Ratchet stiffened, his eyes widening a bit. "No... no she didn't. You're lying to me!" He shouted, glaring at her as his chest felt heavy. His eyes began to fill with tears. "This isn't real! Your not real!" He began leaving her, looking for an exit to go home to his apartment. He rubbed his eyes. "Wake up, wake up... this is a dream. This isn't real... come one Ratchet." He whispered to himself firmly.
"Your name isn't Ratchet, it's Henry." She said seriously as she watched him intently. She followed and he just saw other patients wandering around. "I know it's hard to take in... if you would take your medicine you wouldn't forget." She explained.
He frowned as he looked at the patients then her. "No it isn't. My name is Ratchet and always has been. I'm not taking any medicine because I'm not crazy." He spoke seriously, walking away from her again.
"Henry please." She said seriously as she followed him. "You have to understand that this is reality. Stop living in a different world." She begged. He didn't see a way out and the exits were all locked.
The old doctor looked at her and shook his head. "No, this isn't real. It's another dream." He frowned deeply. "This is just a dream about the book I'm reading mixed in with all my worries... what else could it be?" He muttered, trying to convince himself.
"Henry... you mean... One flew over the cuckoo's nest?" She asked and furrowed her brow. "That's an odd book that someone gave you. This place is nothing like that book." The nurse sighed shakily.
"It is a dream, of course it won't be exact." He grunted. "And yes, it is odd. I didn't really like it the more I read and now I'm currently dreaming about it, I really do not like it." Ratchet grumbled and hugged himself. "I just wish I'd wake up." He muttered as he sat down in an empty wheelchair.
She watched him with sadness and crouched down by his side. "You're always dreaming of a better world... you told me once that you told your granddaughter to go away and never come back... she went to the surface and never came back... so I understand why you might not want this to be real..." she whispered.
"I would never say that!" Ratchet snapped, standing up and glaring at her. "Who do you think you are!? I bet none of these patients get better with staff like you around!" Ratchet scoffed, growling. "You're a terrible nurse."
"I'm just telling you what you told me. I'm trying to help you understand that this is reality." She choked then started to sob. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to upset you again." She said as security walked over to check things.
Ratchets expression relaxed and he felt bad seeing her cry. He sighed heavily, rubbing his face as he tried to focus, knowing she wasn't real. He went to the exit doors and began trying to figure out how to get out of the mental hospital, frowning deeply. He felt insane but knew he didn't need to be here.
"Sir the doors are locked and you can't leave." The guard said seriously as he walked over. The nurse walked off as another tried to comfort her. The security guards were trying to reason with him as he tugged on the doors in desperation.
"I don't belong here!" Ratchet snapped at him, trying to get out. "This is a mistake! My name isn't Henry Darby! It's Ratchet!" He spoke in desperation, panic filling him. He couldn't spend his life in a mental hospital alone.
"Sir calm down." He said seriously and the other patients looked at him with concern. They could see he was trying to escape and was upset. "Sir come with us." The man said and gripped his arm.
Ratchets eyes widened in panic, ripping it out of his grasp. "Don't touch me!" He spoke seriously. "Let me go." He said in a quieter tone. "Please. I'm not insane even though it seems like it." He said as he looked at them. "Let me call someone. I can prove it."
"Sir just come with us." The man said seriously as he watched him. "You need to calm down and return to the main area." He huffed. Ratchet frowned deeply and sighed heavily. He let go of the door and began walking toward the main area, grumbling. He looked around at the windows, thinking of other ways of escape. He put the window escape plan on hold as he looked around for someone who had the keys.
He didn't see any way of escape from this place and knew of only one other. Sleep. The men had him sit in a chair and one stayed with him as a nurse gave everyone dinner. Ratchet frowned and leaned against the seat. He sighed and began closing his eyes, trying to go to sleep but felt too anxious. He shifted in the seat, his fingers gripping the arms of the chair.
"Did you want your food?" A nurse asked as she held a tray. The security guard watched her then glanced at him.
He opened his eyes and frowned. "I... sure." he muttered, looking down. He ignored the man next to him, grumbling as he was watched. "Thank you." He murmured to the nurse.
She smiled brightly and walked off to get a few things done. The man watched him intently then looked off to the side.
Ratchet held the tray in his lap, frowning. He soon looked at the man, grumbling. "I don't need a babysitter." He said with a grunt. "I'm fine on my own."
"You tried to escape." The man pointed out and glared darkly at him. "If I leave then you'll run off." He said seriously
The old man sighed heavily and looked to the food in his lap knowing he couldn't change the man's mind. He began trying to calm himself, closing his eyes to try and fall asleep. He began imagining something better than this reality to help him relax. He imagined Skye, his wife, Optimus, his son all together having a picnic on the surface. The others were there and he imagined not having any confusion. That he was stable and in the right place and right reality.
The man set his tray by his side on the table as the old man fell asleep. He stared at him then continued to watch over him, making sure he didn't run off. When Ratchet woke again, he was in the same place. This was his reality.
Ratchets face paled. He got up and began to panic. "No... no, no, no!" He looked around as he scanned for a phone. He rushed to find a nurse, not caring if the man was with him or not. He grabbed her arm gently to get her attention. "Tell me everything about my file."
"Ah! Let me go!" She screamed in surprise and the security guard pulled him away roughly.
"I-I'm sorry..." Ratchet frowned and let her go as he was pulled away. His hands shook and he went to go sit back down, his leg bouncing up and down anxiously. He frowned deeply as he tried to think but his eyes swelled with tears. The nurses and guards spoke quietly as they stayed near him. They weren't sure what to do and said he was becoming a problem because he wouldn't take his medication.
Ratchet frowned as he listened to them. He stood up, looking down a bit as he thought. "May I ask you a question?" He asked gently as he approached them, glancing at the patients and then them.
They stopped suddenly and looked at him then each other. They weren't sure about this man anymore. "Yes? What is it?" A nurse asked gently.
"I've... been here for a year. Have I always taken my medication?" Ratchet asked quietly. He knew they were weary of him and wondered why he used to be better. He tried to keep calm, to make everything better so he could understand what was going on.
The nurse furrowed her brow and nodded slowly. "Yes... you always have." She said gently. The others watched him intently as if he was going to jump on them or something.
Ratchet frowned a bit and nodded slowly. He looked at their expressions and then looked away. "I see." He muttered. "I suppose I'll take my medication now." He said quietly. He planned to stop talking about the dreams, hoping to leave the hospital soon. They nodded and the nurse had him sit down again. She then left to get his medication as the others stayed near him. Making sure he didn't act strange again.
The old man frowned deeply and sat, waiting quietly. He looked around at the other patients, then looking to the doctors silently. They were talking and the nurse came back in with his medication. They watched him then left as a nurse and guard remained there.
The confused and hurt doctor took it into his hand and stared at it, unsure. He was hesitant, wondering if he was actually crazy. If what he believed to be true was actually false. After a long moment he took the medication and stared at the floor, unsure what to do. They sighed in relief and let him be with the other patients. They watched him then went back to their activities. Ratchet began trying to start a conversation with the other patients, trying to figure out who he was and who they were.
"Hello Henry." One man said as he smiled brightly. "How are you?" He asked as he played chess with another man.
"Fine." He muttered. "How are you?" He asked as he watched them play their game. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the man. "Who are you?"
The man looked at him and laughed as he shook his head. "Classic Henry. Always forgetting who we are. I'm Perfect Pete." He grinned at him. "This is Silent Sam." He whispered as he pointed to the man across from him.
Sam looked over at Ratchet before looking back at the game, moving a chest piece. Ratchet frowned a bit. "That's... nice alliteration in your name. Did you name yourself it?'' He asked, raising an eyebrow as he ignored a bit of his statement, he rubbed his head a bit, his fingers going off his short white hair.
"Yep! We've given everyone a nickname. You're Hallucinating Henry." Pete smiled and went back to his game. Sam didn't say anything as he played the game.
Ratchet frowned and looked down at his hands. "My name is.... isn't... is Henry." He muttered, his eyes closing with a sigh, giving up on the argument. He wondered how he got here from being with the Autobots. He remembered the feeling when he dreamed about Optimus. It was real. He remembered doing that. How could he not remember what was in the middle and a bit of the past? He wondered if it was these pills but the hospital seemed trustworthy enough. It seemed like every hospital and it was only his trust issues acting up. Ratchet rubbed his forehead, trying to stay relaxed. If this was what his reality was, he would have to find some way to enjoy it.
"Ya we call you that because you know... the obvious and it sounds cool. You never like the reality you're in and sometimes we aren't even sure if you're real or not." Pete said then laughed hysterically. Sam glanced at him for a while then over to Ratchet again. He stared at him for a long time as if trying to decide whether or not to say something. He looked back at his game as Pete told him who everyone was.
The old medic's fingers twitched, frowning as he was stared at and was laughed at. His closed his eyes tightly, trying to remain calm. He missed his family so much. He didn't know why it suddenly came to this. "Pete, please... that's enough."
"But you're so funny!" He laughed and leaned against his chair. He continued to laugh and Sam noticed Henry was close to tears. He was distressed. "You always say how you don't like your reality and trying to go somewhere else. But you're stuck here forever with us!" he laughed and shook his head. Sam stood up and glared at Pete then carefully led Henry away from him.
Ratchet began trembling a bit as he followed him, letting him take him away from the other man. His eyes watered and he rubbed at his eyes with his palms. "I'm actually crazy... I'm clinically insane.'' He whispered, his voice shaking.
Sam didn't respond as he led him around the building then out to the garden area. It had many plants and flowers and a tree in the center. Sam let go of his arm and glanced around. He looked at the distressed man and could tell there was something off about him. Ratchet felt as though he was becoming empty as his medication started to kick in.
Ratchet looked around at all the plants, slowly sitting down on the ground. His face slackened and his expression was almost blank. His eyes held worry for himself as he gently touched a flower. "What's happening to me?" He whispered sadly, panic still in his eyes like he was an on edge wild animal. He rubbed the purple petal quietly before looking to Sam curiously.
The man watched him intently then looked towards the ceiling of the caverns. It had a crack in it where the sun came in to shine on the gardens. At least that part was true. He was still underground. Sam looked at him again then sat on the grass and stared blankly before closing his eyes. Ratchet felt himself growing numb and his feelings were fading. He was becoming empty.
Ratchet looked up blankly, his neck stiff. He frowned deeply, looking to Sam seemingly meditate before looking to the plants. He wanted to get up and go to the nurse to ask what was in his medicine but couldn't. He felt no energy to do any of it but stare at the plants. He was silent as he looked at the flower, staring at it as a light breeze gently moved the flower.