"Agh! Damnit!" Shepard gripped the sides of the examination table, gritting her teeth as Chakwas pulled the shrapnel from her shoulder. Another sharp pain.

"Fuck! At least give me some painkillers if you're just gonna tear me apart like-" The next words died on her lips as the doctor removed another piece of shrapnel. A roar rose up in Shepard's throat as the forceps reached the third piece. "I'll… I'll fucking kill you, Chakwas…"

The doctor merely smiled, focusing on her task. "I believe you owe me about four hundred deaths by my count." The third piece came free easily enough. "Just like old times, eh, Commander?"

Garrus ran into the med-bay, obviously winded. Bullet holes in his armor, deep claw marks along one of the arms- he looked as if he was the one who should have been sitting on the exam table. "Shepard! Is she alright? That was a hell of a lot of blood…" Chakwas frowned. "Vakarian! Some privacy, if you don't mind!" The doctor made a motion as if to shield the commander's bare torso from view. From the waist up, her bra was the only thing covering her. The wound on her shoulder was still bleeding profusely. Dark, sweat-soaked curls covered half of her face. Her usual, tan skin tone was almost gone, replaced with a touch of pallor from the blood loss. She looked wild. Shepard shrugged, apparently unphased.

"I'm fine, Garrus. Some dead bastard just got a piece of me, that's all. Nothing we haven't been through before."

The Turian made an annoyed clicking noise with his mandibles. "That was before I went to your memorial service. Now, I get to worry. I'm entitled." Despite his words of conviction, he still averted his gaze. Always the gentleman. Shepard had only just opened her mouth to reply when Miranda strolled in as well. This kind of thing was never good news. Layla threw her free hand into the air in exasperation. "Why don't we just throw a goddamn party in here while we're at it? Crack open a bottle or two."

Miranda's face was buried in a datapad. "Apologies for the interruption, Shepard-"

"Oh no, by all means, call the fucking Yeoman and the Pilot in here, too…" Shepard bit out, restraining a scream as the last piece of shrapnel was pulled free.

Miranda shot the commander an exasperated look. "I wouldn't bother a wounded soldier unless it was urgent. The Illusive Man wants to speak with you. Immediately."

Layla let out a slow sigh as the medi-gel was applied to her wound. "I already briefed your boss on what just happened at Horizon. The hell does he want now?"

Miranda tossed Shepard a robe from the bin beside her. She caught it reflexively, pulling it on with an annoyed glare. "Just hurry up and patch him through." Nodding, Lawson opened up a remote comm. The hologram flared to life. "Shepard, there's been a development."

"Worse than getting my ass handed to me by the collectors and their circus of bio-freaks? Great." She hesitated for a moment. "You don't usually speak with me in front of the rest of the crew… what's going on?"

"Actually, it's good news. It affects everyone on the ship. Some of my brightest minds have been developing something very special. A weapon. One that should prove most useful in your battle against the collectors… and the Reapers."

"Sounds good to me. So tell me, how much firepower am I gonna be packing?"

A slight chuckle. "It's not that kind of weapon, Shepard. I'm talking about something far more valuable than a mere firearm. What I'm giving you… is a soldier."

"I've got soldiers already, Tim. Getting more every day."

"This one is different. Hand-engineered and enhanced… with Reaper technology."

A thick silence swept through the room. Garrus was the first to break it. "Have you lost your mind?! Do you have any idea how dangerous-"

"I said your people could watch the discussion, not join it," the Illusive man snapped. Shepard buried her face in her hand. She knew that Cerberus was constantly pushing boundaries, but this one? To release something like that amongst the public- amongst her crew?

"You're out of your damn mind if you think I'm going to allow something like that on my ship-"

"The gracious lease I'm extending you for the Normandy is easily revoked, Shepard. This isn't a request, and it isn't negotiable. You need to take advantage of every resource you can, and I need to field test this soldier immediately, so my people can begin to make more as soon as possible."

"Not only are you leaving me holding a nuke, but you haven't even tested the damn thing, yet?!"

"No better way to test a soldier than in the heat of combat. I'm sure you of all people can understand that, Shepard. I expect your crew will put him through his paces; break him in."

Shepard stood, glaring down at the hologram. "And just when are you planning on dumping this thing in my lap?" she bit out. EDI's voice echoed overhead, drawing the attention of everyone around.

"Commander, there is a Cerberus shuttle currently docking. They have all the necessary clearance. Boarding now." Shepard massaged the bridge of her nose, letting out a ragged sigh. He had to be joking. There was no way…

The Illusive Man chuckled once more. "Ahead of schedule. Be sure to protect my investment, Shepard."