Curiosity
"Please turn a little bit more to your left, and remember to look at the camera. Not the reporter."
"Yes. Yes. I know. I'm just used to looking at the person who's speaking to me. An attempt at being polite, something that people in your profession find distasteful." Dr. Chakwas answered coolly, turning a bit more to her left. "Better?"
"Yes. Thank you. Everyone ready?" asked Diana Allers field producer, looking around the room to make sure all was set. Lighting looked good. The background wall was covered in pictures, commendations, and trophy's. Perfect backdrop for the interview. "OK, Diana, it's all yours.".
"Thanks, Eric. You ready Dr. Chakwas?" asked Diana as she looked up from her datapad. "Alright, here's the drill, we just need a quick story about Commander Shepard and Garrus Vakarian. Eh, preferably one about their relationship. Can do?"
"Perfect. I can tell my favorite story about the Commander. Well, Admiral now."
"Great. OK, here we go." typing commands into her Omni-Tool. The camera bots came on, automatically adjusting the lighting.
"Good Evening. I'm Diana Allers, and I have the privilege of sitting here with Dr. Karin Chakwas, who has had a long and storied career with the Alliance Navy. However Dr. Chakwas is most famous for her time as the Chief Medical Officer on the Normandy during the entirety of the Reaper Wars."
Diana quickly looked at her datapad, and decided to make a quick change. " Doctor, I think it's safe to say that you've been there since the beginning. Wouldn't you?"
"Yes, I was there for the Normandy SR'1's commissioning. Then had to get the med-bay organized. With her her experimental nature, the med-bay was not a priority. I had my work cut out for me."
"And you had a multi-species crew to get ready for, correct?" Segueing with a follow-up.
"Initially, just Turian and human. I have extensive training in Turian physiology, and had been a medic in the war, so I was comfortable with the assignment."
"Wait. I thought you had a krogan, an asari, and a quarian also?" Diana looking at her datapad, then at Chakwas.
"That was after Eden Prime. The Commander brought them on board after she became a Spectre. Initially, it was an Alliance crew, and Nihlus, a Turian Spectre. Eden Prime was a nasty piece of business, and I'd prefer not to talk about it."
"Understandable, and fortunately that's not what we were hoping to talk about tonight." Smiling at the Doctor. "Let's just get to it then. When did you first notice signs that... something had changed between the Commander and Garrus? During the chase for Saren?
Chakwas steepled her fingers. "No. What I saw while we were chasing Saren, was just two people becoming friends. I had heard rumors that something was going on between Kaiden and Shepard, but I never believed them."
"Why not?" Asked Diana.
"It was her first command, and she was under the microscope, so to speak. I just didn't see her risking it over a frat charge. Which is a career killer as a CO."
Genuinely startled, Diana looked directly at Chakwas and said. "Wait. When I was aboard the Normandy during the war, while they didn't announce it or flaunt it, their relationship was common knowledge. And I would think her affiliation with Cerberus put her under scrutiny. Maybe, even more so."
"It did. Alliance intel had their moment with her over our bargain with the devil. But, what everyone forgets, is that as soon as Shepard takes command, it becomes a Spectre operation. And, Diana if I may?" Looking at Diana as if to continue, Diana gave Chakwas a quizzical look, then a quick nod. "I want to thank you for your discretion. It was a nice thing you did. And gave them one less thing to worry about."
"Thank you. I … it felt wrong to run that story."
"Also, If I may?" She looked at Allers, who nodded.
"I think that, during the war, the Commander just did not give a damn what the Council or Alliance thought."
Allers nodded, then spoke. "I got that impression also."
"We're not here to reminisce Diana. I don't want to spend all day in editing. Get the story." Eric barked from the other side of the room.
Chakwas frowned at him, Allers shook her head, and waved Chakwas on.
Chakwas nodded, then. "First, a quick background. We were a couple months into the Collector mission. You could see something was going on between the two of them. We all saw it. Well, they didn't, but the rest of us did."
"You mean they didn't know they were attracted to each other?" Allers, shook her head. "How …?"
"It baffled us also. They knew something had changed between them, they just didn't see what it was. Again, to the rest of us, it was as clear as the day." She gave a wistful smile. "Just not those two. Completely oblivious."
"What did the Cerberus crew think of that?" Allers countered.
"Nothing, believe it or not. Some even joined the pool we had going." Allers mouthed 'explain' to her, Chakwas continued. "We had a betting pool going. When, where, and how, they would figure it out."
"The only negative thing I saw was from Jacob. He never said anything, you could tell he didn't approve though." She paused. "Mostly because he had a thing for her. It wasn't an anti-Turian thing, it was jealousy."
"And Miranda. She was our XO, and Cerberus liaison. She just didn't want it to disrupt the mission." She paused, a small smile formed. "She even joined the pool."
Those two had been arguing for days. I don't remember what it was about, or what started it. Neither would back down, and they were being more stubborn than usual.
Their arguing was starting to effect the ship. If something didn't break soon, Miranda was going to step in. Then, Shepard went on a mission without him. That's how mad she was. It was a first.
We were floored, just shocked. A mission with out Garrus.
I was in the mess hall, making some tea, when Garrus came out of the forward battery. He said hi, and began searching the refrigerator, looking for something. He never said, I hadn't asked. Funny the things you remember.
If he was bothered by being pulled from the mission, he hid it well.
Then the medical emergency klaxon went off.
It's a specific alarm, it let's the crew know there's a serious injury with the ground team. It's a protocol, actually.
It's a protocol we developed on the first or, 'Saren' mission. It was adopted by the Alliance, after the Citadel.
Prep the med-bay, hold the elevator on the cargo deck, clear paths to and from the elevator, and have a stretcher ready in the cargo bay.
I get the med-bay ready, then have Joker patch me into the ground team. Most of the time I get a quick report. If Shepard's been injured, I usually get report from Garrus. Not this time. Joker told me he wasn't getting a response from the ground team, only the shuttle pilot.
Garrus took the stretcher and headed down to the cargo bay.
Now this next part is second hand. It was told to me by one of the crewmen assigned down there. Kenny, from Engineering was down there at the time also, and said pretty much the same thing.
The shuttle landed, and the hatch popped open. Shepard was laying on the bench, pale, unconscious, and bleeding. They had to scrub the mission, another first. He asked what the hell had happened while he picked her up, and placed her on the stretcher.
Grunt pointed at Jacob, and said something, they couldn't hear what it was.
Garrus told Grunt to take her to the med-bay, and headed towards Jacob. Jacob held his hands out in front of him, saying it wasn't his fault, he didn't mean to, something along those lines.
Garrus calmly grabbed him around his neck, walked over, and slammed him against the shuttle. That help your memory, Garrus asked. Jacob was sputtering, so Garrus did it again.
Jacob sputtered all he did was move to another cover. Garrus reached across Jacob, took his pistol, and shoved it in his crotch. Elaborate, he said. Jacob had been ordered to take a flanking position. He did, he scanned around, didn't see anything, and headed down towards the objective.
Jacob had done two things wrong. Had he stayed where ordered, he would've seen the merc.
He had also taken the cover that Shepard had been working towards.
Garrus had gone quiet, just looking at Jacob. He placed Jacob's pistol back in his holster. He held Jacobs right hand, and rolled his sleeve up. When Jacob started to protest, Garrus slammed his head against the shuttle.
Garrus took the glove off his right hand, drew a talon across the top of Jacobs forearm. Jacob began to sputter, and curse.
That will scar. It will remind you of your arrogance and stupidity. I had contemplated using your face, but Shepard wouldn't have liked that. Garrus told him.
He put his glove back on, and got up. He picked Jacob up, then threw him over the shuttle into the bulkhead. Then turned and headed to the elevator.
Allers looked shocked. That didn't seem like the Garrus she knew when she'd been on the Normandy. He was nice, courteous, quite charming actually. Chakwas nodded, as if she knew her thoughts.
"That's. … That's not the story is it?" Allers asked, praying it wasn't. Didn't seem very adorable to her.
"No, dear. That's just the background, why the contrast of the story is so … well, you'll see." Chakwas replied.
Shepard had been hit in the back, another first. A lucky shot, hitting a seam in her armor. I could see Garrus pacing outside the med-bay windows, I mouthed I'm sorry and blacked out the windows.
When I finally finished up, I went out to the med-bay to give report to Garrus and Miranda. The wound looked worse than what it was. A lot of bleeding, but nothing major had been hit. She'd be in the med-bay for a few days, but for the most part, she was fine.
She'd come off the ventilator in a couple hours. At the look on Garrus's face, I told him it was just a safety precaution, nothing to worry about. He asked to see her, I told him no, when she's off the vent you can come in.
"He looked so small." Allers looked at her, confused at the non-sequitur. "Sitting at the table. When I went out to talk to him. He looked so small." Her eyes focused on something only she could see.
Allers gave a brief chuckle. "That must've been something to see. He's what, over two meters?"
Chakwas nodded. "He's a third of a meter taller than she is."
I let Garrus in a couple hours later. She was off the vent, stable for the most part. He came in, trying to be as quiet as possible. She's sedated, and on a lot of pain meds, I told him, then continuing, I don't think you'll wake her up. He nodded, and went over to her bed.
"This was when I knew that he loved her. Whatever else that was going on between them, he was definitely in love with her." Chakwas was looking directly at the camera.
He came in, asked me a couple questions on how she was doing, all the time looking at her, not me. He went over to the bed, straightened out her covers, pulled them up, and tucked her feet in. He took his gloves off, and brushed the hair out of her face.
He was saying something to her, I couldn't hear it. I was at my desk, even Cerberus likes their paperwork. I glanced over to them, he seemed to notice, he turned and looked at me.
"Diana, I know this sounds so corny, but the look on his face. It almost broke my heart. He was so scared. He's one of the bravest men I know, but something happening to her. That terrifies him."
Garrus, she'll be fine, I say to him. Garrus. She's sedated, and is getting a lot of pain medication.
She's fine. Trust me., He gives me a tight nod.
Until she's says it to him, it won't matter, I thought.
Do you need anything?, I ask him. No. I'm fine, he says. I tell him there's a pitcher of water, cups and straws, on the table next to him.
He just sits there, keeping vigil. I doze off in my chair. When I wake up, I check on them. He has this intent look on his face. His heads slightly tilted. I go over, take some readings off the monitors. I'm giving her a quick scan, when I realize what's got him so interested.
"Shepard's hair absolutely fascinates Garrus." She looks at Diana, giving her a firm nod, emphasizing her point. "I am not kidding. I don't know what it is. The color, the texture, I don't know. But it just fascinates him."
I watch in amusement as he takes one of those huge talons of his, and gently pulls a strand of hair up. He holds it up to the light. He smells it. He rubs it between his fingers. He lays it across his skin. Then lays it across hers. He actually looks content.
He runs his talons through her hair, holding it up as he reaches the tips. Over and over. If you didn't know, you'd think he was brushing her hair.
It was having an effect. On the monitors, her vitals were coming down into range.
Having someone brush my hair, especially when I'm ill, is, I find, very soothing. A comfort measure.
"When I was a kid. My Dad would brush my hair when I was sick. It was very soothing." Allers chimed in.
Chakwas rearranged herself in the chair, nodded, continued. "It is very soothing. And according to the monitors, Shepard thought so too."
"Oh, I love this part of the story. He's just looking at her, brushing her hair..."
I'm sitting at my desk watching. He's looking at her, the softest expression on his face. Brushing her hair. Then I hear...
"Hey." He says.
"Hey." She rasped back. He's still brushing her hair.
"You have, by far, the most beautiful eyes."
Chakwas starts laughing. "It's at that moment, it hits him. Her eyes are open. And that means, she's awake. And he's doing something that is technically very inappropriate."
He just stares for a moment. He looks at her, looks at his hand in her hair. And panics.
He pulls his hand back, and leaps back. It's like he's been shocked. He flips back off the chair, crashing into the table beside him.
Makes an awful racket. The water dumps all over him.
He's sitting on the floor, trying to wipe the water off his face. His face is just blind panic.
Allers zooms in the camera while Chakwas takes a moment to laugh. Allers is chuckling also.
Now, she's on the bed, completely looped on painkillers. With her cybernetics, it's tough to medicate her, so I usually just zonk her out.
So she's trying to figure out where he went. She just saw him. She's looking around, then stops, opens her eyes real wide, then squeezes them shut. She'd try one eye open, then the other.
She's flailing her right arm, making grabbing motions with her hand. She brings up her arm, holds it front of her eyes. Looks at it. Curious and confused. Then goes back to looking for him, her arm just up and down, her hand grabbing.
He's on the floor. He's not sure what to do. He can't see what she's doing. He puts his hand on the side of the bed to help pull himself up.
She sees his hand, and starts grabbing for it. She has the most determined look on her face. She bites her bottom lip, closes an eye, and after a few tries, she's got it. She looks victorious.
He was starting to get up, when she grabs his hand. He stops. Slowly raises his head, and looks at her. He is totally confused. He's expecting to be chewed out.
She takes his hand, wraps her fingers around his, and pulls their hands on to the pillow. She flips to her right side, pulls their hands up to her, and goes back to sleep.
He pulls himself up, and slides into the chair. Careful not to disturb her. He is a look of confusion.
I go over, hand him a towel, and throw a couple on the floor. He stammers an apology, and looks at me. I shrug, I have no idea what to tell him.
Allers and Chakwas are laughing. "I love that story." Chakwas says.
"Did they get together after that?" Asks Allers.
Shaking her head. "No. They did after Kasumi played her trick on them. I Recommend talking to her. It's a lovely tale."
A/N: Fluff - A marshmallow tale. Something to keep things going while I try and break a logjam on another.
Thank you for reading. You should have your blood sugar checked, just to be safe. Please R&R. Thanks Again.
[3/28/15: Minor formatting and grammatical revisions]
(An aside that matters not: Several times while playing ME2, Jacob has knocked me out of cover. One time even the dreaded CMF, resume from last save screen. So, no I do not like Jacob. )