Shepard gasped for air. Her arms and legs felt heavy, and though she was groggy she knew many bones were broken and muscles were torn. Her heart races as she forced herself to continue breathing. She groaned with each exhale, trying to remember where she was and what happened. The last thing she remembered was following Anderson's example-
"Anderson!" Her voice moaned it out, sputtering blood with every syllable. She opened her eyes and found herself buried in concrete rubble. She wanted to scream but stopped herself. She was trapped. They wouldn't find her for weeks and if she was lucky she would be found dead of blood loss rather than starvation.
Her mind flashed images of Kaidan and Garrus. Wrex and Grunt. Tali and Liara. Her heart moved to her throat in a panic.
"Kaidan." She cried, feeling her tears burn cuts on her face. She took a ragged breath forcing herself to stop.
Her mind raced thinking about the reapers. What if she didn't stop them?
She tried reaching down to her omni-tool. She needed to communicate with someone, anyone.
"This is Commander Shepard. Can anyone read me?" Her heart sank when she heard complete white noise static.
She kept in on hoping to hear something different and found herself falling asleep to the sound.
Kaidan's hand caressed her cheek. They were back on the Normandy in her room. He laughed as she moved her bare hips into him.
"Shepard, we only have five minutes." His voice gave her chills.
She closed her eyes, letting his hands slide down her chest.
"We don't have time..."
She opened her eyes and saw that his body was a faint blue. His eyes glowed brightly staring into her. She looked around and saw more of them grabbing at her body, and more banshees behind them. Their screams erupted in her ears.
She woke up hearing only the static shrieking on her wrist. She tried to reach for her omni-tool, but fell short of her mid-section. Her hand felt heavy on her stomach. She cringed at the thought of more broken bones.
"K... Kaid... an." The rubble shifted and she gritted her teeth, he bones snapping once more. Her heart raced as she tried to take her mind off of pain searing through her body.
She thought about the last thing Kaidan had said to her.
"I'm gonna fight like hell to hold you again."
She closed her eyes, pain taking over. I'm gonna fight like hell to let him.
Her eyes opened and she was at the Citadel with Garrus. The sniper rifle was warm in her hand, freshly shot. He grinned at her.
"So you and Kaidan? I mean not that I couldn't picture you with him but... you and Kaidan..."
Shepard nodded her head, watching him look through the scope.
"Good for you guys."
He paused briefly, before taking a shot at another can.
"Garrus..." She moved the rifle away from his face, her hand grazing his scarred cheek. "That night meant a lot to me."
"Of course it did." He flashed a grin at her. "You spent it with me." He pulled another beverage container out for her, spinning it in the air to catch it. "Enough with this … lady stuff. I'm going to prove once and for all that I'm a better shot than the great Commander Shepard!"
Without giving her a moment's notice, he threw the container as hard as he could out into Citadel airspace.
She could have made the shot, but deep down she felt she owed at least this much to him. She missed on purpose, smiling the whole time. As the shot sounded in her ear, the memory blackened, its edges graying as she felt herself pulling away from her mind.
She opened her eyes, feeling dried blood crack her lips. She licked them, realizing that her dry mouth couldn't fix the crust growing on her lips. She listened to the static some more. Something would reach her. Something, anything, had to.