[his protestation message doesn't get sent as he stands up, his brain goes static, then he slips back onto the slab. he leans against it and puts a hand to his head. ohhhhh, here comes the migraine. megatron's expression becomes fixed in an angry scowl, annoyed at himself for being what he perceives to be too weak to just get on with things. this isn't something he would expect from his decepticons anymore, but he should bounce back faster, or at least have the will to act like he has. what a truly pathetic display.]
I'm fine, I'm not going to fall down like some useless decrepit old mechanism.
[...that might be how he's feeling about himself right now. ugh. he shifts away from the nurse.]
Hi! Hi, I'm here, whew! Thank you for the teamwork, everybody! And Megatron! Tank! Who called you an old decrepit mechanism? Whoever it is will be immediately ejected from my medibay I'll have you know.
More importantly... How are the painkillers holding up? Your next scheduled dose is in twenty minutes. And please do tell me if it's started to hurt, the schedule is meant to take effect before the pain returns, but if it's already achy the dosage will need to be adjusted.
Me. That's what I referred to myself as. I'll be leaving, then. [he shifts back a little, onto the slab, not willing to suffer the indignity of being pushed back. least of all by a vehicon of all things. not that he wouldn't dig his feet into the floor just to stop it being able to do so.] They are fine. I have a stress migraine now, but that is not uncommon.
[he was going to see about getting painkillers for that eventually. eventually.]
[A frown, as Velocity starts giving instructions to the vehicon before turning back to him. She also very carefully adjusts the model ship and her own "CRUSH' KILL! WITH LOVE!" flag that she had set on his bedside table earlier so they won't fall over.]
Shelving the topic of negative self talk aside for now... Here I go...
Okay.
How often are you getting these migraines? With your permission, I would like to add a different painkiller now to make you more comfortable, but also start you on a regimen of preventative care for the future. If need be, you can come in twice a week for a shot that has had wonderful results in my own universe.
[he watches her do this with a flat, unreadable expression. this isn't the first time megatron has been conscious and perhaps the fact he hasn't moved anything or the little flag is a win. he's definitely noticed it and the model there. impossible to tell how he feels about it though.]
Several times a week and... no.
[he offers no explanation for why he refuses that, though she can probably guess why.]
I don't need to be stuck in here so often. Such a suggestion is a waste of everyone's time.
[She'd half expected this based on how he talked about himself, but it was still frustrating. Mostly on his own behalf.]
I can certainly make recurring appointments to come find you to give them to you. The real waste would be to have you in pain for no reason. Would it be acceptable if it was a friend or subordinate or yours who was refusing medical care?
...I could also give you patches to put on every day that would prevent them as well, although the results aren't as encouraging as with the shot. But if it is the patches or nothing, I would heavily lean towards the patches.
After a certain point their choices are their own. Stupid or not. [rubbing his temple with two fingers, megatron finally relents; she is right about there being no reason to be in pain. he'd said as much to knock out, too, but simply doesn't like considering it personally. optimus especially would not want him to do this to himself, though with the prime's absence it makes him want to do it more. it's a mess.] Give me the patches.
It's resisting painkillers? Well, that doesn't sound particularly fun, does it? Hang on, let me run a scan.
[She does it while he's basically a captive audience, and...]
OH. OH OKAY.
[There was definitely evidence of the area having been worked on before, and fairly recently, before successive injuries and strain started visibly worsening its condition all over again. That was still promising in the sense that he had accepted help in the past, though, and she made a mental note to add 'responds well to redirection' into his file.]
So, um. It looks like that derby didn't do you any favors, but I think you knew that. I'm going to give you a different patch to put on your knee every morning, okay? And I heavily suggest doing physical therapy regularly. I'm going to be coming by to visit you to show you the exercises and checking up on you to ensure that you're doing them, because if you don't, you are heading towards permanent damage.
[his expression remains the same... almost. velocity might catch a very, very small amused quirk of his mouth at her reaction. yeah, he knows he's a mess. he kind of has to live inside this body.]
I did know that. Expected it, even. [which doesn't answer why he went and did it.] I think that permanent damage ship sailed several million years ago, doctor.
[Having to walk around in a little circle while she shakes out her hands, then changing her mind and pointing at him.]
You! Are being deliberately obtuse! There is a big, big difference between adjusting to predictable wear and tear over time and knowingly, willingly, making it much much worse. You can't go slapping on a new leg willy nilly every time it comes up, though I don't think you've even done that in a long time, if ever.
No, I haven't. [he sits up, moving his right arm, where the armour differs. it's from a different frame, but connected seamlessly enough at this point it might as well be his own. it's why the clear patch work of his armour doesn't raise any flags on scans other than when it's damaged.] I suppose after being mangled enough times I stopped caring.
...I am definitely not trying to downplay the trauma here, but I do think I should state for the record that you're even telling me that it hurts is a very good first step. You just have to follow it up with more steps after that, even and especially when you'd rather give up because it's more comfortable than the unknown. I get that much, at least.
I'm not some young idiot. I know exactly what this all means. [said like he didn't take a month to convince that he was even traumatised from what the other one did to him. his EM field gets a bit sharper as his chest burns again, tempered as he knows it's all in his head.] I don't need coddling or congratulating for doing the bare minimum.
[he looks down to her hands shaking out, though it's not judgemental. more the look of someone a little suspicious about sudden movements around them no matter what, especially when there's a doctor with a sedative. he looks back to his own hands, clenched uncomfortably in his lap.]
Send the exercises to me. I can work on them myself when I have the time.
I didn't say you were an idiot. You are making assumptions about the amount of respect I have for you. But it isn't coddling. Some people require hearing different things. What doesn't work for you doesn't need to be dismissed just because it doesn't meet your needs.
But so long as I have your guarantee you will stick to your new pain management regimen, then I have no issues, there. You would have been given the exercises anyway as part of your discharge. Just... promise me you'll take care of yourself. I worry about all of my patients, and we met socially, first.
I don't need you to tell me anything other than what's pertinent. [he shoots back with a deep scowl.] I will do as you say when I have time to do so.
[he leans back on the berth again, starting to express more discomfort through body language. he wants to leave and it's becoming more and more obvious.]
What else must I do or sit through before I can go?
[A deep sigh] I would be happiest if you waited another day before you left, but... Give it another few hours so that we can verify that you didn't suffer from any complications. After that, once you manage to walk the length of the medibay both with and without assistance, and agree on an escort back to your berth? Yes, you can go.
In the meantime, I will order you painkillers for your knee while you are still here, but I will have a nurse deliver it if you prefer.
I'll allow it. I don't want to drop offline from a glitch any more than you wish me to.
[velocity is going to see just how stubborn he is when he employs all the willpower he has - which is not an inconsiderable amount - to do that perfectly when it's time.]
Delivery, please. I see no reason to wait around and be a nuisance. Thank you, doctor.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[She's already got a needle prepared to tranq him, bolting across the medibay while a nearby vehicon nurse is on an intercept course with him]
Those things you need to do are! Sitting down right now before you fall down!
no subject
I'm fine, I'm not going to fall down like some useless decrepit old mechanism.
[...that might be how he's feeling about himself right now. ugh. he shifts away from the nurse.]
Don't jab me with that.
no subject
More importantly... How are the painkillers holding up? Your next scheduled dose is in twenty minutes. And please do tell me if it's started to hurt, the schedule is meant to take effect before the pain returns, but if it's already achy the dosage will need to be adjusted.
no subject
[he was going to see about getting painkillers for that eventually. eventually.]
I've had worse.
no subject
Shelving the topic of negative self talk aside for now... Here I go...
Okay.
How often are you getting these migraines? With your permission, I would like to add a different painkiller now to make you more comfortable, but also start you on a regimen of preventative care for the future. If need be, you can come in twice a week for a shot that has had wonderful results in my own universe.
no subject
Several times a week and... no.
[he offers no explanation for why he refuses that, though she can probably guess why.]
I don't need to be stuck in here so often. Such a suggestion is a waste of everyone's time.
no subject
I can certainly make recurring appointments to come find you to give them to you. The real waste would be to have you in pain for no reason. Would it be acceptable if it was a friend or subordinate or yours who was refusing medical care?
...I could also give you patches to put on every day that would prevent them as well, although the results aren't as encouraging as with the shot. But if it is the patches or nothing, I would heavily lean towards the patches.
no subject
After a certain point their choices are their own. Stupid or not. [rubbing his temple with two fingers, megatron finally relents; she is right about there being no reason to be in pain. he'd said as much to knock out, too, but simply doesn't like considering it personally. optimus especially would not want him to do this to himself, though with the prime's absence it makes him want to do it more. it's a mess.] Give me the patches.
[...]
And my right knee joint is still very sore.
no subject
[She does it while he's basically a captive audience, and...]
OH. OH OKAY.
[There was definitely evidence of the area having been worked on before, and fairly recently, before successive injuries and strain started visibly worsening its condition all over again. That was still promising in the sense that he had accepted help in the past, though, and she made a mental note to add 'responds well to redirection' into his file.]
So, um. It looks like that derby didn't do you any favors, but I think you knew that. I'm going to give you a different patch to put on your knee every morning, okay? And I heavily suggest doing physical therapy regularly. I'm going to be coming by to visit you to show you the exercises and checking up on you to ensure that you're doing them, because if you don't, you are heading towards permanent damage.
no subject
I did know that. Expected it, even. [which doesn't answer why he went and did it.] I think that permanent damage ship sailed several million years ago, doctor.
no subject
You! Are being deliberately obtuse! There is a big, big difference between adjusting to predictable wear and tear over time and knowingly, willingly, making it much much worse. You can't go slapping on a new leg willy nilly every time it comes up, though I don't think you've even done that in a long time, if ever.
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[A pause, while she shakes out her hands again.]
...I'm still going to teach you the exercises.
no subject
[he looks down to her hands shaking out, though it's not judgemental. more the look of someone a little suspicious about sudden movements around them no matter what, especially when there's a doctor with a sedative. he looks back to his own hands, clenched uncomfortably in his lap.]
Send the exercises to me. I can work on them myself when I have the time.
no subject
But so long as I have your guarantee you will stick to your new pain management regimen, then I have no issues, there. You would have been given the exercises anyway as part of your discharge. Just... promise me you'll take care of yourself. I worry about all of my patients, and we met socially, first.
no subject
[he leans back on the berth again, starting to express more discomfort through body language. he wants to leave and it's becoming more and more obvious.]
What else must I do or sit through before I can go?
no subject
In the meantime, I will order you painkillers for your knee while you are still here, but I will have a nurse deliver it if you prefer.
no subject
[velocity is going to see just how stubborn he is when he employs all the willpower he has - which is not an inconsiderable amount - to do that perfectly when it's time.]
Delivery, please. I see no reason to wait around and be a nuisance. Thank you, doctor.