stops me before I run past them. It's embarrassing for your superior to see you crying.
"She'll be ok," Optimus says while hugging me. 
I know he wouldn't say that if Ratchet was unsure, but I will not ask about Jamie's recovery. I feel like three weeks is too soon to know, but Prime wouldn't lie, or would he with this situation?
"You doubt your girl's residence?" Ratchet asks, "while she has a long way to go, Jamie is slowly improving."
I am not sure if I should be happy about this. I know Jamie could still die; she'd be dead without the machines. 

Ratchet has me come with him and Prime to the medbay. I don't like what Ratchet is telling me.
"... it's better for her," he assures me and hands me a paper.
True, a tracheostomy is better than being intubated. Knowing Ratchet is doing this hurts, knowing Jamie will need breathing support for months. 
"I can't do this."
I drop the paper on the floor and rush out of the medbay, ignoring Ratchet yelling my name.

I run to the hangar, get in my alt mode, and drove off. I don't know where to go, but I can't see my girl critically ill.
:: Drift!:: Crosshairs commes, :: I don't know what you're going to do, but it's not right. What if Jamie wakes up tomorrow? She'll need you. She'll need us.::
:: She'll be critical for months. I can't see her like that.::
I turn off my commlink and keep driving. 

I find an abandoned cabin in the woods, hide my alt mode and let myself in. This place was once lived in, but the amount of dust suggests whoever lived here hasn't in some time. I sit on the bed and look at the pictures on my phone.
Please let my girl recover.

Crosshairs' P.O.V.
Damn, I know you're crushed, but Jamie will need both of us. I know it'll likely be at least a month before we can take Jamie out of the coma, and I can't watch her alone, Drift. 
Optimus and Ratchet tell me to leave Drift alone for now. They're certain he's safe and will not harm himself. I return to our room and lock the door. I don't want to be bothered unless to tell me Jamie woke up

Optimus Prime's P.O.V.
I'd expect Sunstreaker to do this, not Crosshairs, but I know this is a challenging situation for him and Drift. 
I enter the room; Crosshairs is asleep. I'm not sure if he's been asleep since I last saw him yesterday.
Crosshairs wakes up and looks at me with no hope. There's nothing I can say, and all I can do is hug him and let him know we're all here for support. 

He's quiet as we head to the cafeteria and drinks his Energon slowly before going back to the room.

"Pick up, Drift," he says while waiting for Drift to answer his phone, "nothing."
He throws the phone across the room; it lands on the other bed before lying on his bed and cries. I am unsure what to do to help him or Drift. Stasis doesn't help, and I refuse to lock them in the brig even if we know they'd be safe and can't harm themselves.

Another week has passed, six weeks since we saved Jamie. Ratchet doesn't think she's ready to be woken up.
"I'd like to wait until she's fully healed, as her mental wounds will be tremendous, but that's not a good idea. For now, I'm waiting until she's off dialysis. Possibly the ventilator, but it might be a few months before I can take the trach out. I'm afraid to see the mental damage.," Ratchet explains.
"She'll need Crosshairs and Drift more than usual. The problem is how to help them until she wakes up?"
"Do you think showing her record will help? She's making progress every day, though small."
"I'm not sure if it'll help or remind them how long she has to go."
"Sir, Crosshairs left," Bumblebee says as he rushes in.
This isn't good.

Drift's P.O.V.
I don't know if I can go back to the base or not, but I worry about Crosshairs. He calls several times a day, and I ignore the call and listen to the message he leaves, crying every time.
I like to take  a walk around the area early in the morning. I'm greeted by Crosshairs once I step out of the cabin. Crosshairs looks awful. How little sleep has he gotten?
He walks up to me and hugs me. 
Please don't tell me she's gone.
"I know we're waiting for Jamie to wake up, but I need you to come back," he says sadly.
"Stay here with me. It will be a long time before she's ready to be taken out of the coma."
I lead him inside the cabin, and we sit on the couch in silence. Feeling lost with our friend in critical condition, uncertain of the future.