They had searched the hide out, finding a separate room from the one Clank and Ratchet were being held. In it they discovered a bed, dresser, some knifes, an empty escape pod, which they figured, was where the smuggler had escaped to. They eventually found a key in the dresser that unlocked the chains to the duo's restrains. Cronk had grabbed the blanket off of the smuggler's bed and wrapped it around the lombax carefully, to hide his shame.

They were able to walk back to the ship were currently on their way to the closest hospital on Magnus. Zephyr and Cronk sat in the front piloting while Talwyn sat with the robot and the lombax in the back. Ratchet sat between Talwyn and Clank so he could try and repair the robot with the tools aboard the ship. With the blanket still wrapped firmly around most of his body he worked on his friend and asked Talwyn for the odd tool from a box she held on her lap.

"Pliers." He said quietly reaching out his palm. She bit her lip as she looked at the bloody scars on his wrist before quickly handing him the device.

As he got to work all that had transpired began to replay itself in his mind. How could this have all happened? When did it start? When he had been in his garage, of course, and the smuggler had taken him, abused him, threatened him, and taken advantage of him, all in twenty four hours. God, it had only been roughly a day ago before this happened. Just one day before, he had been minding his own business, in his house, working on his ship. It had only taken one day to break him. Just one day to strip him of all his confidence and strength. Silent tears weld in Ratchet's eyes and he tried to hide them from his friends, but a tell tale sniff alerted the Markazian.

"Ratchet, are you okay?" She asked reaching out to him. As she made contact against his fur he tensed up for a moment forgetting it wasn't the sick man who had touched him before, but a person he could trust.

"I... I never wanted you, any of you, to see me like that, to have you and Clank in that position, where you felt the need to give up your lives to save me." Ratchet said his voice cracking between the tears that gently ran down his face.

"It had only taken him a day, just one day; to completely break me and strip me of everything I cared about." He paused thinking silently.

"Am I really a hero? How could I be if I can barely take care of the people I love?"

"Ratchet, you are a hero." Talwyn said. The lombax raised his head in surprise and looked at the woman.

"You may be torn down or broken into a million pieces, but you always get back up. Even when that twisted man had hurt you, you still looked out for us. You were willing to give up your life for Clank and I, and never strayed away from what was right." She said, a determined look in her eye. Ratchet looked to his lap unsure about Talwyn's words.

"SHe iS RiGHt." Clank said and Ratchet turned to him "NO mATter wHAt HaPPeNs RAtcheT, You aLWAy do THe riGHt thiNG."

"It may take us all some time to heal, but I know the two of you will be back to your old selves in no time." Talwyn said putting her hand lovingly in his own.

Ratchet wiped his eyes and smiled. "Thanks guys," he said pulling them into a hug "thank you so much."

The End.

Thank you all for reviewing along the way! It's really helped me get this finished and I'm super proud of this story. I hope you all had as much fun reading as I did writing this. Thanks again, Baileaves