It was a long night for the femme, arching off the berth only to relax and have a medic dab at her helm with a cool rag. She was exhausted. Seven hours of labor, and the sparkling hadn't even thought about appearing.
The medics said the sparkling was okay, that seven hours was normal for a femme.
And then they were moving around in an excited fashion, their servos fluttering like nervous birds.
There was pain, lasting pain, that wasn't the contractions acting up once again. She screamed and arched up again. There was a soft sound and a medic grunted, and then there was sobbing.
"It's a mech."
They let the femme take the child while they cleaned her up and she examined it, turning it around and examining every inch of the sobbing sparkling.
"It is perfectly fine and healthy," the medic said.
The femme laid the mechling down on her thigh and clapped her servos loud enough the medics flinched. The sparkling just continued to lay there, not interested in anything.
The femme shouted, and that made one of the medics jump back, but the mechling still laid still. It flinched when she touched it and it looked at her with shocked optics, as if it hadn't heard her. The femme scowled.
"It's deaf."
The medics froze. This femme was notorious for hating all defects. She had already had nine sparklings before this one removed due to defects the medics found early, but this one had slipped by and managed to live.
The sparkling in question curled its digits around his carrier's digit, squeezing and purring up at her.
"Drown it."
He was thrusted into a medic's arms, Ratchet's, and he imprinted on him as his sire. Carrier Nature was practically fool-proof, but it made stupid mistakes. This one was of them.
Ratchet walked slowly, holding the sparkling close. He was blue and silvery, with bright blue optics always taking in the wonder. Yet he could not hear what Ratchet was saying to him.
"I'm sorry. I have to do this. I'm very sorry...very, very sorry.."
He filled the tub full of water and he went to lay the mech down in it, but Optimus walked in just in time to save the mechling.
"What is that?"
"A newborn," he whispered. He held it out for Optimus. "An orphan newborn."
The Prime took the sparkling and examined it. "What is wrong? It looks perfectly healthy."
"It is deaf, and it has a spark problem."
Optimus opened the sparklings chamber and watched the frantic pulses before he sighed. "Mm..." He shook his helm. "Let me take care of him..."
Ratchet could barely contain himself. He nodded, and watched the Prime walk away.
How hard could the sparkling be? he asked himself as he laid the sparkling down on a special berth designed for sickly sparklings. He smiled down at the sparkling and he walked back to his quarters to get some well-earned rest.
He was about to find out how difficult a deformed sparkling could be.
ooo
Optimus, there is something wrong with the sparkling.
The Prime was out of his berth and running to the other end of the base within moments.
You got wires, goin' in
You got wires, comin' out of your skin
You got tears, makin' tracks
I got tears, that are scared of the facts
The medics were bent over the sparkling as he stood outside, his face pressed against the window that allowed him to see what was happening. He whimpered and shook while the sparkling did not. He wanted to go to it, but he was told that he would cause more harm than good.
Runnin' down corridors through automatic doors
Got to get to you, got to see this through
I see hope is here, in a plastic box
I've seen Christmas lights, reflect in your eyes
Mult-colored lights from the machines around it made hazy reflections in the sparkling's optics as he twitched with his spark-pulse. He made a small mew, and the medics around him sighed softly in relief. Ratchet let him in, guiding the Prime to stand within sight. The sparkling watched the Prime, trading his imprint for him instead of Ratchet. He squeaked a greeting in sparkling-speak.
You got wires, goin' in
You got wires, comin' out of your skin
There's dry blood on your wrist
Your dry blood on my fingertip
Optimus touched the little one's servo, and he smiled when it curled around his digit. He struggled to keep his tears in his optics, but he could barely achieve that. If he lost it, he would be ordered out of the room. Being calm was better for everyone.
Runnin' down corridors through automatic doors
Got to get to you, got to see this through
First night of your life, curled up on your own
Lookin' at you now, you would never know
The sparkling was getting better, stretching and yawning while the medics worked on him. He pushed at their servos, and giggled softly. Then he reached up to Optimus.
I see it in your eyes
I see it in your eyes
You'll be alright
I see it in your eyes
I see it in your eyes
You'll be alright, alright
Optimus lifted him when the medics said he was okay to take, and he smiled down at him as he kissed his helm gently.
Runnin' down corridors through automatic doors
Got to get to you, got to see this through
I see hope is here, in a plastic box
I've seen Christmas lights, reflect in your eyes
Optimus walked down the halls back to his quarters. "I think you need a name..." He purred softly, turning the little mech around. "Ratchet said he could fix your audios so you can hear..."
The sparkling squealed.
ooo
Perceptor stormed around the base, his audios picking up every sound as he looked at the floor and found the pin he dropped. "There you are...I need you. You can't run away. Your job has yet to begin!"
Optimus was watching with amusement while the scientist-to-be was working on his cloth dummy he was going to turn in to Ratchet so he could be a certified scientist/medic.
He rested his helm in his servo, purring gently. "Mm..."
Perceptor looked up. "What?"
Down corridors through automatic doors
Got to get to you, got to see this through
First night of your life, curled up on your own
Lookin' at you now, you would never know.
He shrugged a bit. "Nothing, little mechling."