Going Green

Chapter 19: Exhaustion

Verdant paused, thinking deeply, and her optics flickered white before immediately turning blue again. She lurched forward and cried out, servos flailing up in panic.

"Woah," Ratchet grabbed her upper arm. "Don't do any of that. Even if Soundwave unscrambled you, you still aren't at your best. Remember faceplanting? Not optimal."

She gritted her denta. "I saved the recordings of the med-bay. How am I supposed to access them if I can't–"

"The point is that you can't," Ultra Magnus told her. "So you are simply stuck with waiting until you can. Smokescreen and Bumblebee will survive until then."

Verdant slumped and leaned against the wall. "The whole point of going to the Nemesis was so that they wouldn't have to wait."

Ratchet shook his helm. "You did good. They will certainly not have to wait as long now and you will be to thank for it. Do you remember anything about the experiments?"

"Synthetic energon might have been involved," Verdant told him, her optics dimming. "I dunno. Was rushing."

He nodded and glanced at Ultra Magnus. "Alright, then. Let me know if you think of anything else. Until then, just rest."

"In here?" Verdant questioned.

"Unless you want to recharge next to me in the main room while Miko plays karaoke," Ratchet affirmed. "Wheeljack is in charge of you for now."

"For now," Ultra Magnus emphasized. "Tell me if he bothers you."

"I'm too charming for that," Wheeljack winked at the commander, who rolled his optics in response.

The two mechs left the room.

"Alright," Wheeljack picked up his datapad. "Go back into the land of unconsciousness."

Verdant frowned at him.

"What?" he nodded toward her face. "You're visibly exhausted. Recharge some more and then I'll bother you."

Verdant sighed before offlining.

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The next time she onlined, Wheeljack was in the exact same position, helm tilted down and datapad in his lap. The only difference was that he was in recharge, optics dark, and chassis rising in a steady, calm pattern.

She smiled at the sight. It was probably the most peace she'd ever see from the obnoxious wrecker.

Peace was something her infected teammates were needing right about now. Verdant frowned. Maybe another recharge would have cleared her systems. She tried accessing her files again, only for another sharp stab of pain to dig into her processor. Her digits curled against the bed and she jerked forward, scrunching her face up in pain, but keeping her intake shut so she wouldn't disturb Wheeljack.

It didn't work.

His servo was already on her back and his face was hovering in front of her. "What happened? Are you okay? Do you need Ratchet?"

Verdant grunted. "I'm fine."

"You say that too often," Wheeljack frowned. "More often than it is true."

She leaned back again. "I want to go help Ratchet."

"Can you walk?"

Verdant looked at the floor and considered it. "I don't want to fall again."

He climbed across to her side of the berth and then slid off, standing in front of her and holding out his servos invitingly. "I won't drop you."