Fated

Chapter 6

Optimus knew Lilliana had been through alot today, and the inquiring questions from the Autobots weren't helping her state. 

"That's enough. For now, Lilliana needs her wounds treated and lots of rest. She can explain more tomorrow." He says gently. "Bulkhead and Miko, could you please go get some new clothes for her? Bumblebee and Raf, some food for when she wakes up? And Arcee and Jack, perhaps some bedding? She will be staying with us for quite some time." 

They all nod and disappear with their jobs. 

Optimus turns to the last in the room. "Ratchet?"

Without a word his oldest friend gets the Med Bay prepared. He has had enough experience around the humans by now that he can at least patch up the wounds. By the time all of his things are set however, Lilliana has already fallen fast asleep, her body desperately trying to heal. Optimus gently handed her over to Ratchet who ever so carefully stripped her of her shirt and jeans so he could truly assess the girl's injuries. What he saw made the him gasp. The Prime, who had been avoiding looking at the Oracle, glanced over. His eyes widened in shock. Her skin was littered with cuts and slashes, some that had partially healed over and then been cut again. Scorch marks from an electric rod were red and raw, and what looked to be tremendous bruising along her stomach and ribs made her skin not only look pale, but ghostly. 

With wide, horrified eyes, Ratchet looked up. "How could they do this to her? To anybody?" 

The Prime, equally aghast, could only shake his head. "I don't know."

Ratchet gingerly laid her on the table and wet a soft cloth, delicately dabbed at her wounds until they were clean. He then applied some disinfectant, a little aloe to soothe the burns, and a gentle cream before painstakingly wrapping each injury. 

Ratchet sighed. "It's all that can be done for now. Hopefully it will be enough." 

"Thank you Ratchet." Optimus said.

He nods before cleaning up his supplies, the whole while shaking his head in sadness. Optimus stands beside The Oracle for a while longer. The pain that she must have been and still must be going through-it's more than he can imagine. The infinite anger fills him once more. How could Megatron do this to a weak human girl? But the more he thought about it, the less weak and even less human she seemed. It was still wrong and made him disgusted in the Decepticons possibly more than he thought was possible, but he knew they wouldn't have done it without reason. Whatever she hadn't been telling them, they wanted badly. And how was this girl as old as he was? It didn't seem even remotely possible. He remembered how she had known that Megatron was coming, had writhed in pain and opened her eyes to reveal nothing but pure silver with ribbons of jade rippling throughout. The power he had felt emanating from her-remarkable. 

He hadn't realized how long his processor had been lost in thought until a servo was placed on his arm. He looked down to see Arcee with a pile of pillows and blankets tucked under her arm. With eternally sad optics, she gazed at the girl who lay motionless on the table. 

"The poor thing." She said, every feature of her face deepening in pity and sorrow. 

Bulkhead stood beside her, shocked as he put Miko down on the table. The girl was shaking as she pushed some sweatpants onto her tattered legs and pulled a sweatshirt over her tortured torso. Arcee lifted The Oracle as Jack laid a large folded quilt beneath her body for cushion. He placed several pillows beneath her head and Arcee gently laid her down again, pulling up more blankets over her body loosely enough they wouldn't irritate any of her injuries. Finally Bee and Raf placed several different bags of food near her and a water bottle.All was silent as everyone stared at the unconscious girl with heartbreak and anguish. 

Finally, Optimus quietly spoke, "Let us leave her to rest. She needs all that she can get." 

The Autobots nod and solemnly walk off, the guardians deciding it's about time for the children to get home. Optimus watches her warily for a while longer.

"Optimus."The Prime turns to see Ratchet at his side. He's not looking at him, but Lilliana. After a second he looks up. "You need to get some rest. Please. You'll be no use to her when she wakes if you can't function well."

"What of yourself?"

"I will as well. Her body is almost in a coma, she won't be waking up until in the very least tomorrow morning. We'll be up before she is. Now go."

With a sideways glance at Ratchet and a last look at Lilliana, Optimus walks off to his berthroom. As he lays down for recharge, his restless mind won't stop swirling around in his processor. Only when his body feels the effects of today's battle does he finally drift off.