One Day At a Time ✔️

Ch. 17 Comfort

Third-person P.O.V.
Crosshairs couldn't wait for Ratchet to reply. Tears began rolling down his face, and he ran out of the medbay with Ratchet yellow his name. 

Before getting in his and driving off, he runs into the hangar, discovering Drift's alt mode is gone.
Crosshairs is only guessing Drift went to the cabin like before. 

His guess is correct; Drift is at the cabin. What he didn't prepare himself for was Drift crying.
"Please, Primus, don't take her from us," Drift sobs.
Crosshairs sits next to him on the couch and hugs him.

Optimus Prime's P.O.V.
Ratchet tells me Crosshairs believes Jamie is dying, and it's likely what Drift is thinking.
"Are they right?" I ask.
"No, she won't die, but her immune system is weakened, and it's harder to fight pneumonia," Ratchet tells me, "those two will be a wreck if I suggest another short coma. I'm trying to hold off, as it's not helpful to put patients in frequent comas like this."
Ratchet tells me how stressed Jamie got seeing Drift wasn't around. We're in serious trouble if both Crosshairs and Drift will stay away from her. I have Jolt watch her so Ratchet can come with me. Hopefully, Crosshairs and Drift went to the abandoned cabin.

Jolt's P.O.V.
I hope they get back quickly. I'm expecting Jamie to wake up soon since she's already been sleeping for four and a half hours.  

Of course, she wakes up now and immediately looks for Crosshairs and Drift.
"They'll be back," I assure her before texting Ratchet.
Jamie is too weak to do anything. I watch tears roll down her face. 

Ratchet's P.O.V.
Optimus is right; Crosshairs and Drift are at an abandoned cabin, but we weren't prepared to deal with their mental state. 
That explains why Crosshairs ran out of the medbay.

Sunstreaker's P.O.V.
I wanted to see if Jamie is awake, but I do not like Crosshairs and Drift aren't around. They should know how much she needs them. I figured she'd be crying, but didn't think her vitals would be affected.
"Out!" Jolt demands, "She's already in distress."
"Let me try to help."
Jolt gets out of my way.  I made sure Jamie was ok with being held before picking her up, careful of the tubes, and sitting on the chair.
I want to put the speaking valve on, but I heard it didn't go well this morning. The cuff must be inflated again. The only sound from her is coughing. Coughing tires her quickly, and she wants to lie down.
I see why Crosshairs and Drift aren't here. It's hard not to think Jamie is dying.
I make sure she's comfortable, watching her fall asleep.

Crosshairs, Drift, Ratchet, and Prime return ten minutes later.
"She was awake for twenty minutes," Jolt tells them, "looking for you two." He looks at Crosshairs and Drift.
"She's not dying," Ratchet says; I assume more to me since he likely told Crosshairs and Drift already, "her low weight means her immune system is weakened."
This likely means it'll be a long battle, one of many for Jamie. I feel bad for Crosshairs and Drift. Though Drift loves Jamie, the three of them are so close. They'd both struggle more than the rest of us if Jamie died. 

Drift's P.O.V.
Four days have passed, thirty days since I let my girl down, and a period of torture began. There's still a long road ahead. This pneumonia doesn't want to go away. Ratchet had to increase how much oxygen Jamie is getting. I worried Ratchet would want to put Jamie in another medically induced coma, but she's so weak and sleeps most of the time. I worry she's thinking she's dying.  
Even though she falls asleep, she lets us take her for walks around the base. 

I ask Ratchet if there's a way to cover the feeding tube. I want to see if s bath will help Jamie.
There is a way, but the other issue is Jamie is freezing without blankets, and it's hard to change her without making her deal with being cold.
This takes some work, but I get Jamie in the tub. How the hell Crosshairs helped without looking is beyond me, and he wouldn't lie and look either.
"You'll be ok," I promise her.
Please, Primus, heal her. We hate seeing her like this.

Jamie doesn't last long before getting cold. Not good when she's in warm water.
I try to work as fast as possible, getting her dressed and wrapped in a blanket. 

I sit on the chair by the bed, holding her close to me as she falls asleep in time for Ratchet to do an exam and draw blood. Glad she's a heavy sleeper.
Crosshairs and I sit by the bed, waiting for her to wake up again, still worried she'll die.

Ratchet's P.O.V.
Another three days pass before Jamie's temperature is down to 102°, but she's still dealing with being freezing and feeling weak. I haven't told Crosshairs and Drift that the difficulty breathing can last after the pneumonia is gone. We may need to wait another month before starting the weaning process again, which will not go well with Jamie.

It's a rough morning with coughing and throwing up. Jolt and I try to help Jamie while she's looking for Crosshairs and Drift, unhappy about the coughing fit and throwing up. I have to increase how much oxygen she's getting while giving her medication. I wasn't in a hurry to get the two mechs down here, but I will have to get them down here.

Drift rushes in, standing by the bed and taking Jamie's hand while trying not to be in Jolt's way. 
"I'm here," he assures her.
I let him hold Jamie while sitting on the chair. He knows when she'll need to throw up.
Crosshairs walks in soon after and sits on the chair by Drift.

It's s rough twenty minutes before the coughing ceases. I'm still giving Jamie medication for the coughing and throwing up. It's hard to tube feed Jamie while keeping her warm. 

An hour passes before the medication kicks in. I let Crosshairs and Drift take her to the cafeteria.
"She's getting better, but it will be rough," Jolt points out.