That had been two nights ago and, now, on the third day of search and recovery, Garrus would have rather been back at Lentea's tent, sitting beside Shepard - or Amelia, as she preferred to be called now - who had been awake since the previous morning and in a lot of pain, but very much alive. Though, the death and destruction was made easier knowing he wasn't going to find her mangled body under some pile of rubble. She was still very weak and insisted he not waste away beside her while she recuperated. He had initially refused but with a familiar look, she pulled rank and he had reluctantly followed her order. It was nice, though, to return from a day of digging to find her sitting up and playing card games with David and Yumi. He heard her laugh the night before, something he had sorely missed.
Standing atop a heap of steel and cement, Garrus looked out over the area around him. It was as though he was viewing two different worlds from up there; one in shambles and still smoldering, the other bustling with life. Once the recovery teams had cleared structures and areas of survivors or bodies, crews would come in with mechs and shuttles to carry away the debris for recycling. Where the streets were clear, the settlements had already begun to expand. Though they couldn't return to their homes permanently yet because of the reduced energy and resources available, they were allowed to claim items that might make their living a bit more comfortable or familiar, so children could be seen within the camps playing and laughing.
He smiled to himself before returning his gaze to the destruction. He liked to get a good mental picture of the road ahead to refer back to while he was on the ground. When he was sure he had it laid out in his head, he made his way carefully down the side of the heap. At the bottom, he stumbled a bit on an unsteady plank but managed to catch himself before hitting the pavement.
"Watch your feet, Vakarian," chided another turian nearby. "I don't want to have to carry you back to camp."
Garrus waved him off.
"We'll see who is carrying whom at the end of the day, Valerii," he returned in playful banter. He had known Corvin Valerii since they were children, their fathers both serving in C-Sec. They had fallen out of some touch the last few years, but were reunited when Corvin showed up to help with search and recovery after the Reapers were shut down. Something caught Garrus' eye as he dusted his palms, a human hand sticking out of the pile he'd just been standing on.
"Corvin! Come help me," he called and Valerii came to his aid, helping him heft a portion of a steel barricade that was covering the body. Once they were able to uncover it, they could tell it was a young woman, her reddish-brown hair covering half her face. She was splayed unceremoniously, a wound on her side probably the cause of death. One arm was still under the rubble, reaching in the direction her head was facing. Corvin knelt to lift her up, and as he did, her arm was pulled free of the debris and Garrus gasped.
"Stop, stop, wait."
Her hand was tightly clenching a baby's arm, the rest of the child still hidden in the pile. Heart racing, Garrus quickly cleared the rubble with Valerii's help, exposing a small dugout where a baby was laying, covered in soot and dust.
"Oh, no," breathed Garrus, feeling terrible emotion at the sight of this tiny little person, who most likely suffocated to death in this hole. As Corvin pulled the woman away, Garrus reached to lift the child in his arms. Its body hung limply from his hands and he closed his eyes and swore under his breath.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Garrus," said Corvin. He was a little confused, but patted his friend on the shoulder nonetheless.
"Too many children died in this War," whispered Garrus, holding the child to his chestplate. He was quiet for a moment and then suddenly let out a long yell of frustration.
The baby in his arms gave a start and began to cry, eyes wide. Both turians gaped at the child and without a word, started running toward the settlements.
"We need a doctor!" called Corvin. "Anyone, please! A doctor!"
A young man emerged from a tent with a medical bag.
"I'm a nurse," he said and Garrus recognized the Alliance patch on his chest.
"We found this child under some rubble."
Quickly, the man rushed to them and took the child from his arms and began scanning it with his omnitool.
"No injuries. Hasn't eaten in awhile though. Days."
"Probably been hidden since the Reapers were still here," noted Corvin. Garrus could hardly take his eyes off the child.
"I will take her back to the med tent for observation once I finish rounds."
"Her?"
"Yes, I-"
"I can take her," Garrus interrupted.
"I don't mind," the nurse replied, patting the baby's back on his shoulder as she quieted down.
"I will take her," said Garrus, holding out his hands to take the child back. "I know Dr. Chakwas. We have served together for awhile now-"
"Oh! Mr. Vakarian! I didn't know. Here," said the nurse, carefully moving the baby to his arms. Garrus was surprised to be recognized by this human and Corvin seemed amused. Still, he didn't mind so long as the man didn't insist on taking the child away from him. He didn't know if it was because he found her, or if it was her wispy red hair, or if he just needed a little beacon of life to encourage him to keep searching.
Once the child was in his hands again, though, Garrus was a little lost as to how to properly hold it. The nurse had so easily taken her in his arms and calmed her, the baby looking like it fit perfectly against his chest and shoulder. This didn't work so well with turian anatomy, not to mention the armor. The nurse noticed his befuddlement and said, "If I, uh, may."
Then, he helped Garrus reposition the little girl against his chestplate and moved one of his hands cradle her neck.
"Always make sure to support her head," he instructed. "One hand behind the head or on her back, and the other holding her gently but securely will be most comfortable for the both of you."
The little girl blinked her big green eyes at Garrus and something clicked into place inside his head.
"You should get her to Dr. Chakwas soon," said the nurse, digging in his bag and coming up with a tube of baby food. "And try to get her to eat some of this on the way."
Garrus thanked him and turned to his friend, feeling quite proud of himself for managing to hold human young properly with minimal instruction. Valerii's mandibles twitched and Garrus narrowed his eyes.
"Don't even start with me, Corvin."
"Are you going to keep it?"
"Let's get to the Alliance camp. She needs a doctor."
"You are! You're going to keep it! Oh, this is too good," laughed the other turian.
"There's a shuttle at camp we can use to get there faster."
"How are you going to fly with that suckling on your shoulder?"
"Why do you think I'm bringing you with me? Come on."
The two of them made it to the Turian Fleet's camp a few minutes later and Corvin had settled into the pilot's seat in the empty shuttle.
"Help me for a second before you take off," said Garrus, holding out his arm toward Valerii. Remove my gauntlets. Corvin stared at him for a moment. "Please, Corvin. Humans are soft. This one hasn't eaten in awhile and I am afraid to bruise it."
His friend sighed, but removed the gauntlets without argument. Once his hands were free, Garrus could finally feel the child in his arms. Mindful of his talons, he lightly stroked the wisps of red hair at the base of the baby's skull.
"So soft," he murmured, "And warm."
Corvin gave him a sidelong glance as he piloted the shuttle over the settlements and camps. Shifting a little, Garrus cradled the child in the crook of his arm and tore the tube open. The little girl watched him, making small noises when she seemed to realize he was about to give her food.
"Smells funny," commented Corvin.
"Smells like bananas."
"Like what?"
"It's a fruit humans eat. The commander used to say they were good for muscle cramps."
Garrus smeared a little of the yellowish goo on the baby's lips. She licked at it and made noises until he gave her a little more.
"She like it?" asked Corvin.
The baby made a high trilling noise, and began to kick her feet, mouth open for more.
"I think so."
They had reached the human camp. Corvin radioed the reason for their visit and requested for Dr. Chakwas to meet them at the shuttle. She was waiting as requested, entering data into her omnitool when Garrus stepped out of the craft.
"Where was she?"
"About five miles from here in a pile of rubble."
Chakwas shook her head a little and asked, "Parents?"
"A woman was found holding her arm. Possibly the mother. Dead."
"I see you got her to eat something. I'll put her in an incubator for a bit and let her get some of her strength back. Someone could be looking for her; I'll put out a notice-"
She stopped abruptly when the turian pivoted, taking the baby out of her reach.
"Anyone could come and take her, Karin … no."
"But how are you-?"
Garrus gave her a meaningful look and she sighed, "But what if her father is alive?"
"Don't all humans have biochips? Can't you pull the data and find out who the father is and crosscheck with the list of survivors?"
"Garrus, you can't possibly expect to raise a human child on your own," Corvin interjected, unable to humor his friend any longer.
Garrus didn't even acknowledge him.
"Can't you?" he persisted.
"Sure, but..." Chakwas voice trailed.
"Please, doctor, no notices yet."
"Okay, fine. You have to let me take her for now."
Garrus handed her to the doctor and she thanked him.
"Come back after your shift and we can talk about this more."
Garrus watched her until disappeared into a med tent and Corvin said, "Come on. We have to get back."