September 28, 2011, 1:01 AM
(Repair Depot, Iacon)
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First Aid is sitting on a berth, talking quietly with Groove, who is sitting in a chair next to it. His mask and visor are still missing, and he's hidden his damaged hand and arm against his thoracic plating, but his optics are both present and lit. There's still a drip connected to the energon port under his clavicular strut, but it appears to just be energon, the extra coolant and sedative no longer apparently necessary.
Lifeline clomps into the repair depot area, pausing to ask one of the medics on duty where exactly First Aid is currently residing.
Groove pauses mid-sentence for a moment when he catches sight of Lifeline, tilting his helm in surprise. He tries to place where he's seen the femme before, but nothing fully clicks and he returns to talking. "Of course, the priests weren't very happy with me after that."
First Aid smiles. "I bet they weren't- It probably looks kind of silly, too. I mean, why did you decide to meditate upside down in the first place?" At the angle he's sitting, he can't see the door to the repair bay.
Lifeline is directed to the correct berth area by the medic and approaches at her usual seemingly angry pace. Stopping a polite distance, she looks from Groove to First Aid and back. How does one 'knock' when there isn't a door?
Groove chuckles, shrugging mildly and leaning back in the chair. "I'm not really sure. It sounded interesting." He answers, before catching sight of the grey femme and giving her a mildly curious look. "Hello, ma'am." He greets politely, still not quite able to remember where he's seen her before.
First Aid turns to see who's there, halfway expecting it to be NPanaCea or Elita One again. "/Lifeline!/" He breathes, his entire face lighting up. "You're here! I didn't know! When- I knew you weren't a Decepticon!"
Lifeline steps closer once she's acknowledged, staying on the same side as Groove so First Aid doesn't have to try and look back and forth between them. "Of course I'm here. Did you honestly think I'd have gone to Polyhex without a really good reason?"
First Aid nearly launches himself off the berth, leaning away from Groove to throw himself at Lifeline in an exuberant hug. "I don't know! I- why didn't you tell me?!"
Lifeline catches First Aid to keep him from toppling off of the berth. "I couldn't, First Aid. There was no time and no opportunity... and you have Jazz to blame for that." She lets the convalescing mech cling for a few moments longer, then moves to help him settle back on the berth. "All right, lie back now or you might rip that supplement line loose."
First Aid lets go of Lifeline and lies back on the berth readily enough, but he doesn't stop smiling even after she's stepped back again. "I'm so glad you're here! Why were you in Polyhex in the first place? I was so worried, you disappeared and no one knew where you went and you weren't answering your comm."
Lifeline glances at Groove, then answers First Aid. "I was asked to acquire something that would have been ... difficult at best to get otherwise." She pulls the triple-changer-sized transformation cog out of her subspace pocket and sets it gently on First Aid's chest. "I couldn't tell anyone about the plans in case someone got suspicious and decided to ask."
First Aid touches the cog, staring at it intently. "This is.. for Groove?" He glances at his brother too. "To replace the cog that he lost?"
Groove's optics widen when Lifeline pulls out the cog, and he shrinks back in his chair a little. "...You had to go all the way to Polyhex to get that for me?" He asks quietly, guilt leaking into his tone.
Lifeline nods. "Jazz and Ratchet asked me to try to get this cog from the medical stores in Polyhex, because it would be far easier and quicker to rework an existing one than to try and forge a new one completely from scratch. This was the only way we could think of."
"That- that's crazy, Lifeline, you're not an Autobot- you could have been killed!" First Aid looks somewhere between completely shocked and horrified, although he quickly reins in the expression. "I mean, thank you- but... that's a terrible chance to ask you to take!"
Lifeline shrugs slightly. "It worked, and it's done. So rev down before you overheat or something."
Groove frowns, suddenly becoming very interested in the floor. "...thank you for that, ma'am. I'm sorry you had to do something so dangerous to fix my mistake." He says after a few moments, scuffing his foot over the floor uncomfortably.
"Thank you, Lifeline." First Aid says, more seriously. "You shouldn't have- but thanks. Did... how-" He shakes his head and restarts the thought. "Did you get me out of there?"
Lifeline frowns at Groove and looks to be about to reply to him when First Aid asks if she got him out of Polyhex. "Partly, yes. The Autobots had already planned to get me out of then when I was ready, and they simply modified their plan to include you as well. And Robustus."
"Robustus? He left? But- I knew he was upset, he helped me, talked to me- but ... he left Polyhex? What's going to happen to him?" First Aid asks.
Lifeline shakes her head. "He did leave Polyhex, with us, but I'm not sure what's going to happen to him. Right now he's in the civilian section of Iacon."
"I .. I should probably talk to him, shouldn't I? Say thank you, at least, if he helped get me out." First Aid looks conflicted, then shakes his head. "Later, I guess. I'm so glad you're safe, Lifeline, and thank you for getting Groove's cog."
Groove nods, forcing himself to look up and offer Lifeline a smile. "Yes, thank you again, ma'am. I really am sorry about the trouble."
Lifeline smiles back to both young mechs. "I'm glad I was there too, to be honest. I think it worked out for the best." She takes a moment to make sure First Aid is properly settled. "I'll leave you two to talk now while I go try to find Ratchet or NPanaCea. Don't get too rowdy in here, all right?"
First Aid nods. "We won't, Lifeline. Um... are you going to stay? In Iacon, I mean? At least for a while?"
Lifeline nods. "For a while at least." She REALLY wants to go make sure her clinic in Cubicron is all right, but she knows that now is NOT the best time to be wandering about.
"Alright- come back when you can?" First Aid says, settling back down on the berth again.
"Of course." Lifeline pats First Aid lightly (and maybe a bit awkwardly) on one leg then nods to Groove as she stows the cog away again and turns to leave.
Groove returns the nod to Lifeline, smile still in place. "We won't start any parties, promise. It was a pleasure seeing you again, ma'am."