When All Lights Go Out I (TFP)

One Week Later...

"Ah...Aaah...Achoo!"

Azura winced as she felt the heat of fire surging out of her mouth and nostrils after feeling it surging up her throat. She sniffled as she looked at Optimus with a guilty expression as Optimus now had another burn mark on his right arm. The sneezing that Azura has been having was something that has not gone away this whole week. The sneezing has been less frequent than it was, but Azura was still sick. She still had a high internal temperature and she was often purging, though the diarrhoea ended up stopping a few days ago, which everyone was happy with.

Ratchet did end up injecting medicine into Azura's body since she was purging a lot, and when he started to do that, that was when her body started to recover. It will still take a long time for her to be fully recovered, but it has made life easier for her and Optimus. Both have started to catch up on recharge, and they are both very happy about that. Optimus was definitely happy, as the lack of recharge was making him less patient with the other autobots. And Azura had been extremely grumpy too, which added onto his weary, irritated state. But Optimus still kept his composure, while Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee did give them the space needed during this time.

Azura rubbed her face as the heat of the fire was something she was getting used to, but due to the metal burns she has from it, it was still uncomfortable. "I wish this sneezing would stop. My throat and mouth hurt so much." She sniffled a little and looked at Optimus. "I wish the sneezing stopped when the diarrhoea did...it wouldn't be as bad...and now I'm only sneezing fire. I wish I was sneezing ice instead..."

Optimus smiled as he rubbed her back gently while he cradled her in his arm. He had just finished giving her a cool bath as well to help cool her internal system, and they were currently in Azura's room. He knew that she was still miserable in how she was feeling, so he was doing his best to keep her as happy as he could. "Ice would probably do the opposite within your system, Azura. While I understand the discomfort of the fire, ice could create a dangerous situation within your system as well." She rolled her optics as she doubted that. "Though given the system creating these different elements seems to only produce fire, ice, water or electricity when you are going to ignite it and release that element, I would still be concerned if it was ice instead of fire almost all the time."

"I guess...but still...it would soothe this pain...I wish the sneezing would stop so Ratchet can treat the burns." Azura sniffled a little as she was really in a lot of pain. "At least it isn't as bad as it was earlier this week. But I still hate this feeling." She was feeling hungry and sick at the same time. She has been able to ingest some low-grade energon this week, but it was a concern for all the autobots that she was not getting enough. "I am hungry, but I worry I will purge as soon as I have something."

Optimus let out a gentle chuckle and kissed the top of her head gently. "It is hard to tell what your body will do when you ingest some energon, Azura. While you might want something, I recommend that you wait. Maybe have some water. Your system does rely on water as well as energon, so that might be fine. As water doesn't seem to cause you to purge like energon does."

That was true. Azura has noticed that since she's been purging, she has been wanting water more. And that meant her system relied on water alongside energon, so she has been drinking it when she felt like she might purge, and it seems to be helping. Azura just nodded and Optimus walked over to a shelf where there were bottles of water kept to give her one. They have found it easier that way than constantly filling a cup to give to her whenever she needed water. It didn't bother Azura that much though, as the bottles can easily be refilled anyway.

Azura held onto the bottle to sip from it as Optimus gently rubbed her cheek with his index finger and walked over to her tanks. "At the very least, despite how sick you have been, your fish have been thriving." Azura looked down at her tanks and smiled. While Optimus has been busy with her, Jack, Miko, Raf and Bumblebee have taken up the responsibility of looking after the tanks. And they have been doing a rather good job too. "Jack, Miko, Raf and Bumblebee have done an excellent job maintaining them for you."