#with very low slung pants kind of like when firefighters peel down their uniform

[archadianskies]

Whumptober Day 14

Heat Exhaustion  → part of the MT-RK900

Whumptober Masterlist | 14/31 of RK900 short stories ↳ on Ao3

Tags:  Post-Pacifist Best Ending x Heat Stroke

{Character sheet + bonus art here, and here. }

“We were hoping it’d be you.” The AX700 giggles as he opens the supply box. He tips his head curiously. 

“You’re Dr Anderson aren’t you?” The human smiles through her pain as he very gently cleans the graze on her knee with water and some wadded gauze. He nods.

“Our friend is a nurse at Detroit Metro.” The AX700 explains with a grin, taking a seat on the spare chair in the humid First Aid tent. 

“She’s always talking about you.” The human rolls her eyes though her smile indicates she isn’t as annoyed as she projects. 

“Her name is Molly.” The android pipes up, opening her palm to display a photo. “She thinks you’re pretty cool.”

“It’s pretty cool you’re here, actually.” The human points out as he disinfects the graze and applies a wound dressing securely. “Didn’t think music festivals were your thing.”

“I volunteered.” He says, and both of them grin. 

“Ohhh okay your teeth are so cool.” The human laughs, clapping her hands together.

“Yeah, no wonder Molly has a crush on you!” The AX700 adds with a teasing smile. He doesn’t quite know what to say to that so he defers to his programming.

“Please be careful, and change the dressing after twenty-four hours.” Ronan instructs, and she nods attentively. “If you’re unsure, please feel free to phone the nurse hotline and initiate a video chat so they can demonstrate the correct method for you.”

“Okie-dokie!” She declares cheerfully. “Thanks doc!”

He returns their enthusiastic waves as they exit the tent. 

 WARNING

>>Core temperature UNSTABLE

 He presses his lips into a thin line, brows creasing. The RK900 was crafted for the arctic tundra, and not with Michigan summers in mind. The music festival seemed a fun idea, a break from his usual environment at Jericho and Detroit Metro and far less intense. It certainly surprised his superiors when he volunteered for the event, and in hindsight he can see why. 

The weather is beautiful, the sky cloudless and the sun shining brightly. In turn the temperature is higher than what he’s accustomed to and the tent set up to the far side of the crowd isn’t well ventilated. Ronan frowns, feeling his stress levels rise as his body attempts to redirect the building heat. He feels his chest rise and fall, ventilating his biocomponents in an effort to cool his system.

“You’re not looking so good, buddy.” Andrew, one of the EMTs from Detroit Metro and his colleague for the day, comments as he re-enters the tent. “Your hair is going white.”

Is it? Ronan’s frown deepens, knowing it’s a sign his stress levels are peaking. The human steps forward and makes to place his wrist on his brow before halting mid-action.

“Err- no that’s not quite right. What’s your core temp?” He asks instead, guiding Ronan to sit down. 

“Too high.” He grimaces, and the man shakes his head. 

“Okay strip off your top uniform layer and I’ll grab you an iced drink.” The man orders sternly before exiting the tent. Ronan clumsily unbuttons his double-breasted uniform, leaning forward to ease it from his shoulders. The vinyl apron is too long for the gesture and so he has to stand to remove it completely. He stands too quickly; his system lurches as his gyroscope fails to balance him properly and he finds himself sprawled on the ground, face pressed to the grass.

“Ronan! Shit hang on-” Andrew curses, dropping to his knees and very gently coaxing him to lie flat on his back. “You’re burning up buddy, I’m going to have to open your chest up okay?” 

Ronan manages to nod weakly as the human quickly divests him of his upper clothing and presses at the side seam to open his chest hatch. The sound of his internal fan whirring fills the tent and Andrew leaves his side briefly to pull back the entrance flaps to help more air flow inside. Androids have no gag reflex, no swallowing motions to push liquids down their throat, so Andrew simply uncaps the chilled thirium and tips it into his mouth. The effect is immediate and he feels his temperature slowly lower into something manageable.

“Never thought I’d be giving first aid to a first responder, yet here we are.” Andrew chuckles as Ronan sits up unaided, taking the second offered bottle and finishing that as well.

“I apologise.” He fights down the rising feeling of shame. “I have not experienced temperatures this high ever in my life.”

“And you were made for the North Pole.” Andrew snorts back a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. “You can’t wear your uniform, it’s too heavy, but I can’t exactly let you just treat people half naked. I’ll get you a shirt from the merch stand.”

“Thank you Andrew. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Are you kidding me?” He laughs brightly, pausing in the entrance of the tent. “This is the most exciting thing that’s happened today.”

It’s still too warm in the tent, so after his colleague leaves, Ronan exits the tent too. The temperature outside is lower than inside, and though he’s closed his chest hatch there’s at least enough of a breeze to cool his body now he’s no longer wearing the full uniform.

“Hey um, doc?” It’s the human with the grazed knee he treated earlier, and her AX700 friend.

“Yes?” He blinks down at them, noting their flushed faces and fidgety behaviour. The heat must be getting to everyone.

“Can we get a selfie for the social?” The AX700 asks as the human waves her phone.

“We want to show our friends who helped me!” 

“Oh. Um. Sure?” Ronan blinks in surprise, a little taken aback. He’s not one for photographs, he’s still unsure of his rather sharp smile no matter how much Simon and Connor reassure him. He leans down a little to compensate for the large height difference.

“Say cheese!” He says ‘cheese’ and she presses the button rapidly to take a few photos and he hopes his sharp teeth don’t frighten whoever views the photo online.

“Thanks doc, you’re the best!” She giggles, eyeing him from head to toe. He gives them a little wave as they slip back into the crowd.

“So they only had a medium left and you’re absolutely not a medium but it’s better than nothing.” Andrew declares, tossing him the shirt. “Damn, look at you.” He grins, shaking his head as Ronan slips the shirt over his head and tries to tug it down. It pulls tightly across his chest and finishes well above his navel. “Internet’s gonna have a field day.” 

Well, no he hopes not because he’d rather no one know he fell prey to heat exhaustion though he knows Connor will find out because he cannot ever keep secrets from his brother. Connor will be kind about it, he thinks, even if he’ll fuss for a little while. 

“Tell you what.” Andrew ducks inside the tent to drag out two chairs. “We’ll sit out here and stay cool and only go inside if there’s someone to treat.”

“A capital idea.” Ronan smiles gratefully.

 *~*

North shoves the tablet close enough it almost touches his nose.

“Have you seen these?” 

“Um-” Simon blinks, his optics adjusting to the screen. He feels his cheeks heat as he finds himself looking at photos of Ronan at the music festival dressed in too small a shirt, uniform peeled down to sit low on his hips- clearly candids taken by various festival attendees. “I guess I have now?”

“Damn, do you think you could convince Ronan to do a charity calendar? We’d make bank!” North laughs as Simon squawks in protest. “Come on, look the internet’s eating him up! One charity calendar and we’d fund Jericho’s outreach programs in no time! We should get him to hold puppies! Or kittens! People love half naked men holding baby animals!”

“NORTH!”