The Good, the Bad and Starscream

Chapter 28: Project Predacon

The next few hours were spent setting up the equipment in the Autobots' new base. There was much to be done, but they made sure to set up the most important equipment first. It was a no-processor-er that the medbay had to be set up first, so they could treat their wounded.

"It'll be good to get these dents sorted out," Bulkhead commented while setting up the operating table in a corner that would make out the medbay. "But I can wait. You should get those scratches fixed first, though, Jackie."

"Who, me?" Wheeljack replied while helping Ratchet set up the monitors beside the table. "Nah, I can wait too. There are others in this room who need repairs more than I do."

"Like who?"

Wheeljack pointed back with his thumb, and Bulkhead followed. In the other end of the room stood Starscream by the railings, his left wing lying on the upper level to reduce the strain on the few cables that kept it attached to the rest of his body. Even so, the Seeker seemed to struggle not to twitch or whimper out loud, as the wound was still gaping and leaking a little. Bulkhead hummed at the sight.

"You really wanna let him go first?" Bulkhead asked surprised. "After what he did to you?"

"Just mesh wounds," Wheeljack replied casually. "They don't hurt. At least not as much as a broken limb, I guess. And you weren't there. You didn't see what he was like in those moments. Yeah, he's a douche, but we're all livin' together now. Better try to get along, I guess. 'Sides, I'm a Wrecker. I can handle a little pain."

Bulkhead hummed again and gazed at Starscream briefly before returning to the set-up.

Starscream tried to be strong, tried to be patient while the others were setting up the medbay. He had been certain that, despite his reconciliation with the Autobots, he would be far from the first to have his wounds treated. After all, why treat the tormentor before the tormented? He was certain they would treat Wheeljack first. But now, having listened faintly to the Wreckers' conversation in the other end of the room, he felt strangely grateful toward Wheejack. Maybe the mech wasn't so bad after all.

He didn't know how the others would feel about it though. They hadn't spoken to him since they first arrived in Hangar E. After breaking up to set up the equipment, he had just returned to the railings to relieve his wing of the strain from having to hold it up by the few cables left attached between the wing and the base. He tried to keep himself quiet and still, but it was hard, because it still hurt.

Wings weren't supposed to get removed from the body. Wings were built to withstand strong winds, turbulence, extreme weather and even crashing. Wings were very tough, and it took a lot of force to remove them. Which meant an excruciating amount of pain, something Starscream had already experienced twice now, though this time fortunately without actually losing his wings.

The wings were held together by hundreds of cables and thousands of nerve wirings, making them extremely sensitive and very expressive, capable of much movement. If the wings were completely removed from the base, it could take several years for them to fully recover, in Starscream's first case ten years. As long as a few cables and nerve wirings remained intact, however, the process would be much shorter, ranging from a week to several months depending on the damage caused. As long as cables were still holding the wings together, Energon would continue to flow into them and let the healing process go faster.

Starscream's right wing had a large tear in it, but it wasn't so bad. It could take a week or two to heal. The left one, however, was so bad it could probably take well over a month to recover. And in all that time, Starscream would be unable to fly, probably even unable to go on missions to avoid further damage or opening his wounds. The Autobots had lost their main air support for now. That is, if it wasn't for Optimus Prime's newest upgrade, of course.