Chapter 2: SSDD
("Attention...Attention...Is this thing on? Hey Lycanwolff, I don't think the mike is on." "What do you want me to do about it?" "I don't know, how will I tell them I don't own BioWare or the Mass Effect characters?" "I'm pretty sure they know. If you did, would you be writing on FanFic?" "I'm pretty sure I would...Hey...what's that red light mean?" "What red light? This red light?" "Yeah that one. Oh shit! Is this recording?" *Shuffling is heard then nothing*)
Boot camp…What can someone say about Boot Camp other then it was….well…..like a boot in the ass and this is exactly what Hew Shepard and Kitrina Wolff had been thinking.
"THIS IS YOUR RECRUIT KNOWLEDGE! YOU WILL READ, SLEEP, BREATH AND EAT WITH IT! YOU WILL HAVE THIS MEMORIZED FRONT TO BACK, TOP TO BOTTEM. BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RECITE IT VERBATIM! DO YOU UNDERSTAND...GOOD!"
After the DI finished, Hew started to get worried. Are they serious? I need to read something? This is going to fucking suck. He thought as he received the datapad. He flipped through the 'pages' and really started to get worried, seeing just how much knowledge was actually stuffed into the datapad's databanks. FUCK! I can't read any of this! What the fuck am I going to do? I can't go to prison! Hew groaned as he moved back to his rack with the datapad in hand and sat down with a heavy, frustrated sigh. He glanced over and noticed that Wolff was already quickly skimming the datapad, flipping page after page so fast, it was as if she already knew what was in there.
"Anything important I need to know?" Hew quipped, drawing in a nervous breath as he just stared at the words on the screen.
"Unless you already know everything about the Alliance Marines and Military history, then yeah...there is." she spat, rolling her eyes and slowly shaking her head as she continued reading.
"It can't be that important can it? I mean come on...How much do I need to know to shoot a gun?" he growled, his grip tightening around the datapad like he was trying to crush it with his bare hands.
Kitrina looked up from the datapad and locked eyes with Shepard, "What? A big guy like you scared of a little reading? Come on...get serious. Just read the info and maybe you'll learn something." she hissed with another eye roll, which was starting to get on Hew's nerves. I hate it when people roll their eyes at me.
Hew shuffled a bit and looked back to the datapad, still not understanding anything and getting more and more confused and frustrated. I should know this. How can I not know this? Hell...Franklin could read and he was a dumb ass. He took one more look at the datapad, still not understanding a damn thing as everything there just looked like another language to him. He saw the words, but nothing was clicking. He knew the letters, but his brain couldn't put them together. He tossed the datapad on the rack in frustration and growled angrily as he rested his palms on the stiff mattress and snarled, staring blankly at the wall as he battled to keep his temper in line before he punched something.
Kitrina watched Shepard out of the corner of her eye as he tossed the datapad in his hands aside with a heavy snarl. The look of confusion that crossed his face was a bit weird to her, as she didn't understand what the big problem was. Is the information that difficult for him to grasp? As she watch some more, seeing him pick up the datapad once more and star at it, she noticed that he wasn't turning pages and seemed to be reading the same sentence over and over without understanding what he was reading. After a moment, it finally clicked. Oh. My. God. He can't read! Why the hell can't he read? This is bad...So very, very bad. Kitrina thought as she just stared at him, realizing that this just made Boot Camp a lot fucking harder.
"Uh...Shepard? Are you able to understand what you're reading?" she asked as kindly as possible, not wanting to aggravate him any further then he already was.
Shepard sighed, "I don't need to understand this shit if all I'm going to do is shoot a fucking gun." Hew snapped, sending her an angry, sidelong glare.
Kitrina slowly stood up and took Shepard's datapad, shutting it off, "Ok Shepard...What did the page say?"
Hew glared at Wolff, his brows pinching together hard, "I don't know what it said...Ok! There... happy? I can't read! There...I fucking said it!" Hew forcefully took the datapad from Wolff and started typing, his fingers flying across the interface for a few seconds before he handed it back to her, his face still as blank as it was before.
Kitrina looked down and was surprised to see the first page of the Recruit Knowledge typed out perfectly. Everything was there: The Title, the 'By' line, the copyright date...everything. All the little things she never noticed on the page were there as well, like the page number and the manufacturer of the software. She had to bring up the title page on her own datapad to compare and it was perfect...Bloody perfect.
"Wait...I thought you said you couldn't read?" she asked, her brows furrowed lightly as she looked at Shepard with her own confusion.
Hew shrugged, "I can't. I just...I just made it match the one I saw." he said flatly, gnawing on the inside of his bottom lip, clearly still angry...or was it ashamed?
"What do you mean by match?"
"You know..." he sighed, "I made all the stuff match. The letters and numbers and stuff. Can't you do that?" he finally glanced up at her, his anger slightly fading to be replaced by embarrassment and a full portion of shame.
"No...I can't. You have a photographic memory?"
Hew simply nodded.
"That's amazing!" her lips curled into a stunned smile, "You can't read, but you can remember how everything goes together...That gives me an idea." she said, tapping a finger on her chin as she thought a moment.
Hew glanced up at her with another confused look and tilted his head to one side.
"Here...sit down. I wanna try some thing." she urged him to sit, which was a chore due to his height and plopped him down on the deck.
She sat down next to him as she started tapping on the datapad, her fingers fluidly and expertly drifting across the interface like she had been doing the same thing non stop for years. A few seconds passed before she handed him his datapad with a knowing smirk across her face and it was more then a little smug. When Hew looked down, he saw images he recognized on the screen with words underneath them.
"What's this?" he asked, glancing over at her once more.
"It's a training aid for grade school students. It helps them associate the word with the image. It lets them form a connection to know what the word means." she briefly explained as she pointed each point out to him on the datapad.
Hew stared at her, still feeling horrifically embarrassed and ashamed that he was a 19 year old who couldn't read before glancing back at the datapad with the program to teach children how to do so.
Kitrina let him go as he wished as she continued reading through her information, but when she looked over, she noticed that he was flipping through the images at an alarming pace. She noticed his eyes never flicked down to look at the word which meant, he was only associating with the picture and ignoring the words all together.
"Slow down...If you go too fast, you won't catch anything." she urged, flipping her own page on her datapad.
Hew found the images childish but was surprised at the fact that he was actually remembering what the words meant. When Wolff told him to slow down he glanced up at her, "I'm fine...This is actually working." he growled, letting his temper fuel up a bit as he was still frustrated that someone knew his closely guarded secret.
"How can it be working? You're not even looking at the words?" her brows furrowed again, watching as he seemed to speed up to prove a point.
"I can see the words and the image at the same time. The same way I can see you and the Duty Hut. I have pretty good peripheral vision as well as above average eyesight," he quickly explained without looking up, "This is working for things and stuff but how will I get sentence structure? I don't think there are pictures for that...are there?"
"Well….no, there isn't, but the trick is to start at the bottom and work your way up." she answered, furrowing her brows again as she tried to grasp the situation.
"How long will this take? I need to figure this out really fucking fast. When can I start working with the Recruit Knowledge thing? I'll need to know that stuff at some point right?"
"It'll take as long as it needs to Mr. Thug. You can't very well get through boot without knowing your knowledge. There's a test in the third month." she snarled.
Hew stopped what he was doing and stared, slowly turning his head to glare at her, "What you just call me? Mr. Thug? Oh that's real cute. Think of that all by yourself did you?" he growled at her, "So I have three months to figure out how to read...Well then I do believe we are screwed." he turned back to the datapad, unsure why he was even trying at this point if he only had three months to learn how to read well enough to take a test that's been written for college level people.
"Hey...you called me Mrs. Spacer so it's only fair. Don't sass me. I'm the only shot you've got at getting through this…And just for the record, we aren't screwed. Not if I have anything to say about it." she huffed, deciding that shutting up, was the best course of action.
GySgt Ellison was sitting in the Duty Hut when Cpl. Fredricks started to hand out the Recruit Knowledge datapads. He was curious as to how Shepard was going to deal with this little challenge, as he had read in the kid's file that he had no formal schooling which meant...he couldn't read. He was surprised to see that Wolff seemed to be helping him when he saw her do something with the datapad and hand it back to Shepard. Plus, accessing it with his override to see what she did, didn't hurt either. What he saw made him chuckle. He didn't expect Wolff to download a child's teaching aid for Shepard to try and learn. In hind site, it was pretty clever, but the speed in which Shepard was flipping was disconcerting. It seemed too fast to be learning anything to do him any good. Ellison brought up the information regarding Shepard after a few minutes and with no new info, he shut down his datapad and continued to watch as Recruits Shepard and Wolff appeared to be working together for once.
"You think it will work Gunny?"
Ellison looked over to see Sgt. Johnson leaning against the wall lockers and sipping on some coffee that he was pretty sure was cold by now. The sergeant wasn't as confidant with this plan, but was willing to place the old bet. They did this every cycle. Find two recruits that show promise, or are complete opposites, pair them up and see where it goes. The bet was usually a pass or fail. The Gunny always bet pass...and the sergeant, always bet fail.
"I think it'll work. Hell...she's teaching him to read right now." Ellison said gruffly, leaning back into his chair.
"Wait...Shepard can't read! How the hell did he get in?" Johnson reeled, nearly dropping his coffee to the deck.
"I didn't think he can. He's had no formal schooling. The kid grew up on the streets and has a record longer then my wife's honey-do-list. As for how he got here, a Judge offered him that old choice. Enlist in the Marines, or go to Jail. He chose enlistment...Go figure...They always think it'll be easier. He'll learn the hard way. His recruiter seemed to think he could offer the Alliance something but I don't know yet. What do you think?" Ellison folded his hands in his lap as he waited.
Johnson sighed, "Well...he's been on the Quarter Deck more often then any other recruit and I have never seen him break a sweat. He has endurance I'll give him that and he seems to remember anything we say real fast," he slowly shook his head, "but that reading thing...I hope your right or it will be a big issue in about two months. If he can't pass that test, he's pretty much screwed. Two tries, then you wash out. He'll make a hell of a grunt I can say that much but not much else." he folded his arms across his broad chest.
"I don't know about that. I think he has a lot more potential then just a grunt. I think he has leadership abilities but just doesn't have the motivation to show it. I mean, for Christ's sake, his file says he was a LT in the Tenth Street Reds so I know he's not stupid. You have any ideas for the Guide position yet? How about Squad Leaders?" Ellison asked, reaching for another datapad that had the company's roster on it.
"Am I picking up that you wanna make him the Guide?" Johnson questioned, furrowing his brows.
Ellison just nodded without looking up from the datapad.
"Come on Gunny...that's a bit much. A Squad Leader maybe but not The Guide. Maybe if he passes the Knowledge exams sure...why not. Recruit Wolff might make a good Squad Leader thought. Both her parents are Officers so a leadership position might not be much of a stretch. That's my opinion since you asked." he slightly winced, hoping he hadn't just crossed the line with the Gunny.
Ellison glanced up at him and drew in a breath as he set down the datapad, "Wolff as a Squad Leader...That could work. Start her in forth squad and see how she does," he glanced at the clock, "Well, it's time for the parade deck I think. Get them outside to get some air. Put Wolff in front and Shepard right behind her...Let's see what happens." he directed, standing from his chair and looking out into the squad bay.
"Roger that Gunny. I'll get right on that. We can get two runs in before chow. Wolff still on double rations?" Johnson asked, retrieving his 'Smokey Bear' from the hat rack in the corner.
"Yes, she gets double rations still and no, I'm still not going to tell you why." Ellison said flatly.
"Whatever you say Gunny."
"ALL RIGHT YOU SHIT STICKS, GRAB YOU GEAR AND FALL IN. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, READY GO!"
Hew glanced up at the DI as he came out of the Duty Hut and gave the command to fall in. He got to his feet and helped Wolff up, discovering she was quite light and nimble for just coming down from artificial gravity. He then grabbed his gear, passed Wolff her's and headed outside without bothering to wait for her.
Kitrina paused a moment as Shepard passed her gear over. That was unexpected. She thought with a thankful nod. Why did he do that? She thought once more as she donned her web belt, grabbed her cover and headed for the door to fall in.
"Recruits Shepard, Wolff...stand fast," Sgt Johnson called without unleashing the tremendous power his lungs held, "Recruit Wolff...you are Forth Squad Leader. Recruit Shepard, you are Forth Squad, First Fire team Leader hop to it!" he ordered with the sneer that he rarely ever took off.
Hew and Kitrina shared a glance before they hustled outside to get into their proper places. After everyone was ready, the DI's marched them to a long, flat section of pavement that strongly resembled and old fashioned runway. It looked old, that's for sure and it was made of concrete instead of Duraplast...that was something they found odd.
"THIS IS THE PARADE DECK! IT WAS BROUGHT FROM EARTH PIECE BY PIECE FROM EVERY MARINE RECRUIT DEPOT. NONE OF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SET FOOT ON IT!" Sgt Johnson bellowed, filling his voice with a harsh growl as he pointed to the ground, "ON SECOND THOUGHT, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO LOOK AT IT! EYES DOWN! OH WE WANT TO MOVE SLOW! FIRST SQUAD GET IN MY PIT RIGHT NOW!"
Hew watched as First Squad ran to a sand filled pit, a couple recruits stumbling over themselves as their feet slipped in the loose sand. Oh joy...mind fuck games. As First Squad was being thrashed in the Pit, Hew noticed Wolff was shaking ever so slightly. He nudged her and when he caught her eye he nodded in encouragement. He had no idea why Wolff would be worried about some time in the sand, but was going to keep an eye on her in any case, as he had no desire to endure any more of the Senior DI's wrath if one of them were to fail.
Kitrina was getting hungry, her stomach rumbling loudly and sending a small quake through her entire body. When she got hungry, her control slipped and since no one in the platoon knew this little secret, they would most likely shy away in a hurry if her control slipped. When she saw First Squad go into the pit, her worry started to show as she started to shake. She didn't think it was that bad until she felt someone nudge her, causing her to glance over her shoulder and see Shepard give her a little nod. She had no idea why, for what she really needed was a high protein snack, or lunch for that matter.
"SECOND SQUAD TO THE PIT! FIRST SQUAD, GET YOUR ASSES BACK INTO FORMATION!"
As First Squad fell back in, Hew couldn't help but notice the thin layer of fine sand that coated them. They looked exhausted and were barley standing, despite the short workout. Huh...That didn't look so hard. Wonder what the sands for? Hew started going back over all the images that he saw on his datapad, figuring that if he was just gonna stand there for a bit, he might as well do something productive. He got to the G's when the DI's yelling broke his train of thought.
"THIRD SQUAD TO THE PIT! SECOND SQUAD, GET BACK IN FORMATION!"
Kitrina was getting more worried as the DI was getting closer to her Squad. The more her worry grew, the more she noticed how hungry she was and when the thought about how hungry she was it reached her stomach, it made her worry more. It was a viscous cycle. Then her stomach dropped.
"FORTH SQUAD GET YOUR ASSES TO MY PIT! THIRD SQUAD FALL IN!"
GySgt Ellison was just leaving the Squad Bay and saw Sgt. Johnson ITing the recruits which wouldn't be an issue until he noticed that Wolff was shaking and Shepard was eying her with concern. Then, it hit him. Kitrina only had standard rations for breakfast and since this was not a Biotic boot camp, she can't carry energy/protein bars. Ellison ran across the paved road, waving his hand to get Sgt. Johnson's attention before something happened. When the sergeant looked up, he gave the hand single to stop and get the platoon in formation, having to fight with himself to keep his face blank of any expression so the recruits didn't suspect anything. By the time he came abreast with the platoon, it was in formation and everyone was covered in sand and breathing heavily, all except Shepard that is. Ellison then motioned Johnson over.
"You need to get them to the chow hall Sergeant."
"Uh...ok, sure. Can I ask why its so important?" Johnson whispered, well below the recruits range of hearing.
"You see Recruit Wolff there? See her shaking?" Ellison whispered, keeping his hands locked behind his back to keep him from pointing.
Johnson quickly glanced over his shoulder, scanning the whole platoon as he saw Wolff at the front of forth squad, "Yeah," he shrugged, "So what. A lot of recruits shake before and after the pit. What's so special?" his brows furrowed.
"Dammit...I think she might be a Biotic and the reason she's shaking, is because she is barely holding on. Get them to the Chow Hall real fucking quick." Ellison snarled, not enjoying how the sergeant had spoken to him but knowing that he had to end the discussion as quickly as possible to get the recruits to the chow hall.
"You gotta be shitting me. Why the hell is she here and not..."
"We'll talk about this later. Get them some food right now."
"Understood," he nodded before turning his attention back to the platoon, "PLATOON! FOWARD MARCH!"
"This is going to be close." Ellison mumbled under his breath, watching as the platoon marched off, deciding to run to the chow hall and warn the staff of recruit Wolff's dietary requirements.
That was weird. I wonder why the Senior was in such a hurry to get us to the chow hall. Not that I'm complaining...food sounds good right about now. As that thought shot through Hew's mind, he couldn't help but notice that Wolff was still shaking and seemed to be sweating more then she should before being in the pit for only five minutes. Her usually prominent steps seemed to be weaker, almost as if she opted just to let her heels scoff along the ground instead of doing the proper march like the rest of the recruits.
"Hey...You ok?" Hew whispered, keeping his face blank and staring straight over her head as they marched so that the DI couldn't hear.
"I don't know...I really don't know." She replied back, her voice just as low but it shook.
I wonder what's wrong? Why is she shaking so much? Wait...is her skin turning blue? What the hell is going on? Hew was beginning to really worry, as the only time he remembered seeing someone's skin turn blue, was when a friend had fallen into a frozen lake and drowned. The weather was far warmer then that, in fact, it was nice enough to be comfortable outside with just a t-shirt. He didn't understand what was going on with Wolff. Was she sick? Was she going to be all right? Either way, he didn't know.
Oh shit...oh shit...oh shit. I don't think I can hold out much longer. Kitrina thought as she was starting to feel the tickle in the back of her head that always happened when she used her Biotics, or got ready to use them. Please God, not here. Not now. Let me hold out till I get something to eat. She thought, slightly wincing as she took in a long breath, hoping that it would help her hold off the electric tingle that was steadily growing stronger with each step she took.
As the platoon made it to the chow hall, Hew noticed small, barely visible blue tendrils of energy running across her skin that nearly blended perfectly with it's fair tone. Why the hell am I noticing her skin? It's probably because of the blue stuff...What the hell is that blue stuff anyways? He almost jumped when one of the tendrils jumped from Wolff, to him, but was surprised when it didn't hurt. It felt kinda pleasant actually. Once the ethereal tendril touched his skin, it sent a warm tingle all over his arm, like he had submerged it in a bucket of warm, soothing water. What was that? He thought, having to smile slightly at the sensation that continued to course over his skin. When Wolff suddenly fell to the ground and brought her knees to her chest, Hew froze, watching the shaking nearly completely take over and her face contort into a harsh, an unflattering cringe of pain. What the hell! Hew thought as the blue coloration on Wolff's skin started to get darker and more pronounced.
Kitrina was holding on with all she had to keep the power back, but it hurt, it hurt so much. The amount of pain that was beginning to stab in the back of her neck was making her whole body spike with a sharp snapping pain that she nearly couldn't take it anymore. This was worse then when it happened at home. The pain was beyond what she experienced before and no one was her to help her...Not this time. That's why she was so surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Shepard trying to ask her what was wrong. She was using so much of her will power to hold it back, that she couldn't answer him tell him to get away from her before something happened. She might not like him, but that didn't mean she wanted to kill him, no matter how much he had wronged others in his past.
Hew's worry persisted, much like he had been all day, what with the reading thing and the tests that were looming in his future and now this. Wolff wasn't able to talk and the other recruits had backed away from them, boring holes into the back of his head as they watched in not just confusion, but shock. He gently laid his other hand on Wolff's other shoulder and turned her so he could see her face, seeing that it did indeed, show that she was in pain as a singular tear slowly drifted down her cheek.
Kitrina let him turn her, not having the will or the strength to refuse as the pain engulfed her entire body. When she opened her eyes, she saw Shepard looking back at her, trying to find out what was wrong but not seeing anything that readily told him. All he saw was the ethereal aura that had been steadily deepening and growing in it's intensity. When her eyes met his, there was...a moment when the pain went away, or at least dulled enough where she could finally speak.
"H-Hew...R-Run." was all she could say and that was no more then just a whisper.
Hew's eyes widened when Wolff used his name but it was so quiet he barley heard it at all. When he felt her suddenly tense, he pulled her against him on pure reflex, much like he had done when a friend back in the gang had been shot. He had done it to keep them warm and as it turned out, it kept them alive just long enough for the medics to get there and save their life...but, the friend went to jail afterward because of an outstanding warrant. In the next instant, a bright flash of light enveloped them both, extending all around them in every direction but what caught Hew off guard, was that it didn't hurt. It felt like the small tendril that had touched his skin earlier. There was no pain what so ever, only the gentle, tingling sensation that hummed all over his body and he felt a slight pushing sensation against his chest. When he felt Wolff go limp in his arms, he finally glanced down, seeing that she had passed out from whatever the hell, just happened.
I'm sorry...I didn't want this to happen. You didn't deserve to die. I'm so sorry Hew. Kitrina thought, just before her world went black.
GySgt. Ellison made it to the door just as Recruit Wolff fell to the ground and the other recruits stared in bewilderment. Oh shit...This is so bad and what the hell is Shepard doing? He has no idea what is happening! As Ellison watched, the other DI was able to get the rest of the recruits back, but Shepard seemed to ignore the DI as he focused on Wolff. When Wolff suddenly tensed, he saw Shepard pull her tight to his body in a subconscious action that he had seen before, probably in hopes that it would somehow help. Ellison's eyes widened as he watched the blue, Biotic pulse emit from Wolff, but pass harmlessly over Shepard to flip tables and chairs as it expanded outwards. What? Why didn't it harm him?
The next thing Ellison saw, was Shepard holding Wolff in a bridal carry and he kept looking at him, his eyes screaming for what to do next while periodically glancing down at the unconscious girl in his arms. All Ellison could do was push through the crowd and hustle them both to the infirmary. When he got them to the infirmary, he finally turned and glared down Shepard like he had just committed a crime...well...another one considering whom he was talking to.
"What the hell were you thinking Shepard! You could have been killed!" Ellison barked angrily, furious that the kid had already disobeyed an order and he hadn't even graduated basic training yet.
That's when Shepard did the craziest thing. After he put Wolff on the exam table, he spun to the Senior Drill Instructor, grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall, all without even thinking about what the hell he was doing.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS I DOING! FUCK THAT! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO WOLFF! YOU PARTNERED ME WITH HER AND FAIL TO MENTION SHE'S A FUCKING BIOTIC! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND!" the rage in Shepard's eyes made Ellison's blood run cold, as he had only seen that look in men who have killed and were good at it. How dose a 19 year old have that look?
"Put me down Shepard." Ellison was barley able to say, due to the fact that his Charlie shirt and undershirt were being held tight against his throat.
When Shepard didn't react, he placed a hand on the kid's arm and repeated his order, "Put. Me. Down. Shepard." he hissed, the vein in his forehead pulsing as his blood pressure rose.
Shepard's fuming, murderous gaze faded as he blinked a couple of times, realizing where he was and what he was doing. He dropped the Senior Drill Instructor and took a couple steps back, raking his hands down his face and over his head as he tried to bring his temper back under control. Fuck...Fuck, fuck, fuck. I'm going to jail...My ass is getting thrown in jail and I'm never coming out.
Ellison smoothed out his shirt and looked down at Shepard, whom was sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. Why is he so attached to her and why didn't her Biotics affect him? He thought, clasping his hands behind his back as the doctor entered and took in on the situation.
"What happened? Training accident?" the doctor asked blankly, shifting her eyes between the DI and the recruit in the bed.
"Uh...no. Recruit Wolff had a...well she had a Biotic flare." Ellison answered, staring at the unconscious girl.
The doctor just stared at Ellison, then at Wolff before she noticed the male recruit slumped in the chair in the corner.
"What's he doing here? Was he involved in the incident?"
"Actually...he was the one that her Biotic flare didn't affect for some reason. Any ideas why that might be doc?" Ellison answered.
"I'll have to run some tests but I'm pretty sure she just needs fluids to replace the sugar and electrolytes that her body used up. Now about why her Biotics had no effect on him, I'll have to contact some specialists to find out." the doctor reported with a light shrug as she glanced down at her datapad.
"So...she's going to be ok... right?" Ellison asked, actually feeling worried about the young girl, as he didn't enjoy seeing them hurt.
The doctor nodded, "Yeah, she'll be fine after I get fluids in her," she turned to the girl in the bed, "Now...if you will leave so I can get to work."
"Understood doctor...We'll be on our way...Recruit Shepard, get up and get back to the squad bay." Ellison ordered, putting his DI facade back into place.
Shepard stood up slowly, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders and left the room, scuffing his heels while he headed for the door. Unbeknownst to him however, the doctor watched as he left with a studious expression on her face.
The doctor kept an eye on Recruit Shepard as he left and was brought out of her thoughts when Ellison suddenly yelled for her, his voice not loud per say, but urgent none the less. She spun around to see that Recruit Wolff's skin had begun to get a Biotic aura once again, shimmering lightly as the same tendrils from before danced through the air.
"What the hell?...She shouldn't be able do that," her brows furrowed as she watched the tendrils, "You said she flared at the chow hall right?"
"Yeah she did. It was a big one too. Flipped tables and chairs and all kinds of things." Ellison quietly explained.
The doctor watched as the aura grew darker and more active, threatening to envelop everything in sight which included them but a thought hit her, for the timing was too much of a coincidence.
"Recruit Shepard! Get in here!" the doctor ordered, producing the same demanding tone that the DI's themselves constantly used.
GySgt Ellison watched as Shepard entered the exam room, still with the same, heavy posture he had when he left and he noticed, that the closer he drew to Wolff, the calmer her Biotics got. When he stood next to her and placed his hand on her's, the Biotic aura completely faded. Shepard looked from Wolff ,to Ellison to and finally to the Doctor, his eyes asking just what the hell was going on as they narrowed in question.
"What the hell just happened?" Ellison asked, his expression mirroring Shepard's.
"I have no idea. I was guessing it might work but I was thinking it was a long shot. It seems...that even when unconscious, Recruit Wolff can tell when Recruit Shepard is near and doesn't need to protect herself. It seems she sees Shepard as a safe presence as it were. I wonder why that is?" the doctor paused for a moment, in thought, "OK...I want to try something. GySgt Ellison I want you to step outside."
Ellison looked at the doctor before glancing at Recruit Wolff for a brief moment, trying to figure out what the doctor was planning as he stepped outside.
The doctor watched Recruit Wolff intently, seeing no change with the monitors or her Biotics.
"Ok...GySgt, you can come back in. Now...Recruit Shepard, I want you to step outside."
Hew looked between the doctor and Wolff, finding that he was glaring rather angrily and unsure if he should follow the order. He finally tore his eyes away and looked up to the Senior, whom nodded, giving Shepard the ok to do so. He took one last look at Wolff before removing his hand and heading for the door.
The doctor watched the monitors start to react the moment Recruit Shepard's hand left her's, though it didn't get interesting till Shepard walked through the door. That's when her Biotics start to flare like they had before.
"Recruit Shepard...Please return to Recruit Wolff."
As Shepard returned to her side, the doctor kept an eye on the monitors and watched as the readings stabilized once more. This is very interesting, "Recruit Shepard...I'm going to ask you a question and I'll need a true answer...Understand?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Have you and Recruit Wolff ever met before?"
"No Ma'am."
"Have you and Recruit Wolff ever been intimate?"
Shepard's eyes narrowed, "No Ma'am."
"Are you sure? I need you to be truthful with me." the doctor took off the harsh, emotionless mask for her true demeanor which was more indicative of the situation.
"I have never been intimate with Recruit Wolff. I'm sure I would remember that. Ma'am" Shepard sneered.
"Understood Recruit Shepard. Onto another question...What did her Biotics feel like when they washed over you?"
"Well...um...they felt...warm, peaceful I guess. Like a warm hug or something like that I guess." he shrugged.
"Huh...I'll have to contact some specialists to get the whole understanding. GySgt, I hate to ask this but I will need Recruit Shepard to stay here. Will that be a problem?"
"No...That shouldn't be an issue...Recruit Shepard, do you have your Recruit Knowledge?" Ellison demanded to know.
Hew looked up at the Senior DI, "Yes Sir." he removed it from his cargo pocket and showed the Drill Instructor the datapad.
"Good...When the Doctor doesn't need you, you will be reading...That understood?"
"Yes Sir."
"Good...Doctor when you have any information, please let me know."
"Understood GySgt...If that is all, Please, have a nice day as I have work to do."
After the Senior Drill Instructor left, Hew settled into the chair next to Kitrina's bed and started memorizing the Recruit Knowledge...well...not actually reading the information, more like taking a mental picture of what the page looked like as he had nothing else to do. He would glance up at Wolff every once in a while and kept his ears open for any sound from her or the Doctor, just in case one of them needed anything.
Several hours passed before Hew heard rustling from the exam table. When he looked up, he noticed Wolff was looking right at him with a blank face.
Where am I? How did I get here? Oh...Shepard is here...Wait...Shepard is here and he's not dead? How did he survive? She thought, slightly confused as to what had transpired.
"How you doing? Light headed, hungry, dizzy, anything feel off?" Hew asked quietly, "Hey doc...She's up." he called over his shoulder.
The doctor came over and checked Wolff's vitals, reflexes and took blood samples for her records, "How are you feeling young lady? Has this happened before? Anything you want to tell me?"
"Um...I'm fine Doctor. A little light headed maybe and a little hungry but fine...really I'm good." Kitrina said, wanting very much to sit up.
"Well...I'm going to run some tests and hold you for a little bit longer, just to make sure you don't have another flare...Ok?"
"I understand doctor...Thank you." Kitrina turned her head and looked at Shepard whom seemed to be reading his Recruit Knowledge. "Are you ok?"
Hew looked up, "Yeah...I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"I thought...well...what with the flare you might have gotten hurt...or worse." she glanced up as she watched the doctor leave the room, leaving them alone to talk for a bit while she ran her tests.
Hew let a small smirk cross his face, "You think you can hurt me? That's cute...No...I'm fine. You did pass out though. That was different...It happened after that flare thing."
"I...well...it doesn't happen very often. I try not to let it happen at all actually. It's a bit embarrassing to say the least." she felt her cheeks start to burn, as her Biotics had become a closely guarded secret of her own...now everyone knew.
"I can see that...Leaves you a bit open afterwards doesn't it. Does that always happen when you use your Biotics?" Hew asked, setting his datapad down.
"Uh...no, it doesn't. You seem a bit indifferent to the fact that I'm a Biotic. Doesn't it scare you in the least?" Kitrina's brows furrowed as a little more confusion set in.
"To be honest Wolff, I don't care. So you can do stuff with your mind...who cares. You never used it on me and you never tried to kill me. Plus...it would take a lot more then a light show, no matter how big it was, to scare me," he huffed a soft laugh, "Anyhow...your teaching me to read so I'm not going to run off anytime soon. I kinda need to know how."
"Really? Is that the only reason you stuck around? Because I'm teaching you to read?" she felt a quick pang of anger in her chest.
"Well...not exactly...I was kinda ordered to but it's not like they had to twist my arm."
Kitrina was a bit surprised at that last part, as she had figured that Hew was just using her to get through boot camp. When did I start thinking of him as 'Hew,' "So how long was I out?" both eyeballed the doctor as she reentered the exam room with her datapad.
"A few hours. I only got through a few chapters in the R.K. When your all better, we need to get back to the Squad Bay. You ready to go?" Hew asked, picking up his datapad once more and slipping it back into it's pocket.
Kitrina sat up, taking stock of herself and straightening out her uniform, "Sure...I'm good to go if Doc says I can," she turned her glance to the doctor, "Doc...Am I cleared to go back to the squad bay?" she asked kindly.
The doctor looked up from her datapad, "All the tests came back clean. Just make sure you eat and get plenty of rest."
Hew stood up and grasped Wolff by her waist, easily lifting her from the exam table and placed her on the deck, "Ready to go? We need to get back to the squad bay before those DI's come looking for us. I really don't want that to happen." he huffed another laugh.
Kitrina was about to replay when a thought crossed her mind. I had a Biotic flare. The whole platoon saw me. How am I gonna deal with that? "Um...yeah...I guess I'm ready." she sighed.
Hew caught the look that crossed Wolff's face and it was very clearly fear, "Are you sure? Your saying you are but your face is speaking volumes and is saying different." Hew crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down.
Kitrina froze, "What do you mean? I'm fine...really...let's go" she urged.
Bullshit, "Sure you are...and I'm the Prime Minister of Earth. You can lie to them. Hell, you can lie to yourself but don't try and lie to me. What's bothering you?" Hew pushed, seeing the flash of uncertainty dance across her eyes.
Kitrina looked at Hew. Their I go again. "I had a Biotic flare Shepard. The whole platoon saw it. Now they all know I'm a Biotic. what am I going to do? They'll hate me...or fear me." she scoffed.
Hew just stared at her, his eyes narrowing and his brows pulling together, "What? Why would they do that? Because of that light show? I'm not understanding what's wrong with being a Biotic?" he shook his head slightly as he lead them both towards the exit.
Could he really not know about the stigma? The near racism towards Biotics? "Shepard...people fear what they don't understand and people don't understand Biotics. Biotics are attacked, some are even killed. The only place we are accepted is in the Military. That and Merc groups. The former is why I'm here...and the latter...the latter is not an option. So you see why I'm a bit freaked?" she sighed, clearly getting more and more nervous the closer they got to the squad bay.
You got to be shitting me. They fear her because of the circumstances of her birth? Maybe I should give them something to really fear. "How bout this...If they mess with you, I'll mess with them. How's that sound? Deal?" he sent her a sidelong glance and popped an eyebrow as he waited for her reply.
"What? Are you serious? You'll act as what...my bodyguard or something? I don't think that's a good idea." That has to be the weirdest thing he has ever said to me. Why would he offer that? because I'm helping him?
"The offer stands. If you need my help, just say so." Why the hell am I offering that? Do I really care that much?...Yeah right...Whatever, "Let's get going. We don't want to miss chow or anything." he poked, once side of his mouth curling into a crooked grin.
"Ha ha...Very funny."
The doctor watched as the two recruits left before turning her attention to her terminal. This is interesting. I'll need to send this to GySgt Ellison and confer with others but...if this is right, then we may have come across the next step of Human Biotics. God...this is amazing! I hope I'm right about this. The doctor was more excited than she should have been but what she just discovered, could get her published again.
"I wonder if they have any idea what they represent?" she softly mumbled to herself as she started to daydream about the future this discovery could present.
Some time later, the doctor was interrupted by two officers from the Alliance when they burst through her door. Two hours later, the doctor, all her notes and all e-mails were gone from MCRD Mars, and all records were sealed.