Transformers Prime AU (Book 1) (Wattys 2017)

Chapter Twenty Three

The next few days the family stayed at the doctors house. He didn't mind and actually enjoyed the company,  considering he was at their house a lot. Optimus was feeling a little better and didn't doubt his ability to raise his children. He walked out of the bedroom and stopped as he heard talking.

"This is your-"

"Heart!" Smokescreen yelled. Ratchet chuckled and Optimus looked around the corner. He smiled as he listened. The doctor was sitting on the floor with the kids around him as they looked at a book about bones.

"Close, it's your ribs." He said as he gently poked the boy. Smokescreen giggled and Bumblebee pointed to the book then his leg. Arcee and Bulkhead watched intently.

"This is your tibia." The doctor said as he gripped his leg gently. "And that's the femur." He mumbled. Bumblebee poked his leg and grinned happily at his uncle.

"Wow! You know everything. Just like daddy." Arcee said as she grinned.

"Don't forget it either." Ratchet muttered.

Optimus walked in and looked at them. The children smiled at their father and hugged him tightly. He hugged them close and kissed their heads. He nodded at Ratchet then quietly left for work.

The kids sat by the doctor again, and listened to him talk about the different bones. The two younger boys kept identifying their bones and giggling. Bulkhead would carefully help his brothers find a bone they couldn't reach. Arcee watched Ratchet as he read the book. She noticed something and carefully pulled his jacket sleeve up. She furrowed her brow and traced the long scar.

"Uncle Ratchet?" Arcee said as she looked up at him. "What's this?" She asked.

"An arm." He muttered without looking at what she was doing.

"No silly." She giggled and poked his side making him squirm. "This." She quickly rubbed the scar with her finger. He looked and his face turned blank.

"Thats..... called a scar." He muttered and looked back at the book.

"What's a scar?" Smokescreen asked as he looked. Ratchet hesitated and felt uncomfortable as the children stared at his arm.

"It's when you get a cut and it's really deep. When it heals it leaves a mark, right?" Bulkhead asked. The doctor simply nodded once as he stared at it.

"How did you get it Uncle Ratchet?" Arcee asked excitedly. "Did you do a fancy trick or something?" She grinned.

He didn't respond as the memory came back. He absentmindedly traced it and stared into space. The children watched him as they waited for a story. He was quiet for a few minutes as he seemed to wander. Bulkhead gently poked him, the man tensed and jumped.

"You okay Uncle Ratchet?" He asked quietly. The doctor looked at them and seemed to snap out of his thoughts.

"Yes...." he muttered. "I'm fine." He quietly closed the book, and pulled his sleeve down.

"You never said how you got it." Arcee reminded him. The other two boys looked at him expectantly. Bulkhead noticed the distant look in the doctors eyes.

"That's...... a story..... for a different day..." he mumbled as he finally looked at them. The children looked a little disappointed and Bulkhead quickly distracted them by tackling Arcee. The two younger boys squealed and dog piled them. Ratchet smiled slightly as he watched them.

~

Optimus was getting ready to leave on patrol when the chief called him into the office. He glanced at his partners who followed him in. The chief sighed quietly and set a file on the desk.