*After the events of the day, it was a rather dirtier Ratchet and Wheeljack that made their way back to the Ark. Ratchet was quieter, already mourning the loss of their free time together. He was fully expecting to be accosted as soon as he rolled in sight of the Ark. He just had to hope that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had behaved themselves and hadn't injured themselves or anyone else*



[Smut warning within contents... it's Ratchet and Wheeljack alone together, what else did you expect? They can't keep their hands off one another!]

[Timestamp: Tuesday morning]

I feel like a youngling sneaking away from his creator.  Wheeljack and I have coinciding shifts off.  So after a... a lie in... we're going to disappear for the day.  Just go out and drive somewhere, I don't care where, just as long as I'm with 'Jack.

Just got to get some energon to take with us.


*stands, intent on heading towards the rec room, hoping not to meet up with anyone on the way*

[Timestamp: Monday evening]

*It was late Monday evening by the time Ratchet and Smokescreen made it back to the Ark.  The journey had been made mostly in silence, Ratchet deeming it wiser to leave Smokescreen to his own thoughts.  Frag knows what was going on, but he guessed it had something to do with Swindle and their bond.  But Ratchet wasn't about to pry*

*Once they got back to base, Ratchet shepherded Smokescreen straight into the medbay without letting him transform.  A few hours later and Ratchet stepped back, having fixed the worst of the damage to Smokescreen's alt mode*

All right, you're safe to transform.  I'll want you to refuel before I do anymore work.

*he'd noticed Prime's absence, really, how could he not?  But, deciding that Smokescreen took precedence over shouting at Prime, Ratchet had continued working on the Datsun*


(*OOC If I'm taking liberties, shoot me...?))

[Timestamp: Monday morning]

*Having finally dealt with all the paperwork, and having done what he could for Beachcomber and Seaspray (which wasn't much, unfortunately), Ratchet had taken a brief 'nap' in his office*

*Once he'd woken up and realised the time, he sent a quick message to Red Alert, informing him that he was going out to meet an injured Smokescreen.  To be sure, he gave Red Alert the route he would be taking, and the route Smokescreen had sent him.  Grabbing a field kit, he made his way out to the front entrance, transforming and hitting the road*

[Timestamp: Late Saturday night]

*After dealing with Sunstreaker and speaking with Prime, Ratchet made his way to his office to rest check over the reports and medical files*


It's been an active week so far... everything seems to happen at once.  Wheeljack and I talk about.... *soppy smile* ...talk about bonding and then the fight with the Decepticons at the power plant.
Prime... frag, I've never been so worried I'd lose a patient since we got to Earth.  And then Silverbolt.  Daft fragger only went and rammed Soundwave in mid-air.  It seems like they're all trying to test me!  And Wheeljack repairing himself and thinking I wouldn't notice!

*pauses and stretches out the cables in his back*

I need to catch up with Beachcomber and Seaspray.  With everything that's happened, I've neglected my duty to them...

[Timestamp: early Saturday morning]

*Having been ushered out of the medbay, Ratchet made his way back to his quarters, exhausted beyond belief.  He hadn't been this tired and undercharged since they left Cybertron, when the war was at its height.

He sat down on his berth, processor playing over the events of the battle; the way Dead End so recklessly shot at him, the way Prime barrelled towards Megatron without a second thought for himself.  The sound of the explosion.  The sight of Prime covered in his own fluids, large tears and rents in his armor.  The struggle to keep him from going offline permanently.  Silverbolt's horrendous injuries (although he was proud of the Aerialbot), First Aid having to see things he shouldn't see so young.  Frag, all his creations having to live through war when they shouldn't have to*

*Tearing his thought processes away from that line, he lay down, attempting to recharge*

 [Thursday, mid-morning]

I'd commend Red for managing to lock Sunstreaker in that closet, especially after he managed to get away from First Aid.... if it wasn't for the fact that I now need to straighten his back struts along with all the other injuries he's got from the 'training' incident...

Hmmpff... training incident my aft.  I'd bet my stash of high-grade that he and Sideswipe were fighting about Primus knows what!

[Thursday morning, early hours]

*slumps against a med. berth, optics still focussed on Steeljaw*

Flushed his energon lines, cleared as much of the visible rust as we can. Primus only knows if there's more in his fuel lines, but I can't risk flushing them again, I need to get energon back into him.

Frag it... *sighs* I've reattached his flank gun, repaired his leg and reconnected and replaced the torn wiring. The rest is mainly cosmetic and can wait til he's back online and keeping down energon. There was some damage to his mouth and throat, I have no idea what from, and frankly, I don't want to know.

Physically, Steeljaw should be fine (provided we managed to get all the rust out), but mentally, I'm not so sure about. I've never seen him snap at another Autobot, not snap and actually mean it. He took a chunk out of First Aid and very nearly got me. Time spent with Blaster and the rest of the cassettes should help. But I'd recommend a visit with Smokescreen.


*sighs*

And now I've got to go drag Sunstreaker's aft out of a storage closet and back down to med. bay...


((*OOC If I'm taking liberties with Steeljaw's recovery, message me?))

You know, if you asked me what I'd been doing for the last day, I don't think I'd be able to tell you... Huh... really ought to recharge slightly more often.

And then when I decide to walk down to med. bay to catch up on all the reports, I see Sunstreaker being chased by First Aid.  I have no fragging clue what that's about and I just know that someone's not telling me something.  Especially after seeing Sideswipe in the med. bay!

At least the storm's easing up.

It feels as though I don't know what's going on... The rec. room's a mess, Sideswipe's been treated by First Aid for 'training injuries'...

Wheeljack's gone off to speak to Beachcomber... still need his help recalibrating Mirage's vocaliser. That would be of course if I could get hold of anyone! I think they're holed up in a conference room. I saw Hound rushing over in that direction at any rate.

I have this horrible feeling my med. bay's going to be inundated soon... and not just with supposed training injuries... 

*stretches as his systems power back up after a short but extremely satisfying recharge.  As soon as he onlines his optics, he realises he's not in his quarters anymore.  Sweeping his gaze round the untidy room it settles on a box of energon goodies with a data pad propped up against it*

What the...

*trails off as he suddenly remembers everything*

Oh frag... need to fix Mirage's vocaliser.  Poor mech's going round sounding like he's out of one of those 'blue movies' the humans are so fond of.  Have to say though, the voice certainly suits him.  And certainly produces an interesting reaction

Gah... I slipped into recharge on Wheeljack.... *pauses*  But we were in his workshop... how the frag did I end up in his quarters?

*stands up, intending to find Wheeljack and the answers to his questions, but staggers slightly*
Well, he said to have them, so I might as well have a few... *picks up a handful of energon goodies and heads towards the med. bay*

There's nothing like being a battlefield medic to bring it home to you how much your friends mean to you.

All too often I find myself working on those I care about.  And it doesn't seem to show any signs of stopping any time soon.

For a medic sworn to help others, I can't help but want to deactivate Vortex for all the damage he's done to Mirage.  This wasn't an accident.  It was slow and deliberate torture.  I can't even begin to imagine what he must have gone through.  *shudders*  I don't think I want to imagine.

It actually manages to look worse that when Wheeljack blows himself up.  Admittedly, when the daft fragger *affectionate smile* does that, he doesn't tend to rewire all his circuits when he does.  Maybe lose a limb or two...

And I still haven't fixed Prowl's fragging doorwing yet.  He was right when he said I was preoccupied.  Having managed to stabilise Mirage's spark (and repair the chamber as best I can.  Just wish it was easily replaceable) and sort out most of the internal wiring, it's just mostly cosmetic damage left.  I just hope when he onlines, he's still the same Mirage.  Don't know how Jazz would take that.  He's been hanging around ever since I brought Mirage back.  Guess he's really worried...

 Right... that's the Aerialbots dealt with.

Sunstreaker I aim to talk with when both of us are less exhausted and angry... I know there's something bothering him, I just don't know what and that weighs on my spark.

Red Alert didn't turn up for his final check and I hate to say it, but I'm too depleted to go running around the base to drag him down to med. bay.

Right, recharge, preferably uninterrupted.

If anyone disturbs me for any other reason than an emergency, I will weld them to the ceiling.  And that goes for you too Sideswipe, NO pranks!

Primus hates me.  That's the only explanation.

Things have been non-stop.  If it's not been Decepticons slagging us to the Pit and back, it's been Wheeljack and Red Alert virtually having a brawl in the rec room.  Followed by Sunstreaker wanting to teach Slingshot a lesson and dashing out of med. bay when he's not fully fixed.

Now I'm waiting on Fireflight to be rescued.  He decided to take a swim...

And then Bluestreak took Wheeljack's suggestion (why anyone in their right processor would take one of Wheeljack's suggestions on board...) and started removing all the cat hair left by his pet with what appears to be super-strength duct tape... and of course he managed to get completely tangled up in it.  Him and the cat...

*sighs* 

Primus must hate me... either that or I'm dreaming... and I'm not entirely sure Cybertronians can dream! 

Now I've just got to get this solvent off... and avoid Wheeljack... slag it all... he only left his comm link open!  When we were ... interfacing and Swoop overheard...

Sunstreaker - fixed
Sideswipe - fixed
Prowl - fixed

Anyone else need anything or can I just go recharge now?

Except I can't because I now have to explain the mechanics of bonding to Swoop... I never should have made that agreement with Wheeljack about theory and practice... how was I to know they'd actually want a demonstration? 
And it's all Sunstreaker's fault....

And Red Alert looks suspiciously like he's overcharged... so no doubt he'll be in my med. bay soon, purging his tanks... *grumbles*

I need a vacation...

 Primus must hate me... that's the only reason I can figure out...

Annual tune ups are the bane of my life... I spend far too long chasing mechs around to make sure they're functioning properly and do I ever get thanked for it?  No!

And then Sunstreaker has to go and pick a fight with Omega Supreme... and then Teletraan's running on what appears to be battery back up...

All I want is a cube of high grade and a nice long uninterrupted recharge...