ToS. S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ and KSI. Sudden Changes

[dens_extra_pups]

Tracks: *sitting and feeling small and grumpy in the mess beside Jazz. But then he's jerked from his miserable contemplation of his hideous new body by the sight of a familiar face* *sits forward with a startled sound* Why, that's Denver MacKenzie.

Jazz: *looks up from making food sculptures (because that's all the mess food is really good for, most days), and then he's grinning* Ya know her already?

Tracks: *yearning look in those icy blue eyes* I met her alternate in that beastly bar the other day. *softly* She was married to another me.

Jazz: 'Ey now, don' go dissin' the 'Dog. *slight headtilt* Ya sure it was another you?

Tracks: *cross scowl for his teammate* The man said his name was Tracks. And he looked just like I do now.

Jazz: *blink. Blink* Huh. *and now he doesn't have the heart to tell Tracks that this Denver is his girl*

Tracks: *attention distracted* Oh pit, that harpy is being cruel to Ratchet again.

Jazz: *looks* Aw, maaaan. *moves to get up*

Denver: *saw what you did, Cat! Is moving to give you a talking to!*

Ratchet: *sitting on the floor and looking just as dejected as he feels. Is bleakly considering his future and wishing he were dead*

Jazz: *coming over to try and cheer Ratchet up*

Denver: *taking Cat aside, scolding her all the while*

Cat: *expression dark and getting blacker by the second*

Ratchet: *face is blank and eyes are sad and dark as he looks up at Jazz and Tracks*

Tracks: *has no idea what to say, but his face is saying what he feels*

Jazz: Man, Ratch, why're you puttin' up with that scrap? *offers to help pull the medic to his feet*

Ratchet: *dully* What else am I to do?

Tracks: *frowwn* *hand on Ratchet's shoulder*

Jazz: Fight back?

Ratchet: *scandalized expression* Are you out of your mind?

Jazz: I don' mean hit 'er or bein' an aft to 'er, Ratch. *so serious*

Ratchet: *deep sigh and turns away*

Jazz: She's jes' gonna keep beatin' up on ya if ya don't put a stop ta it, Docbot.

Tracks: *frown deepens, and then he shoots a scowl toward the silently glowering redheaded woman*

Cat: *such a scowl it is, too*

Ratchet: *walks off*

Tracks: *quietly* He doesn't see a way to stop it.

Jazz: *sigh, shakes his head* Maybe not...

Tracks: *glances back toward their table and then shouts* HANDS OFF MY LUNCH, YOU LOUT!

Jazz: Huh? *looks to see who's trying to make off with Tracks' lunch*

Wheeljack: Lout this! *rude hand gesture, ganks Jazz's tray as well*

Jazz: *cracking up now*

Tracks: This means war! *goes to defend what's his*

Jazz: *'scuse him, he's gonna hold his belly and laugh* *glad for the Wheeljack-caused chaos*


outside


Ordnance: *steps out onto the street, and then stops to blink down at all the little flashes going off down by his knees*

Mira: *in an especially foul mood today, is grumbling and flicking her doorwings in agitation*

Ordnance: *studies the shouting reporters for a few minutes with a grin on his face, and then suddenly laughs out loud and grabs Mira* You guys wanna see giant robot porn? *KISS*

Mira: *startled squeal as she's picked up, which gets muffled by the kiss* *flailing now*

Ordnance: *hamming it up, but then suddenly dropping Mira with shock as something hits him in the back of the head* Wha...? Optimus?

Optimus: *just slapped the big green bot in the back of the head* Ordnance, stand down!

Mira: *squawks as she's dropped, instinctively clings to the nearest bot*

Optimus: *gently lifts her to her feet, his eyes fixed on Ordnance's as his frustration with the weapons specialist boils over* *quiet and stern* Ordnance, you are confined to the brig until further notice.

Ordnance: *eyes widen with shock* But...

Optimus: *harshly* Go! I'm tired of cleaning up after you.

Mira: *wide-opticked and trembling just a bit. Seems someone's scared of falling*

Ordnance: *big bot now looks like he's been shot by his best friend. Flinches as Optimus gestures at him, and then abruptly vanishes with a swish and a slight flash*

Optimus: *just said a bad word over national television. Now turns and strides back inside the compound after gently setting Mira down*

Mira: *quietly going back inside as well. She's just going to find someplace to hide until she can get calmed down...*


back in the mess


Tracks: *watches Optimus come in, and then absently thumps on the Wheeljack that he's sitting on* Be still. I'm still angry at you. Jazz, hand me his cheese bun?

Jazz: *hand over his mouth to muffle his snickers as he offers Tracks the requested foodstuffs*

Wheeljack: I regret nothin'! *laughs and continues to try and escape*

One of the other Science team members: *walking past with his nose in a book. Stops. Lowers his book. Turns* ... I do hope Wheeljack's done something to warrant that?

Jazz: *cuts a grin at the man* Stole Tracks' lunch, Will.

Will: ... I see. *to Tracks* Please don't block his airways. It's a pain in the skid to get him to sit still.

Tracks: *only reply is to smirk, eat bun, and bounce to make Wheeljack say, "Ooof!"* *but then the bun comes flying back out at Will as Tracks leaps to his feet at the first shrill of the clarion*

Will: *startles badly, ducking and covering... under his book*

Jazz: *on his feet from his crouch!*

Wheeljack: *sitting up first, then he's getting to his feet as well*

Denver: *amongst the soldiers running for a designated meeting area*

Tracks: *skids on spit-out bun and has to scramble on hand and feet for a few paces before he regains his balance and also makes his way to the muster area*

Eric: *already there, as is Chromia*

Legacy: *nowhere to be seen, but is more than likely present*

Jazz: *bringing up the rear with Will*

Optimus: It's Cemetery Wind. *starts giving directions to the bots as Will Lennox does the same for the humans*


Later that day, at KSI


Ratchet: *hiding behind a pillar, and wondering how the beep he got roped into coming along for this* *yelps as a stray gunshot nearly hits him*

guy: *portly, and with beard ringlets* *suddenly jumps in front of Ratchet and opens fire with a hand gun* Stay down, Ratch!

Ratchet: *the sheer absurdity of the situation causes him to quote Epps* Ordnance, what the *BLEEEP*?!

Ordnance: *grimly, as he continues to return fire* I deserve this.

Ratchet: *wishing he had access to his saws right now...* We'll talk about this later.

Ordnance: *none of his usual cheer* You're probably gonna haveta stand in ... *grunts* ...Line.

Ratchet: *startles* Ordnance! *moving to get his teammate out of harm's way*

Ordnance: Stay back, they're still... *grunts again and topples*

Ratchet: Don't tell me how to do my job! *will grab Ordnance's shoulders and try and drag the portly man to shelter, letting out a startled curse as his shoulder gets hit*

Ordnance: *gasp* No! Ratch! *tries to get up, but flinches and collapses as an automatic sounds off*

Ratchet: *dropping to the floor and trying to crawl and drag Ordnance to safety at the same time*

Jazz: *can barely be heard above the automatic* Denver! Look out! NO!

Optimus: Autobots, fall back! *is moving forward, his expression grim*

Drift: *helping evacuate S.H.E.I.L.D. and NEST alike*

Cade: *herding people even as he yells at Optimus*

Epps: *is yelling at Cade*

Lennox: *yelling at them both*

Ratchet: *trying to remember how to access his comm*

Legacy: *appears with a swish and a slight flash* Everybody join hands!

Ratchet: *startled* Legacy?

Legacy: *holds up a medallion* Don't worry, just... oh man, that's a lot of blood.

Ratchet: Yes, and most of it is Ordnance's. *sounding a bit tense now* Get us back to the infirmary.

Ordnance: *hand up and weakly pokes something into Lennox's grasp* Get... get 'em all... out...

Lennox: What the *beep* is this thing?!

Eric: *providing cover fire* Push the *bleeping* button!

Tracks: *hoarsely, from where he's got hold of Jazz and Denver* Quickly!

Legacy: *grabs Tracks as well as Ratchet, and then brings everyone they're clinging to to the infirmary!*


In the infirmary


medics: *scrambling to action, including the redheaded Will*

Will: *sharply, as he works to keep Ordnance from bleeding out* Streiten, get Agent MacKenzie stabilized!

Streiten: On it! *hurries over and efficiently sets to work, only to falter and glance toward the Autobot medic* There's nothing we can do.

Jazz: Doc, ya gotta fix Denny! *transformed the moment the group arrived, optics are very bright with distress*

Streiten: *looks at the damage again, and then looks at Jazz even as another doctor comes to look and shakes their head*

Legacy: *moving to put a hand on Jazz's shoulder* *quietly* Everyone but Jazz, stand back.

Ratchet: *trying to sit up to see what's going on*

Jazz: Leggy, don't do nothin' stupid!

Ratchet: WakeJumper, what's the problem?

Will: The fat idiot will survive. He's going to need rest though. *still working on extracting bullets, got the worst of the damage closed up* As for Denver... *quick glance at the table the woman's laying on*

Ratchet: *glances at Jazz's expression, and then at the two human doctors* *impatient snap* What's wrong with Denver?

Streiten: *quietly* Multiple gunshot wounds to the abdomen, and a gunshot wound to her right eye.

Legacy: I mean it. Everyone but Jazz get clear. Now. *so serious*

Ratchet: *snaps at the young human* And what do you intend to do? Oh no! *almost cringes as Catscan bursts into the room*

Legacy: I intend to save a life.

CatScan: *beeline for Ratchet. Then she's silently trying to make him lay down*

Ratchet: *struggles to sit up* If you kill yourself saving Denver's life she'll do terrible things to your grave!

CatScan: *No. You lay down. Now*

Legacy: *as the human doctors back up* I have no intention of dying today.

Ratchet: *impatiently, even as he winces and falls back on his table due to swimming vision* What are you doing?

Legacy: Helping. *to Jazz* Try not to cuss. *hand on Denver, and then there's a bright blue flash of light*

Jazz: *YELP*

Ratchet: What are you doing?? *is halfway off the table when he suddenly passes out and hits the floor*

CatScan: *quietly* Dumb*aft*. *will carefully lift Ratchet back onto the table*

Will: *grumbling and rubbing at his eyes* *at least until Streiten moves to take over tending to Ordnance*

Jazz: *unprintable* Leggy, you gave'er my healin' bots!

Legacy: Only some of 'em... *wobble, sits down* Whoah... Head rush.

Jazz: Man, she's human!. *hunkers down and covers his face* 'N she was my girl...

Legacy: She was dying before she was meant to, Jazz.

Jazz: *rocks slightly, his entire attitude heart-broken*

Legacy: *quietly* Besides. The girl you're meant to be with isn't here yet.

Jazz: *lifts his head and gives the younger man an uncomprehending look*

Legacy: *serious, even as he tries to stand* She'll be here soon, though. *looks like he's gone a few days without sleep*

Streiten: *offers Legacy support, a hand slipping under the kid's elbow*

Legacy: *startles and gives the doctor a surprised look*

Streiten: *quietly* Easy. Let's get you laying down. *glances toward Will and the other doctor, his eyes searching their faces for a diagnoses on the woman they're examining again*

Will: *quietly, sounding surprised and relieved* Heart rate's stabilizing.

Dr. Baird: *catch in her voice as she holds up a small piece of lead* I haven't seen anything like this since I watched that movie about the guy that healed.

Will: ... I'm not even going to ask, I probably haven't seen the movie. Ack! *attention going to tending to Ratchet, because CatScan just walked up and dragged him that way*

Ratchet: *feverish. Startles at Will's touch* I only want to love her. Never happen. Life's going to be hell...

CatScan: *frowning muchly as she reads Ratchet's lips*

Will: *signs to CatScan* [No hitting my patient.] *to Ratchet* Shh. Get some rest. *working on the older medic's shoulder now*

CatScan: *more frown*

Ratchet: *head moves slightly, though he doesn't wake* ...Responsible for that child too. Want to... care. *gasps a bit* I'm doomed.

CatScan: *much thinking, then* Mine.

Ratchet: *flinches at her voice, and then starts to cry silently*

CatScan: *gonna try climbing up on the table with you now, Ratchet*

Will: ... I'm still repairing that.

CatScan: *cold shoulder.*

Ratchet: *breathlessly, as his fever gets stronger* Never be loved...

CatScan: *hand over Ratchet's mouth* Shh. Sleep.

Ratchet: *whimpers*

Will: *sighs and works on finishing repairs, then tags Ratchet with a sedative*

Ratchet: *shudders slightly, but then finally registers the warmth beside him. Expression goes peaceful as he relaxes*

Will: *nods to himself and then moves to carry Ordnance to one of the beds so the portly man can rest and recover*

Dr. Baird: *looks over from where she's still removing lead from Denver and murmuring to Jazz* Don't break anything. The last person we have who knows anything about fixing Cybertronians is helpless with your new bodies.

Will: I won't break anything. Besides, Wheeljack does well enough with the bots who haven't been reformatted. He fixed that part on Mira that had our guys stumped, remember?

Dr. Baird: I remember the black eye she gave him. *tosses another piece of lead onto the tray*

Will: She apologized for that, if I remember correctly. *getting Ordnance tucked in* *quietly* Even though we're dealing with injuries, I'm just glad this fight had no fatalities.

Dr. Baird: *quiet snort* Other than Ratchet's dignity.

Will: Oh, you mean he actually had some to begin with? *moving to help with Denver* *to Jazz* So, whose *butt* do we put up for target practice this week?

Jazz: *has moved to a chair next to Denver's head. Doesn't seem to have heard the younger bot*

Will: *nudges the chair with a foot. Absently notes that Legacy is no longer present and suspects Streiten took the young man to either get some food or some sleep*

Jazz: *testily* Leave me alone, man. I got thinking to do.

Will: So what happened?

Jazz: *stink eye*

Will: *calmly* I need to know, if only to keep Fury off your *butt* for a little longer.

Jazz: ... *scowl* You fight dirty, man.

Will: I fight smart.

Jazz: Same thing. *sigh* *quietly, looking at Denver's face* That Savoy jerk... He was there. He remembered us from when we went ta pick up O.P. *circulates for a few moments* Slagger had his goons fire off automatics ta get our guys outta the way...

Baird: *sympathetic glance*

Jazz: *shutters his optics and circulates again* *quieter* He slaggin' shot her. 'Cause of the *stuff* that went down on Cade's farm.

Will: *frowning muchly* One shot would have been enough to stop her. This many suggests he was holding onto more than a grudge for being humiliated. *yes, he read the full report from that day, Jazz*

Jazz: Ya think?

Will: *calmly reaches and gives Jazz a light whap upside the back of the smaller mech's head* Don't get cheeky.

Jazz: *growls at him*

Will: *as he gets back to work on Denver* Need I remind you of what happened the last time I had an unruly patient?

Jazz: Notcher *beep*in' patient. Now leave me alone 'n lemme think.

Will: You just keep thinking that. *frowns and transforms so he can get a better scan of Denver*

Jazz: *massive ignoring as he sits and watches Denver breathe*


meanwhile, at the motor pool


Tracks: *pulls the door open and sticks his head through, is puffing slightly from the stress of what's all over him* Mira, are you still here?

Mira: *quietly, from a nearby corner* Yeah...

Wheeljack: Might as well c'mon over. I'm still workin' on 'er, but youse two c'n chit-chat.

Tracks: No. *stumbles closer, his hair on end* Mira... the fight...

Mira: *quietly* Heard 'bout it.

Wheeljack: *looks up from adjusting something on the part of Mira he's working on* ... *stands up and moves to put both hands on Tracks' shoulders* The scrap happened?!

Mira: *moving to sit up at that*

Tracks: *pale and wobbly with shock* Ordnance... he nearly... nearly bled to death.

Wheeljack: What?!

Mira: WHAT?! *moving to get up*

Tracks: He's human. *looks at his hands and acks as he's reminded of just how much blood he's wearing*

Mira: *on her feet! Nope. On her butt*

Wheeljack: Yikes! *pulls Tracks out of harm's way*

Tracks: *bewildered blinking* He was protecting Ratchet.

Mira: *hand to head* Gonna kick his slaggin' *butt*...

Wheeljack: ... Is Ratch okay?

Tracks: *faintly* I don't know. I... I felt that I'd better come... tell... you. *fainted* *again*

Wheeljack: *awks and moves to try and get Tracks to wake up*

Mira: *blind, instinctive ping over the common channel, calling for a teammate, any teammate, to come help her*

Optimus: *shoves the door open and looks inside at her* Mira. *startled sound as he steps forward* Tracks!?

Wheeljack: Optimus! Ordnance is human! 'N he got hurt protectin' Ratch!

Optimus: *gravely, as he goes to one knee* I know. *reaches toward Mira*

Mira: *dizzily* Gonna kick... *butt*...

Optimus: *gently, as he squeezes the little green woman's shoulder* I think it's been kicked, Mira.

Mira: *bleary blinking as she tries to make sense of what you just said, Optimus*

Optimus: *tilts his head slightly to look more closely at her face* Why are you so upset?

Mira: *slowly* Might not get along with the stupid slagger, but I still care about him...

Optimus: *quietly, as he speaks to Will over comms* Do you?

Mira: *beep*, yeah, I do. *quieter* Don't wanna lose him...

Optimus: WakeJumper says that he's alive. But he's lost a lot of blood.

Tracks: *faintly, from over to the side* And I found it.

Wheeljack: Easy, Tracks. Let's get ya to a shower so yous c'n get cleaned up.

Tracks: *wry and plaintive* I'm so dizzy, 'Jack.

Wheeljack: Then let's go get ya cleaned up. *will half support, half carry Tracks out of the room*

Mira: *quietly* I suck.

Optimus: *turns back to her* o.0 What?

Mira: 'M too scared ta give the guy 'n answer... too scared'a losin' him if he figures out what a *beep*-up I am...

Optimus: *dryly* Have you looked at Ordnance lately? *mind is full of all the green man's recent encounters with power lines, his long list of inappropriate pictures in the newspapers... etc*

Mira: *quietly* Least he ain't a coward.

Optimus: You saw his cockroach dance.

Mira: *doorwings UP at the mention of the hated insects*

Optimus: *voice flat and sad* Besides, it hurts worse if you keep your distance.

Mira: *falls quiet. Maybe she's thinking about what to say next?*

Optimus: I left Elita behind. And she got killed. Twice.

Mira: *very quiet clicks*

Optimus: *sighs* Do you want me to bring you to the infirmary on my way to stop Cade from abusing a prisoner?

Mira: *small nod*

Optimus: *raises to his feet with a slight creak, and then stoops and holds out his hands*

Mira: *will slowly climb into Optimus' hands*

Optimus: *makes sure that he has a good grip on her as he straightens* Do you want to sit on my arm or my shoulder?

Mira: *quietly* Arm's fine...

Optimus: *gentle shift* This isn't too high?

Mira: *small headshake*

Optimus: *knows what will cheer the young woman* *quiet teasing* At least you'll easily fit into the infirmary.

Mira: *soft snort* Streiten jes' likes me 'cause my alt mode's prettier than Lola.

Optimus: *gravely, as he walks out into the corridor* You and Lola are both very beautiful.

Mira: *another soft snort, lays back against Optimus' armor*

Optimus: *soothing rumble. Pauses to look through the door of the other garage on this level. Surprised to see not Cade, but a skinny seven year old girl beating Savoy with fists and feet* Cade, what's happening here?

Cade: *leaning against the wall and supervising the little girl with a slight smirk on his face* I told Candace that nobody taught that jerk not to hit a girl, and that he hit one of my friends.

Candace: *TELLING the bad man how bad he was, with her fists! The little raven-haired Indian girl isn't using foul language, however. She's just repeating the same thing over and over again* Hittin' girls is bad! You're a bad man!

Optimus: Violence isn't the answer.

Cade: Trust me, Optimus. Right now there needs to be violence.

Mira: *quietly* Least she can't mess him up too much.

Cade: *sharp look of concern upward at the quietness of Mira's voice* What's wrong?

Optimus: She's concerned for Ordnance.

Mira: *quieter* Stupid glitch did somethin' really dumb...

Cade: *scowls* Was he out there today?

Optimus: *nods*

Mira: *also nods* Wasn't all the stupid thing 'e did, either. *leans back a bit more against Optimus' armor*

Cade: Is he gonna make it?

Optimus: Yes, but he's going to be in critical care for several weeks.

Cade: *scowl deepens, and then he turns to Candace* Hey, that guy hurt the beardy bot too.

Candace: *big eyes are a go. And then she's really walloping Savoy!*

Savoy: *grunts, his look over the duct tape gag full of venom*

Mira: *normally, she'd be flipping a rude hand gesture in response to Savoy's look, but right now, she's just sighing quietly and shuttering her optics*

Candace: You're a mean, bad man! It's not nice to hit girls!

Optimus: *sighs and turns away to continue his journey* *gruffly* And Ordnance is in no shape at the moment to appreciate being called a girl.

Mira: *very quiet snort. Is going to rest quietly for now, comforted by the warmth radiating through Optimus' armor*

Elita-One: *coming out of one of the side rooms where she was in a meeting with some of the agents. Looks up. Will approach Optimus and hold out her arms so she can be lifted up as well*

Optimus: *sucks in air with a whoosh, startled by the gesture of forgiveness. Even as he does that, he's automatically going to one knee to offer his free hand to the woman who once loved him*

Elita-One: *climbs into the offered hand without hesitation*

Optimus: *moves to sit her next to Mira*

Elita-One: I'd rather sit on your shoulder, Optimus.

Optimus: *air whistles as he inhales again, and then he lifts her up gently and so carefully to where she can reach her requested perch*

Elita-One: *gets comfortably situated on Optimus' shoulder* *will gently patpat the part of Optimus' face she can reach*

Optimus: Are you sure you're steady? *worried and a bit frightened as he remembers what happened to Sam and Mikaela after he'd set them on his shoulder soon after coming to Earth*

Elita-One: *reassuringly* I'm fine.

Optimus: *scans her with his sensors*

Elita-One: *senses that scan* Optimus, relax. I've got my center of gravity balanced in line with your shoulder, and the majority of my mass is balanced along that same line. I also have no intention of leaning forward or backward in relation to that line.

Optimus: *slight start as she replies to his actions in the old, old way, and then he gives a very very soft chuckle as he starts forward again*


infirmary


Streiten: *turns toward the door as it opens*

Mira: *doing her best to not let her dizziness show as she stumbles inside* *quietly* Where's the fat-*aft*?

Streiten: *mouth twitches slightly at the corners as he sets a hand on the blanket-covered form that he's standing next to* *quietly* He's human. Flesh and blood.

Mira: *quietly* Knew that. *moving to try and situate herself as close to the bed as she can. Has to stop and give herself a whap on the audio*

Streiten: Wait, I'll move him closer to the door. *frowns and looks up at the whap* What's wrong?

Mira: 'T's nothin'.

Streiten: *finishes moving the bed, and then stops to give her a look* Bull. *turns head* Will, get your face outta that cookie bag and get over here.

Will: *muffled protest, emerges with a jam-filled cookie in his mouth*

Streiten: Mira needs you to look at her.

Will: ... *frowns and sets his cookie where it won't fall on the floor. Then he's transforming and moving to scan Mira*

Mira: *growl* Buzz off. 'M fine.

WakeJumper: No, you're not. *moving to get parts from the parts room. Is glad that Wheeljack has been making parts in his spare time*

Streiten: What is it? *concerned for the patchwork and green woman, who reminds him so strongly of the daughter who never saw her thirtieth birthday*

WakeJumper: Someone started repairs to her equilibrium and balancing systems, but they didn't finish.

Mira: *gonna sulk now*

Streiten: Probably Wheeljack. Can you fix it? *remembers not being able to do anything about the cancer that took Sienna*

WakeJumper: Yes, I just need a couple of parts. *mutters about Wheeljack's labeling system and lack of cohesive organization*

Streiten: *relaxes and turns back to checking Ordnance's monitors* He thought it'd be funny to write the labels in Portuguese.

WakeJumper: ... That's it. I'm not sharing my Jammie Dodgers with him for a week.

Mira: *without looking up* In other realities he's your father-in-law.

Streiten: *SNORT!*

WakeJumper: ... *coming out to tag Mira with a sedative so he can work on her*

Mira: *insults his coding as she settles down to lay on the floor next to Ordnance's bed*

Streiten: *turns away to check on Ratchet so that Will can't see the tears trying to come out in his eyes*

WakeJumper: *headshake* *sets to work on repairing Mira* *quietly and absently* I wonder what would happen if the Autobots followed through with leaving us...

Jazz: *looks over from where he's sitting in the doorway of Denver's room* Who said anything about that?

WakeJumper: *quietly, as he works* Crosshairs keeps running his mouth...

Jazz: Well it ain't ever Crosshairs that decides, so ignore 'im. *attention back to inside the room*

WakeJumper: *absent hum, continues to work*

Jazz: *quietly* 'N the guy that does it ain't born yet here.

Streiten: *frowning glance, and then his attention goes back to what he's doing*

WakeJumper: *pauses working for a moment, gets up* I'm going to see if I can't fix that strut that she keeps breaking...

Jazz: *silent, but then he's raising to his feet as the door opens and a cleaned up Tracks stumbles in*

Streiten: The *beep*, Tracks? *goes to meet the man*

Tracks: *shrugs him off and determinedly heads toward Jazz*

WakeJumper: *returning with the parts to fix the strut he mentioned, will frown and scan Tracks in passing*

Tracks: *is slightly shocky from the stress of the day, but otherwise unhurt*

Jazz: *moving to meet Tracks part-way* Easy, man. Lemme give you a hand.

Tracks: *frowns at him. Faintly* How is she?

Jazz: *quietly* The docs say she'll be alright.

Tracks: *nearly falls down again with relief*

Jazz: *quiet "awk", moves to support Tracks* Let's getcha sittin' down.

Tracks: Let... let me see her. I... have to see... *grimace* I think I'm going to faint again.

Jazz: *comes to a decision* C'mon. I gotta chair in 'er room. *hoping his decision to match Denver and Tracks won't backfire on him and cost him two friendships*

Tracks: *faintly* A... alright. *perks and looks at the mug that Streiten is bringing over* Vegan Lemon Chickenless?

Streiten: Yes, it's your favourite slop in a cup.

WakeJumper: *amused snerk, returns to repairing Mira*

Tracks: *sighs as he's settled into the chair* Thank you, Jazz.

Jazz: You're welcome. *quick glance to Denver, a bit of sadness in his optics*

Streiten: *nudges Jazz and then offers the high-end veganic instant cuppa soup* Here, he might be too shaky to handle this.

Jazz: *nods as he accepts the cuppa soup, will move to try and get Tracks to eat*

Tracks: *eager to partake of his favourite treat, though his hands shake badly as he tries to take the cup. Finally sighs and lets himself be fed*

Jazz: *being careful as he helps Tracks, knows how fussy his fellow Autobot can be about things*

Tracks: *drinks thirstily, looking for a moment more like a little child than a man of several million years*

Streiten: *mildly, as he turns to leave the room* Blech.

WakeJumper: *amused snort, and a headshake* He does the same thing whenever I have Vimto. *finishes repairs on Mira, then moves to get something else from the storeroom* I think we have paints to match some of her memorials...

Streiten: *stops short* Vimto. Right. *turns to jog toward the storeroom*

Jazz: *small headshake* *quietly, with amusement* Tracks, WakeJumper's bein' weird again.

Tracks: *drink drink drink!*

WakeJumper: *to Jazz* Says the man who is the primary cause of the sriracha drought in the mess.

Jazz: *snerk*

Streiten: *returns in a few minutes, parts on a trolley along with a tetra pack of Cherry Vimto*

WakeJumper: *rolls his optics, then returns his attention to touching up Mira's patchwork areas*

Streiten: At least we're not finding half-eaten cans of his favourite laying around. *offers the pack to Will*

WakeJumper: This is true... *looks up, small smile* Thanks. *reaches for the pack*

Streiten: *hands it over* Now I'll go get some of those half-eaten rice pudding cans and bring them to Cat.

Jazz: Save some'a the unopened ones fer Denny.

WakeJumper: It's her fault Ratchet likes those. *headshake* I think I'll have to put in a requisition for some of these colors...

Jazz: No. It's Cat's. *puts the cup on the bedside table and then settles into the other chair to wait for Denver to wake up*

((Written with random_xtras))