"I didn't sign on to end the lives of others..."

“That’s yours to to ke-ep.” Squeaker nodded as she spoke, “Ev-en if you even if you can’t get use-d to anything else you need to get used to or at least tolerant of of sca-nning. It’ll sa-ve from a lot of w-orry even after you’re eve-n after you’re hea-led.”

If his caution was due to his past all she could do was hope her words would ease his mind about the process– maybe even convince him to use the little device.

Because maybe she could make sure things went better for him, that he took care of himself rather than do the things she did. And maybe she was worrying too much; other than his fall he looked like he was doing fine. He most likely didn’t need her fussing over him but…

It was her nature.

She smiled a little at his comment, “Yes avoiding pain is generally a a go-od thing.”

But then the MiniBot fell silent, optics narrowed but unfocused. She had just the thing in mind! But couldn’t remember what, or where, it was. It was most likely stress, Buzzstrike had nearly given her a spark attack after all.

Squeaker’s entire body seemed to light up when he said he was looking forward to seeing her ship. “Yeah! It wou-ld be nice to nice to sh-ow it it to you.”

While the ship was rather sacred to her, as it had been a sort of therapy to restore something, she was proud of her handiwork.

Of all the things to be given for his own, Buzzstrike would never have expected a medical scanner. Still…  “There have been times this would have come in very handy,” he admitted. “And probably will again. My brothers and I - can be a bit trouble-prone.”

(Don’t admit what the lot of you are capable of, not yet - maybe never, she seems a kind-sparked mecha but so very many can be tempted by power…)

He stuffed the unease that thought caused down deep and took another look at the scanner. A touch of an easily-identified power button brought it online; the small screen displayed clear and simple instructions for its use. It seemed straightforward enough.

“Might as well give it a try,” he murmured. Managing to grimace only a little when he opened his medical port, Buzz chose the proper cable, plugged the scanner in and followed the directions to start the cycle. The small device hummed for a klik or two then gave a quiet chime.

[Mild to moderate cable strain and protoform swelling,] it read. [Resolving. Self-repair systems satisfactory, predict full recovery in 7 - 10 solar cycles. Frame alignment within normal tolerance levels. Recommend: limited physical exertion, mineral supplements with fuel (list appended), pain blockers as needed on physician’s discretion.]

He gave a small ex-vent of relief and turned the screen for Squeaker to see. “There, read for yourself. Just a few more days of taking it easy.”  

(Bee gives him SUCH a big hug, with a nuzzle against the top of his head for good measure.)

Loooove love love love love!

“I suppose you’re right ab-out that” Squeaker huffed, “just don’t push yourself too much. You do-n’t need to be in you don’t need to be in pain.”

Her tone had turned slightly pleading as she reached into subspace, pulling out a small scanner. While she could use standard-sized scanners they were too big and clunky for her to wield comfortably. Or fit well in her subspace compartment.

She held the small device out to Buzzstrike.

“I bet.” Squeaker nodded, “I’ll find something. And if I can’t I know some bots who who mi-ght. I think I have some have some wire casi-ng from when I was putting the ship together and some nice strong fiber from….” She frowned, “somewhere? Primus I just looked at that.”

Squeaker beamed back at him. “I’m glad.”

She shrugged at his comment, “As you well know it’s dangerous to be to be small. It’s nice to know for sure there’s a safe space. Oh! If you fol-low the red lights and that brings you to an escape shuttle. I’ll have to show you show you around wh-en you’re feeling better.”

Buzzstrike accepted the scanner with caution (partly due to handling someone else’s property, and partly because of... unfortunate associations with medical equipment). He and his bond-brothers had only just gotten the opportunity to not push themselves to their limits and beyond; he hadn’t quite accustomed himself to the concept yet. 

Saying as much would only distress Squeaker, though, so he just gave her a wry smile and a soft, “I do prefer to avoid pain when at all possible.” 

(It just might not be avoidable for a few cycles.)

“It would have to be very strong fiber,” he began - and then paused in thought. “Or maybe some kind of wire cage padded with fiber? That might be more effective...”

sees talk of sparkeaters

Squeaker smiled, relieved that Buzzstrike took the medicine, but that relief quickly faded into a worried frown. Her tone was pleading, nearly desperate, when she spoke, “Buzzstrike, pl-eas-e… don’t do do th-at to yourself. I kn-ow that’s just how that’s just ho-w you ma-nage things in a la-… in a in a p-lace l-ike th-at but that’s over now.” She paused for a long moment.

“… You ca-n use a use a a medi-cal scanner, I got the sm-all size, and plenty of ki-ts around. You c-an have one if you if you want.” She spoke quietly now, tapping her fingers together. She used to do the same sort of thing back there, it carried on for vorns afterwards. Primus. If she could prevent a bot from making the same mistakes… At least convince him to at least find a healthier method of monitoring his healing. And maybe someday he’ll have healed enough to not need to constantly measure it.

“Perhaps. But ke-ep in mind keep in mind ever-ything can be fixed. I’m not gonna get mad at at you if so-mething happens.” She grinned back at him, “I’ll ju-st n-eed to to find the find the ma-terials.”

The purple MiniBot hovered worriedly as he got down, he wanted to do it on his own. She understood it. She wouldn’t want any more help than she needed either. Though she knew she had no need to be, she was worried he’d cause himself more pain. When she was in training many bots would be far too rough on their bodies.

“Just do-wn down here, mind the wall, there’s a moving panel to a to a a tunn-el in every hall and roo-m.” She warned, patting his shoulder gently. “You doing oka-y?”

Squeaker coulldn’t even bear to say the word ‘lab?’ Buzzstrike thought she must have had it even worse in hers than he and his brothers had. He still had nightmares about some of the procedures the scientists put him through, but while hearing about a laboratory made him uneasy the mere word didn’t freeze his processing.

 Her mention of medical scanners won a confused frown. “I appreciate the offer, and it could come in handy for some things, but - a baseline scanner won’t be able to tell me when I don’t need the blocker anymore. It won’t be able to judge my pain level, because it doesn’t know my pain tolerance.” Or at least, he didn’t think it could know that without collecting a lot more detailed information on him than he was comfortable with.

“Maybe most things can be fixed, but I’d like to keep any repairs to a minimum if at all possible." He glanced over his shoulder at his bladewings. “I don’t know exactly what went into - and onto - these, but they’re very durable and sharp.” As she had no doubt seen for herself by the way they had cut into rock cliffs and left him stuck.

The Mini-Con held both servos out, palm-up, in place of the shrug that would tweak his sore cables. “You might want to start with some tough materials.”

Create your muse as a dragon then tag however many people you’d like to do the same! Remember to REPOST, do NOT REBLOG.

“Is th-ere is there any re-ason?” The purple MiniBot asked gently as she held it out to him, “I tend not to take them because it hinders my spatial perception a bit and I drive this beast.” She patted the wall fondly. “But that’s a a bad habit. If it makes you feel sick I can I can unde-rstand, and we can find som-ething else. But there is no reason for y-ou to be for you to be in a-ny pain.”

Squeaker thought for a while about what to make them out of. There were a few sturdy materials that she had on hand, but they would wear out eventually and he’d be in the same situation. Even so, it would be better than nothing. “I think I cou-ld figure something out, and if and if  not we could just co-mmission them from someone who knows what they’re k-nows what they’re doing be-tter.”

Fireflight’s carrier would know. And she needed to go restock her ship soon anyways. And she had promised to come visit then and again. Especially around *that* time of the year.

“Oh, ok-ay!” She beamed at her friend, but it quickly turned into a worried frown. The last thing he needed was the jolt that would go through his body if he jumped down. And if he was already concerned about tearing things with his blades he wouldn’t want to just slide down the side. “Can you get get down alright? I can get a can get a stool or li-ft you down if if not.”

“I’m... just not used to having them,” Buzzstrike admitted. (Except for that one time, during the last ‘fine-tuning’ of their spark casings to strengthen the bond between them - the time the scientists thought he might not survive, when they needed all seven Minis for their ultimate goal...)

He wasn’t used to not feeling pain after taking damage. “Being dosed makes it harder to judge my recovery rate by my usual scale... but you’re right that I do still need it for now.” He accepted the medicine, took it obediently enough so that it might have shocked Aerobolt.

“I would appreciate that,” he said - and added with a wry quirk of lip-plates, “and your ship will no doubt appreciate having my blades covered, too.” Even a temporary fix would help; something to tide him over until the Mini-Bot considered him recovered enough to recharge somewhere other than the foot of her own berth!