Work Text:
Rocky rolled his way into the lab. He had been so caught up with his own work at his workbench that he forgot to check on Grace. The human was very inefficient at taking care of himself. He would often forget to eat or drink anything and don’t get Rocky started on the human sleep pattern. Very inefficient.
Grace, who had been suspiciously quiet as of late.
Normally, the sound of Rocky’s ball would make Grace call out to him but this time he was silent. Sometimes Grace would also be into his work to the point where he didn’t hear Rocky coming. He had spooked Grace a couple of times doing that so Rocky learnt to send out a couple of small warning chirps.
Still with no response, Rocky rolled around the room searching for Grace. The man wasn’t at the desk, so Rocky tapped with his foot.
Rocky spun around when he detected the man laid out on the floor. Leaking more than normal from all over his body.
“Grace, question?” Rocky monitored his breathing. It was slow but even, Rocky recognised it as his sleeping breathing pattern. Rocky slumped in relaxation at the realisation.
Rocky rolled gently into Grace’s side. The man groaned in response and shifted his eyes.
“Grace on the floor, why, question?” Grace’s eyes opened slowly. Rocky chirped happily at the response.
“Grace, question?” Grace lifted his head from the floor and took in his surroundings.
“Wha-” His hand went to his head. “Where am I-?” Grace looked around the room before he laid his eyes on Rocky. Rocky chirps and waves with his claw at him.
“What the-” Rocky froze as Grace’s heart rate shot up. He watched as the human tried to crawl away from Rocky as fast as he could. Rocky had learnt what his different facial expressions mean. The panic was evident on his face.
“Grace, okay, question?” Rocky tapped his claws together in front of him. He didn’t want to move any closer out of fear of scaring Grace more.
“What-What are you? Where am I?” Grace frantically searched the room around him for any answers. Rocky could sense the sweat dripping off of him from all over the place.
“What do you mean, Grace, question? You are on Hail Mary with friend Rocky.” Grace looked back at Rocky again with more panic and confusion on his face than before.
“How can you talk? You’re talking? I don’t- What’s Hail Mary? I am in quarantine? Am I sick?” Grace patted himself down with his hands in search of something.
“Not understand all words Grace use. Grace build translator for Rocky. Grace memory bad.” Grace rubbed his eyes. Rocky could tell something was wrong, but he needed Grace to tell him what it was.
Or did he?
“Mary, Grace bad. Scan Grace.” The computer system whirred a little before Mary’s voice came over the speakers.
“Doctor Ryland Grace. High temperature detected. Please see the nanny bot for treatment immediately.” Rocky may not have understood all the words the computer relayed, but he did understand one.
“What Grace temperature?”
“Doctor Ryland Grace internal body temperature is one hundred and two point four degrees Fahrenheit or thirty night point one degrees Celsius.”
Rocky knew that was bad. The human body was meant to be at around the thirty-seven degree marker. The computer said something else about getting treatment. Rocky had to assume it meant Armando? That’s all Grace had ever referred to the robot as. It had helped him previously so it made sense that it would help him now.
“Grace must move, statement.” Grace looked back at Rocky with a blank stare before his mind caught up with what was just said.
“I-What?” Rocky moved and pulled his spectrometer from his work clothes.
“I am scary alien with gun. Do as told or else.” Grace raised his hands above his head, he had taught Rocky that this a symbol of I will do what you say.
Rocky commanded Grace to get to his feet. As he did, his whole body vibrated.
“What was that, question?” Grace wrapped his arms around his torso. Leaking liquid that dripped from his body onto the floor as he moved.
“I’m shivering. I’m cold.” Rocky didn’t understand, the computer said Grace has a high temperature. So why would he be shivering like he is cold?
Rocky manages to get Grace to Armando who takes over immediately. Grace is laid out on the medical bed as Armando’s arms whizz around scanning and taking him in. A mask was placed over his face and electrodes were attached at different points of his body.
“Doctor Ryland Grace. Infection detected. Dehydration detected. Recommend starting a line of antibiotics and an IV line.”
Rocky didn’t understand all the words Mary said, but they had to be good. Armando pierces Grace’s skin with a needle like he had done previously but leaves it in the back of Grace’s hand. Rocky had meant to ask Grace more about the medical side of things for humans, but the time never seemed right.
Grace seemed to let it all happen to him without complaint. Rocky could sense he was tired. Was this because of his raised temperature?
“Grace?” His eyes flicked to Rocky’s ball.
“Rock?” Rocky chirped happily. Grace remembered him, he must be getting better.
“Yes, yes, yes. Good good good. Grace memory back.” Grace blinked a few times before his eyes locked onto the spectrometer.
“Did you threaten me with your spectrometer?” Rocky played with the device in his hand.
“Did not know how to help Grace. Grace said Rocky was scary. Rocky scared Grace to get help. Apology.” Grace huffed out a little laugh as he smiled.
“You’re just trying to help. Thank you, Rocky.” Rocky gave him jazz hands before putting his thumb down at Grace. Grace returned it with his thumb up.
“Grace sleep. Rocky watch. Then when Grace awake, Grace explain to Rocky.” Grace nodded.
“You got it, bud.”