Your POV

The darkness is almost suffocating.

Your earlier feeling of ease and calmness was gone now, replaced with a fear and pain so immense that you began to wonder if this is what death felt like.

I could join Mom... Maybe I already have...

You attempt to cast your gaze around the vast expanse of nothingness, only to realize that it was useless.

"Y/N. Y/N! Stay with me." A somewhat familiar female voice calls from the abyss, rather distantly.

Your mind reels as the voice reaches your ears, your brain scrambling to identify the source of the sound.

"Mom?" You muse aloud, though something nagging at you didn't think that the voice belonged to her. "Is that you?"

Almost as instantly as the words had left you, they registered unfamiliar with you.

I didn't say that... Did I?

You begin to take a step forward in the blackness, only to come to an extremely abrupt halt as you double over in pain, accompanied by a sudden wave of nausea washing over you.

Letting out a harsh scream, you collapse to the ground, tears rolling down your cheeks as the darkness envelopes your small, wounded form once more.

I need to get out of here... I need to go home...

****

"Drink this slowly, Y/N..." The same voice from earlier coaxes, her voice a bit closer than before.

The darkness is still all around, as is the pain, pressing in on all sides.

A sweet, sugary taste floods your taste buds, though you don't recall drinking anything of the sort.

"Let me out of here! I need to get out!" You wail once more, your own voice becoming louder as the sugary taste grows stronger.

"You're almost there, Y/N... Almost there..." That same voice whispers, now a bit louder than before.

Then, almost as if you broke through the surface of the invisible water that had seemed to compress you down, you scream once more, gasping for breath as your eyes slowly begin to open.

You had escaped the darkness, left it long behind.

"Easy, Y/N... Easy." The voice soothes, now closer than ever, the weight of someone's hand resting on your shoulder startling you.

Turning to face the source of the voice, a rather recognizable face comes into view.

"June..." You manage to croak out happily, tears beginning to form once again, though this time, they were happy tears.

The Nurse smiles, standing up from where she was sitting beside you and walks over to somewhere out of your view.

That's when you notice the area around you.

Whitewashed walls, dull curtains, two chairs sitting off to the side...

I'm at the hospital.

Almost on instinct, the fear tugs at your heart again. The same fear that reminded you of your not so lovely time on the Nemesis.

I can't be here... Gotta leave...

Shaking and sweating now, you attempt to pull yourself up from where you were currently laying in what you could only assume was a hospital bed, only to fall back into the stiff mattress beneath you with a strangled cry of defeat.

"I want to go home! I just want to get out of here!" You cry, your voice hoarse and raspy.

You didn't care anymore what people thought of you.

You just wanted to get out of here.

"Y/N!" A rather panicked and startled June Darby exclaims as she rushes back into your view to see your sobbing and shaking mess, having obviously heard your cries.

"Please, June! Please! Get me out of here!" You wail, your breath coming in erratic, short gasps. "Please!"

The Nurse's expression softens as she comes to your side, brushing a stray strand of your likely disgusting hair away from your face.

You can't help but lean into her touch at the Motherly gesture.

"You're fine, Y/N... You're at the Hospital in Jasper, Nevada." She soothes, handing you a glass with a pinkish liquid in it.

You grasp it lightly, eyeing it questioningly before turning to the woman beside you once more.

"It's juice." She assures with a smile. Not a wicked, evil and cruel smile. A genuinely friendly and Motherly smile.

You nod silently, raising the glass to your lips and gulping the sweet substance down rather hurriedly.

This tastes the same as what I tasted while the darkness was around me...

You shiver unwillingly, passing the now empty glass back to June with a small, grateful smile.

"S-S-So... What exactly happened? How'd I manage to get here?" You question, shifting so you could face June without straining your neck which already hurt.

That was another thing.

The pain was so unbearable when I was in the darkness... Why did it suddenly go away?

At the mention of your question, the woman beside you in the turquoise scrubs sighs tiredly.

"Both you and Arcee were GroundBridged from Base to the back parking lot, where she dropped you off and I took you, bringing you up here." The Nurse explains slowly as you process everything. "She was in an awful hurry though, things mustn't have been good back at Base."

Suddenly, June bolts up out of her seat, looking momentarily panicked before she came around the opposite side of you, checking the amount of fluid in the bag hanging from above you, which flowed into an IV in your arm which you hadn't noticed before.

"Why can't I feel anything?" You mumble, raising your hand, staring at it for a moment thoughtfully, and then slamming it back down on the bed rail beside you.

No pain, other than a slight throb.

"I feel... I dunno... Kinda... Numb all over?"

The Nurse doesn't reply as she jots a few things down on a clipboard, seeming to be focused solely on whatever she was writing.

"Those would be the painkillers that are currently in your system, Ms. L/N." A new, rather harsh male voice sounds from the opposite side of the room where June was standing, taking notes.

You shutter at the voice's sharp tone as you make the struggle to turn back around to face the source of the new voice.

You likely looked like a flailing, helpless mess.

I should've figured that one out.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, you manage to position yourself so you were facing the newcomer.

He seemed to be a Doctor of sorts. Dressed in a bleached white lab coat with plain scrubs and a pair of glasses on his rather angry looking face, reminded you of someone... Though for some reason your exhausted brain couldn't pull the person to the forefront of your thoughts.

"Who the heck are you?" You spat, sounding much harsher and ruder than you had anticipated. "Don't even think of poking and prodding me! I've been through quite a bit of crap lately!"

"Y/N..." June starts, a somewhat of a warning tone in her voice as she steps in between where you were glaring down the man and where he was simply staring back rather questioningly. "I think what she means, Doctor, is that she'd like to know how long she'll have to stay here."

The Doctor takes a step forward, coming closer to you and June.

"After looking over the X-Ray and the CT Scan we did while you were still unconscious, we've established that you've broken two out of your twenty-four ribs and fractured another. They are currently wrapped, and I suggest you try and stay off your feet for awhile. As for the gashes on your arms, we've stitched the serious wounds closed. However, there is still one thing I am uncertain of, Ms. L/N," He explains, stopping with a questioning gaze towards you. "What on Earth did you manage to do that caused all of this?"

You swallow the lump in your throat as you stare back at June, who was passing you a sympathetic glance.

That's when it hit you.

Almost as if someone had suddenly flicked a light switch and the light bulb came to life, so did your thoughts; your memories.

The darkness...

The loneliness...

The pain...

The sudden rescue...

Ratchet...

A hand flies over your mouth as your eyes fly wide, choked sobs managing to escape as June instantly rushes to your side, trying to calm you down.

The fight in the lab...

Megatron and Starscream...

Ratchet's limp body falling to the ground...

The tears begin to flow, heavier than before, as realization washes over you.

Ratchet could be gone...

"Doctor, I suggest you take your leave." You hear the Nurse's calm voice suggest as you continue to lay there, unable to stop sobbing madly like a child.

The two have a short conversation, though you couldn't quite make anything out of it because you were so worked up.

"Shhh... The Doctor is gone now... It's just me and you... You can let it all out..." June coaxes, rubbing your shoulder lightly as you dry your damp eyes.

You lay there, sniffling and whimpering, your thoughts so loud, they drowned out everything in the room, including June's voice.

He knew that the Synth-En would backfire again... He knew it would wear off eventually.

He knew he could be killed.

But he came after me.

"I'm leaving." You sniffle, wiping your nose with your sleeve as you begin the struggle of swinging your legs over the side of the bed.

Surprisingly, you're able to do so only with minor pain, which you figured, was thanks to the pain killers that you now knew you were on.

The woman in the turquoise scrubs just smiles at you halfheartedly.

"You're a fighter." She muses aloud while shaking her head. "I'll go see if I can find your pain meds a little bit earlier than planned."

"Thanks." You nod, wincing in slight pain as she gently removes the IV from your arm. "Oh, and June? Could I borrow your phone?"

She nods knowingly, handing you the small device as she heads out the door and into the busy hallway.

Thankfully, June had already saved Arcee's hailing frequency to her contacts list, marked simply with the name, 'Jack's Science Fiction Club Friend.'

You can't help but chuckle to yourself at the name.

Jack had told you all about how his Mom had presumed he was spending so much time with a sort of 'Science Fiction Club' as she called it, when he first told her the truth about his motorcycle who just so happens to be an Autobot from Cybertron.

Rather hastily, you make your call, Arcee picking up on the other end.

"Can you pick me up from the hospital?" You ask, the lump rising in your throat again as more memories are dragged to the forefront of your mind.

Ratchet's dim optics...

The gash in his side...

He was alive...

But now?...

"Sure thing. I'll be there a bit late... The Bridge is... faulty." Was the only reply you received from the other end, the femme's voice sounding worn out and anxious.

It was obvious that something was definitely wrong, and deep down, you knew for a fact that something was wrong, too.

Ending the call, you begin to tear up again as June walks back in the room, a full pill bottle in hand as well as a few large rolls of tensor bandages.

"Here's the painkillers. Just take them whenever you need to." The Nurse instructs, offering your teared up state a small smile. "I'll walk you out front."

****

The ride back through Jasper and out into the desert was silent, other than the sound of the wind rushing by your helmet.

In fact, you almost found it peaceful, considering the situation you were almost inevitably about to enter as you and Arcee approached the large rock formation, it's doors opening as you neared.

Please let Ratchet be okay... Please...

Arcee hadn't said a word to you when she picked you up from the hospital nor had she said anything as you left Jasper behind.

She knows how much Ratchet means to me... How he helped me through so much... Surely she would've said something if he wasn't okay...

However, as you rolled into Base, your heart sank and the lump in your throat returned.

Your Guardian wasn't at the monitors where he usually was.

"Where is Ratchet?!" You demand, ripping off your helmet and jumping off the motorcycle, wincing in pain as Arcee's bipedal mode appears next to you, seconds later.

She gestures to the Med Bay with a disheartened sigh and walks away, heading to who knows where.

Bumblebee and Bulkhead were nowhere to be found as you quickly made your way over to the area Jack's Guardian had pointed to, the familiarity of the large room beginning to settle you slightly.

As you approach the Med Bay, you fall silent, your footsteps becoming quieter, your breathing evener.

"Y/N." The voice of Optimus Prime greets solemnly as he turns to face you with somewhat of a small smile, leaving the monitor he was reading, behind.

You hadn't even noticed the Prime was standing there.

"Optimus... Is-" You begin, only to be cut off by the sight before you.

Ratchet lay on the medical berth, optics offlined, though his Spark was still beating strong, you established, as you cast your gaze to the monitor Optimus had finished reading which displayed the Medic's vitals.

The Prime was still staring down at you, however, as you eyed your wounded Guardian through lidded eyes.

"This is my fault... If I had never left in the first place..." You sob, dragging your wounded and brittle frame over to the Autobot leader, seeking some sort of consolement. "If I had never left, he never would've experimented with the Synthetic stuff again! He wouldn't have been nearly killed!"

And who knows if he'll actually recover.

"Optimus," You sigh tiredly, defeated, looking up at the large mech you'd sought advice from at the beginning. "What do I do now?"

You could've sworn you'd seen the Prime smile slightly as he gently slides a servo underneath where you're standing, lifting you until you're nearly eye level.

"Ratchet will recover, Y/N." He states, almost as if you had accidentally said your thoughts aloud. "As for you, it is not your fault that all of this has occurred. There is no sense in laying the blame on one particular individual. We, as a team, should have been there for our Medic when he needed us, however, we were not..."

You sigh once more, casting your exhausted gaze towards the monitor again, watching the various readings.

"You're right, Optimus." You smile up at the Leader, teary eyed. "You've been right all along... About everything."

Without a word, the Prime gently sets you down beside the monitor you'd been reading, allowing you to climb down off of where you had been previously perched, before taking his leave silently.

It was just you and Ratchet now, his wounded form laying seemingly lifeless on the medical berth, while his vitals said otherwise.

"Come back, Doc..." You mumble, tears beginning to form once again. "We need you..."

You stop, somehow feeling like your next words were not to be spoken aloud.

I need you.

****

Time just seemed to crawl.

Between tinkering with the faulty Groundbridge while your Guardian still seemed lifeless and constantly checking his vitals, you were starting to feel hopeless.

Hopeless that you'd ever get this damned Groundbridge back up and working.

And hopeless that Ratchet's optics would ever flicker to life again.

Although, on this particular grey afternoon in Jasper, Nevada, a small joy was slowly rising within you.

Your friends were finally coming back to Base. You could finally see them again.

Almost as if on cue, the sound of whoops and cheers echo down the entrance tunnel, meeting your ears.

"Jack! Miko! Rafael!" You allow yourself to exclaim, a smile tugging at your lips as the trio of friends rush towards where you were currently standing - underneath the main lever for the Groundbridge.

"Y/N! You're back!!" Miko practically screams, pushing ahead of the boys and barreling into you.

"Easy, Miko!" You remind, gasping in pain as she hugs you.

"Whoops. My bad." She laughs lightly, releasing your bruised and broken form.

Stepping away from you, your other two friends come forward, Raf hugging you lightly while Jack puts a reassuring hand on your shoulder.

"We were all so worried," Jack begins, as the others nod in agreement. "Especially Mom. When Arcee turned you up at the hospital... She was so relieved."

"And we are too!" Your Japanese friend chimes in, her energy contagious.

You sigh contentedly, your thoughts becoming peaceful for once.

I'm surrounded by my friends - scratch that - family again...

Things finally seemed to be looking up...

Your happy thoughts suddenly come crashing down, shattering into a million tiny pieces.

Ratchet...

You sigh once more, a heavy sigh, as your shoulders slump tiredly.

The joyous reunion was over.

"... spend the afternoon playing! Wanna join?"

You were so caught up in your own thoughts that you hadn't even heard Miko jabbering on.

"H-H-Huh?" You stutter, coming out of your daze, trying to appear the same way you had mere seconds ago.

"I asked if you wanted to rock out with me all afternoon! It's party time!" She declares, strumming her electric guitar that she had somehow managed to hook up to her amp in a matter of seconds.

"Miko!" Human and bot alike groan in distaste as everyone urges her to stop.

"Aw! Come on! Bulkhead!" The pink haired Japanese girl complains as the erratic screeching noise comes to an abrupt halt.

At this, Miko's Guardian just shrugs at the girl, motioning towards the Med Bay where Ratchet still lay, seemingly lifeless.

"Oops..." She smiles sheepishly, hastily packing her guitar up and heading towards the raised platform with the TV and couch, Jack and Raf following close behind.

You watch your three friends settle into their hangout spot with no other thoughts at all, other than the troubling ones concerning your wounded Guardian.

Physically and mentally, you feel exhausted, beaten and just worn out.

Fretting over things won't help anyone. Make yourself useful... Keep working at the Groundbridge! You know what you're doing! Ratchet taught you!

Then, all of a sudden, a sharp pang of realization settles within you.

I know how to do this... Ratchet taught me...

Without a word, you nod to Arcee, who was staring down at you, concern and compassion evident in her optics, and head back towards the open floor panels.

"I can fix this... I can fix this..."

****

Muttering various profanities as well as stifling a yawn, you drag the palms of your hands down your face in a vain attempt to force yourself to stay awake and alert.

You were so close... So close to solving the so called 'faulty' Groundbridge as Arcee had put it when she answered your call from the hospital.

The Base was dark and quiet, other than the dim light from the monitor in the Med Bay, the flashlight beside you and your heavy, focused breathing.

"It's this one here... It's gotta be attached over here... How'd it get over there?" You muse aloud, becoming more and more frustrated as the seconds ticked by.

Then, just as you were about to reach down and make the last few adjustments, the flashlight that had been sitting beside you goes dark.

"Really?!" You growl, feeling blindly for the small source of light that was bright a few moments ago. "Great! Just great!"

In a fit of rage and sadness, you stand up and stalk away from where you were previously working heading up to the area your three friends had been playing video games hours ago.

"I can't seem to do anything as of late, other than nearly getting people I care for killed!" You sob, clutching your bandaged ribs as you fall onto the couch, letting out a strangled fit of sobs.

You lay there, choking on your own tears, for what seems like ages.

If only Ratchet were here... He's the only one who can actually fix these things... Heck, he's the one who built them!

As this thought crosses your lagging mind, a small, bittersweet smile tugs at your lips.

Once he's back, maybe he'll teach me again... I could learn so much more.

"And I will." You murmur aloud, your eyelids becoming heavy. "Ratchet will be back... He's on the mend..."

****

"Y/N... Y/N..." A familiar female voice urges from outside your foggy conscience.

"Mhm? Yeah? I'm up." You groan tiredly, last night's late work causing your already hurting body to ache even more.

"What is it?" You question aloud, looking up at Arcee, who had been the one to wake you, you assumed.

"He's awake." Was all she said with a grin as your eyes fly wide in shock and surprise.

"R-R-Really?" You breathe, as Jack's Guardian laughs lightly, scooping you up off of the couch in her servo.

"You better believe it." The voice you'd wanted to hear so badly for who knows how long grumbles jokingly.

Your Guardian was indeed awake and alive, sitting up on the edge of the Medical berth.

He's here. He's alive.

"Ratchet!" You burst rather suddenly, startling yourself and the Medic whom Arcee was passing you off to. "I... I..."

In your Guardian's servo now, you curl into a ball, sobbing and shaking violently.

"I... I thought you were gone!"

"Y/N," He begins, your body settling down as you uncurl yourself and draw yourself shakily to your feet, staring up at the Medic's bright blue optics. "You're fine... We're both fine."

You offer a weak smile in response.

He's back... He's alive...

You both allow a few moments of comfortable silence to pass before anyone spoke.

However, as time dragged on, you were beginning to feel uneasy. Things needed to be said, just not here.

"Would you like to go for a drive?" Ratchet questions, seeming to sense your slight unease.

"I... Uh... Sure..." You nod as he carefully makes his way over to the exit, nodding silently to Jack's Guardian on the way past who passed him a concerned glance.

"You sure you're up for that?" The femme asks, placing a servo on her hip.

You were wondering the same thing.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Arcee." Your Guardian replies, setting you on the ground lightly as the familiar form of the Ambulance appears beside you.

You smile, genuinely feeling lighter than you had since all this craziness had gone on as you make your way to the passenger side and hopping in, the door closing automatically behind you.

"Where to?" You muse aloud, watching the sky above the bleak desert landscape come to life in an array of oranges and yellows, thanks to the sunrise.

No answer.

"You okay?" You ask again.

This time, almost as an answer, the Medic's holoform sizzles to life in the driver's seat, glancing at you sympathetically.

"I'm fine." Comes the reply, laced with tones of regret and sadness.

"Ratchet," You start, your tone more forceful this time. "You're obviously not fine."

A few moments of tense silence pass before the he pulls over, the sounds of the engine falling silent.

Without a word, the Medic's holoform steps out of the vehicle, and begins to head out across the desert.

"Where are you going?! Ratchet!" You call from the the side of the Ambulance, closing the door manually behind you as the rather harsh desert wind rushes by your face.

He stops, turns around and simply waves you on, motioning you to follow behind him.

"We shouldn't be doing this!" You yell once more, racing ahead in an attempt to catch up with your Guardian. "We're both recovering from serious injuries!"

Still receiving utter silence, you reach Ratchet's side, out of breath.

"Where on Earth are you going? What's the matter with you, Ratchet?" You question, pressing for an answer this time.

Finally, the man standing in front of you sighs heavily, running a hand through his white and orange hair.

"I'm sorry, Y/N." He states plainly, turning to face you with a sorrowful expression on his features.

You just gape at him, confused beyond comprehension.

"What do you mean you-"

He cuts you off.

"I'm the one who couldn't save your Mother! I'm the one who just let you leave without saying a word! I'm the one who let Knock Out snatch you away! I'm the one who caused you all of this pain! So how can you still..." Your Guardian suddenly bursts, his voice cracking at the end as he turns away quickly.

"How can I still what, Ratch?" You coax, placing a hand on his shoulder, urging him to continue.

"How can you still associate yourself with me! I'm useless, Y/N... I've failed you more times than I can keep count..."

You step back slightly, stunned.

"You are not useless! Don't ever say that again!" You snarl through sudden tears that had somehow began to leak. "You have helped me through so much! You've taught me so much! Just because you're not a warrior on the field, doesn't mean you're not helpful! In fact, without your technical, medical and scientific expertise, Team Prime would be sunk!"

You begin to shake, the tears drying now, as you stand there, waiting for some sort of reply.

"Ratchet, you are not useless. Don't ever think that." You sigh rather shakily, as the Medic turns around to face you slowly, a teary smile on his lips.

"Thank you for that, Y/N... Thank you." He sighs, as you rush forward and wrap your Guardian in a bone crushing hug, ignoring the protest from your broken ribs.

"You're welcome." You whisper as the pair of you turn to head back the way you had previously came.

Reaching the Medic's true form, you come to a halt just outside the open passenger side door, a sudden thought occurring to you.

"So... What now?" You question, climbing in as the door shuts behind you.

"I'm not sure." Comes the reply as the engine rumbles to life again, and the landscape begins it's roll as you drive along.

I finally have a family again... Even if they're not blood related or even the same species... They're still family... And that's all that matters...

"What would you say if I wanted to become your assistant?" You muse aloud, your words rendering foolish the minute you spoke them aloud.

At this, Ratchet turns to you, passing you a look of surprise before answering.

"Huh. Puh-lease! A human as a Cybertronian medical assistant? You humans are hardly up to the minimum qualifications you'd need... However..." Your Guardian begins, his tone sounding genuinely hurtful before it suddenly changes as he turns to face you once more. "There is one human I know who could possibly qualify, if she would pay attention and wouldn't fall asleep all the time."

You can't help but laugh at his response.

"I can't make any promises about my tendency to fall asleep all the time, but I can promise that I will help you in anyway I can!" You smile broadly, giving the Medic a double thumbs up.

"And that is all I will ask from you." He replies, a genuine, rare smile upon his features.

As the pair of you roll back into Base, your Guardian's holoform sizzles away, leaving you to ponder things over.

Things can finally get back to normal... Whatever that is.

"Oh and Ratchet?" You muse aloud as you pull into the Autobot Base, stepping out of the Ambulance as Ratchet's bipedal form appears next to you, seconds later.

He casts you a questioning look as he gently picks your small form in his servo before heading over to the monitors.

"Thank you. For everything."

Your Guardian simply nods as you're set on his shoulder, out of harm's way.

Injuries will heal.

Bonds will strengthen.

Family will always be there for family.

And life will never truly be normal.

Because what is Normality these days?

But let's be honest, what even is Normality? Does anyone actually know?

****
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A/N!

And there you have it folks! Normality is all wrapped up!

To be completely honest, this whole thing started with a single idea and I have literally been making things up as I go!

So that is the reason why there are quite a few plot holes and things that don't make sense, but all in all, I am fairly happy with how this mess - masterpiece - turned out!

Thank you all who have joined me on this crazy adventure and have managed to make it to the end of this story!

I appreciate all those who have supported me along the way, and been active in the comments section!

Because lemme tell ya... I can't really find the motivation to write sometimes and when I go back and take a look at everyone's lovely comments of ideas, encouragement and positivity, it makes me so happy and inspires me to keep writing!

However, I am not finished quite yet!

Be sure to check out my profile for more epic books! (As of March 9th, 2022, I am working on another TFP book! It's not directly related to this book, but it will still focus around our favorite Medic and a new Autobot OC I've made named Aquastrike! Be sure to check it out! It's titled Losses Too Immeasurable!)

Thanks again to everyone who made it to the end of this thing!

Peace out!

*Awkward finger guns*