One Day At a Time ✔️

Ch. 42 Taken The Wrong Way

Drift's P.O.V.
The sedative kept Jamie asleep for two hours. I dread the conversation we need to have. We know Jamie has been struggling and needs extra care, but this is not good if she tries to hide being sick. If we didn't know about her broken ribs and getting pain medicine, I'd be questioning if she's hiding pain. It's troubling and interesting that the recliner hasn't been removed from the room. With how easy Jamie can get sick, it's probably a good idea, but also a reminder that Jamie still has a long way to go, and here we are; I'm sitting on the recliner holding Jamie while she's getting antibiotics.
Crosshairs' walks in with a bag. He puts the bag on the table close to me and moves the other chair by mine. He takes a box out of the bag and two bottles of milk. He also takes a small cup we use to give Jamie drinks out of his trench coat pocket. I know Crosshairs asked Ratchet if this is a good idea. I don't think it's enough to keep Jamie from crying as we talk, but Jamie will like the cookies and milk.
"Here, for cookie dipping only," Ratchet comments as he puts a bigger cup full of milk on the table, knowing Jamie likes dipping the cookies in milk.
I think he wanted to add more, but he knows what we will be talking about.

We let Jamie enjoy a little snack before starting the conversation, knowing she already hates how much we care for her, even before Megatron's plan. I know Ratchet gave Crosshairs a syringe with the relaxant drug, and I'm hoping we don't have to use it.
Jamie is doing well with her oxygen level as she eats.

Things went as we thought as we talked to Jamie.
Even before the trauma, she'd be upset. Now we worry about what she was told? What is she taking this conversation as? No matter what we say, she'd be crying.

Crosshairs' P.O.V.
I don't know if I'd be happy knowing this is the usual guilt Jamie feels. I worry this conversation won't change a thing, or Jamie will try harder to hide that something is wrong. Watching her drink the milk, I forgot to tell Ratchet that Jamie did fine drinking the small bottle of apple juice, an eight-ounce bottle. I can't leave while Jamie is upset. She'll think I'm ditching her even if she gets more upset if Drift would leave the room than me.

It's a challenge to get Jamie to calm down. I hate seeing her expression as Drift hugs her. I'm glad the recliner rocks a little. Jamie is asleep within twenty minutes. Again, we find out she's been trying not to pee.
"I fear this conversation made things worse," Drift frets, a tear escaping his eye.
"Do you want me to take care of her?" I ask, but Drift says no.
I leave the room even though Jamie wouldn't know if I looked or not.

"Anything else?" Ratchet asks after I tell him how the conversation went.
"Nothing important right now."
"Anything is important."
Ratchet isn't pleased I didn't tell him how, now a month ago, Jamie had double what we've been giving her at a time to drink, but understands why it's not important while Jamie tries not to relieve herself.
"I don't know what to do about that," Ratchet sighs, "it wouldn't matter if she tries to hold it or not. The diaper has to be changed. I know she hates using diapers, but I think it's a good thing she still is. I doubt we would have known about the kidney infection early."
This has caused concern that this will be a recurring issue, adding to the challenges we have to deal with.

Drift fell asleep while sitting on the recliner. I pack up the cookies we didn't finish but leave the box on the table. I need to stay here and watch these two. The infusion is almost done, but Drift will panic hearing the beep.

Jamie is asleep for a half-hour before I watch her start twitching in her sleep, and tears roll down her face. I don't think she'll panic if I hold her. This time, Jamie is scared we'll leave her. I don't know if I like knowing what she's dreaming about. Drift will panic if she's not here, even if Ratchet told him I took Jamie for a walk.
Jamie wakes up, staring at me as tears roll down her face.
"You're ok; we love you."
I hug her close, hoping to get her to calm down. She can't lie on Drift on the recliner as it is, and I don't want to wake him up. Jamie sees Drift sleeping which is helping her relax.
"We'll go for a walk when he wakes up," I whisper.

Ratchet's P.O.V.
I can check on Jamie while she's sitting on Crosshairs' lap. I know he worries about Drift panicking not seeing Jamie when he wakes up to take her for a walk. He could be asleep for a few hours, but I don't want him panicking. I hate the sadness in her eyes, and I fear the conversation did more harm than good. I turn off the infusion just before it beeps. They left Jamie's tablet here, and I kept it in my office. This will keep her busy until Drift wakes up.

Drift's P.O.V.
I didn't think I'd take a three-hour nap, though I know Crosshairs will argue I needed it. Jamie has been up most of the three hours.
"Oh, look, sleeping beauty is up," Crosshairs smiles, "now we can get dinner."
It's only five, but I know Crosshairs would have gotten dinner if it was later.

Jamie doesn't want to eat anything. I'm not sure if the reason is she's sick, or she's shutting down after our conversation.
"Leave her alone for now," Crosshairs whispers.
I know he means to tube feed her rather than try to get her to eat food. Ratchet wants me to give Jamie water more often, even with frequent urination. He showed me a paper noting it's good for someone with a kidney infection, but I think he's trying to get Jamie to stop holding it in.
"Not now," I hear Crosshairs.
He's talking to the twins, who then ask what happened. I try to signal we'll tell them later without Jamie knowing. Crosshairs whispers something, and the twins leave.

Sunstreaker's P.O.V.
"I don't like this," Sideswipe sighs, "I can tell something happened," we both worry Jamie is sick again even if it's clear she doesn't have a high fever, "come on, before she gets upset that we're watching."

We wait until eight to go to the medbay, but Ratchet tells us that Jamie is giving her guardians a hard time.
"Things didn't go as planned," Ratchet tells us, "but the conversation needed to happen."
Sideswipe and I have an idea of the conversation's subject.

"Didn't think you'd wait," Crosshairs comments, seeing Sideswipe and me waiting on the floor for the past hour.
"What happened?" I ask.
Crosshairs sighs, "wait here."
He returns with Drift, who isn't sure if he should say anything.
"All I wanted to do was tell her it's dangerous that she's hiding that she's sick. Now she's terrified we're leaving her," Drift sighs.
That decision was complicated to make and a sign of how bad Jamie's mental health is.
"She'd take it the wrong way even if this didn't happen," Sideswipe points out. I whack him on the back, "ow! It's true, though. You know how much she hates how her guardians take care of her. Do you not remember how little Jamie ate before she left for Christmas?"
"That's different than hiding illness. What is it this time?" I ask.
"Kidney infection. It's dangerous if not caught early," Crosshairs explains, "Ratchet says we probably wouldn't know about it if Jamie wasn't in diapers. Which we know she hates."
Drift is troubled, but I think we've made them tell us enough.
"Let's go, Sideswipe," I pull my brother away.

"They're not telling us everything," Sideswipe comments as we sit on our beds.
"They don't have to tell us anything, but I think they have decided we're back up to watch Jamie. I doubt we will be after the conversation they had with her."
"It's interesting, we were even an option," Sideswipe smiles.
"You can get her engaged in having fun better than the rest of us, but remember, they'd likely be livid if I left her with you. I fear things are going to be more difficult for a while."