Author's Note: Thank you to all the lovelies who have since followed, favorite, and commented on this story. I must warn all of you that this chapter has Shepard acting a little insecure and, even she admits, jealous.
I do not own Mass Effect; I'm just playing with Bioware's toys.
In the elevator, Shepard commed Liara. She needed to be refreshed on Adria's file, and who better than the Shadow Broker to fill her in?
"Yes, Shepard?" Liara answered, sounding somewhat surprised. "I thought you were undercover?"
Making a face, Shepard rolled her eyes and ignored the obvious question. "I need to know everything you have on a Doctor Adria Moore. Send it to my omni-tool."
There was a pause as Liara located the file. "Shepard..." she began slowly- probably because she had just skimmed it. "Are you sure that you know what you're doing?"
The door to the elevator opened and Shepard raised an eyebrow as she got out. "If I didn't know what I was doing, I wouldn't be doing it." She walked up to a store and glanced in, spotting a black dress that she was certain Kai-...no, she couldn't go there yet- especially not right now. "Just send the file, Liara."
"If I give this to you...what're you going to do?"
Gritting her teeth, she said, "I'm just going to talk to her. She's taking care of him and I need to make sure that she's good enough."
There was a brief hesitation. "Good enough to take care of him, or good enough for him?"
Shepard's patience snapped. "Send the damn file, Liara."
A small ping from her omni-tool had her turning off her comm. Walking to the bar, Shepard took a seat in a far corner- taking a seat that offered the most privacy and the best view of the door. She began to read the updated file.
Name: Adria Leanne Moore
Age: 28
Birthdate: January 8, 2158
Birthplace: Las Angeles, California, Earth
Occupation: Neurologist
Shepard frowned at her omni-tool. The damage to his head was severe, true, but to have a neurologist on call for Kaidan meant that it was worse than she imagined. Then she remembered the overheard conversation before she had even met Adria and when she first began to stare at the door. They had needed to put in neuro-splints.
Biting her lower lip, Shepard worried. She knew that he suffered from migraines thanks to his L2 implants. There were times when he could do nothing more than lay in a dark room and try not to breathe too loudly- let alone anyone else.
Shepard walked into the med-bay, not even paying attention to the fact that the lights were dim and there wasn't even a whisper of the soft classical music that Chakwas usually had playing in the background. She was searching for a certain someone she had seen entering the medbay as she began her nightly rounds. "Lieutenant?" she asked in her normal voice, looking around. It was at about that point that she realized that the lights were low and turned them up to normal brightness. She was going to use the excuse that she wanted his input on the last mission- which had been so trivial that it was completely transparent that she was seeking him out for no other reason than to talk to him (him as in Hearing the soft moan and the rustle of hospital sheets, she found him curled in a ball on his side. He had his hands clasped over his ears and, once she got closer, it looked like he was struggling not to cry. His eyes were clenched shut and tension was clearly written on his face. His muscles were strained, as though bracing for attack from an invisible adversary. "Kaidan," she murmured more softly, taken aback. "Please...lights...off..." She had barely heard him, but his suffering was obvious enough that she hurried to turn off the lights and close the windows against the light and observers. When her task was done, she walked quietly to his side and struggled to figure out something to do (was she supposed to leave, to comfort him- and what was she supposed to do with her hands?). She had known him a scant month or so, but she was so drawn to him. Seeing this side of him was enlightening. She heard his hum of approval (or maybe thanks, how was she to know?)- though that seemed to cause him pain as well. Slipping off her boots (which she had only loosely tied), she sat down on the edge of the bed (her legs and feet on the bed as well) and slowly- gently- rolled him over onto his back- his head pressed lightly against her waist. Just as gently, she removed his hands from his ears and placed them to his sides. Slowly, she placed the tips of her fingers on his temples, allowing them to trail up his face (if only to truly touch him, and to get him to relax his muscles), and began to massage. Shepard kept her breathing shallow and light, so as not to cause any more pain than she already had. It took a while, but Shepard felt as the tension slowly left his body. His face was the last to relax, but, as it did, he fell asleep. But, even with him asleep, she didn't stop. It was as though she was obligated to help him sleep. Every once and awhile, she would pause long enough to brush his hair from his face, or to just stroke his hair. She kept up with the massage until she, too, fell asleep. She had awoken several hours later, lying down fully in the hospital bed (though she wasn't quite sure how she managed that) and in Kaidan's arms. Her head rested on his arm and her back pressed against his chest. And, just as she would think four years later, she marveled at how petite she was compared to him, yet it was Sighing contentedly, she fell back into a peaceful sleep.
What could the damage from that damn AI do? Would he be forced to retire- to forever worry about worse migraines?
Selfishly, she worried that it would be Adria- or someone like her- that would be there to massage his migraines, that she would be the one to give him his pain meds, or cut him off before he over-did them. For something so simple, Shepard knew that she could be replaced. And, with that thought, she felt the cold knife of true jealousy twist in her heart.
Clenching her teeth against the curious emotion, she turned back to her omni-tool where unread messages from Udina flashed. She would meet with the councilor after she was done with Adria. They had turned their backs on her and ignored her warning about the reapers for the last two- oops, she meant four- years. She was pretty sure that they could wait a few more hours.
Mother was a journalist and inspiring novelist.
Father was a general doctor.
Family (Parents and an older brother- Caleb) moved to Mindoir in 2165. They claimed that they were tired of the rushed life on Earth and wanted little more than to relax and enjoy life. The fact that Doctor Moore was offered a job on Mindoir fit nicely into their wants.
Parents were killed in 2170 during the Batarian attack on Mindoir. Caleb was taken as a slave and died later that year from an infection. She was twelve at the time and visiting her grandparents (on her mother's side) on Earth.
Shepard stared down at her omni-tool, unsure how to process what she had just read. This woman was from a truly broken past. She had lost everything by the age of twelve and, yet, she still continued.
Kaidan was damaged as well. The only difference was that Kaidan was three years older when his Hell began. At fifteen he was taken from his Vancouver home to Gagarin Station (aka Jump Zero). He stayed there and suffered for two years before killing Vyrnnus. It then took him five years to decide to put that behind him and join the Alliance.
What about Shepard? Daughter of Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard and Admiral Nathaniel Shepard. What had she once told Kaidan that she was? Navy Brat. She was a navy brat, spacer kid. The worst part of her childhood was going from ship-to-ship and rarely having a sit down dinner with both of her parents. And the fact that she wanted for nothing (except for a horse that her parents never got her), didn't help matters.
Turning of the omni-tool, she gestured one of the Asari waitresses over. "I would like four shots of ryncol and a glass of Batarian ale."
The Asari gave Shepard a pained look. "Ma'am, Ryncol is for Krogan consumption, not human."
"Would it make you feel better if I said one shot and two glasses of the ale?"
Pursing her lips, the Asari walked back to the bar to fill her order. Shepard looked around the room- spotting at least three members of the Normandy pointedly not looking at her. When the Asari came back, Shepard thanked her and immediately downed the shot. Sighing with relief as the bitter warmness spread throughout her body, the Asari gave her a startled look and walked away quickly.
It wasn't until Shepard had finished her second glass of Batarian Ale that Adria walked in. Shepard gestured for the waitress to take the glasses away.
"Two glasses of Asari Honey Mead please," Shepard ordered. Never taking her eyes off of her target.
Well, at least it wouldn't be the first time she faced the Council drunk.
Author's Note: This was actually going to have (at least part) of Shepard's meeting with Adria, but Shepard decided to have a trip down memory lane and then insisted upon comparing their lives. It is also a wee bit longer thanks to Shepard's insistence with taking over my creative process and adding more. :D
The details of Kaidan's migraines vary from author to author- as I'm sure anyone who reads Shenko fanfic knows. From personal experience (at least three or four a month), this is how my migraines are, so that is how I describe Kaidan's. The details are a slight bit scant for the courtesy of other people who might imagine his migraines differently.