"Captain Anderson, we've found them! They're in here!"
David Anderson swung around sharply and headed in the direction of the shout as rapidly as he could. Dodging around the piles of wreckage strewn across the Council chambers, he reached the base of the final stairwell just in time to see the C-Sec officer who had called him over disappear into a narrow space underneath a twisted section of metal. Hurrying to the gap himself, Anderson scrambled through and took in the welcome sight of survivors.
The officer was trying to assist Urdnot Wrex, who was glaring at him out of one eye and having none of it despite the orange blood dripping down one side of his face. Leaving them to it, Anderson knelt down beside Lieutenant Alenko, who was several shades paler than usual and seemed to be having trouble focusing. Shock, undoubtedly, and maybe concussion as well. He was struggling to move, and the captain hastened to reassure him.
"Take it easy! It's over, you're safe now."
Anderson gingerly helped the younger man to sit up. Judging by the gasp of pain thus elicited, Alenko had suffered at least a couple of cracked ribs. Assessing the damage to his hardsuit with the swiftness of long practice, the captain grimaced as he saw the spider-webbed cracks on the chest plating – it must have been a solid hit from flying debris. Aside from that, the lieutenant appeared to have been lucky. The rest of the suit was scorched but intact, and he didn't have any obvious head injuries despite the fact the helmet was missing. Anderson gave him a moment to catch his breath before asking the question uppermost in his mind.
"Where's the commander?"
Alenko shook his head slowly and looked towards the top of the stairwell, where a huge section of one of Sovereign's arms was embedded in the floor. The expression of devastation on the lieutenant's face was eloquent, and Anderson felt his heart sink. He didn't really want to ask, to hear his worst fears confirmed, but forced himself to speak anyway.
"She was...up there? When that came down?"
Thudding noises behind them indicated that Wrex had regained his feet. Anderson glanced up at the krogan, who was staring at the wreckage with...was that respect? Regret? His alien features were difficult for the captain to read.
"She threw us." Wrex rumbled. "Hell of a jolt...didn't think a human could deliver that kind of biotic charge."
Anderson squeezed his eyes shut. Yes, that was Shepard, all right. For an irrational second he wished she could have been more selfish. Perhaps if she had shielded herself instead of throwing her team mates clear, she would have lived to see what she had accomplished – the Reaper defeated and, so he was hearing, humanity in line for a seat on the Council in honour of their eleventh-hour efforts to save the Citadel. But if she had been more selfish, she wouldn't have been Shepard. Blinking, he took a deep breath and turned to the C-Sec officer still hovering behind Wrex.
"Could you fetch some medical personnel, please?" he asked quietly.
It would have been simpler to use the radio, but the officer understood what he was really asking for and left without saying a word. Anderson turned back to face the spot where Shepard had fallen. Later, he knew, politicians who hadn't ever met her would make flowery speeches, citing Commander Shepard as a shining, perfect example of all that made humanity great, and – politics being politics – most likely using that example to further this cause or that. But he and the others here had served with her, known her. Shepard had been a long way from perfect, but she was someone who had sought to be the best person she could be. She hadn't let her ordeals on Elysium or even Mindoir make her bitter or incapable of empathy, she had simply forged ahead, determined to do everything she could to prevent others from suffering.
Anderson allowed the reflective silence to stretch out before turning back to Alenko and helping him to stand. The lieutenant was distinctly wobbly on his feet, so Anderson threw a supporting arm across his shoulders and gestured for Wrex to precede them with a jerk of his head. The krogan ducked down to pass through the gap leading back to the lower half of the Council chambers.
Clang.
For a moment Anderson thought Wrex had dislodged something, then he realised that the noise had come from behind them. Further sounds of disturbance followed. The captain pivoted, leaving Alenko to steady himself against a nearby chunk of wall as he strode forward. Trying to force down a rising bubble of hope, he scanned the debris on the upper level, looking for signs of movement. It could just be some of the junk settling, or it could be...there!
She looked like hell – streaked with dust, her usually neat bun lopsided with strands of loose hair falling across her face, and she was holding her arm protectively across her stomach, where a long gash in her armour was clearly visible. But it was unquestionably Shepard, and she was unquestionably alive, sliding off the edge of the curved sheeting she had just clambered over and limping towards them with the beginnings of a faint smile on her face. After his thoughts of a few moments ago, Anderson was too stunned with relief to do more than stare at her during the few steps it took her to reach them.
She nodded to him as she approached, then focused beyond him. Her smile widened and another nod was spared for Wrex, who responded with a nod of his own and a 'hrrmph', which Anderson suspected was as close to glad to see someone as the krogan ever got. Finally she stumbled to a halt in front of Alenko, who had levered himself away from the wall and was looking at her as if she was some kind of miracle. Something seemed to pass between them before, heedless of her injuries, Shepard flung both arms around the lieutenant's neck. Just as inexplicably ignoring his cracked ribs, Alenko caught her around the waist and pulled her into a close embrace.
Anderson's eyes widened as he looked at the hugging pair. His first, dazed thought was that it had to be reaction. The emotional and physical stresses of the past day or so must have taken an incredible toll on her and her team, and now that the pressure was finally off, she was acting...strangely. It was understandable, of course, that she would be relieved to see Alenko and Wrex still alive after the destruction that had been wrought on the Council chambers. Especially Alenko, the only surviving marine who had been with her on Eden Prime when this whole caper started...
Damn it, they were still wrapped around each other. In fact, it was a little difficult to tell where Shepard ended and Alenko began. The longer this carried on, the weaker any justifications he could come up with for their behaviour began to seem. Reluctantly facing the fact that his protégée's relationship with her subordinate had almost certainly strayed outside the bounds of protocol, Anderson was surprised to find he wasn't angry. As far as he was concerned personally, if anyone deserved to find someone they cared for and who cared for them, it was her. What was worrying him was that if they didn't get themselves under control soon, someone else was going to come along and he was going to be obliged to include this episode in his report.
Anderson looked frantically at Wrex, hoping for some form of help, but the krogan was staring fixedly up at the giant hole where the remains of Sovereign had come crashing through, deliberately ignoring the scene in front of him. Clattering noises were coming from the lower reaches of the Council chamber, and with a start the captain remembered that he'd sent the C-Sec officer to fetch a medical team. For the moment the considerable bulk of a krogan battlemaster was blocking their view, but any minute now...
Resorting to a cliché, Anderson loudly and artificially cleared his throat. Amazingly, it worked – Shepard and Alenko finally let go of each other. The identical slow blushes rising on their faces would have been comical if they hadn't been so close to being seen by a dozen witnesses. Deciding to deal with Alenko first, Anderson fixed a frosty glare on the lieutenant just as the medics finally arrived and hauled a protesting Wrex off to one side to patch him up.
"Lieutenant, I believe you're overdue in the infirmary." he said, striving to keep his voice neutral.
Alenko had been a marine more than long enough to know an order when he heard one, however it was couched. Mumbling an "aye aye, sir", he meekly allowed himself to be led away, leaning on one of the doctors. After he had departed, Anderson shifted his attention to Shepard. She was still pink with embarrassment over her uncharacteristic loss of self-control, but she managed to meet his gaze.
"Captain Anderson, I apolo-"
Thinking quickly, Anderson decided he didn't want to hear whatever she was going to say. The less he knew, the less he would have to consider what to do about it.
Don't ask, don't tell. And for god's sake, don't get caught out again. Especially not by me.
"No need to explain, Shepard. Stress...adrenaline...reaction. I understand." he interrupted gruffly.
Shepard continued to stare at him for a moment, her expression flickering rapidly through surprise, respect and gratitude before simply replying,
"Yes, sir."
They both knew that strictly speaking, he was supposed to give her the third degree about what he'd just witnessed, or at the very least include it in the report for their superiors. They also both knew that for now he was going to overlook that responsibility. Anderson had punched Ambassador Udina in the face in order to allow Shepard to steal the Normandy – who was he to lecture her about regulations now? The list of charges for their respective court martials was already meters long. Of course, in the light of their desperate gamble having paid off, most of those charges would be dropped, but they both had enemies who would be only too happy to find something that would stick. The Alliance needed Shepard out on the front lines, not languishing in disciplinary proceedings.
Shepard made as if to salute, but swayed on her feet and was forced to steady herself against the debris instead. Anderson snorted.
"Don't be ridiculous, Commander. Let's get you to the infirmary as well."
The colour was draining away from her face as he helped her through the gap to where the remaining medics waited. Anderson winced as he began to pass her over to the nearest white tunicked attendant and saw the full extent of the gash across her stomach – adrenaline must have been the only thing keeping her going. The senior doctor was barking orders about medi-gel and a hovercart as he completed the transfer. He shifted his grip to Shepard's forearm – there was something else he wanted to say to her before they whisked her away.
"Shepard."
"Mm...Captain?"
"Good job. Nice to have you back."
She closed her eyes and shakily bowed her head in his direction, and Anderson recognised one of her abbreviated cultural gestures of acknowledgement before the doctor gently but firmly disengaged his hand from her arm. The nurses quickly and efficiently transferred her to the hovercart, and a moment later she was gone. The doctor evidently noticed the expression on his face, as she lingered long enough to offer a quick reassurance.
"We'll get her back on her feet, Captain. The Normandy has docked and Dr. Chakwas is on her way to the infirmary."
"Thank you, Doctor. Carry on."
She hurried off after her patient. Anderson remained where he was for a moment before giving himself a shake and bringing up his omni-tool. The search teams needed to be redirected to another area of the Presidium. Then there was the matter of debriefing the Normandy's crew, getting the wheels turning on quashing the impressive collection of charges currently arrayed against them, and all the paperwork that entailed. The captain smiled grimly to himself. Paperwork...with a few necessary omissions.