cross-labs:

bettsplendens:

cross-labs:

bettsplendens:

cross-labs:

bettsplendens:

Oh. Well he wasn’t so sure about her being alright, people who collapse on the ground generally aren’t. However he really couldn’t refute her claim since he was far from knowledgeable on the subject, and he had a feeling he wouldn’t get very far if he tried. So instead he simply did as he was told and climbed back up on the berth.

“I think I’m okay? I mean, I don’t feel sick.” Crosscase said, but still came close so she could scan him anyways. He knew enough that you do what a medic tells you, because disobeying usually meant you check ups weren’t gonna be comfortable to say the least.

Scalpel leaned up to scan Crosscase, then curled back down onto her side and squinted as she surveyed the results. Which was odd for someone viewing something on her HUD, but it did seem to be working. “A’ight. Ain’t seein’ anything here… lemme check wi’ the other medics.” 

.:Yo. Patches. Sendin’ you a scan. What’s this li’l cutie in for? Picked ‘im up by mistake, apparently:.

.:Oh, hi. Yeah- I saw you getting him out of the medbay, actually, but you looked so calm I didn’t think to stop you. Didn’t think it’d hurt anything, an’ you need the relaxation. That’s Crosscase, he’s in for chemical exposure to. No major symptoms, minor disorientation, just in for monitoring in case of an immune response. Seem fine to you?:.

.:Yep. What’m I doin’?:.

.:I’ll fill you in later, nothing too weird. You hurt your leg and we gave you painkillers for the nerve backlash, and you got all wacky like you usually do on pain meds. Just relax, I’m highly suggesting you do calming things instead of trying to get up. Or… if you gotta move around a bunch, do it without standing. Like- I don’t know, play with the cute flier, he’s not your patient ;):.

Scalpel blinked up at the ceiling, smirking, then turned her attention to Crosscase again. “Patches says you were in for observation- chemical exposure. Y’ seem okay now, though. How y’ feelin’?” she asked, moving around until her back was to the wall against the berth, and slowly looked Crosscase up and down. Heh. “He also suggested I have some fun with you in lieu of getting up and putting weight on my leg.” the femme muttered, looking vaguely sleepy now that the adrenaline was wearing off and she was remembering that she’d just woken up. “Bold li’l ball ‘a sass, but ‘e’s got a point.” 

Crosscase’s plating fluffed up as his wings and audials shot up straight while his face flushed with embarrassment. He looked down at his hands clasped in his lap to avoid eye contact with Scalpel before speaking.

“C-chemical exposure sounds about right given how volatile the materials I was working with are. Guess I wasn’t as careful as I …” He stopped mid sentence and a look of dawning realization took over his face, “I didn’t write down the formula!” he nearly shouted.

He dropped his face into his hands and curled over until his head touched the berth. When he spoke the words were muffled against the blankets.

“I didn’t write down the formula, and I can’t remember anything about my experiment. I was so close to a breakthrough, and now it’s gone!” Crosscase muttered dejectedly, his field filled with despair and frustration.

Oh, that was cu- aww. Okay, no, too early in the morning for that much darkness. Scalpel contemplated Crosscase for a moment, then grabbed her blanket and pulled it up, tossing the edge so that it landed over him. Muttering “none o’ that, come here,” she hooked an arm around him and pulled him close, curling onto her side and around the upset mech. 

No panic response- good. She took a moment to think, holding Crosscase just tightly enough to keep him there, then firmly patted his back and spoke as clearly as she could with the blanket still where it had fallen entirely over her. “Hush- ‘s too early for that. Look- here’s what yer gonna do. You relax, we get some fuel, then you go back and lookit what you were doin’. At th’ very least, there’ll be stuff left over, maybe notes or somethin’. An’ that’ll help you ‘member. But freakin’ out ain’t gonna help- settle, cutie.” 

Ice-blue optics gleaming brightly in the darkness under the imprompteu blanket fort, Scalpel stroked Crosscase’s back with the servo not attached to the arm containing him, idly going over her awakening systems report- a rare luxury for medics to do while still in berth. Twist damage to her leg joints, nothing major, already repaired but still settling in, and steadily lowering levels of the common painkiller that did not make her paranoid. Good, they’d made a note to not use that other one. Otherwise, all systems normal… aside from a mild increase in core temp and in fan speed, which was made more obvious by the confined space. Hm. ”Guess my frame liked the company.” she muttered, not quite meaning to say it out loud, then glanced up and loosened her grip. Might not be best to trap the little flier, even if he seemed to have no objections to her proximity.

Crosscase was pulled from his lamenting by an arm pulling him down onto the berth and a body wrapping around him. The sudden closeness had his audials tilting down in embarrassment and his face going red, again. It just seemed like that’s how today was going to go. It was surprisingly warm under the blanket, held to Scalpel’s front with her arm around his back, but pleasantly so. The hand patting his back also helped.

“I suppose so.” Crosscase conceded. Hopefully there would be enough information to recreate his experiment, if not he was going to be way behind schedule. He really didn’t want to report to Kindlestrike empty handed, again. His funding was already dangling by a thread as it was.

Caught up in his own thoughts as he was Crosscase almost missed Scalpel’s mutterings.

“Oh, um, I’m glad I didn’t ruin your morning I suppose.”He said in an awkward manner, clearly not expecting to hear that. Would explain the extra warmth under the blanket though.

There- much better. Scalpel gave a quiet purring sound, pleased by the smaller mech relaxing, and made no effort to move away. He seemed- embarrassed, maybe, but reasonably calm, certainly not trying to avoid her. Which was good, she /was/ a bit larger than him. Probably weighed more than him, too. 

And, hm, he was cute. Awkward, but definitely something like her type. Optics focused on Crosscase, Scalpel openly looked him over for a moment, then purred a bit louder to the pretty mech who’d ended up in her berth. “Tell ya what, Crosscase. I have an offer for you, and if you aren’t interested, I won’t offer again. But… you are cute, and we are both in the same berth. You wanna do somethin’ to help you relax a bit further, hm?” she asked quietly, sliding the servo on his back up high enough to rub gently at the base of one wing. Not a place that would usually be an erogenous zone, but definitely more sensitive, enough to make her suggestion clear.

Aware that she was strong enough to pin Crosscase, Scalpel was careful not to put any weight against his frame or do anything to hold him still, giving him plenty of room to move away if he wanted. “No pressure, I get it if y’ aren’t interested. If not- we get some energon, maybe talk a bit, an’ that’s it.” 

“I-I-I uh…” Crosscase stammered, this certainly wasn’t where he thought his day would be going. Yet here he was. The offer had come so suddenly he didn’t have time to mentally prepare a reply. He frantically tried to organize his thoughts and get out something, painfully aware of the awkward silence growing between them as he failed to do anything besides opening and closing his mouth like a gasping fish. He was supposed to be smart! Why was just saying yes so hard?

“I would-I would be okay with that.” Crosscase said, unable to look Scalpel in the eye. “What did you have in mind?” Primus why was this so hard.

Oops, she’d broken the nerd. 

Scalpel chuckled slightly, rubbing a bit more firmly at his wing base, and waited for him to relax and answer. Nerds. Sometimes they didn’t know what to do with themselves. No rush here- neither of them seemed to be going anywhere. 

When she got a conclusive answer, Scalpel purred softly and slid her servo up to play with his wingtip, caressing the delicate plating with sensitive fingertips. “Mm, I got an idea or two. I top, which I imagine doesn’t come as a surprise. Not too fussy, though. Plus real sensitive fingertips, comes with bein’ a medic. About as many sensors as your wingtips, more concentrated. So… your spike, my valve, we take advantage of my leg strength, an’ you put that shy glossa to work on one of my servos for a klik before I slide it down to play with your valve? Can keep th’ other one on your wings.” 

She didn’t want to rush him too much, poor thing was flustered as all Pit, but she did continue to rub, stroke, and occasionally tweak his wingtip to see if she could get his interest up. Might help him relax to have a nice tingle of pleasure running down his spine. “Don’t have to talk if you aren’t so good at talkin’ right now, just open up whatever you wanna share.”