Chapter Text
“What’s happening?” Sunstreaker looked up in alarm as the healer’s wagon lurched to a stop. From his bed, Sideswipe turned to look with barely lit optics.
“It’s okay,” Bluestreak replied with a smile. “We’re just stopping to fuel and rest the ponies. If one of the other tribes is nearby, we might trade a little too. But nothing is wrong.”
“Are you sure?” Sunstreaker sounded, he thought, worried. And Bluestreak supposed that he couldn’t blame the yellow mech for that.
“Yes, very sure. We came this way three years ago, and there’s a spring and a lake where Prowl had planned for us to stop today. We might stay for a few nights and catch fish or hunt to replenish our supplies, and then we’ll start moving again.” Blue smiled again, remembering how good the the fish had tasted the last time the tribe had stopped at the lake. “I know Sideswipe can’t get up yet, but I can ask Remedy if it’s all right to take you down to the lake, if you want.”
Sunstreaker glanced at his brother before shaking his head. “I can’t leave Sideswipe.”
“I understand.” Bluestreak nodded, because he did. If he and Prowl had both been so grievously injured, he wouldn’t be able to leave Prowl’s side either. “I do need to go and check in with Prowl and the elders, though, and take a turn with the gatherers. Will you be all right, or should I send someone in to sit with you?”
“We’ll be fine,” Sunstreaker replied, but it was overlapped by Sideswipe slurring out “He’s bored!”
Blue blinked as he sorted the words apart in his head, then gave the city mechs a sheepish grin. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think that you would want something to do. You were sleeping so much before today.”
“It’s fine.” Sunstreaker shook his head.
“It’s not.” Bluestreak shook his head, too. “After I check in, I’ll bring something back for you to do. Maybe needlepoint or basket mending… What?”
Sunstreaker was staring at him with wide, confused optics. “We don’t… we don’t know how to do that stuff.”
“Oh! Well, okay.” He blinked again, as the scope of the problem hit him. Even normal city mechs didn’t often learn those skills, and as slaves they would have been given even fewer opportunities. “I guess I’ll just have to teach you. I’m not the best at needlepoint, but I can show you the basics and basket mending is so easy that Sideswipe can probably do it right now, even with the painkillers.”
Sunstreaker stared for a moment longer before nodding. “Yeah, okay. It’ll be something to do, even if we hate it.”
“And it will help the tribe, which is important.'' It might be a long time before they felt comfortable enough to think of themselves as part of the tribe after being isolated for so long, but it wouldn’t hurt to help them start thinking about it anyway.
“Yeah, we gotta pay you back for all of this, somehow.”
Bluestreak shook his head and resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation. They’d talked this point over and over and into the ground already, but Sunstreaker still insisted that they owed the tribe for their care even though it had been freely given. “You don’t, but I’m not going to argue about it again today. Now, will you be all right while I go check in and round up supplies?”
“His leg hurts,” Sideswipe replied while Sunstreaker frowned at him. Sideswipe, at least, was starting to sound more lucid the longer he was awake this time. “And his side itches where the patch is.”
Bluestreak nodded. “Okay. I’ll send in Remedy or Patchwork on my way out. Are you hungry? Should I bring back fuel too?”
“No, we’re fine. We can wait for the evening meal.”
He couldn't tell if Sunstreaker was giving the answer he thought Blue wanted or if they really were fine. Regardless of the answer, Blue nodded. Taking them at their word would go a long way toward continuing to build trust with these two city mechs. “All right. I’ll be back in a little bit, then.”
“G’bye!” Sideswipe replied with a little wave, the most movement he’d made since they’d put him in the bed. Bluestreak felt a little thrill of happiness at the action.
“See you later,” Sunstreaker added.
Bluestreak moved to the door in the back of the wagon and opened it. The afternoon sun and the smell of warm grass and lake air met his olfactory sensors, and he decided to leave it open behind him for the city mechs to enjoy too. Then he stepped outside and went to find one of the healers before checking in with Prowl.