'Beep'
'Beep'
'Beep'
My hand flew to the nightstand, my fingers trying to quickly shut off the alarm clock. It wasn't a happy sound at all. It was the sort of sound that rang in your ears for hours and hours, giving you a headache within minutes. Finally, I found the button that turned it-
Scratch that. The blood curdling beeping sound only got louder.
"Ack!" I squeaked as I rolled out of bed, apparently reaching too far off the bed. My side instantly started to throb. I groaned, tensing up.
This was already starting out to be a great first day at actual work.
There came a knock at my door. "You're due at the medbay in five, Sara."
Shit.
~
With my hair in the messiest ponytail imaginable, I ran into the medbay. My forehead was beaded with sweat. It took me longer than I first realized to find the medbay again, especially with most of the lights turned off still.
"I'm here!" I announced, bending down with my hands on my knees to catch my breath. "Am I... Am I late?"
The large red 'mech', as I learned to call them, looked down at me with a small sigh. "Yes. By thirty seven seconds. What were you doing?"
I looked up at him, regaining my more 'professional' composure. "Sorry, I had a little trouble finding the medical center again. It was darker out than I anticipated." That had to have sounded at least a little bit more formal. Right?
Ratchet turned back to the large monitor in his corner of the room. "Yes, yes. I've set some data pads over there beside your desk. They include multiple different situations and such for you to try out. I need to find out exactly what I need to teach you, and what you already know." By the tone of his voice at the end of the statement, I could tell he didn't have high hopes for my past knowledge.
It wasn't very nice of him, really.
With my bag slung over my shoulder still, I walked over to the small wooden desk. The data pads on top of the desk weren't huge, like I had thought they would be. They were specifically human sized, but they looked like they hadn't been messed with forever. They were so pristine.
I got to work as quickly as I can. The data pads, I found out, worked a lot like how a new iPad or something would work. Sliding a finger across the screen unlocks it, and then it would take the user through a line of slides.
The first one was very simple. It only had text on it. 'Welcome, Sara'
Personalized. That's always nice.
What slide followed next made me the most frustrated I have ever been since multiplying matrices back in high school. Every other word was in English, clear as day. But after every English word was a wonky symbol. The English words didn't make sense, so I only assumed that the symbols meant something in a different language.
Then it hit me. The language that the Cybertronians, the Autobots at least, were used to. Their native tongue.
"Shit...." I cursed under my breath. If the symbols meant a word equivalent to an English word, I would have to quickly figure it out. There was a 'patient' on the data pad, and with every second that passed, their health line went down.
Every single second.
Cold breath hit my shoulder, making me shiver. "Your patient's dying."
I nodded, trying to quickly figure out a solution. "Yeah, I know, I know...." I said under my breath, pulling out a notebook and pen.
The sentences had to make sense in one way or the other. So I found out a system quickly that wasn't quick, but it would get it done eventually.
I found a few words that could fit the symbols to make the sentences make sense, then when the same symbols came up later, I plugged in the possible meanings. If the meanings still fit, then I would know for sure that's what the symbol meant.
If not, then I was screwed and had to start over.
Five minutes later, I had over half of the symbols figured out.
"Your patient is dying," Ratchet repeated, his tone gruff. "When you're on the field, you can't simply play with a pen and paper." He snatched the data pad from my hands and made a few swipes on it with his finger, then handed it back down to me.
The whole page was now in English.
As quickly as I could, I followed the directions. What made me a bit more frustrated was the fact that it just gave me a few sentences of instructions, then it left me to do what I needed.
The patient was a grey male, and growing greyer by the second. I saw a blue liquid seeping out of one of the arm sockets. It reminded me of blood. That must be their blood source.
At least their anatomy is close to ours, when it comes to parts. Two arms, two legs, a head, such.
I swiped my finger over the instruments that looked like the ones you would use on a human, only slight differences, and got to quick work on the arm socket.
There was a syringe, and when my finger hovered over it, it gave me some information on it in small italic letters. 'Anesthetic- numbing agent'
I drug the syringe over to the injured shoulder. The grey body instantly relaxed. It made me smile as I continued to do all that I could to fix the injury, resulting in the data pad going dark when I was finished.
"Very good. Where did you learn such an effective wound cleaning technique?" He sounded quite pleased. It surprised me to hear that tone from him.
I smiled, shrugging. "College. Field work."
Ratchet nodded. "I see. Have you read the study on Plasmapheresis and Energon infusions?"
The studies I was sent just the night before. All that I was sent before work started officially. "Of course. And I do have a few questions."
"Good, good. What are your questions?" he asked.
"An Energon infusion is very similar to a human based blood infusion, correct?" I looked up at him. The Energon infusion study was one I wasn't able to read all the way though, but I did what I could to interpret it.
Ratchet nodded, exhaling. "They are similar, yes."
I smiled. That's one thing that I know. "I already knew what Plasmapheresis is. I've had it done before."
He raised his eyebrow. Optic ridge? Maybe. "Sick child, eh?"
Maybe I should have rephrased that particular sentence. "No... I used to donate plasma. So I'm more knowledgeable than most when it comes to that, but I still have a lot to learn."
"With Energon in such short supply, we have had to try similar methods to humans when it comes to... Recycling Energon." He sounded particularly unappealed by the idea.
I nodded. "That sounds like it would be difficult." Imagine us humans trying to recycle old blood in order to keepkeep somebody alive. It just wouldn't work.
He nodded easily. " We've had limited success. I hope we can figure out a solution soon. All the fixing in the universe can't help when a 'bot has a small supply of Energon, and we are unableunable to replenish it."
A question ran across my mind. He would most likely welcome questions. "Is Energon like blood, then? Can you guys make it inside your bodies?"
A pause came before an answer. "It is a sort of cross between blood and car transmission oil. Some of it can be self made, but we have to intake Energon so we don't run low as well."
"It also serves as your fuel source?"
"Precisely." Energon as well in order to not run low."
"So it serves as both your fuel source and your life blood?"
"Precisely."
I smiled. At least I was getting something right. "But if you are low, is there not any here on Earth?"
Ratchet shook his head. "There are Energon deposits in other planets, like Earth, but they can be very difficult to find."
"There is Energon here on Earth, then?"
"Yes, there is." His tone went from smooth to irritated very quickly. Maybe because I was making him repeat what he already said?
I just nodded again, looking down at the data pad. "I see..."
It still confused me. How could he be the force that was driving striving medics away? It was a grand opportunity, and he's not all that bad.
I swore that I saw him smile again. "Asking questions is the best way to gather information. If you have any questions, any at all, ask."
I looked up at him. "Okay then. Are there different types of Energon?"
He nodded. "There are three types. Medical grade, which is used for Energon infusions and such. Normal grade, which we ingest. And high grade.... Equivalent to human made alcohol. High grade is something that we have here on this base, but is not capable of being used for infusions or transfusions. It is worthless, besides what the 'bots here on base use it for."
"Autobots like to get wasted? That's a bit peculiar."
"It is often how minor injuries happen," he commented, taking one of my finished pads and examining it. "You may be treating some patients soon."
The sound of that made my heart both drop and beat faster. Already, talking about me treating patients? "Okay... How soon will that be, exactly...?"
He chuckled. It was a nice sound, truthfully. "Not too soon. You have much to learn."
"I agree," I said quickly. Making myself sound conceited was not my intention, and I wanted just the opposite. He needed to know that I was willing to learn all that I could in order to fulfill my duty here. "Since I don't have any other questions... Should I get back to work?"
He grunted, taking my finished pad back to his desk. "I would highly recommend it."
He wasn't that bad at all.