I ... am myself now. [He doesn't want to bring up what had happened previously, not now when he potentially has to focus on a patient, but that one sentence hopefully carries enough guilt for Depth Charge to understand Ratchet's feelings.]
I do. Is he the one injured...? [Or is he the injurer?]
Right. Whatever. [He doesn't say it, but he gets it. You're hurting. You say you're yourself. That's good enough for him. If you're not, he'll just have to, you know, shoot you. Which he really doesn't want to do.]
Yeah. He's sort of awake. Really bad shape. I can't carry him. Frag, I'm probably shorter than you, to be honest. Hopefully you can put 'im back together.
[Well that's a better response than Ratchet had hoped for.]
I'll be there in a klick. Do you know what happened to him?
[He's in alt-mode at this point, speeding towards Megatronus's temple and hoping that he doesn't have to transport Fort Max bodily back to Solus's. He could probably carry him if he had to, but not well or far.]
Sure. But I'm not real interested in talkin' about it yet. Just fix him.
[Shortly after those words, Depth Charge disconnects.
The Maximal is waiting not far from Fortress Maximus's fallen form. He's had a lot on his mind, since finding him. That look in Fort Max's optics... they're all too familiar. The whole thing is. He gets it, he really does.
He's just not keen in talking about it.
Depth Charge himself looks a bit banged up. Metal is scraped and twisted in some spots, like someone ran him over. Which, someone did, but who's counting?]
there is not nearly as much damage as was done to him when he was rescued from Garrus - but not for lack of trying. there simply wasn't /time/, but the fact remains that he's been beaten, and beaten thoroughly. he's conscious, but only barely, and...certainly doesn't want to be.
he just wants to be numb. numb and gone and not hurting and not shuddering every so often, half from system shock trying to move energy through broken lines. the other half...well.
the look in his eyes speaks for itself. there's something dead there...or - more accurately - something begging to be.]
[ When he pulls up at the temple, an errant little part of Ratchet's mind files away Depth Charge's condition on his mental triage list, to be investigated later. It's a very small part, though, because Fortress Maximus's condition is appalling. It's obvious to Ratchet's eye that his injuries were caused with the intent of pain, rather than disablement.
Ratchet changes to root mode and hits the ground running, hands busy with Fort Max's plating the moment he's close enough to manipulate it. For all the fear that's fluttering in his spark, he tries to keep his voice calm and professional when he speaks.]
Fortress Maximus? I'm going to access your cervical plating, alright? If I can get to the right nodes, I can put a block in and numb some of the pain, but you're going to have to help me here. I need you to tip your head forward -- give me space to work.
[He places a hand on Fort Max's head, pushes gently as a guide, and hopes that his patient has enough processor function left that he'll be able to understand this simple command, if not Ratchet's words themselves.]
Not today, Fort Max. [The words are a bit less gruff than is typical of Depth Charge as he addresses the Autobot.] Believe me -- you'll thank me later.
[...Maybe. That's complicated. But living is better, that much he knows. That much he can say.
Depth Charge looks up when Ratchet arrives, then narrows his optics and steps back slightly to give the medic room.]
Work your magic, doctor. Need me to do anything?
[He won't leave. That much he'll do. What little is left of his own Maximal nobility insists on it.]
[is it? the look doesn't change at all, even knowing that it's useless. it doesn't end, for him. it won't, it /never/ will.
that, maybe, is as powerful a blow as anything he's been dealt, tonight. the understanding that he's not 'free' by any stretch. if Overlord doesn't keep him in...his processor'll do it by itself, it seems, with how he froze. denied, until it was too late.
even now, there's a part of him still in disbelief. /this can't be happening/.
he's hardly in a state to resist the guide of Ratchet's hand, but...he manages a single flinch as his vocalizer emits a single burst of static, and he /tries/ nonetheless. an irrational fear and irrational resistance, but very little he's done tonight has been anything /near/ rational.]
[Ratchet's optics flick over to Depth Charge for a fraction of a second.]
Nothing at the moment, but I might have to move him at some point and then I'll need you to help for sure.
[And then Ratchet's attention is right back on his patient, hushing him with concern evident on his face when he flinches. He keeps murmuring softly like you would to a skittish animal, speaking lots of words but actually saying very little.]
Shhhh. Hey, none of that. I'm not going to hurt you. Just wanna get in there and dull your pain sensors down, like I told you. Nothing to it.
[If the nudge of his hand can get Fort Max to tip his head forward even a bit more, he'll be taking that chance to flip the plating open at the back of his neck. At that point, it'll only take a moment to transform an instrument out of his index finger and disconnect the main arrays that transmit pain. Taking all that sensation away in one fell swoop is going to leave Fort Max a little disoriented and clumsy if he tries to move, but given that he and Depth Charge are both here, Ratchet isn't concerned about coordination.]
[it doesn't happen easily...but it happens, even if Fortress Maximus tenses just a bit as that exposure, at the touch of a tool-and then it bleeds away with the sensation that leaves the majority of his frame...
...thick. dull.
but he can still feel it...vaguely. which is...enough. for now.
not like before
Fort Max is...relatively still, now. little more than dead weight. but to say that he's calm would be a lie; there's lingering anxiety, even with Ratchet's attempts. they've helped, but if anything, this is more a surrender to the inevitable than relaxation
[ Ratchet nods in Depth Charge's direction, then turns back to Fort Max. At least he seems to have calmed down a bit. That will make his work much easier. He keeps speaking as he works, partially to keep Fort Max informed as to what's going on and partially also as a comfort tactic. ]
Right, so we're going to have to carry you back to the Temple to fix most of your injuries [and here he carefully does not glance over at the other mech's wrecked knees, no he does not ] but if we're going to do that, leaving a trail of energon behind us is probably a bad idea. Plus, I'd like to keep your fluids inside your frame if possible.
[ Have a little, innocuous shoulder pat, just to prime you for further contact, Max. ]
I'm going to have to reach in here to get to the lines to clamp them, okay? I've blocked the pain, but the rest of the sensation's still there, so it's going to feel strange. No pinching, but definitely some pressure and scraping. Just try to hold on, alright? In three, two, one--
[ Ratchet pries Fort Max's plating apart just a bit more, enough that he can reach in and tie off the major leaking lines. He's trying to rush, so he doesn't really take stock of what he's clamping, just that if it's broken, it gets tied off. ]
he's used to at least one other nurse medic droning on talking at him while repairs, and that may be partially why he remains subdued. there /is/ an imperceptible flinch at the pat on his shoulder - probably more felt than seen, by Ratchet - and some shifting as the medic gets to work.
and while what energon he's already bled out hardly /vanishes/, the flow ebbs.]
[Ratchet notices the flinch, but puts it down to surprise, focussing more on getting things sealed up. He's fast, if nothing else, efficiency born from years of experience coming to the fore, and soon enough he's done. He marks the ebbing flow of energon with a grim little nod.]
There. That's most of the emergency work done. Fixing you up all the way's going to take quite a bit more work, but I just want to focus on getting you movable right now.
[He raises his head to look for Depth Charge.]
A couple welds to close that up, then when that other mech comes back, we ought to be able to transport you back to the medbay.
[He's going to proceed with those welds now, Max, and hope that the light and the smell aren't going to freak you out. If they do, he'll stop.]
[Fortress Maximus is silent at the observations. he doesn't even make another burst of static - what's the point? he's got no control over this.
it's pretty clear that he's /not/ going to end up dying here, that it won't be finished, but the worst of that urge has passed. he feels...numb, if anything. and not only from Ratchet's patch to his systems.
he does try to raise his helm, slightly, at the last comment - transport? with how damaged he /knows/ he is, that's not going to be very easy...]
[From above Depth Charge comes; he flies down, and transforms. Though he lands with a stumble -- kind of hard not to after you were just run over by a giant tank -- he still looks confident enough as he turns his head to the Autobots.]
No enemies that I could see in the area. 'Cons included.
[Predacons or Decepticons. Didn't matter.]
Lookin' a little more lively there, Max. Good for you.
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[Locked // Voice]
I do. Is he the one injured...? [Or is he the injurer?]
[Locked // Voice]
Yeah. He's sort of awake. Really bad shape. I can't carry him. Frag, I'm probably shorter than you, to be honest. Hopefully you can put 'im back together.
[Locked // Voice] -> [Action?]
I'll be there in a klick. Do you know what happened to him?
[He's in alt-mode at this point, speeding towards Megatronus's temple and hoping that he doesn't have to transport Fort Max bodily back to Solus's. He could probably carry him if he had to, but not well or far.]
[Locked // Voice] -> [Action!]
[Shortly after those words, Depth Charge disconnects.
The Maximal is waiting not far from Fortress Maximus's fallen form. He's had a lot on his mind, since finding him. That look in Fort Max's optics... they're all too familiar. The whole thing is. He gets it, he really does.
He's just not keen in talking about it.
Depth Charge himself looks a bit banged up. Metal is scraped and twisted in some spots, like someone ran him over. Which, someone did, but who's counting?]
[Action]
Max is not okay right now.
there is not nearly as much damage as was done to him when he was rescued from Garrus - but not for lack of trying. there simply wasn't /time/, but the fact remains that he's been beaten, and beaten thoroughly. he's conscious, but only barely, and...certainly doesn't want to be.
he just wants to be numb. numb and gone and not hurting and not shuddering every so often, half from system shock trying to move energy through broken lines. the other half...well.
the look in his eyes speaks for itself. there's something dead there...or - more accurately - something begging to be.]
[Action]
Ratchet changes to root mode and hits the ground running, hands busy with Fort Max's plating the moment he's close enough to manipulate it. For all the fear that's fluttering in his spark, he tries to keep his voice calm and professional when he speaks.]
Fortress Maximus? I'm going to access your cervical plating, alright? If I can get to the right nodes, I can put a block in and numb some of the pain, but you're going to have to help me here. I need you to tip your head forward -- give me space to work.
[He places a hand on Fort Max's head, pushes gently as a guide, and hopes that his patient has enough processor function left that he'll be able to understand this simple command, if not Ratchet's words themselves.]
[Action]
[...Maybe. That's complicated. But living is better, that much he knows. That much he can say.
Depth Charge looks up when Ratchet arrives, then narrows his optics and steps back slightly to give the medic room.]
Work your magic, doctor. Need me to do anything?
[He won't leave. That much he'll do. What little is left of his own Maximal nobility insists on it.]
[Action]
that, maybe, is as powerful a blow as anything he's been dealt, tonight. the understanding that he's not 'free' by any stretch. if Overlord doesn't keep him in...his processor'll do it by itself, it seems, with how he froze. denied, until it was too late.
even now, there's a part of him still in disbelief. /this can't be happening/.
he's hardly in a state to resist the guide of Ratchet's hand, but...he manages a single flinch as his vocalizer emits a single burst of static, and he /tries/ nonetheless. an irrational fear and irrational resistance, but very little he's done tonight has been anything /near/ rational.]
[Action] and then toast tl'dred about anxiolysis
Nothing at the moment, but I might have to move him at some point and then I'll need you to help for sure.
[And then Ratchet's attention is right back on his patient, hushing him with concern evident on his face when he flinches. He keeps murmuring softly like you would to a skittish animal, speaking lots of words but actually saying very little.]
Shhhh. Hey, none of that. I'm not going to hurt you. Just wanna get in there and dull your pain sensors down, like I told you. Nothing to it.
[If the nudge of his hand can get Fort Max to tip his head forward even a bit more, he'll be taking that chance to flip the plating open at the back of his neck. At that point, it'll only take a moment to transform an instrument out of his index finger and disconnect the main arrays that transmit pain. Taking all that sensation away in one fell swoop is going to leave Fort Max a little disoriented and clumsy if he tries to move, but given that he and Depth Charge are both here, Ratchet isn't concerned about coordination.]
[Action]
[In most cases, he'd... he'd have left. Depth Charge doesn't have any attachments, but he knows the look Fortress Maximus has. Exactly.
He himself had it once. When he was found on Colony Omicron. He remembers begging the rescue team to finish him off, gurgling words.
Depth Charge clenches his hand for a moment.]
I'm gonna go have a look in the area. Make sure we're secure.
[Action]
...thick. dull.
but he can still feel it...vaguely. which is...enough. for now.
not like beforeFort Max is...relatively still, now. little more than dead weight. but to say that he's calm would be a lie; there's lingering anxiety, even with Ratchet's attempts. they've helped, but if anything, this is more a surrender to the inevitable than relaxation
and that only ever went so well]
[Action]
[ Ratchet nods in Depth Charge's direction, then turns back to Fort Max. At least he seems to have calmed down a bit. That will make his work much easier. He keeps speaking as he works, partially to keep Fort Max informed as to what's going on and partially also as a comfort tactic. ]
Right, so we're going to have to carry you back to the Temple to fix most of your injuries [and here he carefully does not glance over at the other mech's wrecked knees, no he does not ] but if we're going to do that, leaving a trail of energon behind us is probably a bad idea. Plus, I'd like to keep your fluids inside your frame if possible.
[ Have a little, innocuous shoulder pat, just to prime you for further contact, Max. ]
I'm going to have to reach in here to get to the lines to clamp them, okay? I've blocked the pain, but the rest of the sensation's still there, so it's going to feel strange. No pinching, but definitely some pressure and scraping. Just try to hold on, alright? In three, two, one--
[ Ratchet pries Fort Max's plating apart just a bit more, enough that he can reach in and tie off the major leaking lines. He's trying to rush, so he doesn't really take stock of what he's clamping, just that if it's broken, it gets tied off. ]
[Action]
he's used to at least one other
nursemedicdroning ontalking at him while repairs, and that may be partially why he remains subdued. there /is/ an imperceptible flinch at the pat on his shoulder - probably more felt than seen, by Ratchet - and some shifting as the medic gets to work.and while what energon he's already bled out hardly /vanishes/, the flow ebbs.]
[Action]
There. That's most of the emergency work done. Fixing you up all the way's going to take quite a bit more work, but I just want to focus on getting you movable right now.
[He raises his head to look for Depth Charge.]
A couple welds to close that up, then when that other mech comes back, we ought to be able to transport you back to the medbay.
[He's going to proceed with those welds now, Max, and hope that the light and the smell aren't going to freak you out. If they do, he'll stop.]
[Action]
it's pretty clear that he's /not/ going to end up dying here, that it won't be finished, but the worst of that urge has passed. he feels...numb, if anything. and not only from Ratchet's patch to his systems.
he does try to raise his helm, slightly, at the last comment - transport? with how damaged he /knows/ he is, that's not going to be very easy...]
[Action]
No enemies that I could see in the area. 'Cons included.
[Predacons or Decepticons. Didn't matter.]
Lookin' a little more lively there, Max. Good for you.