He'd know that voice anywhere, and he visibly flinches at it. See, he's been avoiding Ratchet on the Lost Light for a reason, and doesn't really want to have to deal with the medic here. Except that he's the best damn doctor they've got and well, okay, he really could use one right about now.

"Hey Ratchet, funny running into you here." It's a strained greeting, and Rodimus gives his best attempt to shrug off Ratchet's attempts to help him along. He's got this, okay, he doesn't need your help when you don't want him around. He's perfectly capable of walking to the medibay by himself.

Except he stumbles and ends up leaning on Ratchet anyway. Great. Fantastic. Is he trapped? He feels like he's trapped.

"I've had worse. I'm fine, really."

He is not fine. Gesturing with his detached arm to emphasize just how fine he is is not helping his cause any. And he is moving - slowly but surely - towards the medibay.

Rodimus watches with a vague expression of interest, shifting uncomfortably now and then while Ratchet works. But at least the arm is salvageable.

"Well first I ended up here, and then I got kicked in the face by Brainstorm. But only after Ironhide nearly hugged me to death." Look at how helpful he's being, Ratchet. He's edging into sulking territory but first he must be as obtuse as possible. Only a little on purpose. "And then I corrected Megatron on the matter of ranks and Tarn took it badly."

So that explains the arm and the giant dent in the shape of a hand on his other shoulder.

"I didn't get in his way, he was just standing there when I ran into Megatron." They were having a conversation that Rodimus interrupted is the accurate implication. It would have been nice for Ratchet to tell Rodimus that, however, because he absolutely tries to move it and makes a frustrated sound when it doesn't do what he wants. Ugh.

"What?" It doesn't register that Ratchet's talking about the damage he did to himself into a moment or two later. "Oh, no I got that when I set myself on fire to get him to let go of me after I kicked him in the face. Before Megatron started shooting at us. Did I mention that?"

To be fair, Megatron's presence is probably what saved his life but. Details.

Ratchet might have well hit him, with the force that Rodimus recoils. Or at least attempts to - it's hard to try and get away from the medic who's working on you. His relationship with Ratchet is already strained thanks to the vote, and if there's anything he doesn't want to hear from the other it's everything regarding that event and everything surrounding it.

Someone who isn't Rodimus would just sit there and take it, but Rodimus has had enough. He's nearly died, he's been yelled at by Megatron of all people, he's found out multiple who are dead have come back to life somehow and the last thing he needs, the very last thing he needs is this. So Rodimus glowers back at Ratchet, ignoring the warning signs that this an argument he doesn't want to have.

"You don't know anything about that!" How dare he assume that he does? Does Ratchet even know what Rodimus tried to do - come clean, only for Drift to tell him not to. It had hurt, it still hurt, that he couldn't stop his best friend from taking the fall. "You've made your opinion on my choices clear, Ratchet. I don't need to hear this from you."

It's probably not a wise idea to bring that up at this point, but Rodimus isn't gifted with a lot of common sense.

"If you're so upset about it why don't you just leave me alone! I didn't ask you to patch me up, you did that all on your own." Rodimus would appreciate that if he knew the reasoning, instead it just makes him attempt to try and get away from Ratchet - scooting along the berth to get further from him. "And I didn't do it on purpose. It just happened because he can't take the fact that Megatron's not a Decepticon anymore."

Primus, Ratchet. Rodimus tries to move further and then realizes that his arm isn't responding and he groans. Alright, fine. They'll do this.

"I never asked you to clean up my 'messes', you just do." He's never asked, he's always tried to avoid them, but he wants to change that. He knows he should. He has to be better, but his optics narrow at Ratchet's tone. "No? Well then I guess you're lucky. Because you're not the one that had to listen to your best friend telling you that instead of coming clean with the crew, you should let him take the blame."

He sent his best friend into that because it was what Drift wanted. And Rodimus-- he couldn't tell him not to. Not after what he said.

"You sure don't act like it," he mutters, not looking at Ratchet. But he does what he's told at least and scoots back because, well, what choice does he have?

"It's not his fault," he says automatically, because it isn't. Drift told him it was stupid and he was insane for even considering it, but Rodimus had done it anyway because Prowl had said-- well it didn't matter what Prowl said. "I was captain, I let it happen, it's my responsibility." This is stuff he knows, and regurgitating it for Ratchet isn't hard for him to do now, even though his expression is slightly pained when he does so. Because he doesn't like admitting to his mistakes any more than he likes being reminded of them. "But I-- I just got him back, Ratchet."

He couldn't do that to him. He didn't want to do that to him, shove all that on him when he didn't remember it all.

"I'm trying," he snaps back. Even though he doesn't want to have this conversation with Ratchet. He's trying but Megatron is there and undermines him and it's awful. How can he redeem himself, how can he attempt to fix what he's done and to be better when he doesn't have the chance anymore? Optimus took it away from him, and-- well. He curls into himself further, turning as much away from Ratchet as the other will allow.

The last statement gets a sound of agreement from Rodimus, reluctant as it is. He knows that, Ratchet, Primus.