video;

[asafepairofhands]

[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.

Comments

[shiro2hero]

[He honestly can't believe he's about to say this -- It's never really been a possibility. But, even if it's just a hypothetical, what can it hurt to ask?]

What about... de-integration?

[asafepairofhands]

Hmmm.

[Ratchet pauses for a moment, considering.]

That... can get tricky. [He eyes Shiro, his optics sharp and bright.] And since you're not the one in need of help I'd need to talk to the actual subject, get some more information. Best to have it come from the source, you understand.

[shiro2hero]

Yeah. I understand.

[So he won't get into specifics then!!] But hypothetically... is that in your ability? If you did have more information to go on?

[asafepairofhands]

Depends on the information I'd get.

[Ratchet watches the MID screen hard.]

I wouldn't want to get anyone's hopes up.

[shiro2hero]

I honestly can't say how much is available. For a lot of reasons.

[Like crippling memory loss.]

... If we talked privately, and you don't mind me being a little tongue tied over talking to someone like you, would that help?

[Since he's being honest and all - he's probably going to stare a lot at the giant, intelligent robot Doctor.]

[asafepairofhands]

Come to medical and I'll see what I can do.

[He correctly infers Shiro's meaning, tries not to sigh, and gets ready to spend a while as a holomatter avatar.]

No trouble at all.

[shiro2hero]

... Thank you.

[He'll head that way in a second.]

[But wow, rude, Ratchet. He meant that in a good way. You're the second best robot he's seen yet -- after the Lions anyway.]

[asafepairofhands]

[Look, he doesn't know! So when Shiro gets to the medbay he sees a medium-height human instead of a fifteen-foot robot with claws for hands. The voice is familiar, though.]

I never quite caught your name. He reaches out a hand, scarred at the wrist, to shake Shiro's.] I'm Ratchet.

[shiro2hero]

[Well that. Is not what he expected. If anything, he looks more taken aback by the sudden appearance of another human than the robot. Humans are weird to see these days, after all. Robots? Nah that's tame.]

[Once he gets his wits back, and looks at that hand for a beat... His own slides out of where he'd shoved it into his pocket. Funny - the more human beings around, the easier it is to be self-conscious about it.]

Sorry - I was expecting someone taller.

[Metal fingers grasp the holomatter's hand. Obvious and alien.]

Shiro. Thanks for meeting me.

[asafepairofhands]

[Ratchet's too-vivid electric blue eyes widen and he actually laughs, short and surprised, the sound warm.]

That's got to be the most polite way anybody's ever told me 'I expected you to be fifteen feet high and made of metal,' I have to say. [His return handshake is firm and unhesitating despite the strange lack of give under his palm. Having fingers again is a little weird.] This is a hard light avatar. Better for being in small spaces and--I've found--sometimes better for meeting people.

[shiro2hero]

Well... Hang around with alien diplomats long enough, you pick up more than you thought.

[Thanks Allura -- for being a level head around all of the weird aliens they've run into so far.]

[Half of him expected more of a reaction -- but, then again, this is someone whose entire body is made of metal and wiring. So maybe it's not that odd.] That sounds like it'd be useful on a ship like this.

[asafepairofhands]

It was pretty nice back on Earth, too, when we were there--most of the buildings there are a pretty tight squeeze.

[He nods to Shiro's arm, but doesn't reach for it.]

So, what seems to be the trouble?

[shiro2hero]

I can imagine. Probably easier not to cause panic too, right?

[The wry, almost amused tone fades as the topic turns to why they're here. One more hesitation, before he slowly pulls the rest of his sleeve up off the metal limb. From fingertip to mid-bicep.]

This. Mostly. I... [*I was grasping at straws when you popped up and kind of hoped someone made of metal would be able to tell me it's not packed with homicidal AI* is a lot harder to say than he thought. So he aborts that idea.]

You want a verbal or written list?

[asafepairofhands]

[Ratchet chuffs a soft laugh and offers a hand to take Shiro's prosthetic one, but doesn't grab without asking.]

How about you tell me while I take a look?

[shiro2hero]

[A beat of hesitation, before he extends it out, letting Ratchet take the arm. Accepting that wordless offer.]

I'll tell you what I can. It's not much, unfortunately.

[asafepairofhands]

Let me know if anything I do is painful or uncomfortable at all. Until I find some way to actually lift raw data from this thing, I have no way of knowing if I'm hurting you if you don't tell me.

[Ratchet's grip is firm but careful--it's a relief to have hands again for a little while, even if they give oddly against the warm metal of Shiro's hand as he presses both thumbs steadily against the middle of Shiro's palm.]

Can you feel that?

[shiro2hero]

Considering what it can do, I don't think that's going to be an issue.

[Despite what he says, he really doesn't sound thrilled about it. He just lets the not-actually-a-man press the hand around. At least, this way, he doesn't have to worry about it going off and hurting someone.]

Not really. I know you're doing it. But it isn't... it's hard to explain.

[Like the whole story behind this stupid arm. His expression turns distant.] I... don't know where it came from. Or how I got it -- I'm sorry I can't be clearer. You're the first person who's ever really looked at it like this.

[Without treating it like a weapon or a science project or a wifi hub PIDGE.]

[asafepairofhands]

What can it do? [Ratchet moves slowly up Shiro's wrist and forearm, palpitating carefully against the edges of plating and running slow, fascinated fingertips along the joint of his elbow.] And why can't you tell me more about it?

[shiro2hero]

... I've used it to cut holes in the hulls of a ship the same size as this one. Or close to it. [And it came away without so much as a scratch. He moves the metal fingers slowly, extending and making a fist.] It's a weapon.

[A beat. And he blows out a breath.]

Because I don't remember anything about when it was attached or where it came from.

[asafepairofhands]

Damn.

[Ratchet sounds grudgingly impressed as he works up Shiro's bicep, frowning faintly.]

That is... unfortunate. [Thank you, Chief Medical Officer Understatement.] But hopefully I can reverse-engineer enough of this to be able to give you some more information, at least.

[shiro2hero]

[The single word earns a half-smirk from him, though it's more from vague embarrassment than anything.]

You could say that.

[All of that. And that's leaving out the part where it activated without his consent once or twice. Or the apparent Evil Empire WiFi installed in it.]

Knowing anything at all would mean... I can't even tell you what it would mean.

[asafepairofhands]

[Ratchet frowns a little, his eyes flicking up to Shiro's face, his eyes just a few shades too intense to be natural and his gaze piercing, searching Shiro's face for a moment before his own expression softens a little.]

Yeah. I'll need to run more extensive testing, but I'll see what I can do.

[shiro2hero]

[He knows he's being looked at. And keeps his eyes averted. Mostly because hell if he knows how to respond to that look. Short of nodding.]

Looks like I'll have time. If it's not a problem.

[asafepairofhands]

[Ratchet nods and plucks at Shiro's sleeve, frowning thoughtfully.]

Let me take a look at where it connects for a minute, if you don't mind.

[shiro2hero]

[He debates trying to roll the sleeve up further, but... that's probably going to result in the fabric performing a mutiny.]

[So instead... he nods, and just goes to peel his whole shirt off. Part of him thinking, maybe, somehow, a robot from another world won't actually connect the ugly, old marks all over him to what they are.]

[Scars that match the one across his face.]

Sure.

[There's probably more scarring around the connection whatever the heck that looks like thanks canon]