PART III: LOVE OF SPROCKET AND OF JUAN

chapter 3

 

“Bertha,” Katie whispered as she got out of the passenger’s seat that may have been one of Sprocket’s legs (or other body part.) Bertha was inside the garage in a restoration cell, sleeping soundly. “Bertha…” Katie hissed. “Wake up, Bertha!” Bertha blinked annoyed. “Katie? What the—Sprocket?! According to my internal chronometer, it’s almost one in the morning. What you all think you’re doing here? Go home.” If she were a human in a human bed, she would have rolled over.

            “It’s about Juan,” Sprocket said. His human friend nodded. “We’re going to go over and see him! It’s a kind of spur of the moment thing. Please say you’ll come, Bertha.” she pleaded. A light turned on inside somewhere. Bertha sighed. “You know, if this weren’t about Juan, I’d let them come out and find you all.” She stepped out of the regenerative cell and transformed as quietly as she could—which wasn’t very quiet, if you’ve ever been around a twelve-foot robot. The door opened and Juan’s youngest brother stepped out.

            “What’s all that racket?” he called out. “Go back to sleep, Joey, it’s okay.” Katie called. “Katie? What the heck?” Joey jumped down the steps and crossed hurriedly to the driveway, standing in front of Sprocket, Bertha, and Katie’s exit.

            “You’re all going somewhere, aren’t you? Has something happened?” He demanded in his half-asleep voice. “We’re going to see Juan. It’s a spur-of-the-moment, go have fun kind of thing. Want to come?” Bertha asked.

            “You’re all going to see Juan and you never told me?” came another groggy voice from the doorframe leading inside Juan’s house.

"Jake, would you like to come with us?” Katie asked. “Tell Lupe we’re going then, yea?” she opened one of Sprocket’s doors and waved him in. “Yea yea, I’ll just write a note. Lupe gets crazy when he’s waken up like this—especially when it’s at—holy Christ it’s only one a.m.; the hospital won’t let us in now,” Jake said. “Who cares?” Joey asked mockingly. “I mean, we have Autobots with us. We could do something about that, I’m sure.” Jake rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to make up some huge lie though, okay? God.”