Transformers Short Story

Iacon Medical Academy

GoldLine smiled up at First Aid as he busied himself with another patient's chart. The medic glanced down at her fondly before Beat scooped her up and placed her back into her designated play pen in the staff area. GoldLine pouted but didn't protest as the intern cheekily handed her an Energon sweet. The sparkling stuffed the whole treat in her mouth and chewed contently as Beat settled into his admin chair beside her, his optics focused intently on the screen and his EM-field a tight ball of nerves. Beat paused to smile down at her again but it didn't reach his optics and it slowly dropped again as he chewed nervously at his derma, "This is it GoldLine. I've got the letter in my inbox...I could either get accepted or rejected from the top school in Cybertron: Iacon Medical Academy....it's the same one Ratchet and First Aid attended..." Beat glanced over the counter to view the unusually empty waiting room with a sigh before grimacing at his monitor screen. Beat pursed his derma before hovering one of his digits over the message. GoldLine giggled at his troubled expression and Beat rolled his optics at his younger companion, "I look stupid don't I?" GoldLine tilted her helm in confusion but gurgled in response to the intern's question. Beat pulled a servo down his face plates with a sigh, recycling his optics and speaking to her again, "The worst that can happen is I don't get in...I can always reapply after a couple months and try and build up my resume...or I could stay and train under First Aid and Ratchet in the clinic until I get my own place started?" GoldLine flickered her ear fins and Beat smiled, setting his helm into his servo with another look at his screen. Beat's comm buzzed and he jumped up nervously, closing down his screen with a snap and glancing up at the bot who was waiting at the front desk. He visibly relaxed after noticing the familiar orange and white paint of Ratchet's frame at his service desk. The intern glanced at his darkened screen before scooping up the waiting sparkling, walking over to the head medic with a smile to hide his nerves. Ratchet was checking over a data-pad but his attention snapped back to the two bots as they neared. GoldLine smiled up at her Carrier sweetly, babbling to the medic and making the stern CMO break a smile of his own. Beat's spark melted at the sight of the usual cold medic soften whenever his sparkling was near. Ratchet rubbed the sparkling's helm with a coo before straightening with the clearing of his throat pipes, as if remembering his position, "I've got a patient in A1 who needs vitals reassessed before she can be discharged...I want you to do manuals." Beat brightened up at the task, "Of course...let me just put her back and-" Ratchet waved his servo his way, "No need, I can watch her while you work...I've just got to finish this chart and I'll be done with B5...some bots I swear...." Beat raised his optic ridges with a knowing smile, "Difficult patient?" Ratchet took the squirming sparkling off his servos before shooing him, "Yes, but nothing I can't handle." Beat shook his helm with a small chuckle, snatching a clean data-pad and cleaning his servos before knocking on the door of A1. A mech's voice meet his auditory systems, "Come in." Beat pushed the door open and smiled at the sight of a bubbly light pink femmeling and what appeared to be her Carrier, a light mint colored mech, occupying the seats. He smiled politely before placing his data-pad down and addressing the younger of the two, "I'm Beat, a medical intern and I'll be checking a couple things today...can you tell me your name?" The pink femmeling glanced at her Carrier shyly before chirping with a staticky voice box, "I-I'm C-C-can--nter!" Beat smiled encouragingly, powering on his data-pad to check over the patient's history. He did a visual check of the femmeling's movements and frame development before addressing her Carrier, "Have you noticed any changes in her behavior recently? I noticed she's having speech therapy sessions. Are they improving her voice abilities at all?" Canter's Carrier smiled at the femmeling before answering, his tone extremely soft, "She's been a hand-full throughout all of her appointments, so no changes there...she's had some small improvements in the way she pronounces things now but overall it hasn't improved much." Beat nodded empathically, "Voice boxes are extremely touchy so the progress might seem small but any improvements are steps in the right direction! Canter can you stand right here for me?" Canter giggled before racing to the spot he'd motioned too, shifting slightly to peer at the medical equipment Beat had started to lay out. Beat did a once over of his equipment before glancing at the femmeling, "Canter, you see those decorations on the wall? Can you tell me what all of them are?" Canter smiled, excitedly pointing out each one as she listed them off, "T-hhhh-at's a c-cybertron-ian....a-aand a cu-ube ball...and Carrier...wh-hat's thh-hat?" Canter's Carrier glanced at Beat for permission to answer and the intern nodded reassuringly, "It's a gear little one...you're learning about them in school, remember?" Canter tilted her helm curiously before brightening up, "Yes! I--like-thh-e blue--ones....th--hey look j-just like Sire!" Canter's Carrier chuckled, "Yes you do like the blue ones! That's good Canter." Canter nodded happily before glancing back at Beat with a nervous look, "D--id I pass?" Beat smiled widely, typing a few notes into his data-pad, "With flying colors...alright I'm going to listen to your spark now, is that okay?" Canter pursed her derma before looking to her Carrier, who nodded slowly, prompting the youngling to nod enthusiastically. Beat retracted his forearm casings and a stethoscope popped up, lighting up with a soft whirl. Canter inspected the instrument curiously but stilled as Beat placed it to her spark chamber. Beat allowed the instrument to work as he checked the sensibility of her ear fins, back struts, pedes, servos and face plates. The stethoscope beeped and read off it's findings to the intern; she had perfect readings. Beat smiled, retracting the equipment and making a few finals marks to her file before turning to address the two, "Is there anything you would like me to check on before I send the Medic to discharge you?" Canter chattered in excitement and her Carrier looked down at her fondly, "No, I think she's doing great right now...we will come back if anything changes though." Canter pouted at her Carrier's words but Beat nodded in understanding, collecting his things, "Everything looks in order on my side. Her spark chamber is completely clear of any hiccups or impairments and her frame is progressing on track for her age range now." Canter's Carrier let out a relived vent at the news, hugging the squirming sparkling to his side. Beat reached into his subspace and drew out another Energon sweet, handing it to the sparkling before opening the door, smiling down at the pair, "I'll send First Aid to go over discharge papers. He shouldn't be long!" Canter's Carrier nodded in appreciation, his optics falling back on his femmeling as she chatted to him with her sticky voice. Beat closed the door quietly, retracing his steps so he was back at his admin area. He sent a patient request to First Aid, adding his details of the vitals he'd collected and the need for a discharge cover before falling back into his seat with a sigh. He glanced once again at the waiting room but it was still clear and quiet. A chirp sounded near his pedes and he startled, chuckling at the sleepy expression GoldLine had on her faceplates. She was wrapped up in one of her favorite sheets and was clutching a small plain pillow to her chest plates as she watched him. Beat sneakily snapped a picture of the femmeling and sent it to Ratchet with a laugh. Ratchet was slow to answer but Beat could feel his true emotions even when he replied with, "Great now she's up again." Beat shook his helm and promised the CMO to settle the sparkling later. Beat glanced at his monitor and powered the screen on again, looking at the same message from the Medical Academy he'd seen earlier this morning. He hesitated, closing his optics and clicking on the message hurriedly. The sound of the message going through meant his auditory systems and he peaked his optics open to fully read over the letter, "Beat, On behalf of the acceptance committee at Iacon's Medical Academy we would like to offer you a seat in our next cycling class under Medical Officer Remedy. Your resume was very remarkable for a bot your age and we would be pleased to offer you a membership in our Young Medical Members of Society and a spot on our clinic ER floor...." Beat's intake dropped open in surprise and he stared at his screen in complete silence, the message playing through his helm. After a few minutes, he recycled his optics, closed his monitor and jumped to his feet with a whoop. A large smile took over his features and he scooped up GoldLine, gigging with the sparkling as she drew from the pure joy pulsing from his EM-field. "What is going on here?" Beat froze and glanced behind him to see both his mentors standing in the empty waiting room, amused and annoyed expressions on their face plates. Beat settled GoldLine on his side sheepishly, a light blue blush setting on his faceplates as he struggled to explain his excitement. Ratchet furrowed his optic ridges before glancing at First Aid, "What's gotten in to your apprentice?" First Aid rolled his optics, "You mean our apprentice? Beat what's going on?" Beat smiled at the two Medics with excitement till they could feel it thrum around them, "I just-I mean this has to be the best day of my life!" First Aid shared a look with Ratchet, "Maybe he should get more days off." Beat blinked before surging forward, his joyful EM-field falling over the two, "No, no it's not like that! I-I got accepted to Iacon Medical Academy!" The room went completely silent as the two Medic's processed his words. First Aid was the first to react and his intake dropped open in surprise as he nearly shouted, "IACON MEDICAL ACADEMY! BEAT THAT'S FRAGGING AMAZING!" The red and white Medic pulled the intern into a side hug, his words warming Beat's spark. Ratchet seemed at a loss for word but he pulled himself together, proudly nudging the younger bot with his EM-field, "This is a great accomplishment Beat. Well done!" First Aid pulled back from the intern, his frame practically vibrating in excitement, "When do you start? Is Remedy still the professor there? He's got to be what?.....almost in the well now?" Ratchet chuckled, "Yeah, he was the oldest thing alive back when we went to that Academy." Beat glanced at GoldLine, who'd been watching the exchange curiously, "They offered me a seat in this next cycle...with Remedy as the professor and..." Beat hesitated as the two Medics turned their attention on him, "...a membership to the Young Medical Members of Society." First Aid smiled, his optics flickering to Ratchet with a smirk, "Uh oh...he's going to be in your rival club Ratch." Ratchet rolled his optics fondly, "You know I never cared about rivalries back then." First Aid chuckled, "Right, right. But then you wouldn't have meet me." Ratchet raised his optic ridges but soon both Medics dissolved into chuckles at their memories, "The one time I got roped into a prank on YMMS, you just happened to get caught up in it...besides we both know HOSA was better." First Aid rolled his optics, "You guys did the same things we did." Ratchet cracked a smile at his friend and they seemed to share something over their comm link because they both turned to Beat with bitter-sweet expressions. First Aid hesitated, "You'll want to work on their clinic floor then? It'll be much closer to the Academy anyway and you'll have your peers to work with too." Beat blinked, secretly wondering if the Medics knew just what was in his acceptance letter. He pursed his derma before looking down at GoldLine in his arms. The sparkling cooed back at him and Beat seemed to come to his answer, meeting his mentors optics with a confident smile, "No, I think I'll stay here...if you'll still have me?" First Aid looked to Ratchet and then back to him, a proud glimmer in his optics, "You're always welcome here Beat." Beat nodded his helm shyly before clearing his throat pipes, "Well...umm...I better get back to work then." Ratchet hummed, checking his internal chronometer with a huff, "Don't bother...take the rest of the day off...we'll see you bright and early tomorrow." Beat blinked, "Are you sure? I don't mind working the rest of my shift?" Ratchet shook his helm with a tsk, "Drop GoldLine off at my Hab-suit, Optimus should be back by now and then go home...we'll have dinner tonight to celebrate." Beat flushed happily, "Really!? You don't have too...I mean..." Ratchet waved him off, shooing him away, "Get, before I change my mind." Beat's frame purred happily and he scrambled to shut down his station and collect GoldLine's things before leaving the clinic, a fond surge floating through his EM-field for his mentors. He grabbed the closest transport and settled GoldLine in his lap as he watched the scenery fly by. After an hour the tram slowed to a stop and Beat easily stepped off in the busy streets of Cybertron's Capital. He glanced up at the Halls before humming happily to himself, setting a brisk pace to Ratchet and Optimus's shared Hab-suit. Beat cooed down at GoldLine before turning a corner and landing right in front of the guarded Hab. He pressed the keypad and stuck his faceplates to the video screen so anyone on the inside could view him, "Optimus Prime...it's me Beat...oh and GoldLine." He held up the giggling sparkling before stepping back slightly, watching as the doors clicked and shifted back to let him inside. Beat took in the familiar setting of Ratchet's cozy home before a voice startled him, "Beat...my apologies for not meeting you at the door, I was in my office when you called." Beat smiled shyly at the Prime, "It's no problem at all, here's GoldLine." GoldLine squealed on cue, reaching her servos forward excitedly for her Sire. Optimus chuckled, picking up the sparkling gently and settling her in his arms before motioning to his living room, "You are welcome to stay for a while, I was not expecting you this early." Beat shook his head at the offer, declining politely, "Thank you but I need to get back to my Hab to work on some assignments and answer..some emails. Ratchet and First Aid released me early today since the clinic wasn't busy at all." Optimus hummed in understanding, "I see, well I wish you luck with your assignments...I hope Ratchet hasn't given you to much of a work load." Beat chuckled, "No, nothing like that...he's been giving me studying and reference material for some topics I found interesting." Optimus eyed the sleepy sparkling in his arms before nodding again, "I will see you later tonight then?" Beat blinked in confusion before nodding sheepishly, "Oh yes, did Ratchet tell you?" The Prime let a small smile grace his features, "He is not good at hiding things from me...he is extremely proud of you, even though he might not show it...Congratulations, that is a amazing feat." Beat rubbed at the back of his helm, "Thank you!...I'm glad he thinks good of me." Optimus nodded, readjusting GoldLine against his chest plates to let her access more heat of his frame, "He thinks you will make a great Medic one day...maybe even run your own clinic if you so choose." Beat recycled his optics before nodding slowly, "I'd like that." Beat glanced at GoldLine snuggled up in her Sire's arms before respectfully backing out of there Hab-suit with a promise to return. He turned away from their Hab-suit and glanced up at Iacon Halls with a small smile, turning the corner to start the trek to his own Hab. It took him a while to reach his small corner of home but once he'd typed in his code, he was able to fully collapse onto his couch with a content sigh.