(no subject)

[socrowdedinhere]

Jumps: *he was shaking, he's nervous, so yes, a distraction. He comes over by TC.* He sounds like a wonderful mech. Mind if I ask how you met? *TC will only manage a sentence or so before he's out. Never even felt the stick of the needle.*

*TC will wake later in the same position he was in before. He might even pick up where his thoughts left off.*

TC: No, I don't mind. My last master - most of my masters - used me…as a…gladia-… *is out . . . falters as he wakes again, sluggish and confused* A-a…gladiator . . . doctor? *looking around, can tell something's off - what happened?*

Jumps: *pats TC's arm.* I'm here. They used you as a gladiator?

TC: Y-yes . . . what happened? Are you finished? *has never been gently knocked out or woken so easily before*

Jumps: *smiles* Yup. All done. Just got to clean up a bit, give the rest of your body time to recover from the procedure, then you can go back to your family.

TC: *nods* Thank you, sir. *just…lays chilling there another moment or so for now*

Jumps: You were telling me how you met Sundance...? *he /wants/ to know Sun as best he can so he can have that connection that drives him to give his best for each patient*

TC: Mn? Oh, ah . . . I was a gladiator when my master took me to an illegal, underground event one night. My last…"match", if you could call it that, was to toy with a minibot they threw in the ring with me. There was someone who wanted him to be taught a lesson. I did as little as I could get away with . . . wasn't until after that, as I was carrying him back to the waiting room that I learned who he was. My wingmate Skywarp had been purchased and freed recently by the same minibot. Warp hadn't even realized he was missing yet. And the mech who'd botnapped him hadn't known that Warp was free, that technically Sun /couldn't/ put him back in the arenas, at least not unless Warp chose to himself. Skywarp was a champion gladiator like I was. So was Starscream. Anyway, I delayed my master and the other fragger as best I could while Skywarp got the cops there to arrest them and free Sun. Eh . . . Master Sundance.  With my master facing charges, I was up for grabs, and Master Sundance took me in, both to help /me/ and to let me be reunited with my wingmate.

Jumps: It's rare to find one who cares so much. I'm glad you found him. I swear I'll do all I can to help you keep him. *offers TC a hand to help him sit up*

TC: *nods* Especially for a slave, and a gladiator who just spent several joors tormenting him. Mn, thank you, sir. *accepting the hand up* He said, though, that he could tell I was doing less than I could, that I didn't really want to hurt him. Still… *shakes his head - he'll never be over that*

Jumps: Sounds like the understanding sort. Come on. It's time I give him his next treatment.

TC: *nods, very ready to follow and return to his family*

Jumps: *will bring TC back and head in to see to Sun*

Zero: *shifts to TC and gives his shoulder a light squeeze*

Comments

[dragondancer5150]

TC: *taps the tip of his wing to Zero's back* I'm fine now. Or so Doc says. Did I miss anything? *not that he really thinks he might have*

[socrowdedinhere]

Stars: No change. *his wingmates will know how worried he is...*

[dragondancer5150]

Warp: *wringing his hands*
TC: ............Doctor...how long does it usually last? Before...before a patient finally goes one way or the other for sure.

[socrowdedinhere]

Jumps: ...It's hard to say. Starting from the time they begin to purge, many pass within the first day. Those that do don't usually last more than a decacycle. The few that have lasted longer are the few that have survived, and one was in stasis for nearly a vorn. If he makes it, it could be a long time before he wakes. But know that the longer he lasts, the more likely it is that he /will/ eventually wake.

[dragondancer5150]

Warp: That's...that's crazy. How does that even /work/? *not really doubting, just reacting*
TC: ......he's made it through his first day. What are his chances of making it a decacycle?

[socrowdedinhere]

Jumps: ...About twenty-percent of those who survived the first day made it a full decacycle.

[dragondancer5150]

TC: ..........it's an improvement, at least.
Warp: Yeah, but . . . what do we do in the meantime? *he's exhausted - they all are, no one rested much at all last night*

[socrowdedinhere]

Jumps: You get some rest and take care of yourselves. Visit and talk to him each day, you're welcome to arrange to have one of you here at all times if you want. Because of his condition normal visiting hours won't apply for you, but you need to look after yourselves as well.

[dragondancer5150]

TC: *nods, glancing around at the others while still addressing Jumps* We'll work something out, and I'll arrange with my team.

[socrowdedinhere]

Jumps: ...I'm afraid you'll have to arrange it with your new master, Thundercracker. The moment he started purging his internals the courts deemed him dead, and will only reverse that if he wakes.
Sky: I'm his master now. Subzero's too. Thundercracker, Subzero, I'm pulling you temporarily from your or work. You will coordinate with Starscream and Skywarp so at least one of you is with Sundance at all times. If you're not with him you're to be resting or fueling. *pulls his gaze from Sun to look between TC and Zero.* This order stands for the decacycle or...if he passes. *looks at TC.* I'll let Inspector Turboslide know, I'm sure he'll understand and coordinate his team.
Zero: *small smile and nods* Yes, sir.

[dragondancer5150]

TC: *wings flick at being pulled from work* Sir, with all due respect, I can do a lot more good, for myself and for others, if I'm allowed to work when I'm not here. *please don't make him be idle, he's not an idle kind of mech, the time will pass too slowly and he doesn't look forward to getting stuck in his own head*

[socrowdedinhere]

Sky: *looks at him* If you're not here you need to be in recharge. Unless you plan to only spend a short time here...?

[dragondancer5150]

TC: *it's not that he doesn't want to be here for Sun's sake, just... - bows* As Master commands.
Warp: *quietly, knowing TC tends to brood in a situation like this* Not like you'd be here alone, TC. You'd have me or Screamer or Zero here with ya, right? *glancing at the other two*

[socrowdedinhere]

Sky: *steps to TC resting a hand on his shoulder.* I'm not trying to take your choices away, I'm trying to give you as much time with him as you need. If you /want/ to work, then we'll talk.
Zero: Warp is right too, you'd not be here alone, if that helps at all.

[dragondancer5150]

TC: *nods* It does. Thank you.
Warp: *to Sky* TC tends ta get all broody an' drepressed real bad if ya leave 'im alone too long, especially if he's worried about somethin'.
TC: *wings /flick/ again, shoulders squaring in annoyance…but it's only the truth, so he lets it go*
Warp: *ignores him - to Stars and Zero* How 'bout this, we bring in the holoplayer an' play his favorite shows for him? When we're not talkin', I mean.

[socrowdedinhere]

Zero: I think that sounds like a great idea. Perhaps we can go pick that up now...?

[dragondancer5150]

Warp: *nods* We'll be back. Uh…if that's okay? *to Sky, since he's technically taking one of the mech's slaves*

[socrowdedinhere]

Sky: *nods* Of course. *turns to TC.* I'm going to arenage for you to be off work for the decacycle. /Please/ say something if you decide you want to go back sooner for /any/ reason. I do understand the feeling of needing to do something even when there's nothing you can do. *like when Cloud was found and all he could do was wait for an arrest to be made.*

[dragondancer5150]

Warp: *nods and heads out with Zero*
TC: I…need something to do, sir. Even if it's something to work on while I sit here.

[socrowdedinhere]

Sky: *nods and motions for TC to sit with him.* Then let's talk a out what you want to do.

[dragondancer5150]

TC: ………. Yes, sir. *shifts over to sit - he's already said what he wants to do…?*

[socrowdedinhere]

*No he hasn't. He's said he wants to keep busy, even if that's just something to do whole here.*
Sky: So you have something in mind for you to keep busy with while here?

[dragondancer5150]

TC: ……….no, sir. Honestly, I'd prefer to be allowed to continue to work around my time here with Sundance. But if you require me to stay here when I'm not recharging… *let him find /something/ to do? . . . looks at Sun* It's not that I don't want to be here, that I don't want to support Sun. It's just . . . I can't just sit here doing nothing for the next decacycle. Let me serve him knowing I'm doing what he'd want me to be doing. Helping others.

[socrowdedinhere]

Sky: *also looks at Sun...and nods* All right. What hours? *or does TC still plan to work full time? As an officer his shifts are two days, with him fueling and recharging at the station then taking a day off before his next shift.*

[dragondancer5150]

TC: *relieved* Thank you, sir. *thinks about it a moment and offers a few suggestions, though he'd also like to get Turbo and Twin in on the convo just to make sure things are covered for them, or if there's something they know about that he doesn't, or whatever might be the case…could be there's some kind of protocol he doesn't know about already in place for officers in this kind of situation, for example*

[socrowdedinhere]

Sky: *agreea about speaking with his boss and colleague before settling on anything, but otherwise agrees to TC's schedule.*

[dragondancer5150]

TC: *thanks him again, feeling better about things . . . with that, he'll move over with Stars and…find something to talk about, aloud, for Sun's sake*

[socrowdedinhere]

*the day will pass. Turbo and Twin will stop by, chatting with TC and Sky about TC working. Twin tries to talk TC out of it, but Turbo understands and Twin is brought around shortly after. TC will work the schedule he had suggested. And so the decacycle will crawl by. There are some close calls, a few scares, but Sun is hanging on.*
Jumps: He's made it through the worstbof it. There's still no guarantee that he'll make it, but his chances have gotten better.

[dragondancer5150]

https://socrowdedinhere.dreamwidth.org/286829.html?thread=5898093#cmt5898093

[dragondancer5150]

*TC tells Sun about his day each, the people he encounters - those he helps and those he helps put away - as well as reading to him, mostly nonfictions or news articles. Warp also goes back to work part-time and pseudo-bounces ideas off Sun for future projects, as well as tells him all about the shows he's missing that they usually watch together, or else watches movies "with" Sun. Everyone's relieved with the decacycle passes and Sun's still holding on.*

[socrowdedinhere]

Sky: *will sit down with TC and Zero to chat.* I wanted to talk with you both about returning to regular work schedules and gisiting Sundance in the evenings. I do understand if you're not ready for that yet. I also understand from doctor Jumpstar that he could be in a coma for a long time. I just... don't want to see you completely putting your lives on hold for so long.

[dragondancer5150]

TC: ………. *slightly shaky nod* I…think that's wise, sir. Thank you.

[socrowdedinhere]

Sky: .....Talk to me? Tell me what you're thinking?

[dragondancer5150]

TC: I… *glances at Zero…shrugs* …don't really know what I'm thinking. I miss our little brother's light. I hate this endless waiting, this limbo of not knowing. Sometimes I think it'd almost be better if he were gone, because then at least it'd be over, but I don't /want/ him to die, not yet, so . . . I /do/ prefer the wait to the certainty of already having lost him. But… *shakes his head - if Stars is there, or even Zero might be able to guess…he prefers to /not/ think, honestly…because he usually does too much of it*