Transformers Prime: Through Bad and Through Worse

Chapter Forty Four

A yelp of pain escaped Ratchet, as Sky Rocket dabbed the cloth a bit too roughly on the gashes from the whip; the Decepticon medic immediately withdrew and apologized. "Sorry Ratch..." He bit his bottom lip and whimpered as she continued cleaning the wounds, as gently as she could. Frag, it hurt... Ratchet cried out again as the cloth crossed a particularly deep gash. "Eeeep... Sorry..." Sky Rocket sighed, withdrawing for a moment, giving him a break. "Palladium really brought it down on ya... I'm so sorry... I never wanted to hurt ya..." She said softly, setting the rag down and rested a servo on his shoulder; he was laying on his front on Megatron's berth, given he couldn't lay on her back with the gashes.

"Wh-Why did you st-stop Palladium?" Ratchet asked quietly, wincing as he shifted slightly. "Y-You were punished for i-it..."

"It's not right. That's why..." She hesitated for a moment, sighing again. "I... Ratchet, ya know how Megs was super angry at Palladium because of what happened?" Guilt laced her words thoroughly, clearly visible to Ratchet, who looked at her with now curious optics.

"Y-Yes... what about it-t?"

Sky Rocket seemed to have trouble choosing what to say. "Well... uh... okay, so... when Palladium was torturing you, and he was a bit reckless with it, and when I told Megatron, he was really upset. That's what you saw, right?" Ratchet nodded. "Well... that's not what happened. I... I made a deal with Megatron... he only acted like he was mad at Palladium. We agreed that... if I convinced you to tell him the location of the Autobot base, he'd stop torturing you, and you wouldn't be harmed further. I did it so he'd call off Palladium..."

Ratchet stared at her, baffled. "I-I... I thought y-you already had the location of the b-base..." He said quietly.

"That was a lie. Megatron's good at bluffing, and he knew you couldn't risk it, even if it was true. But that's not important... what's important is the fact that if you don't give us the location, Megatron is going to torture you even more, and he'll terminate both of us. You have to tell me where your base is... for both of our safety." She explained sadly, withdrawing her servo from his shoulder.

"No!" Ratchet attempted to turn over to face her completely, crying out in pain as a sharp pain crossed the gashes. "I... I can't!" He grit his denta, sitting up.

"Ratchet, please... you don't really have a choice..." Sky Rocket begged. She put her servos on his shoulders, keeping him from standing. "All you have to do is tell me where the base is, and he won't hurt you anymore..."

He scoffed, pulling away from her touch. "Do you a-actually believe that!?" One of is servos came to rest over his sparkchamber, as he reached out to Optimus, deciding he was done with whatever Sky Rocket had to say. ::Optimus, are you there?::

His mate immediately responded. ::Ratchet... are you alright? What's been going on? I've... I've felt all of your pain...::

::...Nevermind that,:: Ratchet closed his optics. ::Do you think we can meet in my subconscious?::

::Of course, Ratchet... I'll be waiting for you.::

"Ratchet...?" Sky Rocket asked quietly.

"Leave me alone," he snapped, laying back on his front, and turning his helm away from her. "I'm not complying."

"Ratchet... both of us will be KILLED if you don't!" She stood up, sighing and rubbing her temple. "Ugh... you know what? I'll give you some time to think about it, alright?" Without another word, she left the room, movement fast and stressed. Apparently only she cared about the lives on the line.