Starting a new

A trip to the medbay

keep swerving and you'll get pulled over, baby. I'll have to tow you if you can't drive straight.

I'm trying. I just... feel really dizzy all the sudden. like I'm gonna be sick again.

pull over now. I'm towing you.

Reflect immediately puts a blinker on, pulling off over to the shoulder of the road and stopping. Ironhide throws his emergency flashers on and pulls past him before pulling over in front of him. he backs up carefully. Ratchet immediately stops, pulling over with them. his holoform walks over to Ironhides, confused.

"whats going on?" Ratchet ask. "is everything okay?" Ratchet ask.

"he's dizzy. can't drive straight. I'm afraid he'll get in trouble." Ironhide murmurs, tying the other mech to him.

"dizzy?" Ratchet frowns. he walks around to the window, to at least appear he's talking to someone. "I know you can't activate your holoform right now, but are you okay?" Ratchet asks.

"m'fine. just dizzy." Reflect murmurs. Ratchet nods a little.

"let me know if you need me to look you over." Ratchet says softly.

"okay." Reflect murmurs.

Ironhide pats his bumper gently.

"come on, we'll be back to the base in no time." Ironhide says softly. his holoform climbs back into his cab.

Reflect takes the chance to nap while Ironhide pulls him back to the base. thankfully Ironhide seems to know he's asleep, because he's extra gentle when he stops red lights and careful when he takes off again.

he doesn't bother to try and wake Reflect, just pulls him to the base and unhooks in a shaded spot. he parks beside him, its getting late and Ironhide is fully prepared and ready to spend the night outside with his bonded. Ratchet watches them. he watches Ironhide position Reflect near the base itself, then park himself on the other side. it boxes the smaller mech protectively. Ratchet transforms and walks over. Ironhide shift on his tires, carefully. his mirror is so close if he's not careful, he'll scrape it down Reflects side.

"can I help you?" Ironhide grumbles.

"I'm going to bring you a cube for him. when he wakes up, you make sure he drinks it." Ratchet frowns.

"of course." Ironhide huffs. Ratchet nods and walks off.

Ironhide settles back down once Ratchet brings the cube. he doesn't settle into a deep recharge, just a light recharge. he doesn't want to go into a deep recharge and Reflect need him for something.

Ironhide jerks awake about an hour later, rolling back on his wheels in shock. he transforms quickly, looking beside him. Reflect is still in recharge. Ironhide lets out a quiet breath, shaking his head. it had been a long while since he'd had that particular nightmare.

him and Will stumbling across Annabelle and Sarah in the car. the little girl bent and mangled, burnt and bleeding. dead, cut in half, half in her carseat and half in the floorboards of the bent and mangled Honda.

he shakes his head hard, sitting on the ground quietly beside Reflect. the mech doesn't even seem to notice. he's in such a deep recharge not even the waves of anxiety rolling out of Ironhide side of the bond, can wake him. Ironhide feels a little relieved he hasn't woken his bonded, but his relief doesn't last long. he can't forcibly shake the memory from his head, it kept coming back. Will being dragged away from the car kicking and screaming about his baby girl, Ironhide finding himself being dragged away by Optimus and Ratchet.

he feels a wave of nausea hit him, then another and another. it only takes a moment to realize they're actually coming from Reflect. his anxiety had caused the other to feel nauseous despite being in deep recharge.