Late in the evening, and Shred is in the med lab, leaning against a console. For the past few days she has been working non-stop on repairing the injuries of her fellow Decepticons, mostly just minor things, however, her doing so has been taking its toll upon her, she has sprung a number of coolant leaks, and other minor afflictions.
Robustus walks into med bay to check on Shred since he's been worried about her ever since she got that Nucleon inflicted 'gift', though to him it is more like a curse. He walks over to her and sets his hands on her shoulders, "Hey there busy lady, got some free time for awhile?" he asks.
Shred looks up to Robustus with a faint smile as he puts his hand upon her shoulder, ”Well.. I think so.. I think I have fixed everyone who's come into the med bay today...” she takes a moment to look at her hands, "I just now feel like hell." Then after a moment, she winces, ”Slaggit all.. your shoulders are way out of alignment, aren't they?"
Robustus nods a little to that, "Yes, I have been meaning to ask you to look at them but seems like we barely have any time alone." he murmurs softly, "I wish I could make the pain go away Shred. Perhaps a distraction is in order... later."
Shred nods faintly, ”Yeah.. might be a good idea. But first, let's get your shoulders realigned. The linger I am around the afflicted, the more I notice it. And when I next see Megatron I am gonna strap him down and repair his slagging arm."
Robustus nods to that, moving to a med table and getting onto it. "I think he left it that way as a reminder to get the Autobot that did the injury back for it. It's not really infected or anything as of yet, but we can keep tabs on it."
Shred nods, but she frowns, holding up her own arm. In the corresponding place, her armor has cracked. "Yeah well, I am not willing to suffer for his getting himself hurt. Cracked armor is a vulnerability I don't like having to contend with. My Self-repair systems are doing NOTHING with this sympathetic damage." sighing, she moves to remove the appropriate armor from Robustus' back, and to cleanly begin by detaching his right arm, so she can work more easily on the alignment of the struts.
Robustus nods as he relaxes and turns off his own pain receptors, not that you'd feel such of course. "I am worried that you won't be able to do your job if we get someone in here that is near death."
Shred sighs, shuttering her optics, "I'll manage, Rob. I will just have to work fast in that situation. "A few minutes tinkering and Rob's right arm is reattached, so she moves onto his left.
Robustus looks over to you and nods slowly, "If it gets too much for you I will have to insist you step out Shred. We have already nearly lost you once as it is when you had that spark issue."
Shred frowns, but she nods, "I know, Rob. I know that all too well. " she reaches into the shoulder joint now, and completely removes three bent struts, "Those are no good. I'll get them replaced."
Robustus looks over at the shoulder you are working on, "One too many times lifting big mechs... I should do better in my own care." he notes, then looking back to you, "Now I have a reason to do so."
Shred smiles, and she nods, soon getting out replacement struts.. these ones are reinforced. "Hey, we both have reason to be careful.. These new struts should be more resilient. They are polycarbon-reinforced." hooking them in, she grins as she prepares to reattach your arm.
Robustus nods to that, "Indeed we do." he agrees, then smiles, "Good idea."
Shred smirks as she reattaches the arm, "I do get them occasionally. There, how's that feel?"
Robustus reactivates his pain receptors and sits up so he can go through a few of range of motion movements. "Feels great. Thank you."
Shred nods, "Good.. glad about that...” she somewhat collapses now onto the table herself.
Robustus blinks and gets off the table, "Shred?" his concerned tone apparent, hands moving to wrap around your middle in a gentle hug. "Maybe you should get some recharge time in." he murmurs.
Shred groans, ”I.. think I need my own systems running through Rob. "
Robustus nods and sets you on the table, "I'll do that. Just relax." he tells you softly, moving to get armor off your chassis so he can work on what needs tending to as he scans things over.
Shred nods, laying down with a sigh, on her front. There are a myriad of lesser injuries within her, and a lot of her armor seems to have degraded too. According to the logs, she's had about thirty patients with various injuries the past solar cycle.
Robustus frowns at the armor condition as he takes it off, he does check the list of patients and frowns. "Primus." he mutters softly, then moves back, "All med drones online, assistance protocol one point three." he commands. This gets all the drones to stir and wheel over to various areas, "Subject: Shred. Access last thirty patients then go into the storage area and bring me the corresponding parts for subject Shred."
Shred remains laying still, while the drones collect the suitable components to give her systems the renovations she needs. "I've been working my aft off the past solar cycle...”
Robustus inclines his head to that, the drones bring in parts on rolling carts. "Next time ask me to help you." he states firmly, "Less exposure you have to a patient the better. Use the drones too." he begins to work on the more crucial things he can see. Each drone sets up at an extremity and begins to work as well.
Shred hrms, "Ok Rob, I will.. Sorry for makin' ya worry.. but I know you also need your recharge time...” internally she has deactivated her pain receptors; however her damage report systems are all lit up like Christmas tree.
Robustus is a focused mech once he's at work repairing, "Not at the expense of yours Shred. If you need help, radio me and I'll come help you. Megatron made it clear that all his troops are to be at peak performance that includes us as well. Besides I enjoy what time I can get with you alone."
Shred smiles softly, and she nods, "I enjoy it too, Rob.. Even now.. well, if you weren't needing to fix me.. well, at least we are alone, and together...”
The drones work their way along each extremity they are attending to, armor has long since pulled off, each length of line for energon, coolant, and lubrication are being checked as is wiring. Anything they find wrong they either fix or replace outright. "We should get away again to that little hiding place of yours again soon."
Shred smiles for all of a nanocycle, before her face falls...”Rob, I don't think I would make it there now, not like this."
Robustus chuckles, "I meant later Shred. Right now it’s all about getting you better."
Shred shakes her head, "No, Rob, you don't get it. Or it simply hasn't occurred to you." sighing softly as she lets Rob and the drones continue to work. "If I am like this from having spent a day performing minor repairs, what is going to happen to me in the time it takes us to get to my hideaway beneath dead end?"
Robustus pauses a moment in his work as you mention that and he realizes. "Oh Primus." he frowns and shakes his head. "I suppose we will find another place to safely ensconce ourselves."
Shred nods faintly, "Yeah, I guess we will.. oh well, it's the world we live in I guess, huh? I am sure we can find somewhere."
Robustus nods as keeps to his task, the drones doing the same. "Well considering that Goa and Slipstream must have found somewhere to go I am sure we can do the same." he points out. "Oh that reminds me she mentioned to me that her nucleon given abilities have nearly gone their course and she's near to normal now."
Shred nods, and she smiles, "I see.. We'd best relay that information to Megatron, hadn't we?" As Robustus keeps working, he'll notice that her fuel lines are constantly shining brighter than energon, quite naturally considering her systems now running on Nucleon. "And Rob.. you be careful.. I don't want you to get any of the nucleon from my systems on you...”
Robustus blinks to that, then nods, "And the drones?" he asks with a little smile, by now they probably got something on them. He checks his hands and sighs, "Well I'll live with whatever happens, it’s more important I get you back on your feet."
Shred hmms, "With the drones, it's pretty much unavoidable unfortunately. but they can at least have the shells replaced. To make sure they will not contaminate anything else."
Robustus continues working away, whatever is degraded is removed and replaced. "I'll have to throw all these parts into the slag furnace to keep the contamination down." he notes, "Might have to get you new armor too at this point. But I suppose that's a good excuse to give you better armor."
Shred nods, "I agree Rob.. though I think Megatron would prefer it if it was possible to reclaim the nucleon...” she shivers faintly, "This stuff's more dangerous than I imagined...”
Robustus hmms, "I'll keep it somewhere safe until one of us talks to Megatron about it." by now the drones have finished the extremities and are working on replacing armor that isn't degraded back onto your chassis, new armor is put in place as well. "May have to consider some nucleon resistant parts and armor for you so you aren't continually in a state of disrepair Shred. That or have you quit being a medic."
Shred frowns, ”I can't quit as a medic, Robustus. If I suffer the damage in here, how bad is it likely to be out on the battlefield?"
Robustus grimaces at the thought, "Worse." he sighs, "That nucleon is more of a curse than a blessing. It could have killed Slipstream easily when it forced that spark merge separation."
Shred nods, "I know, all too well. And.. I am a little scared about the possibility of what might happen if I myself am injured."
Robustus frowns to that, "I think we need to have Megatron speak to Fumik about this stuff. See if we can get some answers." he looks toward your face, into your optics, "I don't want to lose you. Not over that stuff."
Shred nods, "I agree, Rob... I don't want to die. And this stuff.. It’s ruining my life...”
Robustus instructs the drones what to do with the parts and armor for now as he is nearing completion of his work. "Not just your life, Shred."
Shred sighs softly, "The readings giving any indication of how long it will be in my system?"
Robustus finishes up as the drones move in to place armor onto your chassis while he cleans his hands, not that it will help if the nucleon is on them. "I suspect as long as it has in Slipstream thus far, perhaps I should put you on medical leave until this is over with.. I rather have you healthy."
Shred nods, pushing herself up into a seated position, “I know what you mean Rob.. but it's not as if I can just hide from the injured, is it, really?"
Robustus turns toward you and nods, "Not really no." he approaches you and smiles a little, "So feeling better?"
Shred smiles, and she nods, "Much better, thanks Rob." she gets up, and wanders over to kiss him on the cheek.
If she thinks she'll get away with just a chaste cheek kiss then she'd be sorely wrong as he turns toward that kiss to claim her lips for a good ten seconds before he release them, "Anytime." he smiles
Shred chuckles as Rob releases the kiss, "You're just too good to me, Rob.. but I am thinking we should destroy the nucleon. The effects it has had so far.. Who knows what else could happen."
Robustus hugs you gently to him, "Not good enough by my estimation." he murmurs softly then a frown, "That would earn Megatron's wrath. I am sure he wants to try it himself. I say let him and learn firsthand how dangerous it truly is then fling it in Fumik's face."
Shred nods, and she then smiles darkly, "It's tempting to put it into fusion shells for Megatron to power his cannon with...”
Robustus idly strokes his hands over your wings, "Suggest it to him, for now though Shred I think you should get a long recharge and relax."
Shred mms, shivering faintly, "I.. think you are right about that.. I do need to rest."
Robustus nods, "Don't make me carry you to your recharge berth Shred, because I will."
Shred giggles, "Oh, go on then!"
Robustus smirks and moves to scoop you up into his arms, "Asked for it. Now you know there will be talking among the warriors that we hooked up." he points out.
Shred chuckles, "So? let them talk. it's nothing to be ashamed of."
Robustus carries you through the science facility. "No its not." he agrees with a smile.
Shred smiles as she is carried, "It will be fun to make protoforms with you."
Robustus intones, "I believe it will be more fun making the sparks that go into them.. but that's just me."
Shred chuckles, "Oh, that goes without saying, Rob...”
Robustus uses his jet boots to lower down the wind shaft to the barracks floor, where he lands gently, "Maybe I should take you in your berth and really get some talking going on." a teasing tone to his vocals.