Begging You 'Pharma'-cy

[Ratchet]

For a moment, Ratchet was genuinely confused. He had saved a life, if not many others, by giving Pharma hope? Just how in the name of Primus had he done that? Once he'd told Pharma he was leaving for Cybertron, he'd never heard another word from him.. aside from the snippets of surgery that he'd thought were things trying to mess with his head. Just what was it that he had done that had instilled any form of hope? Had he.. been referring to the numerous times he tried to contact him? Had his comms really gone through?

"Pharma.. you're not saying.. You actually did receive all of my messages? The ones where I cried out for you..? The ones where I'd been angry for the wrong reasons..? Even the ones where I felt I'd been delusional for just telling you how I had been in hopes of getting any sort of response? I.. I never once would have imagined that.. that had helped you. Primus.. I really should apologize for some of the things I'd said.. I.. I was upset and.." He couldn't even bare to finish it.

Ratchet held his father figure close, refusing to let go of him. It was still almost like a dream that Pharma was right here with him, and he didn't want it to end. However, it wasn't a dream.. and it was very much real. Just as he didn't want to lose Pharma, Pharma didn't want to lose him either. He smiled sadly, burying his faceplate into the jet's chest.

He cried into him for a little while, holding him tight and listening as Pharma spoke to him. Thank Primus he wasn't going to tell anyone about this. Last thing he needed was someone poking fun at him for all this, but could he really help it? This was someone he thought was dead for far too long, and he finally had him back!

Once he'd cried himself out, Ratchet pulled back, looking up to his mentor. "A-alright. I think.. I'm good now. Let's head back to base, shall we?" Slowly he stood up, calling for a ground bridge. The bridge itself opened up not too much longer, Ratchet turning back to look to Pharma. "It's just through here. I promise you'll be safe."

[Deleted]

Hope. It had been a four-letter word at times, when he had Tarn venting down his neck. But at some times, it was the one thing keeping him from finally breaking and possibly becoming a mass murderer. And still more times, it was what helped him impart the same thing to his patients, what few were able to survive. Hope. No matter if Ratchet had been happy, or even angry.

"All of them." He looked directly into Ratchet's optics. "And...please. Don't be sorry for how you felt. It's natural to be upset at times, especially in what seems like a hopeless situation. The kind of situation I'd wanted to spare you." He then gave a sad look. "I'm glad you gave me hope even at the most hopeless times..."

Pharma let his field continue to mingle with Ratchet's. He needed this right about now. To feel someone's field and it be full of comfort, kindness, and friendliness. The opposite of what Tarn's had felt like--cold, full of hate, full of malice. He took in the sensation of Ratchet's continuing-to-mingle field. His hands idly seemed to rub along Ratchet's back during the crying; he didn't have a word for the tears. Ratchet needed this. He needed this dearly.

Once Ratchet's tears had stopped, he shivered but smiled. "Let's. It would probably be better to stay away from the ship in case...no. It's nothing." He then drew a ventilation when he saw the groundbridge. "Thank you. For safety."

[Ratchet]

All of them.. Pharma had actually received every message he'd ever sent since everything that had happened. Ratchet's optics widened, staring at his mentor in complete shock. He really had been listening to him, even if he had never responded. Of course he'd had every reason to be upset during many of the comms he sent, but now he only felt guilty for being angry some of those times.. even if Pharma attempted to convince him otherwise.

"I'm just glad that somehow.. I was able to help.. even if I feel I didn't really do much of anything. I guess even just a little can help in a significant way, can't it?"

Clutching to the seeker, Ratchet allowed the tears to flow while his field mingled with his mentor's. There was so many positive emotions flowing through his own field, as well as a twinge of embarrassment for crying on the elder mech. Both of them needed this, especially with everything that Pharma had been through. Softly he smiled as Pharma rubbed his back, the amount of calmness in his field growing little by little.

Once he had relaxed and called for the ground bridge, he grabbed the other medic's hand, squeezing it firmly. Just why was he wanting to stay away from the ship aside..? He'd been acting quite strange, but he wasn't about to ask about it. After all, Pharma had not wanted to talk about those who had kept him at the Delphi Medical Facility. "You're always welcome. I know that you would do this for me.. and in fact.. I know that you have before. Now.. let's get to the base."

Still holding Pharma's hand, Ratchet began to walk through the ground bridge, smiling softly once the two of them had passed through and appeared in the missile silo base. "Welcome to the base, Pharma. I'll let you rest for a little while before giving you the grand tour, of course. You need it."

[Deleted]

Pharma sighed softly. He had indeed gotten every message, even ones that he nearly missed due to signal jammers and the like. He had merely only given snippets of surgery when he could since the DJD had been monitoring his communications. And quite frankly, that was a little more than neural-net-wracking. It was downright horrifying. If he sent a general recording of surgeries, the DJD couldn't say it was a communication. It was just that--a recording, right?

"Yes. As I always told you when you were younger, first studying." He gave a small smile. "The very same thing that Cogwheel herself had taught me."

Pharma tried to give a twinge of reassurance from his own. There was no need to be embarassed. There was no need to think that he was wrong in some way for caring and getting swept up in his emotions. They both needed that. They both needed it completely.

Pharma shivered. He didn't want to think of the ones who had imprisoned him at Delphi even. He teared up with worry. "Yes. Let's."

When they disappeared through the groundbridge, he felt his vocals hitch for a moment. This wasn't exactly state-of-the-art, but it felt...comfortable for once. "Would you mind if I rested in a familiar surrounding--the med-bay?"

[Ratchet]

Ratchet chuckled softly to himself, a saddened smile crossing is faceplate. Pharma had been right, and he'd followed his teachings without even realizing it. The best thing he could give someone was hope, and he'd done just that for his mentor. "That you did, and I tried to hold onto that saying of yours. It was hard at times.. but now that you're here I think I'll always have that extra reminder now."

As the small amount of reassurance entered Pharma's field, Ratchet felt it mingling with his own. True, he had every reason to explode with emotion right now, but crying in front of someone was something he never wanted to do, no matter who it was. There was just some sort of pride that shattered each time it happened, which was why he made sure no one ever did. Pharma had perhaps been the very first to witness it.

Squeezing the elder mech's hand, Ratchet led him through the ground bridge, allowing him to take in his surroundings before consulting him as to what he'd wanted to do. There wasn't a need to rush things now, and there was never a need to stress Pharma any further with his new surroundings He would get to know this place in time, as well as the mechs and femmes who occupied this former missile silo. It came to little surprise that the first thing Pharma had wanted t do was rest.

"Of course I don't mind. Come on. Follow me and I will get you to the med bay."

Ratchet led the medic a way's from the ground bridge, pointing to a few areas along the way but not going into much detail. There would be time for a more formal tour later. Once they had reached the medical bay, Ratchet let go of Pharma's hand. "Our quarters are just down this way, but for now.. here is the medical bay. It isn't much, but I have enough to get what I need done for the time being. Please feel free to lie down on the berth and get some rest if you need it."

[Deleted]

Pharma gave a small smile. His words. No, they weren't quite his words. But it was okay to let Ratchet know that. Without judgment, without regret. "You mean Cogwheel's. It's what she taught me." He gave a small smile. "She's always been right about it."

Pharma himself had been trying to hold himself rather well-composed. Like Ratchet, he had a little too much pride to necessarily cry in front of another. The only one who had really seen it before was Cogwheel, Pharma's mentor and, if you asked him, love. Not that he would openly say it without her permission.

Ratchet leading the way seemed to make a more reassured feeling slip through his field. It took some time, while Pharma was taking in not only the energy of the area, but the sights and sounds. It was different from Delphi--markedly different--and yet similar at the same time. To be honest, the whole ordeal was quite exhausting, but at least he was away from Delphi, finally.

"Thank you." He whispered.

Soft pedefalls would follow Ratchet's steps. To the med-bay. It wasn't too far, just far enough that he could rest, that he could relax after getting there. He seemed to settle down on one of the berths. "Thank you, Ratchet. One more thing..." He paused. He wanted to wait for Ratchet's words before he made the request. Two words. Two simple words that indicated where he wanted Ratchet.

[Ratchet]

Dr. Cogwheel's words.. Perhaps that had been the case after all, and Ratchet wasn't going to argue about it. Pharma wouldn't make something like that up, so naturally it was just as he said. Besides, what reason would have have to do so anyway?

Eventually he got his mentor back to the base, letting him recoup a little before engaging him in anything around the missile silo. It was a drastic change in scenery for him, and sometimes people just reacted differently in these kinds of situations. And if he'd been trapped on Messatine for so long, there was no doubt in Ratchet's processor that stress was going to be a big factor in Pharma's life for a little while.

He led him down towards the crew quarters, but made a turn for the medical bay. Pharma had wanted to see it, and he had wanted to rest, but at the same time the younger medic wanted to show his mentor what he had been up to since arriving on this planet. Naturally, the technology was a bit more on the primitive side, but he had found a way to make it work. He smiled at the whispered thank you, turning to the jet. "You're welcome. You are always welcome."

Watching as Pharma settled himself on one of the berths, Ratchet pulled up a seat to sit beside him, grabbing one of the elder mech's hands. Primus.. this still felt like a dream to him, and yet it was very real. Pharma was here, alive and safe. If he had a say in it, he'd never let him go again. Glancing up, he gave his mentor a questioning look. 'One more thing'? Just what was this thing?

"Yes, Pharma? Do you need anything?" If that need was for his student to stay by his side, then it was a done deal. Ratchet wasn't prepared to leave him quite yet. They'd only spent how many stellar cycles apart?

[Deleted]

Oh Cogwheel. One day, Pharma hoped to find the arachnicon again. She had been a wonderful mentor. And more. He loved her dearly and missed her so much. She had taught him so many things not just about medicine, but about love and life.

Pharma gave a tearful smile. Always welcome. That was a comforting thought. A more comforting thought than knowing that Ratchet had spoke to him even when he thought the messages hadn't gone through. Hearing the words had kept Pharma sane--well, as sane as someone who was always looking over his shoulder at every possible second could be.

Pharma had only two words, softly spoken. "Please stay."

[Ratchet]

As Pharma climbed onto the berth, allowing himself to prepare for some much needed rest, Ratchet stayed right by his side, holding the elder doctor's hand as he thought to himself. Primus, he'd missed Pharma, and to say that he was happy to have his mentor back was a gross understatement. He'd believed him to be dead or to have even abandoned him, only for that to turn out to not be the case. He'd spared him from a terrible fate, keeping him as far from Messatine as he could by cutting all communications, save for those snippets of surgery.

Ratchet perked up, looking to the seeker curiously as he stated there had been one more thing he had wanted. That one thing could have been anything, really, but if he had to hazard a guess (not that making assumptions was ever a good thing), he could only guess that he had wanted some energon or perhaps for Ratchet to stay with him. That, or say something familiar to him.

When the words 'please stay' were muttered, all Ratchet could do was smile.

"I never had any intention of leaving you. I'll stay by your side while you rest, and I won't ever leave. Get as much rest as you need. From everything you've told me, you needed that."

The younger of the two folded his arms on the berth, resting his helm in his arms while his hand firmly grasped Pharma's. He himself felt exhausted after the whirlwind of emotions that had gone through him, as well as travelling to and from Greenland, a land of not just ironic name but colder climates.. something he wasn't as used to anymore. Squeezing Pharma's hand, his field filling with love for one of the very first times, he smiled. "Of all the things I never got the chance to tell you.. it was that.. you're like a creator to me.. I've always seen you that way since we became close back in my student days."

[Deleted]

It had been strange to adjust his wings on the berth, his optics starting to shutter. He squeezed Ratchet's hand, taking in the younger medic's field and the calming air of the area they were in at this moment. Far from Messatine. Far from Delphi. And more importantly, far from the Decepticon Justice Division. And close to someone friendly, someone who cared, someone who was willing to stay with him.

"I...I needed that." He murmured.

A smile seemed to ghost his face at Ratchet's words. Family. He felt like family. And as long as he was with family, he was home.

[Ratchet]

Ratchet's smile took a slight turn towards melancholy as he watched Pharma's optics shutter. He held his hand a little tighter, folding his servos on the berth, his helm coming down to rest on those servos as if they had been a pillow of sorts.

This mentor was safe and sound, and there was no need to worry about him disappearing ever again. The thought eased the younger medic's processor, but even more so when Pharma spoke three rather familiar words. "I needed you. I'm so glad you're here now. Now get some rest. I promise I'll be here when you come out of recharge. You've long since earned this."

Squeezing the elder's hand one final time, Ratchet let his own optics shutter before allowing them to stay closed. Maybe just this once he would get a good night's recharge.