"Uh, hey, Lieutenant?"

I blinked and turned from the terminal I had been tinkering with. Before me stood Corporal Jenkins, flanked by some eager-looking crew members.

"Anything you need, Corporal?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

The kid seemed to fidget and he glanced back at his companions, who all grinned and nodded in approval. They all snapped back to attention when they caught sight of my scrutinizing gaze.

"OK," said Jenkins, taking a deep breath, "We heard you were one of the best biotics around, and we were wondering if you could give us a little demonstration. You know, since we don't have much experience with that kind of stuff," he trailed off sheepishly.

I crossed my arms, assessing the group in front of me. I guessed that it wouldn't hurt to show off and flex my powers for a little while.

I offered Jenkins a kind smile. "Alright, kid. What did you want to see?"

The Corporal grinned, the exuberance returning to his eyes. "You'll do it? Sweet, Lieutenant! You should...uh," he mumbled, scratching his head. "I didn't actually think I'd get this far."

"Ooh! Ooh!" a young woman piped up before I could reply. "You should try levitating him, Lieutenant!"

"That's a great idea!" Jenkins lit up, bouncing on his heels. "That'd be no problem for you, right, sir?"

I frowned, thinking his proposition through. "OK, Jenkins, I'll try. But just for a few seconds. I don't want to hurt you."

"Come on, Lieutenant!" The Corporal smirked playfully, "I'm tougher than you think."

"Alright, tough guy," I challenged, uncrossing my arms and bracing myself. The others gasped and scooted backwards, giving the kid and I more space. "Ready?"

"Sure! Bring it on," Jenkins chuckled somewhat nervously. My smirk grew. There was no way he was getting out of this now.

I squinted in concentration, letting my biotic implants do their thing and engulf my being in a bright blue aura. Raising my arms, I focused on the Corporal, reaching out with my biotics and trapping him in their invisible embrace. He let out a tiny squeak, and I couldn't help but chuckle at his discomfort.

The young spectators around us gawked as the Corporal began rising inch by inch, like a feather disturbed by the breeze. Between Jenkins's amazed face and the childish gushings of the others, I couldn't tell which was more entertaining.

"Holy crap! He's really doing it!"

"Lieutenant Alenko's so strong."

"Meh, I've seen better."

"I wanna go next!"

"Whoa! Look at me guys!" Jenkins laughed like a kid on a rollercoaster, flapping his arms as he slowly rose and spun. "I'm Superman!"

The crew cheered and giggled with glee. I was just about to speak up when I was nearly blinded by a burst of pain in my skull.

"Shit! Not now!" I growled, throwing my hands up to grab my head.

From the collective cries of fear I heard, I quickly realized that was the wrong thing to do.

I felt a shock wave of uncontrolled power leave me, sending Corporal Jenkins barreling through the crowd. I let out a choked cry as the kid hit the metal wall with a sickening crack and slid down to the floor, completely motionless.

Everything froze. Nobody moved, or made a single sound. Suddenly, I was once again a boy at Jump Zero, bloodied and bruised, standing over my slain Turian instructor. Everyone in the crowd was giving me that same look, filled with disgust and terror. I knew exactly what they thought of me now.

Freak.

Murderer.

Monster.

And worst of all, I saw her face, marred with anger and hatred.

Rahna.

"No," I nearly whimpered, "I didn't-"

"Out of the way! Doctor coming through!" A distinctly accented voice shouted, ripping me out of my self-deprecating stupor. We all watched as Dr. Chakwas, who I didn't notice was watching, made her way to the fallen Corporal. She unbuttoned the collar of his uniform, no doubt to check his vitals.

The present crew let out a collective sigh of relief when Jenkins coughed shakily. I could not express how grateful I was that he was still in the land of the living.

"Jenkins, are you alright?" asked the Doctor. "Can you hear me?"

"I-I…" the boy mumbled, "K-Kaidan…"

I was by his side in an instant, kneeling beside his head. "Richard, I'm so sorry." I couldn't stop the words from tumbling out. "I never meant to hurt-"

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Jenkins whooped, pumping his fists in the air.

"GAH!" I gasped, falling flat on my back in surprise. One by one, the crew members began laughing at my comical reaction, forgetting their previous mortification.

Dr. Chakwas sighed with a knowing smile. "You gave us quite a scare, Corporal. I could've sworn you'd broken your spine."

"No, no, I'm alright," Jenkins hissed in pain as Chakwas and I helped him to his feet. "Thanks again, sir. That was a lot of fun!"

"Sure thing, kid," I laughed shakily, "But right now, I need you to go with the Doctor and get checked out. You can't be on top of things if you're all bruised up."

"Yes, sir!" Jenkins saluted with his signature goofy grin.

"Don't worry too much, Lieutenant," Dr. Chakwas offered with a comforting smile. "I'm sure we can look back on this little incident and laugh over some brandy."

"Totally," Jenkins added as he was led to the medical ward. "I'm not mad, Lieutenant. I promise."

I smiled softly. "Thank you, Corporal."

My gaze lingered on the spot Jenkins and Chakwas had previously occupied. God, I had almost royally screwed up again. Anderson would've had my hide.

I turned to face the remaining crew, trying to ignore their wary eyes.

"Alright, people," I announced, clapping my hands twice. "That'll be all for today. Back to your stations, chop chop!"

The young men and women saluted me before scurrying off in different directions a bit too quickly. I sighed heavily, thinking about taking a walk about the Normandy to relieve my nerves.

"Lieutenant," a familiar voice called softly.

I wheeled around with a yip, finding myself face to face with my CO.

"C-commander!" I exclaimed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Sorry, didn't notice you there."

Shepard blinked, obviously a little startled. "That's fine. You look a little pale, Lieutenant. Something the matter?"

"Oh," I blanched, rubbing my forehead to quell the ever-present pain. "Just another migraine, sir."

My friend raised an eyebrow, knowing there was more to my present condition than I was letting on. Thankfully, he decided not to interrogate me right then and there, but reached into his pocket instead.

"Hey, Kaidan," Shepard continued, dropping his CO persona. "Joker found this medicine bottle near the copilot's chair. Aren't these yours?"

I stared ruefully at the pills in his hand. I didn't have the heart to tell my friend that they never did shit for my migraines, and they were little more than a placebo to me. However, I was touched by his thoughtful gesture.

"Why, Nurse Shepard," I grinned playfully, my mood greatly improved from a few minutes ago. "I was wondering where my medicine was! Oh, how could I ever repay you?"

To my amusement, Shepard's face flushed, and he took a sudden interest in the scuffs on the hard floor.

"Uh...well," he sputtered, "I just figured-"

"I'm kidding," I chuckled, my recent fiasco with Jenkins momentarily forgotten. I clasped his outstretched hand in both of mine, taking the medicine.

My friend perked up from the contact, smiling sheepishly. "Oh. Right. Good one, Kaidan."

"Heh. I try," I replied, unscrewing the cap and plucking out an oblong pill. I swallowed it reluctantly, in part to reassure Shepard of my well being.

"There." I plastered on a grin. "I'll be ready for duty in no time. Thanks again, John." I clamped my mouth shut, not meaning to let my Commander's first name slip out.

Shepard stared for a moment, but reciprocated with a gentle smile. "Any time, Kaidan." With a soft pat on my shoulder, the Commander turned on his heel and made his way up the stairs to the Normandy's Command Center.

"See you later, LT," Shepard called over his shoulder.

"Commander," I responded dutifully.

I let out a small sigh, returning to my place in front of the terminal I had been messing around with. It was when I bent to grab my tools that I noticed the unusual sensation in my head.

I smiled in genuine content. No more pain.