Waves of Starlight (TFP fanfic)

Chapter 40

Habit. He winced, closing his eyes and shivering. Keep trouble to self.

Soundwave seemed to understand what was going on and rushed over, gently running his hand along the wolves snout. "You’re not there anymore, Remix." He said softly. "You can tell us anything if it troubles you."

Estrela sighed as she scanned him over before going to examine his leg. She grabbed a small flashlight and a couple of other tools to help her out as she examined him.

"Need any help?" Soundwave asked as he continued to pet the shaking symbiote.

"Distract him, I have no way of knowing how to turn his pain off, but I know what I need to do to help him. The thing is, it will hurt a lot." She explained. Then she spoke through the bond to him. "I have to break the leg in order to fix it. It healed incorrectly."

Remix whined at that statement, burying his face the best he could into Soundwave’s chest as he continued to pet him.

"Remix, I am gonna give you a count to three, alright. So you can brace yourself for the pain. I don't want to hurt you unless necessary, do you understand?" She asked, looking over at him. Grabbing a few other tools that would help her. She didn't have any numbing agents, but she got some liquid nitrogen and had it ready, hoping it wouldn't burn her hands. As she got a thin pair of gloves to help.

He nodded shakily, his face still buried in Soundwave’s arms as the man picked up a large piece of scrap metal and readied himself, nodding to her.

She poured the cold liquid onto his metal leg, hoping it would help numb. "3... 2..." Not even getting to 1 when she snapped it, hearing it break.

Immediately, his eyes snapped open, and he let out an unearthly shriek. His eyes were wide with fear before he lunged down and sunk his teeth into Soundwave’s shoulder. The man flinched at the feeling, extremely glad he couldn’t feel pain in this form, nor would Estrela feel it. "Get it done now!" He yelled, shoving the metal into the wolfs mouth, his fangs easily piercing it as he continued to howl.

She quickly looked at the leg, seeing fragments of broke cybertronian bone, and managed to pick them out with tweezers. She welded some pieces of metal to help restrengthen the bones. Trying to work as efficiently but quickly as she could. Her hands stayed steady, as her heartbeat was frantic. "Hold on, Remix. It's gonna be okay." She reset the leg before binding it, fixing it back into place, scanning over it to make sure everything is okay. She put some pieces of firm scrap metal to help hold his leg in place. "It's done, but I do not suggest walking for a while. If your body heals naturally like humans do, it should still take a while before your leg is strong again."

Remix’s entire body relaxed suddenly, and he fell down, trembling like mad as Soundwave carefully took out the crushed metal from in between his jaws and pet the wolf, looking at him sadly.

"I'm sorry, Remix." Estrela muttered as she collapsed against a wall in a sweat, panting. "I think that was the hardest thing I have ever done."

Sorry. He whined over and over as the mark on Soundwave’s shoulder slowly healed. He let the wolf rest his head on his lap as he continued to pet him.

"Remix, for future reference, you need to let us know ahead of time when something hurts. If you let us know earlier, you would never have had to have the leg break to fix it. It could have been avoided. You need to talk to us." She exclaimed, looking up at the wolf.

He nodded, still quietly whimpering.

"Don’t blame him." Soundwave sighed. "Blame the fraggers who made him afraid like this."

"Someone abused him?" She asked, getting back up as her body finally stopped shaking. "I'm sorry, Remix." She mumbled, hugging him while stroking him. "You didn't deserve that. I guess that is why you connected with me so well in the beginning. I'm so sorry, bud." Laying her head gently against him.

"He’d been captured as part of an illegal poaching business, had his whole kind slaughtered in front of him for the metal their claws and teeth are made from." Soundwave explained sadly. "It took me over a month to even start earning his trust after I rescued him. He’s recovered, but like anyone, he still bares his scars." Soundwave parted the metal fur around his neck to show circular scars that went all the way around, the result of a collar.

"I'm so sorry, Remix." Petting him and hugging him. "Earth isn't much better. People do the same thing to animals here. It's so wrong." A tear ran down her face as she hugged the wolf.

He nudged her with his nose as Soundwave hugged the both of them. Have family now.

She smiled and nodded. "I guess that is the nice thing with all the hurt people in our family we are all in some way able to understand one another." Kissing his nose as she looked at the wolf. "We're here for you, Remix. You're family."

Sky too. He spoke, laying his head on her lap.

"Yeah, found you both at the same place, didn’t I?" Soundwave smiled. "They became friends immediately after they met."

She smiled as she continued to hug him. Scratching the fur by his ears again to try and cheer him up. "You've such a good heart, Remix." She smiled, tearing up again. "Don't let your past ever change that."

Like you. He smiled, leaning into her touch and purring.

She smiled as she continued to give him loving touches. "You don't need to be like me, you should be you." She grabbed Soundwave's hand and gripped it tightly. "We are all here for you, Remix." Kissing his nose again.

"Come on boy." Soundwave smiled, patting his side. "Let's get you back so you can get some rest."

She nodded in response as she backed away a good couple of feet away, shifting and gently approached him to pick Remix up. "We will take good care of you, Remix "

He made a small noise and leaned against her as Soundwave jumped and climbed up to her shoulder.

She smiled as she gently held him while heading back to the cave where they all rested. Making sure not to touch his hurt leg too much.

By time they got their, it was clear Radios position had moved, the sand around her very disrupted as though it had been kicked away and tossed in every direction till she'd somehow complete rotated herself so her pedes were now resting where her head did an hour ago.

She sighed as she gently laid down near their daughter, but kept Remix in her hold as she had him tucked into her arm as she laid down. She gestured to Soundwave to help comfort Radio with a glance. Trying to reassuringly comfort Remix.

Upon just feeling his fur brush by her hand, Radio extended it so it lay on his fur, is if her mind was making sure he was really there.

"And she's still asleep." Soundwave mused, carefully rotating her so she faced the same direction while trying to smoothen the sand out.

She hummed in agreement as she sat there stroking Remix while he laid against her.