Ironhide in pieces:

Chapter 1: Keeping it hidden

He stood looking over the cliffs. He liked the peace he found here. Earth was much more beautiful than he had ever given it credit for. “Ironhide?” The voice took him out of his thoughts and he turned. “You should be back at the hanger…you’re still not ready to be out like this.”

Ironhide nodded and stepped up to his friend “Then I will return with you.” He said deeply.

“You ok?” Ratchet asked putting a hand on his shoulder.

“No, I do not like this situation.” He said “We have no idea what numbers they actually possess.” Ironhide shook his head speaking of the decepticons. “Many humans will die.”

“I didn’t think you cared about the humans.” Ratchet said taking slow steps as the two walked along.

“I am fond of Lennox, and his family.” He said “I would not wish them harm.”

“We will protect the humans to the best of our abilities.” Ratchet said “But we should never have brought our war to their planet.”

“There was no preventing it…This is where the All Spark landed. If we had not come, the humans would be at the mercy of the Decepticons. I do not wish that on any race.”

“There are a lot of things we wished had not happened Ironhide.” Ratchet put his hand on his shoulder. “How’s the hip joint?”

“It is bearable.” He crossed his arms across his torso plate as he walked. Starscream had done a number on his leg and shattered his hip into many small pieces. Ratchet had done a good job patching him up, but he was still walking around with no armor on that side, his hip joint exposed. Ironhide didn’t seem to care.

“Still hurts?” Ratchet turned to him.

Ironhide only grunted with a nod in response.

“I’ll see what I can do to get you something for the discomfort.” Ratchet walked up over the small hill and looked down on the small hangers that were acting as their makeshift base. “Looks like Optimus is out today too.”

“First time for days…” Ironhide stepped up beside ratchet and steadied himself on ratchet as he stepped down the hill, his hip joint still not right.

“First time since we hauled your aft back here...” Ratchet helped Ironhide steady himself. “Let’s get you back inside.” Ironhide nodded and the two walked together back to the three hangers.

Optimus stood tall looking at the two. “Ironhide I didn’t know you were cleared to leave.” Optimus stated. Ironhide waved a hand at him but said nothing moving back into the small hanger.

“He wasn’t …he took an unscheduled walk.” Ratchet shook his head. “I’m going to give him something for the discomfort he’s in, I know I don’t have much left, but I can’t sit there and let him just bear it.”

Optimus put a hand to his helm. “What about numbing it?”

“What?”

“When the humans Froze bumblebee…he said his sensors shut down.” Optimus raised a brow “You could freeze his hip, put him into recharge for a bit.”

“That might be a good idea.” Ratchet nodded “I’ll look into it and see if I can’t get some of that liquid coolant the humans were using.” Ratchet turned and headed into the Hanger he had been sharing with Ironhide. Ratchet pulled the door closed behind him.

Ironhide was sitting down on an old rusted dump truck. One whole side of the truck had been cut away and Ratchet was using the bed of the truck as a makeshift berth. “I think I’m ok.” He said nodding more to himself than Ratchet. “I’m fine.”

“Like the Pit you are.” Ratchet sighed. “Lay back” Ironhide did as told scooting himself back up on the truck’s bed. Ratchet walked up to the cut away side of the truck and looked at Ironhide’s hip joint. “It’s looking better, that weld job is going to hold.” Ratchet nodded quietly pleased with his work.

“Good, I do not like being out of commission.” Ironhide looked up to the small sparrows that had gotten in the hanger flying around chirping.

“You won’t be for long. Better than that time Shockwave tore your chest plate, any deeper he would have had your spark.”

He groaned there was not much else to do. Ratchet was right; that time he had been out of commission for almost three joors. Ironhide lifted his arms over his head, and just laid waiting for Ratchet to finish prodding at him. “what are you going to give me for the discomfort?” he asked finally.

“We’re going to wait on that for an hour…I’m sure you don’t mind that long…I need to speak with someone, Optimus and I have an idea of what to do to save our medical supplies.” Ironhide shot him a look. “We are going to freeze the sensors around the joint, you will be in pain, but you won’t feel it…the receptors won’t send it to your processor.” Ratchet stepped up as Ironhide lowered his arms. “You’ll be fine…”

“I do not doubt your abilities as a medic; I’ve known you too long.” He said gruffly. Ratchet put a hand to Ironhide’s helm and nodded at him. Ratchet steadied his helm and looked down at his optics. “Will you disregard that optic…there is nothing wrong with it.”

Ratchet shook his head “There is...its corroding away on the outside.” Ratchet leaned in. Ironhide tensed, he was getting too close for comfort. “What the slag is the matter?” the medic looked down “I’m not touching you, relax.”

Ironhide nodded and turned his optics away. Allowing ratchet to touch the panel above his optical port he flinched and kept his optics away. “mmmm” he let out a groan.

“Stop your glitching.” Ratchet shook his head “You act like a sparkling sometimes.” He pulled out the connector to the optic, and Ironhide lost his vision on his right side. “Don’t you want this fixed?”

“It’s fine.” Ironhide repeated his other optic turning to Ratchet again. Ratchet nodded and reconnected his right optic. “I won’t fight with you about it.” He gave Ironhide a nudge “Just think about it.” Ironhide nodded and sat up. “Oh no you don’t back down” Ratchet turned laying a hand on Ironhide’s shoulder “You aren’t going anywhere…get some recharge while you can.” Ironhide groaned and slammed his head back on the bed of the truck. Ratchet left the hanger and pulled the doors closed behind him as he emerged.

Bumblebee was standing outside looking at the horizon. Optimus was beside him, and arm on his opposite shoulder, knelt down pointing into the distance. “There, just beyond the cliffs.” Optimus said as Ratchet walked up.

“What are we discussing?” Ratchet asked quietly as he walked up behind the two. Optimus stood.

“Perimeter sensors…” Bumblebee pointed “trying to find the best places to put our little robotic eyes.” Bumblebee was holding a small black box. In a small crate near Optimus were 12 more.

“Stick one where we discussed Bumblebee…and a second just past the ridge.” Optimus said as Bumblebee grabbed two and made his way out across the field to the cliffs edge. “How is Ironhide?”

“He’ll live…the slagger.” Ratchet smiled “His right optic is a bit damaged, not sure where it came from, it doesn’t seem serious now but I would like to replace the part.”

“Then do it.” Optimus said not looking down his eyes fixed on their yellow companion.

Ratchet sighed and crossed his arms across his chest “If he would let me near it I would.” Ratchet shook his head “Stubborn bot…”

Optimus turned now. “That doesn’t sound like Ironhide to me.”

“Me either…that’s why I am concerned.” Ratchet let his arms down “did you want to speak with him? You’ve known him longer…he trusts you.”

“I will be there to see him in a while…I think I know what is troubling him.” Optimus said quietly but did not elaborate on the topic.

“All right,” Ratchet let the air out of his intakes quietly “How are the young one’s legs.”

“He said he is feeling much better.” Optimus smiled “I’m glad you were able to repair him.”

“It’s my job.” Ratchet shook his head “I’m going to go talk to the human supplier, and see if we can’t get some of that coolant for Ironhide’s leg.”

Optimus nodded, he was keeping his eyes on Bumblebee. Ratchet turned and walked away from him leaving him to his thoughts.

Optimus knew Bumblebee could finish the job, so he turned and headed to the hanger where Ironhide was. Hoping to get him to admit what was on his mind, before prime just out and told him.

Ironhide was not in recharge he was standing at the back of the hanger when Optimus entered silently. Ironhide was looking in a small rear view mirror he had ripped of the truck to look at his eye. “You would let Ratchet fix that.” Optimus said folding his arms across his chest.

“It’s fine.” Ironhide turned to see Optimus staring him down. He set the small mirror down.

“You however are not.” Optimus said before Ironhide could say more. “It’s been far too long old friend, if you do not tell him.” Optimus turned to the door “I will.” He exited the room. Ironhide said nothing. Part of him wanted to curse Optimus, the other part of him knew his leader was right. He reached up and touched his eye and sighed turning back to the make shift berth and crawled upon it.

Ironhide put his head back against the cold metal and forced air up into his vents. He struggled with himself, what he should do, what he should say. He wasn’t for sure about anything anymore. There was a pain in his spark chamber. He dismissed it as he had always done, and offlined his optics, falling into a lucid recharge.

It could only get worse for Ratchet today.