Red Alert's Med Bay 2 – The Vacation (Armada)

Just when Red Alert thinks the chaos is finally over... the Autobots go on vacation!

Notes: Just a fun Armada Autobot-centric fan fiction that conveniently ignores the Decepticons. And of course Starscream is with the Autobots. And everyone's a little (or a lot) OOC. There were no children in the original Red Alert's Med Bay, but they appear in this one, albeit briefly. Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or the Autobots or characters etc. I do own Aqueous, but he's not alive he's just a cruiser so yeah.

Chapter 1: We're going where?!

There was a stagnant pause.
"We're going where?!" Blurr asked.
"We're going on vacation. The kids thought it would be a wonderful idea, and I agree that we need to get away for a little while," Optimus Prime said joyfully.
"Where did you have in mind, Optimus?" Red Alert asked, hoping it would be nice and safe. For some reason, he didn't think he was going to be getting much vacation time in personally.
"We're going on a cruise to an island! Alexis suggested it," Carlos replied, dancing in glee with the other kids.
"...cruise?" Starscream repeated, instantly disliking the idea.
"Yeah, on a boat!" Fred clarified unnecessarily.

While the children dashed off to pack their bags, a number of Autobots made various unsuccessful attempts at either talking their way out of it (Blurr), refusing to go (Scavenger) or escaping and hiding (Starscream). In the end, all seven Autobots and five children were assembled in the control room and awaiting their departure on their very first vacation together.
"Jetfire," Optimus called.
"Right here Prime!" Jetfire replied enthusiastically.
"Red Alert," Optimus called.
"Here. I've packed up all of the medical tools I may need," Red Alert said with a nod.
"Good. Hotshot?"
"Here and ready to go, Optimus sir!"
"Sideswipe?"
"Here. Are you sure this trip will be safe?"
"Of course I'm sure. The cruiser is from Cybertron, it's very safe. Blurr?"
"Must I be here?"
"Yes. Hoist?"
"Ready to go, Optimus."
"Scavenger?"
"Unfortunately."
"Come now, I'm sure this vacation will be good fun, and a great chance for us all to relax. And last but not least, Starscream?"

Another stagnant pause followed.
"Where's Starscream?" After five minutes of searching, somebody finally thought to look upwards.
"Starscream, get off the roof."
"No."
"Don't make me come up there!"
"No."
"I'm coming up there!"

Jetfire went up there. While Starscream was being prised from the roof, Optimus checked to make sure all five children were ready to go as well, and that the Minicons were all present and accounted for. He then glanced at the Autobot party to make sure nobody had disappeared after the roll call. When everyone was as ready to go as they were going to be, the Autobots rolled out and onto the Cybertronian cruiser Aqueous. While the children and Minicons scrambled into the Minicon rooms to claim their bunks, Red Alert found a suitable room to set up as a temporary medical facility. Hoist headed up the front to help Optimus control the cruiser, and off they set.

"Now, where can I find me some peace and quiet?" Scavenger asked himself. He headed towards the rear of the ship, trying his best not to step on or trip over excited Minicons, and found a nice open area with large chairs that would be perfect for relaxing on. "Perfect!" The mercenary grinned, and seated himself on the nearest chair. "
Oops. Sorry. Didn't mean that. Terribly sorry. No, no I did not do that on purpose. Sorry. My apologies. Look, if you didn't walk under my feet, I wouldn't step on you. Autobot coming through. Sorry. OH DEAR PRIMUS!!!" Blurr's shriek startled Scavenger into toppling off his chair. The beeping of Minicons that followed caused the large green Autobot to put his hands over his audios in a futile attempt to drown out the sounds.
"I thought Prime said this would be relaxing!" he grumbled.

"He tripped over the Minicons," Hotshot explained to an exasperated Red Alert. They had just set off and already there were Autobots in his previously quiet med bay.
"Which Minicons?" Red Alert asked as he helped Blurr onto the metal table.
"Those," the blue Autobot said sheepishly, pointing to a pile of disgruntled Minicons. Red Alert sighed. It was going to be a long vacation.
"Do you need some help?" Hotshot asked, grabbing a tool to hand to the medic and sending three others clattering to the floor.
"No thanks, I think I'll be right. How about you go out and ask the Minicons to be a little more careful?" Red Alert suggested.
"Right!" Hotshot said with a vigorous nod, saluting as he did so. Red Alert stifled a relieved sigh.

"And the ship goes up, and then the ship goes down. Then the ship goes up, then the ship goes down," Jetfire recited with a chuckle, poking a sulking Starscream in the arm. Annoying Starscream was one of his favourite hobbies, and it was oh so easy when the red jet was so riled to begin with. Jetfire turned off his optics as he threw his head back to laugh, a laugh that was cut short as he heard Starscream make a curious noise and felt something splatter against his chest, newly cleaned cockpit and previously shiny nosecone. He briefly debated as to whether he should turn his optics online. Maybe it would be better to leave them off.

Red Alert straightened up, his trained optics examining Blurr's frame, searching for any repairs that were still required. Satisfied that the blue Autobot was fully repaired, he opened his mouth to announce that Blurr could leave the med bay when the door opened. Please let them be here to visit Blurr or the Minicons, Red Alert begged silently. The voyage had just started, and already he had had to fix up Blurr, and would need to check over some of the Minicons. There couldn't really be another patient, could there?

Turning around slowly, he was rather surprised at what he saw. Jetfire had a rather deadpan expression on his face, and his front was stained pink with Energon. He was supporting a rather limp Starscream, whose optics were on the ground, momentarily exhausted. Red Alert sighed; he couldn't say he didn't expect at least one case.
"Put him on the table," Red Alert, said, patting the nearest table to the door.
"On second thoughts, put him on that one," he said, pointing to the one nearest the restroom door. He remembered last time. He then dashed to get a waste container; he definitely remembered last time! Red Alert stubbornly ignored Blurr's snorting giggles as the blue Autobot took in the sight of Jetfire, who stuck his tongue out at Blurr before remembering that he had a facemask on.

The medic made sure Starscream was comfortable on the table, then turned to direct Jetfire to the cleaning cloths (of which he had brought many), when the door to the med bay opened.
"Hey Red, Sideswipe here isn't feeling too well..." Hotshot began. Sideswipe took one look at the pink-stained Jetfire, then almost made Red Alert's med bay that little bit less clean. But Hotshot was on the ball; he grabbed the nearest waste container in time, and Red Alert was so pleased by this he didn't care that Hotshot managed to set off a sort of domino effect with the tools. He would pick them up later.