Auspex's reality. Auspex's sanctuary. Ratchet remembers.
First Aid's hands flew, but the life signs in the battered and twisted scrap of yellow metal on the table in front of him grew steadily weaker despite the life support machines it was hooked to.
"Hold on, Bumblebee," muttered the medic. "Hold on."
One cracked optic flickered. "...Hurts."
"Don't try to talk." First Aid winced and tried to work faster, not daring to spare a glance at his assistants who were working on the rest of the Minibot's body.
"...Stomped...."
"Shhhh. Just rest." He tried not to think of how the little mech had looked when they'd gotten Tripticon's foot off him. "We'll have you fixed up in no time."
Bumblebee's optics flickered again, then widened. "Ratchet?"
First Aid started, then frowned as something seemed to touch his arm.
"Let me take it from here," said a familiar voice that seemed to echo slightly.
"But...." The peace-loving medic's frown deepened.
"You've done all you can, buddy," said the voice gently. "Now it's my turn."
"Ratchet," whispered Bumblebee. "It... hurts."
"I know," said the former CMO, watching First Aid cover his optics with his hands. "I'm here to fix that."
He reached a gentle hand toward his small friend, and Bumblebee took it and got up, not noticing at first what he'd left on the table. Instead he noticed who was standing behind Ratchet. "Ironhide!"
The red mech grinned. "Hey, little buddy, looks like Ah kin buy ya that drink Ah owe ya after all."
Bumblebee chuckled, but then frowned and looked over his shoulder. "Huh???" He turned a shocked gaze toward his friends. "You mean...."
"Yeah." Ironhide's soft drawl was husky. "We're here ta bring ya home, Bumble. Prima's waitin'. So's young Spike 2."
The yellow Minibot bowed his head for a moment, then looked around and mentally said good bye, wishing that he could do something to stop the tears he could see on First Aid and the other medics in the room.
"It's... been a good trip," he said slowly, crying himself.
Ratchet gently patted him on the back. "You lived a good life, buddy. And it's not like this is forever."
Bumblebee nodded and turned away resolutely from what had been his shell. "Yeah.... But I always hated 'see you later', too."
Ironhide put an arm around his shoulders. "Got anythin' left ya need ta do?"
"No." He sighed and looked up at them. "You'll have to show me the way."
Ratchet chuckled. "Just follow the song."
"Right...." Bumblebee grinned, and then vanished, followed closely by the other two.
And First Aid felt the slight disturbance in his circuits fade and wearily went to let Rodimus and the others on Cybertron know.
"Hold on, Bumblebee," muttered the medic. "Hold on."
One cracked optic flickered. "...Hurts."
"Don't try to talk." First Aid winced and tried to work faster, not daring to spare a glance at his assistants who were working on the rest of the Minibot's body.
"...Stomped...."
"Shhhh. Just rest." He tried not to think of how the little mech had looked when they'd gotten Tripticon's foot off him. "We'll have you fixed up in no time."
Bumblebee's optics flickered again, then widened. "Ratchet?"
First Aid started, then frowned as something seemed to touch his arm.
"Let me take it from here," said a familiar voice that seemed to echo slightly.
"But...." The peace-loving medic's frown deepened.
"You've done all you can, buddy," said the voice gently. "Now it's my turn."
"Ratchet," whispered Bumblebee. "It... hurts."
"I know," said the former CMO, watching First Aid cover his optics with his hands. "I'm here to fix that."
He reached a gentle hand toward his small friend, and Bumblebee took it and got up, not noticing at first what he'd left on the table. Instead he noticed who was standing behind Ratchet. "Ironhide!"
The red mech grinned. "Hey, little buddy, looks like Ah kin buy ya that drink Ah owe ya after all."
Bumblebee chuckled, but then frowned and looked over his shoulder. "Huh???" He turned a shocked gaze toward his friends. "You mean...."
"Yeah." Ironhide's soft drawl was husky. "We're here ta bring ya home, Bumble. Prima's waitin'. So's young Spike 2."
The yellow Minibot bowed his head for a moment, then looked around and mentally said good bye, wishing that he could do something to stop the tears he could see on First Aid and the other medics in the room.
"It's... been a good trip," he said slowly, crying himself.
Ratchet gently patted him on the back. "You lived a good life, buddy. And it's not like this is forever."
Bumblebee nodded and turned away resolutely from what had been his shell. "Yeah.... But I always hated 'see you later', too."
Ironhide put an arm around his shoulders. "Got anythin' left ya need ta do?"
"No." He sighed and looked up at them. "You'll have to show me the way."
Ratchet chuckled. "Just follow the song."
"Right...." Bumblebee grinned, and then vanished, followed closely by the other two.
And First Aid felt the slight disturbance in his circuits fade and wearily went to let Rodimus and the others on Cybertron know.