Vigil of an Angel

Tali didn't know what to think. She couldn't think. Her mind was just blank as she paced nervously back and forth in front of the medbay door. He had been such a mess. By the time they had gotten him to sickbay a frightening portion of her suit was tinted blue from his blood. And she hadn't wanted to leave. Shepard had had to physically haul the quarian out of sickbay and made her get cleaned up.

After that Tali had come back to do her pacing. She was vaguely aware of what the people around her were doing. Eating and talking mostly. On occasion they would mention something about her and why she was pacing. Most surmised that she knew the turian that had been brought in from the last foray into Omega.

At some point, she's not quite sure when, Tali stopped her pacing to sit down at one of the tables. Just to take a short rest. And to think. Why was she so fearful that Garrus might not pull through? Because she knew him? Yes that could be part of it. Shepard knew him too but then again Shepard had a ship to run. Or at least keep the ship from backstabbing her. Tali could be doing work down in engineering but what if he came out of surgery?

What if he came out of surgery? Then what? Tali didn't know. She could say something to him. That might tip him off that she's been worried sick over him. That wouldn't do. There's no need for him to know she's been harboring foolish girlish fantasies about him for the last 3 years.

It's not like he wasn't incredibly good looking and had the personality to go with it. Or a good cop. That went totally badass. There had to be a reason why he went all vigilante crime-fighter. Last Tali knew, Garrus had gone back to work for C-Sec. They had kept in touch, sort of, for about a year before he stopped returning her letters. Tali guessed she knew why now.

Dinner came and went and still no word. Finally Shepard came down, probably at the behest of Dr. Chakwas, and made Tali eat dinner and go to bed. Garrus was out of surgery but still hadn't come around and wasn't expected to until the morning.

Tali was unhappy with being treated like the child gloves. That was another reason Tali always had liked Garrus. He never used the kid gloves with her. Everyone on the original Normandy had started out treating her different since she was the only galactic minor on board at the time. Never mind she knew how to make the ship run better then the chief engineer. Granted she was an engineering prodigy by even quarian standard but she would have thought they wouldn't handle her with such delicacy.

With Garrus it was always straightforward. Tali can remember Shepard actually taking him aside and chastising him for it. Garrus had countered with something about how can she learn if everyone was always holding her hand and how that defeated part of the purpose of the Pilgrimage.

It wasn't until the next morning's meeting that Tali heard over the comm that Garrus had "escaped" the sickbay and was heading up to the conference room. For the next few minutes Tali was sure Shepard was talking but her voice had become a drone in the background. All of her attention was fixed on the doors. Once those slid open Tali was out of her seat and embracing a very surprised turian who couldn't suppress a shout of pain causing Tali to let go.

"Cracked ribs." Garrus explained before giving a hug to Tali who returned it very gently. Secretly Tali was reveling at the joy of getting to hug a Garrus that was out of his armor. All he had on was civilian clothing and Tali could "feel" his smooth scales. There were an alarming amount of rough patches that Tali assumed were scares.

"Garrus, good to see you're up."

"Death seems to agree with your Shepard. You're looking well."

"Thank you Garrus. How do you feel?"

"Almost as bad as when Sovereign nearly crushed us. Dr. Chakwas said something about cyborgnetics. How bad is it?"

Tali looked up at his face. His right mandible had been replaced as well as a good portion of the right side of his head. The flesh that had been saved was horribly scared.

"I thought so. I saw my armor."

"It's not that bad Garrus."

Garrus looked down at Tali who was still hugging him. "I guess a few more 'distinguishing features' can't hurt.

"Tali, could you escort Garrus back to the sickbay before Dr. Chakwas comes up here and chews me out? Garrus, once you get the all clear we'll have another meeting to catch you up."

"Since Tali is here you must have food I can eat. We can talk over dinner then."

"Dinner? Tonight? You really think Dr. Chakwas will let you out by then?" Shepard asked with an amused grin. While the good doctor might give Garrus a little leeway since he was an old friend, he was still in really bad shape even if he didn't want to admit it.

"It's just a few cracked ribs. I'll be combat ready in a week given the amount of medigel she's pumping into me down there."

"Right, that reminds me. Have to get more medigel the next time we stop by somewhere." Shepard muttered to herself. "Now go on. And Tali, make sure you actually let go of Garrus when you get to sickbay."

A/N: Let me set the stage so everyone is on the same page. I play my female Shepards as Paragons so in my verse Shepard went and recruited Tali immediately and then got Mordin. Mostly since this Shepard will never trust Cerberus it is much better to have an old friend watch your back. Mordin was picked up because he's on Omega and "neutral." And he sings and is my fav new character. Also, I can't remember if Tali was on the Normandy when it all went to hell. In this verse, no. After Sovereign she went straight back to the Flotilla with the Geth Data.

Last chapter was the pickup of Archangel. We'll be going on from there. How much of the game I cover and how much I add in is unsure at this point.

Also, just to be clear. This is going to focus on Garrus and Tali. Any other characters that get any "screen" time will be as a result of interaction with those two. Even Shepard is going to be forced into a secondary role here and there will be no Shepard/Garrus/Tali triangle. So things might happen that we'll only see from either G's or T's point of view.

Next Chapter, a private dinner between old three friends.