She whispers to him, like wind caressing a leaf through an autumn day. Her words are indistinguishable, yet her tone is subtle, heartfelt. He reaches out for her, to touch her soft skin and smell the slight fragrance of her hair. But she is not there. He is utterly alone, only the shade of what his Siha once was. His Siha, oh how he misses you so. If only to see you again, what he would give . . .
Shepard read through his message multiple times, with tears streaming down her cheeks. She could imagine him, by himself in the hospital, refusing the help of anyone to write the letter. She knew Thane, stubborn and independent.
Never lose hope, the title had said. Ironic how Shepard refused to believe in such an abstract thing. But now, she wasn't so sure she had always been in the right.
She damned them all: the Reapers, Cerberus, that bastard Kai Leng, and Udina. Most of all, she cursed herself. She should have known a coup was coming; Thane could've had more time.
There she went, being selfish. Shepard knew before becoming attached to Thane that it wouldn't last long, and so did he. "But why so soon?" She whispered aloud to no one in particular.
Tucking the datapad that contained the message within her arms, she curled up into a fetal position on her bed and cried silent tears until she fell asleep.