Prodigal Son

Chapter 22

Agent Fowler smirked as he made his way down the hallway, a Prime in tow.
"I gotta say, this is definitely a new one."
Optimus followed him, trying to rationalize his request.
"I understand, that humanity's military achievements work differently than that of Cybertronians. However... I do believe that the requirements are met."
"I've gotta admit, it would be an interesting experiment. I've overseen a few of those, but never for a Cybertronian!"
"I understand, that it would be a first."
Fowler shrugged, mentally thinking it over.
"I warn you, there's gonna be a ton of paperwork. Might have to argue with a couple higher ups, but, I think It could work."
Optimus nodded, saying,
"I deeply apologize, for any stress brought about by this procedure."
But Fowler just waved it off.
"Prime, I've been at this a LONG time. Ain't nothing you Bots can throw at me anymore that leaves me shaken for too long. Besides..."
Fowler sighed, glancing back behind him.
"What he did... I know some humans that wouldn't make a sacrifice like that."
"One thing I have learned on this world... Bonds transcend physicality. ... Love... Transcends physicality."
-
"Well, everything looks alright."
Doctor McSwain sighed, looking over her notes.
"He looks to be doing alright, the ice cream was just a bit too much for his stomach to handle. I'm guessing the emotional stress didn't help, either."
Charlie sighed, looking over at Cody.
"You're sure it was just a fluke?"
Cody groaned, shifting slightly on the bed.
"I'm fine, dad. I'm fine."
Charlie looked over at the cartons in the trash, then the sticky, slightly dirty toy.
"... Well... This can't happen again. This was just far too much stimulation for right now. I'm going to be keeping a much closer eye on you, alright?"
Cody didn't answer, staring down at his legs.
His hands gripped the legs of his pants, the fabric bunching and wrinkling from the vice grip of his trembling hands.
"Cody.... I just...I want to help you, alright? I... I know you're hurting. I know this isn't easy for you. But... Son... I promise you. I'm here to help you."
Cody slowly lifted his head, and Charlie paused.
He wasn't prepared for Cody's dry look.
"Why?"
One word.
One word was all it took.
Charlie felt his breath seize in his lungs, his chest go numb.
"... Excuse me?"
Cody looked up, his face blank.
But his hands shook.
"Why? Is it because I'm in the hospital? What's the difference between now, and about a month ago? What's the difference between being kidnapped by some.... Artificial crazy guy, and crying in my room because it's another night alone, another night I'm the useless Cody Burns, the only member of the rescue team never contributing to anything."
His eyes could burn holes.
"You never paid attention then, so why bother now?"
The room went deathly silent.
Quietly, Doc backed up, to where Frankie was waiting in the doorway, whispering,
"My dear Archimedes.... I believe Dani is down in the lobby, would you... Mind joining her, for the moment?"
"But Daddy-"
"Please."
She didn't want to leave.
She needed to be here, to help him.
But between the near-suffocating tension, and the pleading look in her dad's eyes, she sighed.
"... Okay..."
She shuffled out, reluctantly, and doc closed the door behind her.
Charlie took a deep breath, focusing on feeling the air course through his lungs.
".... Son... I just... I know you're angry. But... I just want to help!"
"How?!?! By shutting out my best friend?!?! She didn't do anything!!"
"I know she didn't mean to, but... You're... delicate, right now."
Now, Cody's dry expression turned to anger, the shake of his hands violent, his grip switching from his pants to the bed railing.
"Oh, now you're going to tell me how fragile I am?!?! I've been begging you for DAYS to be straight with me, and NOW you're being honest, now that you shoved away the one person who was ACTUALLY TALKING TO ME."
Charlie froze.
Then, without another word, he sharply turned and stormed out the room.
Cody's hands shook violently, his breath tight and heaving.
Doc exchanged a look with Doctor McSwain, and after she nodded, he took off.
"Charlie!!"
His hand went to the syringe in his pocket.
Oh, he was going to regret this...
Cody's breath was tight, everything seeming to tune out on him.
But, Doctor McSwain put a hand on his shoulder, and he jolted out of the spiral.
"Deep breath."
Although hesitant, he listened, breathing in deeply.
"Hold it. Count to ten."
She held up her fingers, and started counting down.
10.
He was just so... Angry.
9.
Frankie was only trying to help. She didn't do anything wrong.
8.
What did dad know? Nobody would tell him anything, he NEEDED to know.
7.
He never would've dared yell at anybody, much less his dad, before all this. It felt... Weird.
6.
Anger felt... Natural, now.
Why?
5.
Should he have been angry before? Well... He always was, some part of him. But... It all just felt... Concentrated, now.
4.
.... Was he in the wrong, too?
3.
...... Did he want to be mad at his dad? At anybody?
2.
... He didn't like this.
He was hurting.
Everything just seemed so... Empty.
Would being angry at them even make the pain better?
Or would it just make more pain?
1.
.... What did he do....
The breath drained out of him, his body slumping back as his muscles relaxed.
Doctor McSwain watched him, and gently patted his shoulder.
"How do you feel?"
His hands started trembling, and he took another slow breath.
".... Bad...."
-
Kade leaned against the wall, a relived sigh escaping him as he watched Heatwave walk around, absently stretching his joints.
It probably felt great, having been inactive for a few days. Working out the built up stiffness probably felt much better.
"How you feeling?"
"Eh. I didn't join the All-Spark, so, a lot better than I could've been."
Heatwave leaned against the wall, before stretching out one leg.
"But, you know.... I'm really not the one you should be worrying about."
Kade froze, then groaned.
"Oh, not you too..."
"Kade."
Heatwave sighed, turning around to stretch his other leg.
"... The last time I saw him, I thought I was dying. I thought that the last Cody ever saw of me would be as I leaked out in front of him. Kade, I literally cannot go see him right now. I'm confined to base for medical observation, and it's not like Cybertronians can fit in his room. But from what I've heard about how he's doing... He needs you."
Kade looked away.
"... Trust me ... He doesn't need me."
"Yes, he does!!"
"Heatwave! I... I'm not a good brother, okay? I was supposed to protect the little squirt... but... All I ever did was push him around, ignore him. I made him feel like he didn't belong in this family, and pushed him away so much we almost lost him for good! .... He's.... He's better without me."
Heatwave stomped over, his voice Stern.
"Listen to me. Listen good. You messed up. So fix it."
Kade rubbed his neck, trying not to think about the thick bandages wrapped around Cody's.
"... How?!?! How do you fix something like that?! How do you say "I'm sorry" for pushing my little brother so far he became a SUPERVILLAIN?!?!"
Kade raked a hand through his hair, his jaw aching from how tight he was clenching it.
"... I don't know how to fix this. Nothing I say could ever... Make it up to him. Nothing could even come close to apologizing."
He slowly slumped down, leaning against the wall.
"... I just... I don't know what to do."
Heatwave sighed, then looked across the room.
Hooked on the edge of the table he'd been laying across, Cody's jacket.
He'd almost forgotten about it.
It had been gone from around his neck when he woke up, they probably had to remove it during surgery.
It was a bit torn up, and heavily stained blue, crusted energon absorbed into the fabric as it dried.
It didn't look salvageable, and definitely couldn't be worn now.
"... Talk to him."
Heatwave turned his attention back to Kade, his expression softening.
"Just... I know, you don't know how to fix this. I sure don't. But... Please. You... You need to try."
"How?! Words just aren't enough, Heatwave!!!"
"Then don't use your words. Act. Show him you want to be better."
Heatwave's expression, while still gentle, picked up a bit of sternness.
"Prove to him that you're serious about wanting to make amends. But even more important than that... Prove it to yourself."
Kade thought deeply, then sighed.
He ran a hand through his red locks, smirking up at Heatwave.
"When did you get so good at this?"
Heatwave shrugged, smirking back.
"Hey, somebody's gotta keep you in check."
Kade snorted, and the two shared a laugh.
But silently, he vowed.
It was time to man up, and be a better brother.
-
Charlie sighed, rubbing his eyes.
He leaned over the table in the hospital cafeteria, feeling his energy slowly drain out of him.
"I thought that Intervention made it clear you were supposed to rest."
Doc sighed as he came over, sliding over a cup of coffee.
Charlie grabbed the cup, feeling the warmth of the cardboard sleeve.
He breathed in the aroma, then looked over at doc, his eyes tired.
"... Ezra... I'm so sorry.... I owe her an apology. I know Frankie was just trying to help. I ... I don't know why I snapped on her... I'm so sorry."
Doc sighed, then reached over, rubbing Charlie's shoulder.
"... I know. Yes, please apologize to her."
"I will, I promise. She didn't deserve that."
"... But .. I understand. You were worried."
Charlie pinched his brow, taking a large gulp of the cup.
"... I've always been worried."
He savored the taste of the coffee. It was rich, bitter. Something did taste a bit different, maybe some new flavoring?
".... I failed my son, Ezra. I failed my son. I know, you and Woodrow told me to rest. But... I just can't. I can't."
"Charlie. You can't help him if you destroy yourself."
He took another sip, then yawned.
"I just... I need to help him. I need to be with him, to talk to him."
"Charlie... You all... Need time to process the situation. You're struggling to process your emotions. You can't help him unless you're in a stable frame of mind."
Charlie yawned again. He rubbed his forehead, his eyes pulling down.
"I... I need to keep going..."
Doc saw his energy slowly draining, and had to turn away, unable to meet Charlie's eyes.
"... I promised you, Charlie. I promised that I would do whatever it took to help your family. And that means you. And I will fuffil that promise. Even if you don't like it."
He could barely keep his eyes open.
He was just so tired....
He'd thought the coffee would be working by now...
Suddenly, his eyes popped open.
The intervention.
"Woodrow was quite insistent on talking it out. Personally, I was rooting for lacing your coffee with a sedative, but this works too, I suppose."
"... You didn't..."
He grabbed the cup, popping off the lid.
A clear residue clung to the sides of the cup, having clearly mixed with the drink.
Doc looked back over, his eyes blank as he reached into his pocket, and laid the empty syringe on the table.
"I'm sorry. But I won't let you destroy yourself."
Exhaustion clawed at him, his eyes sagging down, his body slumping over the table.
Doc rubbed his shoulders, sighing with regret.
"... I'm sorry. But you need to rest."
Charlie couldn't fight it off, his mind fading to darkness.
His breathing even out as he slumped over the table, the sedative in full effect as he fell into deep sleep.
Doc watched him, and slumped over.
"... I'm sorry, old friend... I'm so sorry..."