A/N: Okay so I'm updating a day early because from tomorrow work is getting hectic and I won't have time to update DX


"Ugh, I think I'm dying…" Sara groaned melodramatically, allowing her head to drop onto the metal desk she sat in front of with a loud thud that rattled her brain in her skull. White hot barbs of pain knifed through her temples and she groaned again, bringing her hands up to massage her scalp in an effort to relieve the pressure. Across the medbay, Lexi barely batted an eyelid as she pulled things out of cupboards and arranged them on a tray on the work bench in front of herself.

"Don't be ridiculous," she replied calmly with her back to Sara, pouring chilled water from a bottle into a steel cup and adding in various powders from packets and liquids from the tiny bottles on her tray. She began mixing up her concoction for the ailing Pathfinder with a spoon. The faint scraping of the spoon against the cup sounded like nails on a chalkboard to Sara in her current state.

Sara had zombied into the medbay that morning and all but collapsed into Lexi's chair at her desk with a gravelly moan and a plea for help. "No one ever died from a hangover."

"Are you sure?" Sara croaked pathetically, twisting her head sideways on the desk to watch the doctor as she turned to face her. Even that tiny movement set mini krogan stomping angrily through the inside of her cranium.

"Perfectly," she said. "Alcohol poisoning, now that's another matter. Here. Drink this." She walked towards her desk and held out the cup to Sara, who pushed herself up into a sitting position with a grunt of exertion and took the cup. She looked suspiciously at the vaguely fizzing fluid, then up at Lexi who stood before her watching her expectantly.

"What is it…?" She asked, and Lexi paused before answering.

"Do you want the long answer or the short?"

"Definitely short…"

"Hangover cure."

"Okay." Sara looked down, sniffed at the drink and wrinkled her nose at the horribly chemical scent. She hesitated again as her gag reflex frantically warned her not to drink it, and turned her blood shot eyes back to the asari. "You sure?" Lexi rolled her eyes.

"Who's the doctor here?" She asked pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down at Sara in exasperation. She was more like a petulant child with bellyache than an adult human Pathfinder with a hangover. "It will settle your stomach and get rid of the headache."

"Okay." Sara knocked it back in one. It tasted vile and made her retch, but the promise of feeling human again was too good to pass up. She pressed her knuckles to her mouth and fought to keep it down as her stomach heaved.

"I suppose I'll be serving this on tap today," Lexi muttered, taking the cup back and moving away to start clearing up her work station. She hadn't heard movement from the rest of the crew yet, save for Kallo and Suvi, who were sensible enough to not drink excessive amounts of alcohol, and Drack, who was krogan and so effectively had a cast iron stomach, though suspected the others would soon be shuffling in to visit her. Well, maybe not Cora. She would probably battle through with sheer force of will.

"Are you gonna lecture us?" Sara mumbled, looking so sorry for herself the asari had to laugh.

"What am I, the fun police?" She asked. "It's good to enjoy yourself once in a while. Just don't make it a regular thing, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sara tapped her fingers against her temple in a lame salute. Lexi smiled and shooed her away.

"Go and get some breakfast. You'll be needed on the bridge soon enough, I'm sure," she said. Sara reluctantly heaved herself out of the chair, knowing the doctor was right. She stuffed her hands into the front pocket of her Initiative hoodie and dragged herself out of the medbay, heading for the galley.


Sara Ryder was of average height and built slim but solid, though most of her frame was hidden by the grey and black Pathfinder hoodie and baggy cargos she usually wore. She had long chestnut brown hair naturally streaked with lighter and darker browns that was usually tied into a high pony tail at the back of her head, long bangs that framed her face and bright blue eyes that were usually alive with mischief but were currently clouded and bloodshot. A faint pink scar bisected her right eyebrow, ending at her cheek bone. Sara rubbed it sometimes when deep in thought which suggested it felt different to the surrounding skin. Maybe it was ridged slightly? It didn't look it.

Suvi allowed herself a respectable one minute's study (read: ogle) of the woefully oblivious Pathfinder before finally speaking up. "You can't eat toast by staring at it."

Sara dragged her eyes up from the breakfast she had been watching for the past…however long she had been slumped at the dining table, and blinked in surprise at Suvi, who was stood in the open doorway of the galley with a soft smile on her lips, turquoise eyes teasing. To say Sara looked under the weather would be a massive understatement.

"I didn't hear you come in," Sara said apologetically, sitting up straight in a vain attempt to look professional. "Sorry."

Suvi dismissed the apology with a wave of one hand.

"Good morning, Ryder," she greeted her brightly, not moving from her position in the doorway. She grinned when Sara made her opinion on the morning known with a grimace. "I see you enjoyed last night."

"What I remember," Sara admitted with a crooked smile.

"Would you come up to the bridge when you're ready?" Suvi asked, gesturing vaguely over one shoulder. "We have something important to tell you."

"Sure. I won't be long," she nodded. Suvi smiled again and left and the door slide closed after her. Sara stared down at her plain buttered toast once more (or rather the vacuum packaged, freeze-dried bread thing that was labelled 'toast') waiting for Lexi's weird drink to stop her gut feeling like bubbling lava. Even thinking about eating caused her stomach to tremor and her throat to close in protest. "I'm never touching alcohol again," she muttered to herself.

At least Drack hadn't found her yet. She just knew he would find the whole thing hilarious.


Sara paused on the raised walkway in front of the automatic door to the bridge, standing just beyond the range of the sensors, to take a deep breath and stand tall. Lexi's hangover cure had finally settled her stomach, and she had managed to eat her breakfast and keep it down, but her eyes still felt gritty and her thoughts sluggish. She cocked her head to one side as she composed herself, able to hear raised voices on the other side of the door. They were muffled by the thick metal panels but without question belonged to Kallo and Suvi. She strode forwards and the door slid open with a soft hiss to admit her to the bridge. Kallo and Suvi immediately stopped talking to face her.

"Now, you two wouldn't be fighting would you?" Sara asked, tone light but suspicious. She couldn't cope with having to break up an argument right now… Suvi laughed in response, but Kallo looked genuinely affronted.

"Why would I be fighting with my best friend?" He demanded.

"Best friend? Aw! Kallo!" Suvi grinned and rubbed his skinny bicep fondly, then looked eagerly back at Sara. "We're just excited about a report I received from Eos," she paused for dramatic effect. "Radiation levels are steadily dropping."

"That's great news," Sara replied with a smile, finding their enthusiasm infectious despite feeling like Drack had kicked her from one end of the Tempest to the other. "So, the vault's working then?"

"Yes, definitely," Suvi said. "But…There's been a rise in kett activity too." Sara rolled her eyes. Then wished she hadn't when her headache threatened to return.

"Figures," she muttered, barely managing to conceal a wince. She reached up to rub her forehead, changed it at the last moment to rub at her scar with one finger. She didn't want Kallo and Suvi to see her suffering with a hangover, though it was painfully obvious. She looked dreadful.

"But…It might be nice to head back?" Suvi suggested.

"Almost like a vacation!" Kallo said eagerly. A slow grin spread across Sara's face. A vacation sounded great right now.

"Maybe we should head back," she agreed casually. "You know. See how Prodromos is doing…" Kallo and Suvi grinned at each other, catching on, then faced Sara.

"Of course, Pathfinder," Suvi said, putting on her most professional-sounding voice.

"Right away, Pathfinder!" Kallo added, turning and hurrying to his chair at the controls.

Sara made her way over to the galaxy map, swiping her palm over the console to activate it.

"Setting course for Eos."