One Day At a Time ✔️

Ch. 27 Fears Coming True

Crosshairs' P.O.V.
I finally get Drift to come back to the base with me, but he doesn't want to go to the medbay, and I fear he's sinking deeper into depression.

Jolt is trying to bring Jamie's temperature down when I walk into the room.
105°; it's jumped this bad in nine hours.
"She doesn't like the ice packs, but I don't think a cooling cloth will work," he explains.
Jamie is sweating as if she just did an intense workout. Her heart rate is 110 bpm. 
Frag, she's losing the fight.
I sit on the chair by the bed and take her hand. Jamie is asleep or doesn't want to move.
"I'm staying here all night," Jolt tells me, "I have to get her temperature down."
"You want me to help with a bath?"
"I don't know; you know she will cry about being moved and discomfort."
I suggest soaking a blanket in lukewarm water. We know even this will cause Jamie to cry, and even if it's only tears rolling down her face, it's still heartbreaking.

It takes a while for the blanket to be soaked in water. Once the water isn't dripping off the blanket, I stand by the bed, waiting for Jamie's reaction as Jolt puts the blanket on her. Considering how quickly her eyes open, she isn't asleep and tries to get the blanket off her.
"This will help," I assure her as I stroke her hair. 
I stay until Jamie is asleep. 

I lay in bed, watching Drift and having a hard time falling asleep, waiting for him to wake up and look for Jamie. 

At midnight, Drift woke up as I thought, but I didn't expect him to scream. I know the nightmare he had, and I've never felt him tremble until now. I can't take him to the medbay to see Jamie either. 
Crosshairs: Ratchet, I have a problem.
Ratchet: scrap, I'll be right there.
I hate how Ratchet knows what I'm talking about.

Ratchet's P.O.V.
Drift doesn't care that I'm seeing him hugging Crosshairs and trembling. I'm not sure if he's terrified his nightmare will happen, or the nightmare itself is terrifying.
I'm hoping not to need to resort to drugs.

Jolt's P.O.V.
I haven't gone to sleep; it's been hard to keep Jamie comfortable and get her temperature down. Add the broken ribs; so much pain and discomfort. Even picking her up to hold her causes discomfort before she's completely off the bed.
"Ok, I won't pick you up."
I wipe her eyes and get the cooling cloth. 
Ratchet wants me to feed Jamie more often, to help her fight this flu, and she's tolerating it every three hours. 
This is not what I had in mind to spend more time with her.
Jamie has fallen asleep; I'll keep using the cooling cloth, but the soaked blanket helps more.

Ratchet tells me Drift is terrified Jamie will die. Crosshairs is trying to be Drift's rock, but it has to be a challenge. 
"... I had to use a sleep aid."
Ratchet tells me to get a little sleep.

Ratchet's P.O.V.
There's no change in Jamie's condition. I hate how uncomfortable she is even with medication. Crosshairs sits by the bed and takes her hand. Not seeing Drift worries her.
"He's ok," Crosshairs assures her, which is not exactly a lie. He's still asleep at the moment and didn't hurt himself.
I hate the look in Jamie's eyes. Maybe it's a good thing she can't make a sound; It hurts seeing her like this. I fear she'd be crying often if she could make sounds. I can't take her off the ventilator yet.

Three hours pass and Drift still hasn't come by. The sleep aid should have worn off by now.
Crosshairs texts me that Drift refuses to get out of bed and is already crying. There's not much I can do for him.
"She needs him," Jolt argues as we try to bring Jamie's temperature down as she sleeps.
"You think I don't know that?!" I snap, "but it will not be good for her to see him depressed."
Prime comes by and tries to help. It's hard not to worry that Jamie isn't reacting to what we're doing. I thought it was nothing until an alarm went off; her heart is failing. Prime rushes to lock the medbay doors as Jolt and I try to get Jamie back.
Come on, you do not know how lost we'd be without you; how devastated Crosshairs and Drift would be...

Crosshairs' P.O.V.
It's concerning Drift goes from being quiet to panicked and trying to leave the room.
"No!" He screams.
"Stop!"
I get him to sit on the floor with me. Again, I feel him trembling as he hugs me and cries.
No, Jamie, you can't die. We need you. How can you tell she's dying, Drift? You two aren't bonded like that.
I can't be his rock anymore. We both hug each other and cry.