Optimus grunted as he awoke with tears in his optics. He sat up quickly, feeling the sharp pains in his chassis as he did but not really caring. The ruminants of the memory in plagued his processor and his venting started to become panicked. The nightmare had been real; it had happened. All of it.

"Optimus!" came Ratchet's concerned voice. A moment later, he felt a familiar servo on his shoulder plate. 

The Prime looked over to his friend with wide optics. He realized that his spark was beating rapidly and tried to calm himself down. He closed his optics and slowed his vents. Ratchet continued to keep his servo on his friend's shoulder plate, watching him. He knew that his leader had just seen a troubling nightmare. He shuddered slightly, trying not to imagine it.

"R-Ratchet," Optimus gasped, voice breaking. "Arcee.. she was.."

The old medic closed his good optic and sighed. "Optimus.. she has been dead for years."

The Prime nodded. He had known, as well as he knew that the others were gone as well, but the memory seemed fresh. Like he was seeing it for the first time. Ratchet seemed to understand this and took his servo off his friend's shoulder plate.

"Your mind could have forcefully repressed those memories while you were in stasis for so long," the doctor mumbled. "You could be getting them now since your processor is becoming fully functional." 

Optimus shook his helm, a wave of sadness washing over his spark. He knew that this pain would never go away, and he wanted to let it overtake him. However, he knew he could never allow that. For the sake of himself, and his oldest friend. He looked up at Ratchet in what he hoped was reassurance that it would be alright. The medic's own optic twisted and he looked away.

"I'm sorry if I'm... troubling you, old friend," Optimus said quietly. He quickly realized that while he had been in stasis for a year, Ratchet was left to care for him, all alone. His spark ached again as he imagined what his friend had had to go through.

Ratchet shook his helm, giving Optimus a ghost of a smile. "No need, Optimus. As long as you recover, and take revenge on Megatron, than it will be enough." He looked back up at the Prime with a determined and angry glare in his bright optic. "So focus on you recovery."

Optimus gave his friend a worried look. He didn't really know how to explain it to the medic, how he could see the anger and pain inside him. He also didn't feel it was a good idea to bring it up; Ratchet looked as if he had been through enough.

Instead, he changed the subject. "Where are we, Ratchet?"

The doctor turned his attention to the small monitor and tiny stash of Energon in the corner. "A small hideaway in the edges of South America. I believe it was once a small faction of a military base." He scowled as the monitor flickered and went out. "However, the equipment is old and has some broken parts. Without the use of proper tools or.. assistance, I'm not able to make very many repairs." His servo seemed to instinctively graze his gash on the side of his lower chassis.

"When and where did you acquire Energon?" Optimus asked, noticing how low the stash was.

The medic sighed. "With Megatron.. in control, his forces are spread low and thin. If I'm careful, I can sneak into smaller mines and obtain what little I can get." 

Optimus felt his spark sink again. "In control..?"

"You honestly expect that Megatron would keep quiet after our defeat?" Ratchet snapped, turning to the Prime sharply. "Of course he took over Earth! It was too late to stop him when he.." 

"What did he do?" Optimus asked dreadfully, shifting as he sat on the berth.

"He cyberformed earth," the medic said quietly. "The humans.. those who survived.. are now his servants, or Shockwave's experiments." Ratchet winced at his own words.

Optimus' optics flew open wide, his spark freezing. They had failed. Earth was lost. He brought his servos to his helm slowly, unable to fully comprehend it. All those people.. now gone because of Megatron's thirst for power. He felt rage consume his chassis, and it shook with fury.

"Optimus..." Ratchet said slowly, looking away. He felt sorry for snapping at his friend and causing him such pain.

The Prime slowly calmed himself, knowing blind rage would do nothing for them now. He would save it for when he faced Megatron. When he ended him. He could purge himself of unbridled anger for now, but he could never end the hatred for his once brother in his spark.

"For now," the medic mumbled, "all we can do is prepare. Hopefully we can formulate some sort of-" Ratchet froze, his optic widening slightly.

Optimus took his helm from his servos at Ratchet's sudden silence. He saw his friend's chassis begin to shake violently, before he doubled over and erupted into loud, harsh coughs. Prime jumped up quickly, panic involuntarily filling his chest. He reached out and took his friend's shoulder plates as he hacked up Energon and coughed some more. Optimus instinctively looked around for the source of the problem, but couldn't find it.

"Ratchet?!" he shouted, trying to keep his voice from cracking in fear. "What is going on? Speak to me!"

The medic couldn't respond, his optic squeezed shut as he choked. He went weak in the knees and began to fall. Optimus tightened his grip and tried to heave him up, but his own strength was dwindling. He tried more before he slowly let his friend onto the floor. Ratchet continued, his coughs becoming harder and raspier, his whole chassis violently shaking with them. Energon oozed from his mouth as it went on. Optimus felt helpless as he tried to think of how he could help. Ratchet's good servo flew to Optimus' arm, keeping him from getting up. He held on to it tightly, squeezing it in pain. Optimus lifted his other arm and held his friend up with his servo on Ratchet's chest chassis. The gasping continued, spilling Energon and taking Ratchet's breath away. Optimus could do nothing but support his friend, his own spark beating quickly in panic. He had no idea what was happening, and no idea what to do. 

After what seemed to last for hours, Ratchet's coughs began to weaken, eventually turning into small gasps for air as he slowly relaxed. Optimus kept his grip firm as Ratchet's chassis went weak and slouched over. Ratchet's optic finally opened, dim and exhausted. Optimus calmed himself as he watched his friend recover. He sighed in relief as it ended.

Ratchet finally took his servo off of Optimus' arm as his helm leaned back. He didn't say anything, just groaned weakly and held his side, his faceplate twisting in pain. His mangled servo went up and wiped the Energon away from his mouth. Optimus looked down at the splotches on the floor and realized how much of it his friend had lost just in the fit. He looked to his friend, question and worry written all over his faceplate.

"Ratchet, are you alright?" he asked quickly, no longer able to hide the fear in his voice. He helped the doctor sit up straight.

His old friend shook his helm slightly, trying to clear his processor. "I'm fine, Optimus. Don't worry about it." He began trying to stand, but Optimus held him down.

The Prime could tell the medic was lying. He narrowed his gaze and gripped Ratchet's shoulder plates tighter. "Ratchet, what happened?" he asked firmly, his authority slowly returning.

Ratchet sighed, closing his optics again. "This happens every so often, Optimus," he rasped. He hissed slightly behind gritted denta. "Due to my injury."

Optimus' optics flew to the medic's side, where he was holding the gash tightly. He looked back up at his friend again with question in his bright blue optics. "This is.. normal?" he asked with horror.

"I wasn't.. able to treat it properly," Ratchet explained, looking at his mangled servo. "At the time, there was nothing more I could do. Even if I had the proper equipment now, it's too late to fix it."

Optimus was taken back at his friend's statement, slowly releasing the doctor in his realization. He glanced back at the wound and felt his stomach twist at it's odd meld. Horror flooded his chest chassis as he thought about what Ratchet had went through.

"Ratchet..." he whispered quietly, trying not to let his optics fill with lubricant. 

The old bot shook his head as he slowly tried to stand again. "Worry about yourself, Optimus. Your recovery is more important to our cause than mine." He cringed and his legs began to shake.

Optimus took his friend's shoulder plates again and helped him up. Ratchet didn't protest, leaning on him for support. The Prime still looked at him worriedly. He was upset that he wasn't able to help his closest friend the way he wanted to. 

Once balanced, Ratchet shrugged Optimus off. "Get some rest, old friend. Your systems are still lagging."

Optimus realized that his chassis was shivering slightly. Whether it was from the effort to help Ratchet stand, or the stress now weighing on him, he wasn't sure. He suddenly found himself to tired to really care and laid back on the berth. Ratchet looked over him with one sad and gentle optic as he watched his friend quickly fall into recharge.

He silently prayed that nightmares wouldn't plague him again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I made myself cry again. Again. This story is just so sad... that's the way I intended it, but still..

I hope I'm not the only one crying here.