TF: Enforced Rest
Rating: PG
Series: G1
Pairings: Inferno/Red Alert
Summary: Inferno is injured after a mission, and Ratchet doesn’t have good news for him.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: As per usual, the good things in life are not mine to have, but belong to someone else... in this case Hasbro, Takara and IDW and anyone else I’ve forgotten…
Authors Notes: Yeah, I wonder where I got this idea from? Though, it’s easier for Inferno, I’m sure.
Feedback makes friends. Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.
“Ah hate this.” Inferno grumbled, shifting position awkwardly.
“Well you’ll hate it even more if you don’t stop moving!” Ratchet growled, slamming his wrench down on the berth next to Inferno’s leg. “If you move, it makes it difficult for me to readjust the connectors in your leg.”
“It itches.” Inferno complained.
“It may well itch, but better an itch than losing your entire leg.” Ratchet snapped, holding Inferno’s leg steady as he adjusted a sensor. Inferno stilled, watching Ratchet work. His leg was now just a few struts below his knee, but at least he would be able to move around. Albeit slowly and carefully.
“All right, you’re done for now.” Ratchet stood up and stepped back from the berth. Inferno stretched, wincing as it pulled the cables in his damaged leg.
“Ow.”
“I’m afraid that until we source the correct materials, you’ll be restricted to base and off the duty roster. And I don’t want you moving around too much.” Inferno swung his legs over the edge of the berth, ready to stand up. Ratchet stood waiting to aid him. Slowly, Inferno stood up, flinching as he put weight on his damaged leg.
“That’s gonna take some getting used ta.” He muttered, leaning against the berth.
“Hence why I don’t want you moving around too much. I don’t want you straining the struts that are already there. If you damage those, we’ll have to rebuild your whole leg. And we simply don’t have the materials for that at the moment.”
“Yeah, I get ya.” Inferno nodded. His armor was hard to replace, he knew that much; it was the one downside to the specialist protection it afforded him. It wasn’t often he had to have so much replaced at one time. He was lucky Ratchet and Wheeljack had been building up a store so they could replace his leg struts.
Pushing away from the berth, Inferno was relieved that he didn’t wobble too badly.
“Take it slowly now.” Ratchet cautioned. Inferno took a step, wobbled and fell back against the berth.
“I ain’t gonna be able ta walk like this.” He muttered, venting hard. “I can’t support myself like this.” Ratchet nodded, thinking hard. Trying to confine Inferno to a berth would end up badly for both of them. The fire engine was notorious for not being able to sit still.
“The best I’m going to be able to offer is something to help you walk…” Ratchet spoke as he crossed the medbay to open one of the storage closets. “The humans use sticks, crutches, to help them move when their legs are injured.” He glanced back at Inferno. “I’m thinking we can use something similar. Your size is against you as regards movement.”
“That a cute way of saying I’m fat?” Inferno quipped, settling himself on the berth again and taking the weight of his leg. Ratchet paused, holding a long metal strut in his hand and stared at Inferno.
“What? You know Cybertronians can’t gain weight. We had this discussion when Carly first got…” Inferno held up a hand to stop Ratchet’s building rant.
“I know, I know, I was just kidding.” He looked at the strut. “You think I can use that?”
“I think you can. I know there’s no way I’m getting you staying still without being in stasis.” Inferno had the sense to look a little embarrassed at that comment. Ratchet busied himself welding a hand support on to the strut, and held it up for Inferno’s approval.
“Here, try this.” He gave Inferno the crutch and watched as the large mech stood up again, balancing on his good leg and leaning on the crutch.
“Okay, so I’m a bit more stable.” He took a step, leaning on the crutch as he moved his damaged leg. “An’ that’s easier.”
“Good.” Ratchet nodded, satisfied with the way Inferno was able to move. “I want you to take it easy. And I mean easy. No moving unless you really have to. Energon trips only if you have to.”
“I’m sure Red’ll gimme a hand.” Inferno shrugged, an easy smile on his face. “But I got ya, doc, take it easy.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Bored, bored, bored…” Inferno leant back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. Since he’d left the medbay, Red Alert had quite happily taken care of him. The only downside was that he ended up spending a lot of his time in the security center, watching Red Alert watching the monitors. And he was bored. It wasn’t that he minded spending the time with Red Alert, on the contrary, he was loving being able to be near his lover. But he was still bored. He wasn’t used to this much enforced inactivity. He couldn’t go and help the local fire services like he normally would on his down time. He couldn’t do anything. Except sit and watch Red Alert work, or watch the monitors himself. He hobbled from Red Alert’s quarters (where he was staying while he was recuperating), to the security center, to the rec room and then back all over again. Day in, day out. And he was getting tired of it.
“I know you’re bored…” Red Alert sighed and swung his chair around so he could look at Inferno. “And believe me, I wish there was more I could do to help you. But until Ratchet and Wheeljack manage to source enough material to rebuild your leg, there’s not much either of us can do except cope with the situation.”
“I know. I just…” Inferno sighed again. “I just hate not being mobile.” He gestured to the crutch Ratchet had fashioned for him. “Wish I were a minibot right now…” He muttered. Red Alert chuckled and stood up, quickly crossing the room to stand in front of Inferno.
“Now, I fell in love with a large gregarious mech. Not a minibot.” Inferno looked up at him.
“Yeah, well this large mech is regretting being so big.”
“Only now.” Red Alert reassured him, kneeling down and stroking Inferno’s thigh. He didn’t look down at the struts beneath Inferno’s knee, not caring to see how damaged his lover was. “Think of all the times it was useful being your size. Think of how many people and mechs you’ve saved because you were strong enough and big enough to carry them out.”
“Yeah…” Inferno still didn’t sound convinced.
“Inferno, you’re going to be able to walk again soon. I know that Wheeljack and Ratchet are working as fast as they can to make new armor and supports for your leg.”
“Yeah, just hate havin’ ta rely on ev’ryone.”
“I know. But we’ve all relied on you at some point in the past, so it’s nice for us to be able to repay you. Me especially.”
“I guess.” Inferno nodded slowly. It still didn’t help his situation, but it made him feel a little better about having to rely on everyone else.
“No guessing, fact.” Red Alert stood and leant to kiss Inferno quickly before returning to his monitors, shooting Inferno a reassuring smile over his shoulder. Inferno smiled back, settling back in his chair. He rubbed his knee, the deadened sensors on his lower leg still trying to send data to his systems, causing him to feel a little irritating pain. Ratchet had given him a sensor block program if the pain got too much, but had said that it was better to let the sensors continue to work properly, else it might cause problems when his leg was repaired. All he had to do was wait until Ratchet and Wheeljack were ready with the materials.
That day couldn’t come soon enough for Inferno.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Inferno?” Ratchet’s voice on his commline woke Inferno up.
“Yeah?” He couldn’t keep the hope out of his voice. The only reason Ratchet would be calling him this early in the morning was because they had finished making what they needed for his leg. It was either that, or something was wrong with Red Alert. But Red Alert was lying next to him, slowly booting up and looking a little confused.
“We’ve got everything ready now, so we can start the repairs on your leg.”
“Fantastic. I’ll be there soon.” Inferno closed the commline and turned to reassure Red Aelrt.
“That were Ratchet. He’s got the stuff ready for my leg.” Red Alert nodded slowly, still struggling to work out exactly what was going on. Inferno’s excited tone reassured him that nothing bad was happening.
“That’s good.” Red Alert murmured, sitting up and scrubbing a hand across his face. “What time does he want you down there?”
“I wanna get down there as soon as I can.” Inferno was almost bouncing eagerly on the berth. He couldn’t wait to be fully repaired. Red Alert shook his head fondly.
“Energon first, then we’ll get you down to the medbay.”
“Sure, Red.”
“You know Ratchet will want to make sure you’re fully fuelled before he starts anything.”
“Yeah.” Inferno sat on the berth, waiting as Red Alert slipped off the berth and got them both some energon. One of the perks of being an officer meant that he had a personal energon dispenser. Something that Inferno had come to fully appreciate since he’d been injured. It was far easier sometimes to have energon in Red Alert’s quarters.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Now, careful…” Ratchet cautioned as Inferno sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the berth. Inferno nodded and slowly put his feet on the floor. With a deep invent, he stood up, one hand on the berth for support. Ratchet had warned him that his sensors might be a little contrary until they realigned properly. Stable, he moved his hand away from the berth and was pleased when he didn’t waver.
“Take a step or two.” Ratchet asked, backing away from Inferno. “Make sure you can keep your balance.” Inferno did so, smile blossoming on his faceplates as he didn’t stumble. Ratchet nodded.
“All right. I’ll put you back on the duty roster, light duties only. Now, get out of here, and take it easy.”
It was with great relief that Inferno walked out of the medbay without even a limp.
Authors Note the Second: Here’s hoping my recovery will be as smooth as Inferno’s!