Haven ✔️

Ch. 18 Returning to Base

Sunstreaker's P.O.V.
We've been at this location for four days. Sideswipe thinks he'll be in trouble if we return. As far as we know, Jamie could be dead. It's hard not to think Crosshairs and Drift would end their lives if she died. That's another reason Sideswipe is afraid to go back to the base. Our signals have been hidden, but it's time to go home; time for Sideswipe to realize he's been wrong about being in trouble. Hopefully, we're both wrong about Jamie being gone. Without Sideswipe knowing, I make my signal detectable and go behind a tree to text Prime.

Sunstreaker; Sideswipe blames himself for what happened. I went along with him when he told me to hide our signal. He's still refusing to come back.
OP; I'll be right there.

I was expecting a lecture, but Sideswipe and I will likely get one when Prime arrives.
I sit next to Sideswipe as he watches the ducks. I know the lack of Energon affects him, as it is me.

Ten minutes pass before Prime, Ironhide, and Jolt arrive via the ground bridge.
"You told them?!" Sideswipe yells.
"I had to, you refuse to go back to the base, and we haven't had Energon in four days."
"You didn't have any part in what happened, Sideswipe," Optimus explains, "the soldiers who did this have been arrested."
"Jamie is doing better already," Jolt adds, "even if it'll be at least a week before Ratchet considers ending the coma and taking her off the ventilator."
"You two need to come back and get your Energon level up," Optimus tells us, but he'll be ordering us if Sideswipe refuses.
"No, I-I can't watch them struggle," Sideswipe says, trying not to tear up.
I don't even want to ask how Crosshairs and Drift are doing.
"Sideswipe, you know you have no choice. You will die from lack of Energon," Jolt reminds him.
Sideswipe gives in; we deactivate our holoform, Transform and walk through the portal with Jolt and Prime behind us.

We can drink our Energon while sitting in the hangar. Jolt stays with us to ensure our systems are running properly, while Prime goes to the medbay.

Optimus Prime's P.O.V.
I inform Ratchet we got the twins to return, and Sideswipe blames himself for this.
"I think you better talk to both of them," I suggest, "Jolt told them how Jamie is doing, but I don't think it helped them."
"What can I say? Nothing will help until I tell them I'm ending the coma or taking Jamie off the ventilator."
"I think telling them about Jamie's condition and the nightmare situation will give them a little hope even if the two situations are different."
We both look at Crosshairs and Drift sitting by the bed, uncertain how to help them. We could get them to deactivate their holoforms and induce stasis, but that's not how to help anyone going through what they're going through.
Ratchet talks to the twins while I do what I can to support Crosshairs and Drift.

Ratchet's P.O.V.
Talking to the terror twins turned into giving a lesson about Jamie's condition. All I did was get that out of the way, but this didn't help them much. Sideswipe still thinks this is his fault, and I don't think anyone but Jamie can do anything about it — if she remembers what happened. The conversation turns into talking about Jamie's emotional and mental struggle. I would never have expected Sunstreaker to be the one to ask. They'll still learn better by watching her when she wakes up, but I answer the question in detail as Sunstreaker wants.

Sunstreaker's P.O.V.
Damn, a year after she started this cross-dimensional adventure, Jamie was nearly killed with a deadly chemical that's now in her blood. The chemical is still trying to kill her.
I know this wasn't Ratchet's plan, but now I want to know why Jamie kept this going for nineteen years, hoping it was simply because she took what happened as an annoyance but not enough to terminate the adventure.

"Damn humans!" Sideswipe rages, "they did nothing to help her!"
Unbelievable, and this is just talking about Jamie at nine years old.
"And we couldn't without being discovered. Even if holoforms were created at the time, how would we explain that a child is friends with several older mechs? Prime believes he made a mistake not finding ways to help her. Now he sees a few ways we could have helped once Jamie wanted the base built — which she thought of at twelve. Instead, we failed her until she turned eighteen."
Sideswipe and I know there's much more to this, but we've taken too much of Ratchet's time.
"Ok, this is going to take a while, and you need to get back to the medbay, but is there anything we can do to help Crosshairs and Drift?" I ask.
Ratchet sighs, "no, they will not leave Jamie's side. It's hard to know whether I should force them to leave. Crosshairs can usually leave long enough to get their food, but not this time."
"Come on, Sideswipe, let's get them lunch," I suggest as I stand up.

You know, this is a good idea. You can't be friends with Jamie without being friends with Crosshairs and Drift. Sideswipe tells me through our bond, show them you care.
Won't help if they think I hurt her.
We both realize we should have asked If they've seen the security footage, but we'll wait to ask Crosshairs or Drift.

Third-person P.O.V.
Ratchet follows them into the cafeteria, and soon the three mechs have a cart full of meals.  

The three struggle to get Crosshairs and Drift to eat in Ratchet's office. Even though they were told Jamie would be ok, they must take a break. 
"Go, I'll stay here," Jolt tells them.
It's the only way they'll leave. He sighs as he sits by the bed. I hope those bastards get more than a dishonorable discharge.

Ratchet's office is unbearably quiet as the four mechs eat. Drift couldn't stop looking in Jamie's room across from Ratchet's office.
"Do I need to put the shade down?!" Ratchet scolds more than asks, "she's healing; it's just going to take time."
Being here isn't helping Sideswipe; he still feels like this is his fault.
"I'm sorry," Sideswipe apologizes as he stands up with his plate. He tries to leave, but Drift stops him.
"It's not your fault, Sideswipe. You didn't think soldiers would take advantage of Sunstreaker trying to be nice — even if it's only towards Jamie," Drift assures him; Crosshairs nods in agreement.
Sideswipe sits back down, still feeling like this is his fault, still thinking that if Jamie dies, it's his fault. The others know he still felt this way even after what Drift said. No way he'd immediately change his mindset, but they hope he will, and Jamie will recover.