Chapter Text
Optimus was stable. And he was going to be ok.
According to Ratchet, anyways. The injuries weren't serious, it was mostly the blunt force trauma of Lugnut's explosion that caused the most damage. The shrapnel in his plating was mostly surface wounds.
Regardless, as the medic did final workups, and closed up the last of Optimus' wounds, Beta-04 watched like a sentinel from the corner.
The others had dispersed once their injuries had been tended too. Bee had driven Sari home, Bulkhead was working on some new art project and Prowl was up in the rafters doing . . . whatever it was he was doing.
Beta tilted her helm as she watched the old medic sigh and pull away, setting his tools aside and stretching out his back. Optimus was still out cold on the medical berth, his chassis rising and falling as he cycled air through his tanks. Ratchet began cleaning up his tools, his voice carrying out, addressing the tall figure watching him,
"How many times do I gotta tell ya, he's gonna be fine." He said over his shoulder, not bothering to look at her, "You can go."
"I'm good right here." her voice carried from behind her mask.
Ratchet sighed, and turned to face her, "I know your kind, kid. You're all about the fight, and the quickest way to dismantle the enemy-- but if anyone gets hurt, it's your fault." He put his servos on his hips, "Classic martyr complex."
"Oh, so you're a shrink now?" Beta's sarcastic tone struck like an icy whip, as she pushed herself off the wall and approached him, "How bout you butt out of my business, and shut it?" she snarled.
Ratchet glared right back at her, "You may be able to scare off bots with that act, my dear, but you don't scare this old medic." he jabbed a digit to himself.
Beta's shoulders slumped, and her masked face turned away from him, "Wasn't trying to." she huffed softly, before she shouldered past him and approached Optimus' form, "From day one of training it is pounded into you, engrained into the fabric of your being that you are to never let your emotions dictate how you operate in a battle. I got caught up in a squabble. An argument. And this is the result." she gestured to Optimus, before turning to Ratchet,
"If I were back on Cybertron I would be subjected to corporal punishment. And I would've put my helm down and taken it." Beta snapped at him, before she sighed.
"Well, this isn't Cybertron. " Ratchet retorted with a snort, "And that type of punishment hasn't happened since the dark days."
The tall femme only gave a noncommittal grunt in response as she pushed her way past Ratchet and approached Optimus' unconscious form, her optics scanning him up and down anxiously.
Ratchet gathered the rest of his tools, "Nothing more to do, accept for him to wake up. Which he will. Because he is fine." He stood up and shuffled away to attend to other matters.
Beta watched him go with an arched brow, before she turned her gaze back to Optimus. Slowly, she took a step closer, and gently sat down at his bedside. She draped her arms over her thighs and steepled her digits, just . . . waiting. The dull, repetitive beep of the spark monitor lulled her into a limbo of sorts as she continued to wait, and wait,
And wait.
Hours she stayed like this, until the sun sank below the skyline and night claimed the city of Detroit. Her optics began to grow heavy, placated by the urge to sleep. Until a faint groan from beside her jarred her from her limbo. Beta looked over to see Optimus begining to stir. Slowly, the mech sat up and rubbed his optics with the palms of his servos.
"Hiya, sleeping beauty." The femme teased with a low chuckle.
Optimus dropped his servos into his lap, and turned his helm to her, blinking his big, blue optics, ". . . Wh-wha?"
Beta went as stiff as a board as she stared at him, Holy Frag he's so stinking cute . . . she thought to herself, before responding, maintaining her even, low voice, "Nothin' by it. Just . . . glad you're awake." she mumbled.
"What happened?" he asked, blinking at her curiously.
Beta sighed, "Lugnut blew us up -- blew you up. Because I let my emotions take over." she worked her servos over, aggressively wringing out her digits, "I'm sorry."
Ugh. The word tasted sour in my mouth. Beta thought bitterly as she stared at her pedes.
Optimus sat up a bit more, rubbing his helm, "Ow . . ." he seethed through his dentals, "Its ok, Beta, we make mistakes." he looked up at her.
Beta scoffed and shook her head, "Not a mistake like that." She replied, "I let my anger blind me. I let myself get into a petty squabble."
Optimus shifted in pain, before looking over at her, "It wasn't petty." He said, "And . . . I'm sorry, too."
Beta-04's shouldered lowered, "You're sorry? Why?"
Optimus rubbed his servos together, his brow furrowed, "You were right back there -- reading it in a data log isn't the same thing as living through it. I didn't validate that. And I'm sorry."
Beta sighed heavily, lifting her gaze to him, "Its a new team, and a new dynamic. I'm used to either riding solo, or being in charge. Let's just agree that there's an adjustment period, ok?"
Optimus nods, as his derma curled into a smile, "Sounds good to me."
"Good." Beta-04 then stood up, "Glad you're ok." She murmured.
Optimus' audio finals perked up, as he watched Beta-04 leave the medical wing, before he sighed and lay back down to continue resting.