Optimus Prime's unusual Charge

Trepidation in Transformation

Meanwhile, Ratchet was attending to the damages the rest of the team have gotten in the fights aboard the Nemesis. "OW! Easy Doc..." Bulkhead whined.

"Sorry, Bulkhead," the medic replied, his servo gentle yet firm as he continued his repairs. "But I can't help you if you keep squirming like that."

Bulkhead grumbled in response but complied, knowing that Ratchet's gruff demeanor belied his genuine concern for his well-being. Despite the discomfort of his injuries, he couldn't help but appreciate the medic's skilled hands and unwavering dedication to his craft.

"Alright, Bulkhead, hold still," Ratchet said as he continued his repairs. "I promise I'll be gentle."

Meanwhile, Bumblebee and Arcee shared a knowing glance as they observed Ratchet's interactions with Bulkhead. Despite his reputation as the team's resident grump, there was a warmth and kindness to Ratchet that shone through in moments like these.

.:"Ratchet seems not as his usual grumpy self... We did leave Makeshift behind, right?":. Bumblebee whispered to Arcee. After the encounter with Makeshift,  he was still a little bit on edge about who's who anymore. He kept his optics peeled just in case. "Relax Bee, that's our Ratchet. Arcee was a bit more relaxed after their successful mission. Not only because they managed to get Zucky back, but because Megatron would have the head of any of his decepticon flunkies if they manage to let any of the Autobots get away with the dragon, let alone all of them. "Cause even Makeshift can't reproduce his squeaky joints.~" She chuckled.

"My pistons may be rusty, but my hearing is sharp as ever!" Ratchet growled as he shot her a glare, waving a wrench. Bumblebee panicked and beeped frantically to save his skin plates any more torture than he's already received today. .:"Okay, Okay, You're the real thing! Please put that down!":. He covered his helm with his servos.

Optimus watched the exchange and shook his head. He takes a seat on an old metal crate. As he waited his turn for Ratchet's attention, he couldn't help but reflect on the events that had transpired aboard the Nemesis. The battle may have been won, but the war was far from over. 

As Zucky rummaged through her bag for supplies, a sense of urgency washed over her. The lingering sensation of being aboard the decepticon ship left her feeling unclean, and she longed for the refreshing embrace of a shower to wash away the grime and residue of battle. Prime noticed the room was awfully quiet. "Ratchet? Where are the children?"

Hearing this, Zucky looked up and realized that Prime was right. Normally Jack, Miko, and Raph would have been all over their guardians by now. Ratchet finished repairing Bulkhead and placed his tools down for a moment. "They...were caught in the crossfire during the fight with Megatron." His voice trailed off. 

The Autobots were shocked to hear this. They were distracted fighting off Megatron, that they didn't notice when it occurred. Arcee stood up from her seat. "No! Are they...?" She didn't even want to  think about it. But her concern over them was too great.

Ratchet reassured her. "No, thankfully they're still alive. They were responsive when I got them to the medical bay. But sadly, even with all my experience as a doctor, I am useless when it comes to medical care in organics. Fearing internal injuries, we sent them via Air ambulance to the hospital. Nurse Darby and Agent Fowler went with them.

Optimus wasn't pleased. The children were not supposed to be on a ship crawling with decepticons in the first place. They might have gotten seriously injured or worse. "How long ago was this?"

Ratchet checked his RTC before answering. "That was two groons ago, considering how long it took for them to reach the medical facility, I'll give them another 3 and half breems before I try contacting them. The current disturbance from the various devices in their vicinity will make it harder to establish a strong enough contact when calling them. Also, I'd hate to disrupt any devices that might be supporting the patients in the building..." Optimus, understanding this nodded solemnly. "Understood."