Scars Don't Heal - Transformers Prime (1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Episode 14 - Out of His Head

[Amanda]

  As I stopped at a red light on the way to the base, I rubbed my eyes, realizing how little sleep I had gotten last night. It was only yesterday when the cybonic plague had almost turned Optimus Prime to rust and my nerves hadn't recovered. That same sick feeling that had returned and settled within me for the night, which hadn't happened since the year after my mom's death. I kept on thinking about what I would have done if Optimus left me too, only to have to battle the thought out of my mind. Not to mention that lady voice I had heard, the one that was foreign and familiar at the same time, but I had deemed that one a hallucination from my nerves, though my mind told me otherwise. Still, I couldn't place that voice, so I tried my best to dismiss it.

  The roads were quiet, which was usual on a Sunday morning, since no one in Jasper was awake yet. I sort of regretted driving my Mustang to the base, since the engine was kind of loud and I did have quieter cars, but decided I really didn't care. I just wanted to get to base and see Optimus on his feet again.

  As I approached the end of the road, I called in to the base and asked Arcee, who picked up, to open the entrance door. The door slide up and I drove inside, parking my car in the same tucked away spot from yesterday. To my relief, I saw Optimus standing and looking better, Ratchet performing some sort of diagnostic test.

  "Follow the light," Ratchet told the Prime, shining a light into his eyes. "Good. Good. I wouldn't advise anything strenuous, Optimus, but it appears that your systems have fully recovered from the cybonic plague."

  "Yeah but we all know he won't do that," I commented, walking towards them. Arcee snorted, holding back a laugh, while Bumblebee nodded, amused. Optimus looked down and gave me the half smile he had, since the Prime wasn't one for showing emotion, before turning back to Ratchet.

  "Thanks to your medical expertise, old friend," He said to the medic, who shook his head.

  "It was your scout who braved unknown territory to locate the cure," Ratchet said.

  Bumblebee waved his hands while buzzing something, which I understood to him being humble.

  "Lucky for us Megatron was still alive," Arcee said, then looked at my surprised expression. "Yeah, I actually said that."

  "What matters is that you are on the mend, Optimus," Ratchet interjected. "While Megatron-"

  Bumblebee cut him off by buzzing something I didn't even come close to understanding, making me wish Raf was here.

  "He's right," Arcee said. "Did my best to finish Megatron's story. Just couldn't stick around long enough to see how it ended."

  Since nothing was really happening, Arcee and Bumblebee split, probably to get Jack and Raf. Ratchet went to his computer, but not before giving me a strange look, which seemed a lot like suspicion to me, but I didn't dwell on it because Optimus approached me.

  "Amanda?" I looked up at the Prime. "Now would you like to join me on patrol?"

  I smiled slightly. "I don't know... you said that yesterday and ended up catching a plague."

  "I can assure you that history will not repeat itself," He said.

  "If you say so," I shrugged. "Let's go."

  "Nothing strenuous!" Ratchet exclaimed. "Doctor's orders! Reconnaissance only!"

  Optimus nodded. "Understood." Then he transformed into his vehicle mode and opened the passenger door, allowing me to hop in before he began to drive out of the base. I stared out the window as we passed through Jasper and into the open landscape on the other side, also passing by my house and driving farther than it. That made me think about how close I was to losing the calms like this.