Lending a Hand

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Robustus Lifeline Swivel
Robustus is thinking that the duty officer in Polyhex is vile sadist as he walks into Cubicron. He didn't come here when he was a neutral for a very good reason, he didn't want to tread on another medics home turf. But now as a civilian Decepticon? He still doesn't want to be here, but he has little choice. This is where the duty officer sent him.. this is his punishment for arranging that Chimera got away. As punishment's go, this is pretty bad.
Lifeline has just opened the clinic for the day, and it looks like today is going to be busy. There's a line of neutrals and vagrant types waiting for medical assistance, and there's only the medic ever on duty.
Robustus notices the line up at the building up ahead. He has of course heard the local medics name spoken by neutrals that sometimes came here to do some trading. He shakes his head a little as he stops a moment to observe how she deals with them all. Far enough away that he hopes he isn't noticed, but close enough to see what is going on.
Lifeline speaks with each patient politely and professionally, giving them whatever maintenance or repairs they need efficiently. But it's still too slow. At the pace the one medic is going, this line will take the ENTIRE day to go through, if she's lucky.
Robustus considers thoughtfully, this is her turf and she may not like another medic butting in, but it is obvious she will need help. However, there is the drawback of him being a civilian Decepticon, which may just scare line right out of here. He frowns and sighs, shaking his head. He turns to walk away when a large mech approaches him. A mech that knows him. "Robustus? What the slag are you doing in Cubicron?" the mech asks.
Down the streets of Cubicron skips Swivel, a seventeen-foot tall bundle of sunshine. Her skipping slows to just an effervescent stroll. She in and of herself is starting to become a little more familiar in the streets of Cubicron, lending much needed vivacity and color. However, she is armed and dangerous. Well, not so much dangerous, and her armament consists of something shaped like a small pistol. It's small and purple, and she appears to be sucking on the muzzle while humming; a high, nasally sound. She slows down seeing the line up in front of Lifeline's establishment with a thoughtful raise of her optic ridges.
Robustus looks up at the larger mech with a little smile, "Would you believe it’s because Megatron has a cruel duty officer?" he asks. The mech just peers at him, tapping on the medics civilian Decepticon symbol. "Why you join them for?" This makes the medic sigh softly, then reply, "They need me. One medic is totally insane. The other lost her memory." The mech snorts, "Lovely."
Lifeline finishes helping the first patient and moves on to the second one. Yeah, it's going to be a LOOOONG day.
Swivel idly wonders if she shouldn't come back another day to finally get the dent in her thigh dealt with. Ricochet marks were really not a concern. Actually, Swivel was just shopping around for a medic she could hopefully build a rapport with; someone she could rely on. She pulls the small pistol shaped thing out of her mouth, hitting it against her hand and clicking the trigger frantically until a small energon goodie plopped out of the muzzle. Her attention is then caught by the two mechs talking, quickly identifying one as a Decepticon. She continues her humming, but tones it down and edges over to listen better.
Robustus nods, "I wish I could laugh at your sarcasm, but sadly it’s not one of those cycles. The only reason I'm even down here is because Megatron punished me and another Decepticon for allowing a prisoner to escape." The mech smirks, "Allowed huh? More like arranged Robustus, I know how you work." The medic just smiles, "I will not confirm or deny that statement my friend."
Swivel goes on her tippy toes, trying to get an idea of how long the line is while she listens to two mechs chat it up. She slips her pistol-shaped energon goodie dispenser away and tilts her head to the side. She just wasn't sure if she really wanted to wait in the lineup or not. Her issue was so very minor... but a maintenance checkup WOULD be good. It'd been a while. She decides to just go for it. However, with the idea that she won't do it boredly. Stepping in line, she turns to glance over at the mech and the 'con medic. "Hey! Oy! You thar!" She beckons at Robustus.
The mech chuckles and nudges Robustus in the shoulder, "Yeah, I hear ya. I'll see ya around eh." Robustus nods, "Oh you may indeed, have a good cycle." then he turns toward the high pitched feminine call. "Me?" he asks.
Lifeline speaks with the timeworn old mech who just entered her clinic, starting the repairs. But by the visible condition of the patient this repair is not going to be nearly as fast or easy as the previous one. If she's noticed the others, she makes no mention of it.
<OOC> Swivel shoos her cousin out of her room again.
Swivel nods her head to Robustus, beckoning him with even more fervor, her optics wide. She glances at the line to make sure it hadn't moved much, then back to Robustus.
Robustus strides over toward Swivel, stopping a arms' length away, "Yes miss?" he asks, a little cock of his head given.
Swivel perches her hands on her waist, sizing up the medic as he comes closer, giving her much more to see and view. She then allows her smile to broaden. "Sorry, I know that being nosy can get you into trouble around here, but I couldn't help but overhear you and that mech talking. Er..." she trails off for a moment. "Oh guess I should introduce myself before I go any further. That would be the polite thing," she thrusts her hand out. "My name is Swivel." Swivel glances at the line to see if it was moving yet, then back at the Decepticon.
Robustus smiles to Swivel's words to him, then inclines his head. He takes her hand, oddly gentle yet firm at the same time, his voice a deep baritone, "Robustus. How may I help you Swivel?" he asks, releasing her hand.
Lifeline just keeps on working with her patients, oblivious to the conversation going on beyond the clinic's waiting line.
Swivel allows her smile to extend to its limits at the handshake. This was the sort of grip she liked and she returned it with a firm squeeze before releasing. "Actually, I was wondering if you knew a Decepticon named Goa..." she says, trailing off as she glances at the line, noticing it had moved and taking a few steps to keep up, then looks back to Robustus. "See, he owes me... big."
Robustus chuckles at that name, "Ah Goa, yes I know him." he intones, "What does he owe you exactly?" he inquires curiously, then looking toward the clinic, "She always so busy?"
Swivel brings up a hand, her fingers obstructing her mouth for a moment or two as she seems to evaluate the medic again, but then whips her hand away, waving it in a dismissive gesture. "Oh.... he knows... but you don't need to," Swivel says evasively, still wearing an airy smile. She keeps her queue in line while keeping a conversation. "Hmmm.... sometimes she is sometimes she isn't. However, with war and crime, what would you expect?"
Robustus hmms softly to the covering of her mouth with her fingers, then inclines his head. "I'll tell him such if you so wish, Swivel." he states, his smile remaining. "Ah, yes.. I see. I've had my solar cycles of long lines myself. Now though, I have a lot of spare time on my hands with moments of furious repair action."
Lifeline finally finishes helping the old mech who goes on about his way, and patient number three enters the clinic. Oy. Some help would really be appreciated here!
Swivel nods her head. "Yes... and I was about to say it doesn't help that the medics keep signing up to either faction, leaving little for us fence sitters.... well... less QUALIFIED medical help anyway. And, just tell Goa when you see him that Swivel is looking for him. That will be enough." She glances up the line for a moment or two. "If you have free time, why don't you offer a hand? Primus knows Cubicron could get all of the help it can!"
Robustus inclines his head slightly to Swivel's words, "There are still qualified medical types around Swivel, just have to know where to find them. Some have taken to mobile medical clinics like I used to do, taking care all over the planet." then he glances toward the clinic area and frowns a hint, "I usually do not go where I may not be wanted, Swivel. Especially so now when I'm wearing this." he taps at the symbol upon his chest.
Swivel frowns and crosses her arms over her chest as her optics narrow at the insignia. "BLEHK! Politics! Slag, ya think people who need help care about that? Those who DO obviously aren't desperate enough. Don't medics take some sort of oath or something? Go and ask if she needs help. If she chews you out and shoos you off, what are you REALLY losing?"
Lifeline sends this patient off quickly enough. Clearly, this was an easy one. But still, taking a long time.
Robustus smiles just slightly lopsidedly as she throws the oath at him, "Ouch." then moves past her toward the clinic without another word to the femme, he stops just outside the clinic proper and intones, "Would you like an extra pair of hands?" he inquires of Lifeline, "I happen to have a couple free ones."
Swivel unfolds her arms and lets them perch on her hips again, a smug and triumphant grin playing across her features. She steps up as is necessary when the line moves, and keeps her place like a good little femme.
Lifeline looks up from her patient as a mech speak up and offers to help. Her expression is immediately one of suspicion, but oddly not because of the purple symbol on his chest. "What are your credentials?" The clinic itself is a VERY clean and organized place, very much in contrast with the rest of the city.
Robustus meets her gaze, not even flinching. After you have faced Megatron at his worst, there is no one you fear anymore. "Ah my credentials, would you like my long list of names of those I have repaired along with my graduation diploma stating I was in the top 2 percent of my class plus recommendations from the teachers that taught me?" he asks, "I certainly can provide all of them." then he turns slightly, looking at the repair she's working on. "Or I can show you how I would handle that, your choice."
Lifeline seems to study the mech for another moment before stepping aside and gesturing for him to approach the patient. Luckily the neutral mech on the med table is a very accommodating sort, and is only here for routine preventive maintenance.
Robustus steps inside, "Good cycle." he offers to the mech, taking a moment to sanitize his hands before he gets to work examining the patient. "Hmm. Mm hmm." spotting an issue and slipping a hand inside to secure a slightly loose energon line and tightening the fitting clamp. Optics scanning carefully throughout the exposed internals, looking for further leaks or signs of wear that would need to be tended to immediately. He fingers a glob of crusty oil near a connection, which stirs a old leak free. Using his fingers to clamp it until he can put an actual clamp on either side of the leak. It's minor, easily fixable.
<OOC> Swivel says, "Back, but Swivel will just be standing in line anyway... so unless there is something I feel a need to respond to, I'm fading into the background."
<OOC> You say, "k"
Lifeline crosses her arms and watches silently as she mentally assesses the mech's skill and mannerism with the neutral. She knows that some of them are uneasy about the Decepticon symbol, but for her she only cares if the mech is good enough to not botch simple maintenance tasks.
Robustus uses a clean cloth to clean the line of the crusty oil, making sure he has a clean site to work with so he can patch the leak without having to replace the entire line. The clamps are removed once the leak is taken care of and he moves right along, idly humming a little tune to himself. A couple more lines get a tweak, a wiring set up gets a retwist, transformation cog gets a greasing as does a few other joints. He misses nothing, every detail is scrutinized, accessed, taken care of it if needs it. Finally he smiles to the patient, "Good as new, do come back again." he states, closing up the access panels on the mech so he can move on.
Lifeline nods in approval and speaks with the mech briefly about payment, which seems to consist of more bartering than actual payment, and then sees him off. "All right then. We'll each see a customer at a time, should make this go faster." She briefly explains to him how the spare parts and tools and equipment are organized, then steps to the door to see the next two patients in.
Robustus smiles and listens attentively, then taps on his right forearm. A panel moves back, showing the tools within.. already sterilized. "I carry my own tools." he states, then moving to a spare med table and patting it, "Next." he intones, getting his hands sanitized and going through the routine of finding out what the patient needs done then accessing the area with the issue to take a look at it. Again you hear him idly humming a little tune as he works, he is thorough and expedient with his repairs. Movements practiced.
Eventually it comes to be Swivel's turn to step up. She fidgets with her fingers a little. She had not actually had a routine check up in a long time, but just went in for necessary repairs or touch-ups as they became necessary. Smiling, her little voice chirps "Alright... who wants me?"
Lifeline looks at Swivel when it's her turn, having just let her patient depart, and gestures for the femme to enter and sit at the chair in front of her workbench. "How may I help you?"
Robustus takes the next patient and smiles toward Swivel as the mech takes his spot. Same routine of finding out what the complaints are and sanitizing his hands before he opens the access panel to the area and examines the location. The mech smiles as he recognizes the tune that the medic is humming, makes the time go quicker.
Swivel grins and walks over to the bench, hopping up on it, swinging her legs. "Well I took a bullet to the thigh quite some time ago... and sort of ignored it... and to be honest it's been a while since I’ve had a check up... um..." she thinks a moment for just what hadn't been going right. She hmms and haws for a moment, but being a fairly young femme there really isn't a lot of wear and tear on her systems.
Lifeline stiffens at Swivel just planting herself on the workbench and coming THIS close to scattering an actuator carefully disassembled to one side. She pauses a moment to moderate her reaction, then nods to the cheery femme. "All right. I'll do full workup then." She sanitizes her hands and gets her scanner to start Swivel's repairs.
Robustus continues his humming as he finishes up with the mech, who's complaint was minor. "There you go, take care now. See the lady for your payment." he notes softly. He peers to check on the line, chuckling a bit, then intones, "Next." A glance at Swivel as she chats with Lifeline, then he turns his attention to the femme that sits in front of him.
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