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The sun shone brightly through the broken roof in Prowl’s room, birds have gathered on the tree branches, singing their tunes.
Despite this wake-up call, Prowl remained still where he laid on the floor, even as he was fully awake. Sprawled out on his back, one arm draped over his stomach, the Cyber Ninja stared up at the sky past the leaves above him.
He always got up before dawn, and yet, today, he just couldn’t. His limbs felt weak, he wanted to do nothing but sleep all day. He didn’t feel tired, of course not, he hadn’t done anything to provoke exhaustion.
So why did he refuse to get up?
Something nagged in his processor, a deep root of forbidden laziness, whispering for him to go back to recharge, to take a short stasis nap. The others didn’t need him right now, he had time to sleep in.
Prowl had gotten used to ignoring it, but now as he laid on the floor, he couldn’t quite do so. The others didn’t need him this early, he could settle down for a while..
He didn’t register the noise fading away as his frame settled for recharge. He didn’t register the time passing, the sun rising, the sun slinking downwards.
Rapid pounding at his door startled Prowl awake.
"Prowl? Prowl! Are you in there??"
The grating voice of Bumblebee’s practically assaulted his audials. With a heavy sigh, Prowl forced himself up, the action oddly difficult.
Staggering up, he walked towards his door and unlocked it, letting it slide open. He hadn’t checked the time, still rather unfocused.
"What could you possibly need this early?" Prowl asked sharply, only to be met with an incredulous look from Bumblebee.
"This early?! It’s almost sundown!"
Prowl startled at that, helm snapping up to look at the broken roof, where the sun was, in fact, falling.
That didn’t make sense, he had only shut his optics for merely a few moments. He missed how Bumblebee’s expression shifted to slight concern.
"Uh.. maybe I should get Ratchet..?" The minibot offered. Prowl shook his helm, he had just accidentally slept in, nothing to bother a medic with.
"I must have lost track of time, it’s nothing serious." The Cyber Ninja reassured, though Bumblebee still seemed unconvinced.
"Uh..kay. Just.. come out soon, Optimus is concerned for you." With that, the shorter autobot turned and walked off, disappearing down the hallway.
Prowl was left alone with his thoughts again, the heaviness in his limbs returning in full force. He forced himself to lean against the doorframe, trying to find the strength to follow.
Everything was sore, yet he had done nothing but nap all day. Why is he so weak? Was it an after effect from the space barnacles? He hadn’t gone for a checkup after that failed camping trip with Bumblebee and Sari, perhaps he just needed to regain his energy.
Prowl was long overdue for one anyways, maybe he’d bring himself around to a checkup with Ratchet sometime in the future. Pushing himself off the framing, the Cyber Ninja staggered down the hallway. The dull ache in his limbs spread across his body, he braced a servo against the wall for support.
Dragging his pedes, Prowl turned the corner to enter the rec room, where he was greeted with concerned looks. Deep frustration boiled beneath his calm facade, he didn’t need their pity. He was fine.
The dull ache turned sharp, causing his servo to curl around the edge of the doorframe. He strained to keep his expression calm, strained to keep himself composed. He was fine, they didn’t need to worry over him.
He would be fine. He needed to be fine.
Practically stumbling towards the kitchen, Prowl silently searched for any spare energon cube. It took a few moments, but eventually he managed to find one, gently grabbing it. He was pointedly ignoring the others, hoping they’d catch on and leave him alone for a while.
Prowl was tired, exhausted, and it correlated with what one would call a ‘bad mood’. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed, whatever those organics call it. His frame was weighed down with a heavy layer of fatigue, and he was not looking forward to conversations.
"Uh.. Prowl..? You okay, buddy?" Bulkhead’s voice, Prowl dully noted. With a sigh, he lifted his helm to the wrecker.
"I’m fine, Bulkhead. I slept in, that’s all." He reassured, speaking to all of them.
"Slept in? It’s almost time for us to turn in! That’s not just sleeping in, that’s skipping the cycle fully!" Ratchet interjected, placing his servos on his hips.
Prowl contained another sigh, forcing himself to calm down enough to respond in a leveled tone.
"I lost track of time, that’s my fault, it won’t happen again."
Ratchet looked increasingly skeptical, but didn’t push the matter further. Prowl leaned his back against a wall, sipping the energon cube unenthusiastically. He welcomed the silence that bloomed in the room, wanting nothing but to rest.
Why he wanted to rest was beyond him, he had done nothing BUT rest all day. The Cyber Ninja chose not to dwell on the reason why, surely he’d be back to normal by tomorrow.
He watched with half-lidded optics as the others moved around base, the day progressing. The visors he wore hid his unfocused gaze, instead feigning a keen one.
Joors passed, and soon, it was already time to settle down. Prowl had not moved from his place, empty energon cube still in his servo. Optimus casted a worried glance in Prowl’s direction, before slowly walking into the hall after the others. Prowl suppressed a groan of annoyance, seething, he didn’t need their sympathy! How clear should he make it?!
Tossing out the empty energon cube, Prowl steadied himself with a servo on the table. He could barely feel his limbs by now, movements sluggish. He forced himself to move, he just had to reach his berthroom, then everything would be okay. He would be better tomorrow, wake up early and everything would go back to how it once was. This was just an off-day, that’s all.
A stinging pain spread across his frame, as if miniature knives were pricking him from every point. Prowl writhed in pain, gasping out as he nearly crumbled, servo clutching the doorframe, digits curling around the edges.
Part of him wanted to scream out, to alert the others that he needed help. But the sensible part of Prowl knew it didn’t work like that, he wouldn’t be a liability, he wouldn’t show weakness. Hobbling down the hallway, the Cyber Ninja tore through the layers of exhaustion, desperate to reach his room and let himself keel over.
In a drastic resort, Prowl slammed himself against his door, the shabby garage door instinctively retracted and lifted. The second the door shut behind him, Prowl couldn’t even muster up the strength to climb his tree. Collapsing on the floor, he welcomed recharge in such an unruly position. His last conscious thought was how everything hurt.