Another re-written chapter!

I do have something to say before this chapter starts, I know that Ratchet may seem a bit OOC, but I figure, I need to write him as someone that lost most of their memories. Of course, this means that he wouldn't act exactly like he did before the incident. I tried to put myself in that situation and kinda wrote how it felt. So I am sorry in advance if it seems way too far-fetched or exaggerated. I just wanted Ratchet to act a bit differently to show the effects that the incident had on him.

Anyways, I hope you all like this one. Enjoy!

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Doctor Yuin looked down at the test results, hands shaking as he read the report over and over again in disbelief. He brought a warm, brown-furred hand up to run down his face, thinking that his eyes may just be tricking him. But no matter what, the results were the same.

As The Council requested, Yuin did perform a blood test, trying to match the kit to those who reside in the city to possibly find his parents. But this was unexpected, and shouldn't be impossible.

The kit's blood matched up to Kaden and Phoebe Callisto.

Yuin sighed, leaning back in his chair tiredly. He had to send this report in, but for now, what was he going to do? How would The Council react? Hell, how would Kaden and Phoebe act when they found out that their supposed son wasn't dead, but alive? However, Yuin reminded himself that it was impossible. Everyone knew how Kaden and Phoebe's child perished, and for their kit to be here today...it just didn't make any sense!

He prepared to send the results in. Ready to await the reply from The Council. He grimaced,

There was definitely something bigger going on. And the prospect only served to make his stomach churn with anxiety.

Only time could tell, he supposed.

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Kaden hummed softly as he got ready for work. Pouring himself a cup of coffee since he had time. Looking over to the small holo-vid on the counter that broadcast the news for today, there seemed to be nothing eventful, he sighed, just another uneventful day.

He was surprised that they weren't talking about the recent events that just went on...maybe they were waiting for more information?

But then he looked over at his holo-phone, which sat on the counter, a message from Alister, who he hadn't heard from in two days.

He looked at it in confusion. Alister never really calls or texts since he usually works in the morning. This must be an emergency or something. He slid his finger across the screen, unlocking his phone until he got to his messages.

[Al] "The Council just called me in. We have news about the kit."

Kaden sighed in relief, perhaps they found out who did it? He responded quickly.

[Kaden] "Did they find out who did it?"

Alister took a while to respond, Kaden watched the screen in anticipation.

[Al] "No. Not at all. Even though we had him awake, there were no other memories that came through."

Kaden sighed in exasperation. They were getting nowhere with this. There was nothing they could do until the kit recovered from his amnesia. Even so, something didn't add up. He leaned forward on his elbows, leaning forward in thought,

How could someone have no memories at all? Individuals that suffer from amnesia still have memories, they are just blocked and forgotten, never completely erased. Unless he misunderstood the own device that he created. Perhaps the device can really only read people's thoughts? That was the only explanation, and if the kit can't remember, that explains why they received little to memories. He slid his holo-phone closer to himself, he typed :

[Kaden] "So what does The Council plan on doing?"

Alister responded almost immediately,

[Al] "Hard to say, but for some reason, they seem to have their own suspicions. I don't know why. Even so, the kit is awake now, so The Council is trying to figure out where to place him. Maybe in a facility for the time being."

Kaden winced, that would be a little cruel of The Council. He didn't understand why they were suspicious either, but he reasoned that they had to be cautious about everything nowadays. His ear perked up as he heard his wife's soft footsteps descend downstairs, he smiled to himself. His wife was a late sleeper but since she had to work today, she, unfortunately, had to wake up.

"Good morning, Kade." She grumbled, kissing his cheek as she took the coffee pot and started pouring herself a drink. She glanced over at his lit-up holo-phone. "Alister messaged you? That's a first." They chuckled lightly to themselves, "Have you heard back about the kit?" Kaden grimaced at the words, taking a sip of his coffee before responding, "Same as last time, we are back to square one. He is awake though. So that's good."

Phoebe sighed, "What is The Council planning to do now?"

Kaden frowned, "Alister said that they are planning on putting him in a facility of some sorts. Don't know what kind." Phoebe winced, feeling pity for the kit. Personally, she didn't think that The Council was making the right decision, but it was almost impossible to convince them otherwise when they made a decision. Kaden watched as her expression soured,

"How about this, we both get off early, right? What if we go visit him at the Medcenter? I am sure the kid already knows himself what The Council is planning on doing. Maybe we could cheer him up...and-" his voice trailed off, going to wash his cup. Phoebe looked at him with a knowing look, she smirked, "And what?" But she already knew what he was gonna say.

"I-I was thinking that if The Council plans to put him in a facility, perhaps I could convince them to let us take him in for a while. Y'know, until he gets his memories." He said. Kit's were a sensitive topic, especially to them. But perhaps, this wouldn't be too bad. Phoebe sighed good-naturedly,

"Then let's see him later and see how well he is doing. He already saw you once, he will probably feel better seeing a familiar face compared to the doctor's face all the time." Kaden smiled at her before glancing at the clock, eyes widening, "Blast! I gotta get going!" He said, quickly kissing her cheek, "See you later!" Phoebe heard the front door shut before she even gave him a reply, shaking her head in exasperation, setting her cup down to get ready for work herself. At least she had a little something to look forward to after work.

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[Late Afternoon]

Ratchet sat quietly on the hospital bed, watching the holo-tv silently. He didn't even know what the Lombaxes were saying on it, but he paid it no mind. It was probably a side effect of his amnesia anyways. He lifted up a weak hand to pick up his water cup over on the small table, which hovered over the side of his bed. He was lost in thought, at least, as much as he could be. He didn't have any memories that he could even think about. Perhaps he was just coping with having nothing, but that didn't seem to bother him as much as it probably should. How could you miss something when you completely forgot about it? He shook his head, ears tilting down in anxiety. He felt vulnerable and helpless. He didn't know anything, and he feels like everyone knows everything about him.

He sighed, turning his head to the right to glance out the window. He was only on the first floor, so there wasn't much to see. But the Medcenter was on a bit of a hill, overlooking the street and houses. If he looked up enough, he could see a couple ships pass by, high up enough so they don't disturb anyone walking on the ground, going into various shops. It was a beautiful city, which he probably knew yet never remembered. At least he gets to see it with fresh eyes once more.

After a couple of minutes of looking out the window, he jumped at the sound of the door opening. Looking over, he saw Doctor Yuin walk over to the bed. Ever since yesterday, the man has been acting anxious and fidgety, and it put Ratchet on edge. Even so, he looked up at the man, who shook his head good-naturedly, "I see you're already sitting up. You should be resting." He glanced over at the heart monitor beside the bed, "How are you feeling?"

Ratchet shrugged his shoulders on instinct, but stopped when a jolt of pain ran down his spine. He winched, "As good as I can me, I guess. Everything still hurts but I'm not tired anymore." Yuin nodded, sighing in exasperation "That's very surprising, considering your injuries. But I will see about the pain, perhaps give you more painkillers tonight so you're not in so much pain." Ratchet nodded, breaking eye contact with the man before leaning back, breathing in a deep sigh. He was about to zone out once more before the man beside him piped up.

"By the way, you're having visitors today!" Yuin said excitedly, trying to ease the kit's nerves "You excited?" Ratchet looked at him in confusion, "Who's visiting?" The man's face seemed to falter for only a second before he smiled once more,

"Their names are Kaden and Phoebe Callisto. They thought it'd be nice to come and keep you company for a while. Are you up for it?"

Ratchet thought for a bit, a sour taste in his mouth. These names didn't sound familiar at all, "Am I supposed to know them?" He timidly asked Yuin, but the man only shook his head sadly, "No, you never knew them. But they still want to come see you." Ratchet clenched his fists in frustration,

"Do I know anybody? What about a family? Do-do I even have one?"

Yuin paused, surprised at how frustrated the kit sounded. But it is common to have fluctuating mood swings when recovering from a concussion, so he remained silent for a moment. Thinking about his next words carefully,

"As far as we know, no. We were unable to match you to anyone in the city." He frowned, it was hard to lie straight to the kit's face, but he had to, "No one has stepped forward either. I am deeply, truly sorry." and to Ratchet's surprise, he sounded genuine. He sighed, "I am okay with seeing them, but I still don't understand why, I can't answer any questions."

"Well, people don't only visit to get answers, most of the time it's because they care. Kaden and Phoebe are two of the nicest people I've met. It's no surprise that they would want to see you." Yuin said, "I will be waiting outside for them, just relax." and he left the room, softly closing the door. Anxiety pooled in Ratchet's stomach, so he sucked in a deep breath, causing his chest to ache. He honestly did not feel like seeing others at the moment, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt.

Outside of the room, Kaden and Phoebe walked down the hall, Phoebe holding a small little bag in her left hand. She thought it would be nice to give the teen a small little gift while he was recovering. It was the least she could do since the kit was probably nervous to see people he didn't know. Perhaps it would make him feel more comfortable in the Medcenter as well.

Kaden held her right hand, following Doctor Yuin through the corridor. It was very quiet, save for the bustling nurses and soft beats from heart monitors. Yuin slowed down a bit to speak, "He's very anxious to meet you. But he will warm up to you quickly, I'm sure. However, I advise not to ask questions about his memories, he gets very defensive."

They nodded in understanding, stopping in front of the door with Yuin. "You may go in, stay as long as you'd like." He looked down at his watch, "If you need me, press the red button on his bed or by the door. He left a moment later, walking quickly down the hall. Kaden looked towards his wife, "Ready?" He asked, Phoebe nodded, "Yes, I'm ready." She didn't even wait for Kaden to turn the knob. She reached forward, opening the door and peeking in, "Hello~" she cooed, opening the door fully once the kit turned to her. He smiled nervously, fiddling with his blanket, pausing as he saw the woman stand by the door, her husband behind her.

Phoebe gasped, this kit-this kit was almost like an exact replica of her husband at that age! The eyes, the fur, the stature (even though he was too small for his age and was missing a few stripes on his cheeks), everything! He was almost like a clone of her husband, it was kind of scary. Even so, she smiled sweetly. "My name is Phoebe, it's nice to meet you!" Ratchet smiled at her, lifting his hand to wave at her. "N-nice to meet you, too! My name's Ratchet. At least, that's what people call me." He looked over at Kaden, who smiled warmly at him, "You're that guy from 2 days ago. It's n-nice to see you again." Ratchet said shyly. Kaden nodded, "Same to you, how are you feeling?"

Ratchet once again tried to shrug his shoulders, but winced, "A-ah, I'm doing a bit better, I guess." A pause, "I am just tired of sitting in this bed."

The adults chuckled at that, Kaden gestured to him, "Well, the longer you stay, the quicker you can recover and get out of here!" He said, trying to make the kit feel better, just a bit. Ratchet stared at him warily. "I guess. But I don't even know what's going to happen at that point." He sighed, "I just have to wait and see!" He said optimistically. Kaden and Phoebe were taken aback. Normally, a person in Ratchet's situation would be upset, or freaking out, but the kit was dealing with his situation very well. Phoebe smiled, "I'm sure everything will work out in the end." and Kaden nodded in agreement.

The three sat in comfortable silence. The adults relocated to the chairs they pulled up by Ratchet's bedside. He looked over at them, "I-I don't mean to sound weird, or mean, or-or whatever! But, did you two come from The Council?"

Kaden and Phoebe looked at each other quizzically, before turning back to him. "No, not at all. What makes you think that?"

"Well, I know nothing about The Council. But someone visited me yesterday. They said they were from The Council." He leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper, "He seemed kinda weird. But he kept asking me all these questions. It just seems like whoever visited me wanted something." He shook his head, "You two are the first to really visit. Thank you, really"

Phoebe held back a tiny squeal at the teen's smile, while Kaden seemed to sit back in thought. Phoebe suddenly gasped, before reaching over to the bag that she held in her hand. She opened it, before putting her hand inside and looking up at Ratchet, who tilted his head in curiosity. She smiled, "I know it's your first time meeting us, but we thought it would be nice to give you a little get-well gift!" She pulled a present out of the bag before carefully handing it to Ratchet, who looked at it in awe.

It was a child's plushie, but Ratchet really couldn't care less. It was cute, that's for sure, and in a way, a bit comforting. It was a tiny little purple robot plush, with arms and legs to match. It had little black button eyes and a small stitched-on smile. A small antenna with a red circle on top to match. It was a heartfelt gift. That's for sure. He smiled up at them,

"Thank you! Really. It means a lot that someone would get me something!" He said, the adults smiled brightly. They talked for a bit more before they decided it was time to leave. Ratchet felt saddened, but put on a smile anyway to wish them goodbye.

When they finally exited the room, Yuin met them at the entrance before they left. Without hesitating, Kaden spoke up, "So, when can he get out of here?" Yuin stepped back, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, trying to stutter out a reply.

Meanwhile, in the room, Ratchet hoped they would come back again. Leaning back upon the pillows behind him, staring out the window, alone.

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A whole, uneventful week passed by, and Ratchet spent his days staring out the windows and keeping his robot plush near him for company. The only other company he had was Yuin, a few nurses, and sometimes random people claiming to be from The Council and was just overseeing his recovery. He didn't like them very much, to say the least. Even if there was no reason to have suspicion, it still left a somewhat bitter taste in his mouth every time a council member came in to speak with him. 

Even so, Ratchet felt lonely. He eventually realized that this loneliness was not an unfamiliar feeling. This feeling felt like an old friend, or an old wound that stopped hurting years ago but still had a nasty tendency of opening up again to cause pain. It was familiar to him, and he wondered if that's how it's always been. He wondered if that was what his life was like before. It would explain many things, like the feeling of emptiness in his chest. He wondered what he truly lost. And that saddened him even more.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. He realized that maybe it wasn't so bad. He could think more, and, who knows! Maybe he will eventually start to remember things! But no matter how hard he tried, he came up with nothing. After thinking for hours and hours on end he became bored, and then even more bored. Surely he could at least walk around his room or do something, anything other than watch Lombaxian soap operas on the holo-tv. It got to the point that he actually groaned and stuffed his head underneath a pillow. Even though the freakin' holo-tv was off he still heard it, voices ingrained in his head. The sunlight from the window even bothered him to the point that he just stood up himself to swing the curtains shut.

Needless to say, Ratchet was at his wit's end and was itching to go somewhere, anywhere, as long as it was out of this damned room.

He grumbled to himself, all this sitting around was torture. Even if he still felt pain, he could kill for some time outside, or maybe just a walk down the hall. He sighed, he didn't want to risk it, especially with a doctor or nurse potentially around the corner. He bought his knees up to his chest, a painful maneuver due to his chest and shoulder injuries, but he didn't care. He's been stuck here for almost a week with no new visitors. He really only had his plush here the whole time, something that kept him content for the time being, but he would never admit that.

He looked down at the white blanket, clenching his fists tightly in thought. Sitting here, we wondered what the purpose was. Found outside the city, no family, no home, no recollection of anything besides a name. He wondered what would happen if he wasn't found. He wondered what it felt like to actually have memories. He missed himself, the one he didn't know anymore. The one that was lost in the sea of blackness that inhabited his mind nowadays. He felt like he lost himself a while ago, and that wasn't a good thing.

He wondered if there was anyone out there waiting for him, looking for him, missing him. He hoped he could see them again someday, if there was anyone. Maybe then he would get answers. Or perhaps he will remember them himself someday soon. He hoped he could.

His ears perked up from their original position, which was slightly tilted downwards. The doctors (especially Yuin) were very upset by this, (apparently, it was a sign of depression or stress or something in Lombaxes, or so he heard the nurses whisper) and they always tried to cheer him up, which he thought was stupid. How can you cheer someone up when they forgot almost their entire life? Even so, he perked up when Yuin entered the room, a hot plated meal and a box of juice in his hands. He placed them down on the table beside Ratchet's bedside, smiling sweetly. Ratchet tilted his head in confusion, usually a nurse brought in his food "Here's your lunch, sorry it took so long. But I come bearing good news!"

Ratchet chuckled lightly, "Is it getting out of this room? My tail is kinda cramped." Yuin only laughed, "Actually, you would be correct." He said, watching the younger's ears perk up in excitement. "You're being discharged today. Sooner than I'd like, but they are very insistent on taking you home."

Ratchet scowled, "Taking me home? I'm not a pet." He said, but Yuin only sighed, "You misunderstand. Originally, you were going to go to a facility assigned by The Council. But instead, they decided to take you into their home while you recover." Ratchet's eyes widened, "So I'm not going with that weird ass-" he coughed, "-Council Member that questioned me all the time?" He sighed in belief, before his eyes widened, panic coming over his features, "Wait, who is 'they'?"

Yuin stepped back a bit before smiling nervously, "Well, remember Kaden and Phoebe?" And to his surprise, Ratchet shrunk back, "T-them? They are very nice and all but are you sure I'm not imposing or anything? I-I don't-." He sighed, not bothering to finish his sentence. However, Yuin only sighed, words sounding sympathetic, "I'm completely certain when I say you won't be a bother to them. They've been asking about you since they visited." He leaned down to whisper, "I'm pretty sure they pulled some strings with The Council. But either way, they are coming a bit later to pick you up! And also-" he opened his holo-pad, accessing his inventory and manifesting a small box., "-Phoebe knows the nurses around here and they decided to all gift you with these." He handed the box to Ratchet, "Your clothing was destroyed in your....accident. so we hope these will do for now. I will let you eat and get changed."

The man exited the room in a hurry, almost as if he was too anxious to be there. Ratchet huffed, before looking down at the box. He opened it hesitantly, looking at the contents below. There were different articles folded, all shirts and pants it seemed. Only one set caught his eyes, a plain black tee with dark orange cargo pants. It was simple enough, though the color was a bit weird for pants, it wasn't bright enough to catch attention though. He slowly got up to change.

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Somewhere in a different time and place, sat the great clock. Floating aimlessly through space. It was barely holding together, as well as the universe itself. No matter how damaged it was, it still held together, but at a price.

Clank walked quietly through the cracked corridors, looking around sadly. He couldn't feel emotions like a living being could, but he imagined that he felt the same grief that those going through a tragic loss felt. His bright green optics dimmed as he looked down to the ground. He was alone, all over again, just like he was some years ago before he met Ratchet. It was a deep, aching, familiar pain that seemed to corrupt his systems. At least, that's what it felt like.

He ordered Sigmund a while ago to somehow honor the General's body, found on the altar damaged and lifeless. Whether it be under soil or in a capsule, Clank couldn't bear to look at it. Even if he almost destroyed the universe and time itself, Ratchet still cared, and that means Clank still cared. It was only fair to honor a man who was almost like a father figure to his friend. Who Ratchet died with. In a way, Clack was glad that Sigmund did not find Ratchet. He knows for a fact that he would really be broken to see those emerald eyes drained of color and staring lifelessly into his own. He couldn't even bear the thought.

Oh, how Clank wished he never stepped foot at the clock. How he wished he could see his companion once more. But the universe was cruel and unforgiving to those that gave so much.

He wished he could have been there more for Ratchet. He wished that we could hug him again. He wished that he too, was a living being so he could feel those hugs and save them in his memory. He wished he could have saved him.

But the world is not some children's fairy tale holo-vid, happy endings didn't exist unless you sacrificed a part of yourself. And when you obtain it, are you still you anymore? Are you really satisfied with what you've earned?

All this and more, Clank pondered. How did living beings deal with these though? He has access to countless devices, he could answer questions before a living being could even speak, and yet, he could not understand the emotions and thoughts of living beings.

Even so, the odd "feeling" he called grief did not go away.

There had to be something. Everything had an answer, so when would he find it?

He reached the end of a corridor, entering a small room that appeared to be a study of some sorts, though it was filled with many books, now scattered because of the whole incident with the clock. Even so, he hopped on top of a nearby metal chair, which was right next to a simple, small metal desk. He looked at all the books scattered about, sitting silently for a moment before tilting his head. It's quiet. Too quiet.

He wished his friend was there to fill the silence.

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Whew...Clank is...kinda going through it right now. He is not doing so well after the loss of his best friend, as you can see...I wonder what will happen to him... :)

Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter! Please give any feedback on length/pace/ or whatever! I want to make sure that you are enjoying this!

Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors, and if you have any ideas, let me know. ( also..I hope the formatting came out okay! I will fix it soon if it didn't or some of you are having trouble reading it.)

See you in the next chapter!