Work Text:
Ratchet is typing away on his datapad per usual in the med bay. The red and white mech had gotten up early this morning to work on a new project of his. He remembers turning his helm to look at his sweet human still asleep in his berth, a small smile forming on his faceplate in adoration.
That had been nearly six hours ago. It was now nearing 12 pm in the evening and he had yet to see them make an appearance around the base.
His optical ridges furrow in concern as he steps away from his work, making a beeline towards his berth room. When he opens the door he finds them still peacefully asleep, now cocooned in his large blankets.
Ratchet hesitantly walks over to where they’re sleeping as he puts a gentle servo on their back.
“Sweetspark? Are you awake?” He asks softly. He hears a small mumble in reply as they slowly open their eyes to meet his optics.
“Ratch...” they weakly say with a tired look. This causes the medic’s frown to deepen.
“Hey, is everything okay? I haven’t seen you at all today since I first got up this morning.”
They shake their head no slowly.
“I don’t feel well.”
This causes Ratchet’s optics to widen in worry. He decides to perform a medical scan on them to check for any injuries.
“I’m not detecting any physical injuries. However, your temperature is abnormally higher than what’s considered normal for humans," he explains with a worried tone.
They let out a small cough.
“My throat is dry and I feel really cold," they mutter wearily as they start coughing again.
“Oh dear..." the mech’s voice is laced with concern as he places a servo on their forehead.
“You do feel really warm," he confirms while contemplating what to do.
“I think I’m going to contact Nurse Darby to come over so she can better assess your condition and hopefully help alleviate some of your symptoms. I’ll be right back, okay?”
They give a quiet ‘okay’ in response. He leans down to press a soft kiss against their temple before leaving his berth room to contact Miss Darby.
Miss Darby enters the base in her blue car 20 minutes after Ratchet had first contacted her. She exits the vehicle carrying her medical bag along with a small container under her arm. The nurse looks up to find Ratchet sitting at his workstation tinkering away.
“Evening Ratchet," she greets the medic with a friendly smile. He looks up from his work and breathes a sigh of relief when he sees her.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice Miss Darby," he says with a sincere look.
She smiles at this.
“Of course! I heard that the poor thing has a bad case of the sniffles. Unfortunately with Fall arriving, it’s pretty common for humans to catch colds like these.”
“Will they be alright?” Ratchet asks worriedly as the two of them make their way towards his berth.
“Most definitely. They just need some medicine, care, and lots of rest," she reassures him with a kind look. The mech’s anxiousness fades slightly after hearing this as he nods his helm silently.
When they arrive, Ratchet notices that his partner hasn’t moved from their spot since he last saw them 20 minutes ago. His signature frown returns at this as he watches the nurse walk over to them.
“Hi dear, I heard that you’re not feeling too well today," she says softly.
They turn their head to look at her tiredly with a weak smile.
“Hi Nurse Darby.”
She gets to work pulling a thermometer, stethoscope, and other tools that Ratchet doesn’t recognize out of her bag. After taking a few minutes to examine them, she looks back up at the Autobot with a smile.
“They seem to just have a common case of the flu like I suspected. I gave them some cough medicine which they’ll have to take for the next few days until they fully recover. I also have a container of chicken noodle soup which I brought with me for them which should help with their sore throat as well as provide some much needed nourishment for their body.”
Ratchet lets out a deep ex-vent in relief which he didn’t realize he was holding in until now. The feeling of relief washes over him as he turns to Miss Darby with a warm smile.
“Thank you so much for your help today, Miss Darby. Me and them greatly appreciate your service.”
“You’re very welcome, Doctor. Make sure they drink lots of water as well so that they don’t become dehydrated. You’re also always free to call me if their symptoms get worse," she says before leaving with a friendly wave.
Ratchet turns his attention back to his partner who’s now propped themself up against the large pillows that lay at the head of his berth.
“What would you like to do now?” He asks in a calm voice. They think for a moment before looking up at him with a hopeful gaze.
“Cuddle with me for the rest of the day?”
He feels his faceplate warm up slightly at the request before he gives them a fond smile.
“Of course.”
Ratchet ends up mass displacing so that he can lay with them more comfortably. His one servo wraps around their waste protectively as he feels their head lay on his chassis. His other servo starts to mindlessly pet their head in an attempt to lull them back to sleep.
“I love you, Ratch. You’re the best," they mumble quietly before succumbing to sleep.
The medic’s spark swells with adoration after he hears this. He can’t help the soft smile that appears on his faceplate.
“I love you too, sweetspark. You mean the world to me and so much more.”
He drifts into recharge shortly afterwards with a smile still on his lips.