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[This time when Ratchet starts broadcasting, the video clicks on. He looks a little worn, but there's an underlying stubborn determination there, deepening the lines at the corners of his mouth.]

Ratchet here. Consider the inorganic section of medical officially back in business. That goes for everyone who's even part mechanical, not just Cybertronians--my door is open.

If you are Cybertronian and I haven't seen you for a check, you're due. I'm aware I still can't exactly order any of the Decepticons around ranking medical officer or not, but except for certain individuals who know who they are, you're welcome as well and I recommend it. Who knows what the hell this place is doing to us--I'd appreciate a baseline just in case something does go wrong and I end up having to do something about it.

Anyway, that's it. Ratchet out.

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[Ratchet decides on honesty for once and inclines his head a little.]

Some phantom pain in my fingers, sometimes. It was the same when I attached Pharma's hands, except I had fingers then, so it's a little odd. It'll pass. Other than that, I'm adjusting as well as can be expected, I guess.

Good, that's. That's good.

[Oh good, the honesty is much appreciated. Drift kind of sighs and looks down at his own hands. They're all fleshy and stuff now, but hey.]

I would have offered you mine, you know. I know they aren't as good as yours were, but...

[but it's got to be better than claws, right?]

[Ratchet actually recoils a little, shock and the slightest hint of anger flickering across his face.]

You think I could do that? Just... take the hands of someone who was using them, knowing what it's like to not have my own? I had Pharma's and I have Glitch's because they have no further use for them, not because I'd do anything for a new set, whatever the cost. I wouldn't have taken them if you'd tried.

Well. You had Pharma's because I lopped them off of him, but that's getting a bit off track.

I don't expect you to accept an offer like that, because you're you and I know you, but I can say that it's something that I'd be more than happy to do for you if it ever came down to it. That's all I'm saying.

Pharma didn't deserve them. Not anymore.

[Ratchet's voice has a slightly ragged edge as he presses one curled-in claw to his windscreen in a brief, unconscious gesture before he snatches it away again, his shoulders tense.]

I don't want you to do something like that. I don't want-- [He stops, his throat tight as he reaches up and presses the flat space between two joints of one claw to the plate between his chevron, his optics dimming.] Look. Just. It didn't come to that, all right? I'm fine.

[Right about now Drift is really hating the fact that he's so small, right now he just wishes he could give Ratchet a pat on the shoulder or a hug that he'd probably get smacked for or... anything, really. As things are now, all he can really do is kind of awkwardly rest his hand on Ratchet's leg. Is that even like remotely reassuring? He isn't sure, but he's doing the best he can.]

I know. I didn't mean to upset you, and before you bring it up, I wasn't offering just because I feel like I owe you one. Maybe I'm not even wording this right.

Nah. S'all right.

[Ratchet reaches down and brushes the back of one impossibly delicate claw over the top of Drift's shoulder, just touching lightly. Millions of years of memory doesn't make the claws just as good as hands, but he clearly is managing.]

We already talked about owing. It's done with. And it's not that I don't appreciate the idea, I guess, but I just--I wouldn't have been able to do that.

No, I understand.

[Drift reaches up to rest his tiny little hand on Ratchet's claw for a second.]

...Not to change the subject so suddenly, but can I get a lift onto the desk? I feel like it might be easier to talk if I'm not way down here on the floor.

[Ratchet snorts a laugh and stoops, scooping Drift up carefully in one claw and setting him onto the desk, leaning against it with his other arm and regarding Drift thoughtfully.]

I could just use my holomatter avatar too, if you'd like.

[Hey, a laugh is good! This sort of counts as progress a little maybe...ish.]

No, no, this is fine. It's been a little awkward to get used to, but being able to see the world from this kind of perspective is really kind of fascinating. I mean yeah, we can scale holomatters down to this size, but this just-- it feels completely different.

You know what? [Ratchet smiles crookedly down at him.]

I think I'll just take your word for it.

Oh, you're no fun. Aren't you even a little bit curious about it?

'Course I am. Doesn't mean I'm going to looking for the opportunity to turn into some mysterious flesh creature nobody's ever seen before.

It's not a creature, Ratch. It's some kind of person.

Some kind of person with webbed fingers.

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