Chapter 3: None Shall Pass

(Hey everyone we got the Talk and type fixed. Attention,Attention BioWare owns all: Mass Effect, My Soul, and my truck's Pink Slip probably. Saw their Logo in wired places this Morning, and I don't remember getting that tattoo. I'm a bit scared.) But Kitrina is still Lycanwolff's.

A.N: Sorry for the long wait for an update, had family stuff to deal with and I found the one spot in the U.S. That doesn't even have a Starbucks so no WiFi. Surprisingly not Utah color me shocked.

Several weeks have passed since Wolff's Biotic incident and as the knowledge test grew closer, tension rose, and the rumors spread like wild fire.

Why wasn't Shepard affected?

Oh their probably sleeping together.

Wolff's a Biotic...She's probably controlling his mind with her mind powers.

Be careful around them. They'll probably both go insane.

Hew was indifferent about the rumors, but he had noticed that they seemed to bother Wolff and he couldn't figure out why. He, himself, had dealt with rumors his whole life and he never let them affect him...Hell, sometimes they were a good thing. They meant people usually thought twice when crossing his path and the ones whom dared, usually ended up regretting it.

Hew looked down to the rack below his, seeing Wolff staring blankly at her knowledge datapad but picking at her fingernails and not really paying attention to the information scrawled across it's screen.

"Hey Wolff...You ok? You seem a bit distracted?" Hew asked, sitting on the top rack and looking down at her, sitting on the lower rack.

Kitrina looked up from her datapad with a blank expression, "Huh? What?"

One of Hew's brows arced, "You seem distracted...Is it the rumors?" he repeated, reading her expression easily.

"What? No...I could care less about the rumors." she lied, not looking Hew in the eyes.

Hew easily saw through her, "Wolff...Remember what I said about lying? especially to me?"

"Yeah, I remember," she sighed, flopping her palms down onto her not so comfortable mattress, "Ok, you want the truth?"

"I did ask didn't I?" he set down his datapad and slipped off his rack to sit next to her so she could whisper.

"Fine...The rumors are bugging me. The fact that the platoon knows I'm a Biotic..." she said quietly, sighing as she looked down at her hands.

Hew shrugged, "Ok...So they know your a Biotic. I don't see what the big deal is. You get to eat more at the chow hall...So what?" he glanced around the squad bay, catching a few incredulous looks from the other recruits.

Kitrina just stared at him. He can't be serious. Can he still not get it? "Remember what I told you about how people feel towards people like me?" she glared.

Hew shrugged again, "Yeah...I still don't understand why though. I think it would be a cool to be able to do what you can do."

Kitrina just continued looking at him, just blinking her eyes, "You really mean that don't you." she stated, not really asking as she was sure she knew the answer.

"Yep. You have a gift...Like a musician or an artist. Don't try to hide what you are. That's a good way to get yourself hurt." he said, wondering what hole in his twisted little mind he had managed to find that little piece tidbit.

Kitrina never thought about it that way, or thought she would ever hear it from someone like Hew Shepard. She had spent her whole life trying to hide her Biotics from the public, worried of what they might do if they found out they were in close proximity to 'someone like her'. Her parents, her tutors and the doctors on the ships she grew up on were the only ones who knew, but it took Hew, an Earth born street thug to make her see that her Biotics weren't a curse. Funny how that worked.

"You really think that Biotics are a gift? You really think that?" she tried not to sound unbelieving but lightly cringed when she heard herself speak.

"How come it sounds like you are trying convince yourself?" Hew caught the tone in her voice.

Kitrina sat in thought and was about to respond when the Drill Instructors announced it was time for chow.

"ALL RIGHT YOU SHITSTICKS! GRAB YOUR GEAR AND FALL IN! TIME TO GET YOU FED!"

As the recruits filed out of the squad bay to form up for chow as quickly as they always had when the DI's screamed their orders. Hew couldn't help but smile as he fell in, as he was now the Third squad leader. He was proud that he was now in charge of 24 other recruits. It felt like old times...except no one was trying to kill him this time. Hew checked his squad and risked a quick look at Wolff's, shaking his head. Though they were still one of the better squads, he noticed that they seemed to not move as quickly as they used to when she was first made their squad leader. Ever since he had gotten his promotion, he noticed that Wolff had begun to a little trouble maintaining her squad's cohesion. As Third Squad Leader, he had the ability to step in but held back, as he didn't want to hurt Wolff's authority. That was something he had learned hard and fast when running the streets. You never usurp someone's authority weather they be friend or foe.

Kitrina knew her squad had little respect for her ever since Hew got promoted and got his own squad. She had always felt like they were boring fiery holes into the back of her head since they found out she was a Biotic and when Shepard was promoted, the heat had gotten turned up.

As Kitrina got her squad in line, she noticed it was taking longer each time. She glanced over at Hew's squad and couldn't help but smile, but it was laced with a sense of discontent, as she wished her's was still as obedient. Hew's squad had risen from the bottom of the ranking to the first in efficiency and discipline with her own a close second. As she observed his squad, she caught his eye and couldn't help but return the slight smile that was on his lips. It felt reassuring to know that he was there to watch her back as it were. Kitrina composed herself, standing in front of her squad at parade rest and awaiting for the DI's so she could report.

"FIRST SQUAD...ALL PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

"SECOUND SQUAD...ALL PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

When the DI stood in front of Hew, he snapped to the position of attention, rendered a salute and reported at the top of his lungs, "THIRD SQUAD...ALL PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

After Hew reported and the DI returned the salute, he returned to Parade Rest with one sharp movement.

Now the DI stood in front of Kitrina, causing her to snap to the position of attention, rendered her salute and report just like the others, "FORTH SQUAD...ALL PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

The DI stood in front of Forth Squad for a couple of extra seconds, seeming lost in thought as he returned the salute, did a right face, marched to the left and center of the platoon, rendered another salute to the Senior Drill Instructor and reported.

"ALL SQUADS...PRESANT AND ACCOUNTED FOR SIR!"

GySgt Ellison looked over the formation, then nodded, "Carry out the plan of the day!" he returned the salute.

The Drill Instructor then preformed an about face, "Platoon! Attention! Forward! March! Left! Right! Left! Right!..."

As the platoon made its way to the chow hall, Hew thought back on all the things Wolff told him about how 'normal' people viewed Biotics, but he just couldn't understand why they did. If I had her abilities, I would have been unstoppable. The food would have been an issue but hell, to be able to do what a Biotic could do... The barking order from the DI snapped him from his thoughts.

"Platoon! HALT!"

The platoon halted and stood at the position of attention, awaiting their orders like always.

"Four...Three...One and Two! Attack my Chow Hall!"

As the squads peeled off to line up for chow, Hew stood off to the side with the other Squad Leaders and the Guide, watching the Platoon fill in single file. He was surprised to hear grumbling from the other Squad Leaders, as normally, everyone kept their mouth shut.

"Wonder if 'Little Miss Biotic' is gonna have an episode?" one squad leader started to groan.

Hew couldn't help but speak up, "You speak of that which you don't understand. It would behoove you to keep your mouth shut." Now why did I do that? Back in the Reds, I wouldn't have cared as long as it wasn't directed at me.

The other Squad Leaders were slightly startled, as Shepard rarely spoke more then needed and only to Wolff in any event.

"And what makes you the expert 'Street Rat'?" the first Squad Leader quipped as he felt that his position had offered him protection from reappraisal.

Hew raised an eyebrow at the old, very old derogatory term, "Do I look like a cartoon charter to you? You really need to work on your insults 'kid'." he waved him off.

"I'm no 'kid' 'Street Trash'. We all know the only reason your a Squad Leader is because the DI's take pity on you and you know it. So don't get all high and mighty on me." the recruit fired back, still not worried about any repercussions that could come his way.

Hew just rolled his neck to loosen his muscles, as talking with the First and Second Squad Leaders was an exercise in futility. Hew considered them both idiots.

"You really want to go there Samith? I'm pretty sure if we took this to the mat, it will settle in my favor." Hew stared down at the short male.

First Squad Leader, Recruit Samith, just swallowed as he remembered well what happened to the last recruit that challenged Shepard to the mat. That's how he got his position as Third Squad Leader. The old Squad Leader thought it would be fun to humble the older recruit and in the aftermath, was on the ground screaming in pain with Shepard knelling on his back and holding the former Squad Leader's arm at an odd angle with a wicked grin spread on his face. Ever since then, the DI's put forth a unique challenge: If you have a problem...take it to the mat.

"No...I don't think that will be necessary. It's time for us to go in anyways."

Hew chuckled as the First and Second Squad Leaders went inside a bit quicker then needed. As Hew was about to enter, the Guide grasped his arm.

"Is there going to be a problem Shepard?" the Guide asked, somewhat cringing at having to use Hew's name.

Hew locked eyes with the Guide, as he was the only one able to look him in the eyes, "Not any I'm going to start. Keep your 'buddies' under control and I'll watch after Wolff and myself. Understood?"

"I can live with that Shepard. As long as you don't start anything, we are cool," the Guide remained silent for a moment, seemingly sizing Shepard up, "Why do you care what they say about Wolff anyways? I mean yeah...she's cute but you can't do anything about that till after graduation." his lips slightly quirked into a soft crooked grin.

Hew was surprised by the remark, and more then a little suspicious, "I'd quit while you're ahead. Your ignorance is starting to show." What do you expect? he's only seventeen...Damn kids don't really understand anything. He relaxed his shoulders once the Guide released his hold on his arm and entered the Chow Hall.

As Hew entered the Chow Hall, a quick glance told him that his squad was eating under the watchful eyes of the DI table. Being a Squad Leader had its advantages, that's for sure. One such advantage was the ability to walk around and not have to stay in his seat the whole time. The Drill Instructors liked the Squad Leaders to maintain control and discipline. As Hew was making his rounds, he noticed Wolff getting food and something to drink, but that wasn't the only thing he saw. The two Squad Leaders were heading straight toward her. Hew held back until he knew what was going to happen but unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one watching.

GySgt Ellison had kept an eye on Recruit Wolff ever since her flare. Hell...he had been keeping an eye on Recruit Shepard as well. Today was no exception and watching the two Squad Leaders moving to intercept, started to set off alarms. But to be honest, he was more interested in Shepard's reaction to the brewing situation. He noticed that Shepard had his eyes glued to Wolff and was keeping the two Squad Leaders in his peripheral vision, just like he had expected with Shepard's background. Ellison realized that Shepard was waiting for the two Squad Leaders to cross some line, some barrier that was only visible to him. When Ellison saw Cpl. Fredricks move to intervene, he stopped him.

"Hold fast...I want to see where this goes." Ellison halted quietly, keeping his eyes on the recruits.

"With all do respect Gunny...Are you willing to risk a flare? Or something worse?" Fredricks retorted.

"We'll step in if needed but I want to see what Shepard does."

"Shepard? Why the interest? What could he do?" Fredricks glanced from Recruit Shepard, then to the two Squad Leaders before looking at Recruit Wolff and back to Shepard, "Gunny, do you think this is a good idea? I mean...you do remember what happened to the Squad Leader that Shepard replaced right? He's still in medical."

"I am aware of what happens in my Squad Bay Cpl. Fredricks and yes, I do think this is a good idea. I gave Recruit Shepard a task. I'm eager to see how far he is willing to go to carry it out. Now sit down and let this play out. I missed my soaps today and I need my fix." Ellison replied with a smirk.

As the Squad Leaders closed in on Wolff and crossed that invisible barrier, Hew made his move. He moved quickly and quietly, coming in behind the two recruits and proceeded to wait for them to make the first move.

Kitrina had made sure her squad was fed and was getting her own food when she got the feeling that some one was watching her. It was a feeling that rarely left these days. When she glanced over her shoulder, all she saw was Hew and he seemed to be making sure that his squad was eating. She turned back to the tray and finished getting her water. That's when she was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She was forcefully turned around to come face to face with two of her fellow Squad Leaders.

"Um...Whats up?" she stood rigid, trying to keep her composure.

The two Squad Leaders glanced at each other before looking back at Wolff, a sly grin crossing Samith's face. There was no warmth in that smile.

"Me and Grager have been watching you 'Little Miss Biotic'. You seem to be getting special treatment from the DI's and we don't like that. You see...Grager and me had to earn our positions as Squad Leaders. You got yours because of your freaky mind powers. We feel you should step down and give the spot to Hanson. If you do it, it would be...in your best interest. The best for the platoon kinda thing. We really don't need some one like you...representing us or even a squad for that matter." Samith demanded and still wearing that evil, up to no good grin.

Kitrina was dumbfounded. They can't be serious, "What? I don't understand. What do you mean someone like me?" her brows began to come together, scrunching her pretty face into an angering sneer.

"Come on...you can't be that dense. A Biotic...A Freak. That makes the Platoon look bad. Hell, you shouldn't even be here. Don't they send things like you off to some place where you can't mingle with normal people?" his eyes unknowingly scanned her figure.

"Jump Zero I think...Yeah, Jump Zero." Grager supplied.

They had called her a thing...She was pissed, "I'm not a freak! You want me to step down because I'm a Biotic! that's just stupid! I'd still be in the platoon anyways so it makes no difference if I'm a Squad Leader or not. I'm not going to step down." she defended.

She wants to play hardball, "You see...if you step down, then we'll be able to get you dropped. All we need is a 3/4 vote to drop a recruit for lack of 'Esprit De Corps' and then, you get sent to some place where your kind belongs. We were really hoping that you would see reason here Wolff. You belong with more of your kind, not here with us. I'd say this is going to hurt you more then us but my mama raised me to be honest."

Kitrina didn't know what to do as Samith reached out, but before his hand could touch, her a large hand grasped Samith's wrist.

"I don't think that is a wise idea Samith. Be a good boy and go sit down before I have to make you." Hew threatened through clenched teeth.

"Are you serious? Make me? I'm the First Squad Leader. I tell you what to do 'Street Trash'. Chain of command goes one way...Down...And you're at the bottom." Samith spat, trying to free his captured wrist.

"Is that what you think? Well...a wise man once said "The Chain of Command is the chain I beat you with." So if you don't go sit down right now, I may have to demonstrate that fact." Hew's eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip.

Samith was a bit hesitant at first, but then noticed Grager had slowly moved behind Shepard and it gave him a burst of courage, "I'd like to see you try that 'Street Trash'."

Hew couldn't believe that Samith and Grager were going to do this but he figured...What the hell...Haven't had a good fight in a long time. Hew's well developed situational awareness told him someone was behind and moving towards him. He simply pulled Samith towards him in a quick jerk and slipped to the left, causing Samith to slam into Grager. The impact from their collision knocked the air from both recruits, rendering them useless in the fight they had started. Maintaining his grip, Hew twisted Samith's arm into an awkward angle, causing him to yell out as the pain shot through his arm. That seemed to be a signal of some sort, as several other recruits jumped from their tables and rushed Hew.

Oh yeah...Fun times are a coming. Hew easily kept them at bay. It was like fighting children in his eyes. He was actually starting to have fun...that is until he saw one of the recruits grab a knife and head straight for Wolff. It's all fun and games until someone pulls a knife. I need to end this fast. Hew was a blur, keeping Samith out of the fray by simply breaking his arm. The snap was heard throughout the Chow hall and as was Samith's scream, as it was heard across the Recruit Depot. He then zeroed in on the recruit with the knife as he was about to take a swipe at Wolff. The down stroke of the knife caught Hew on his arm, drawing blood and it seemed to egg the recruit on as he saw the deep red seeping through Hew's clothes. On the back slash, Hew trapped his arm and bent the wrist beyond what it was supposed to do, causing the knife to tumble to the ground with a clattering echo. After the knife fell, he brought his knee up to the assailants solar plexus, causing him to exhale violently and flop to the deck. Hew brought his free hand into a flat edge strike across his throat, crushing it and therefore, preventing him from getting up. That was the last thing Hew remembered clearly.

He entered a Fugue State, all conscious thought was suspended as his body took over. He no longer had to think about how or where his next strike would land, his body already knew and it took complete and full advantage of it.

The next thing Hew knew, he was standing over Wolff and there were five recruits on the ground, not moving. The rest were either being held back by the DI's, or other recruits that had no desire to get mixed into the fray. He started to feel dizzy, his body incredibly tense and he was unable to loosen his muscles from their taught state. He could hear his heart hammering in his ears and his breath was becoming increasingly difficult to get into his lungs. Hew looked around and finally found his Senior Drill Instructor, standing in front of of a few recruits, keeping them at bay.

"I...don't feel so good...Sir." was the last thing he said before he passed out.

Kitrina was amazed. Hew was a blur and she couldn't keep up with how fast he moved. He was holding three recruits back and deflecting the attacks like he knew before they did what they were going to do. After several minutes, one of the assailants fell to Hew's strikes. The scary part, was that Hew wasn't wasting any movements. The strikes were undisciplined but still powerful. Every time he made contact, someone fell and fell hard. During the fight, Kitrina felt warm wetness hit her face but when she reached up and wiped it off, she saw it was blood. She had no idea who's it was but she knew it was one of the recruits. That is until she saw the gash on Hew's arm. My god! I can't believe that he got hurt defending me.

Kitrina was brought out of her thoughts as the last recruit fell, rendering the Chow Hall back into silence with the exception of a couple low groans of pain. When she looked up to see Hew standing above her like some Gladiator, blood all over his arms, chest and face, she couldn't move. All she could do was stare at the blood until he spoke. When he had collapsed, she just stared a moment until she reached out and grabbed his arm, trying to stop the bleeding. So much blood! No one can lose that much blood and stay awake...let alone live. What can I do? I can't let him die. Not him...not now.

As she was starting to panic, she didn't notice the faint blue aura that started to engulf her body. When she looked up to see the Senior Drill Instructor heading straight toward her, she heard Hew's breathing grow shallow and she started to worry. She watched in amazement as her Biotic aura spread along his wounded arm, wrapping it in the same soft blue as her's and was even more surprised as she watched the gash slowly start to seal. Kitrina looked up at GySgt Ellison with fear in her eyes, as this had never happened before.

GySgt Ellison was keeping an eye on the confrontation that was starting to develop. As Shepard caught Samith's hand, despite not being able to hear what was said, it was apparent that it upset Shepard. After the comment, recruit Grager lunged at Shepard which was quickly apparent the wrong thing to do.

Ellison was dumbfounded. This had never happened before and what started as a small confrontation, escalated into a full blown riot. The other DI's were just as shocked as their own platoons joined in. The fact they all seemed to zero in on Wolff was even more of a surprise.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR! BREAK UP THE FUCKING FIGHT" Ellison bellowed. Just what the flying fuck happened?

An ear shattering scream seemed to trigger this whole thing and it just went down hill from there. As he went along with the other DI's, starting to pull the recruits back and getting some kind of control in place, he watched as best he could at the spectacle. When he finally made it to the center of the mob he made eye contact with Shepard

"I don't feel so good Sir." was all the young man before he passed out.

What he saw next was even more surprising. Wolff seemed to glow. At first, he feared she would flare but instead of moving outward, the aura flowed down her arms onto Shepard's gash and to everyone's amazement, it not only stopped the bleeding but seemed to start to heal the deep gash. He had never seen anything like it before. Never even heard of it. These two seem to be rewriting all the rules. At this point the damn M.P.s arrived.

LCpl. Harkin never really liked being in the Alliance Marines. Yeah, it got him a job and money for school but the ASVAT or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Test, identified him as an M.P. Like he wanted to be a Marine Cop. At least my times almost up and my last duty assignment is an easy one. He thought to himself but the beeping from his terminal drew his attention from his musing.

"What the hell? A riot at the chow hall? You have got to be shitting me," he groaned, "Rodriguez, Blankenship,Weston...Grab you gear. We have work to do!"

As the M.P's climbed into the transport, Harkin had no idea what to expect but what he saw, he never would have expected.

"ZERO!" Harkin yelled

From every corner of the chow hall, he heard the standard reply to the term, "Freeze! Recruit freeze!" all movement stopped.

As Harken looked around, he couldn't help but be a little impressed. The Chow Hall was in utter disarray. Tables were flipped, chairs were smashed, food was everywhere and in the center of it all were seven recruits. Five were face down unconscious or otherwise unresponsive but the last two drew his attention. A female recruit seemed to be cradling a male and she was glowing. Wait...she's glowing? What the hell is going on? LCpl. Harkin quickly identified the Senior Drill Instructors, as they were wearing their shiny black belts that identified them as such.

Harkin walked up to the group of Staff NCO's, "Can anyone explain to me what happened here? And who do those two recruits belong to? Oh yeah...and why the hell is that female recruit GLOWING?" he snarled with a frown.

GySgt Ellison really hated dealing with M.P's, especially Recruit Depot M.P's as they seemed to think that just because they were stationed on the Depot, they had the same authority and privileges as the actual Drill Instructors. Oh how wrong they were.

"Gunnery Sergeant." Ellison corrected flatly.

"What?"

"Gunnery Sergeant." he repeated.

LCpl Harkin stared at the Senior Drill Instructor. This is why I'm glade I'm almost out, "What happened here Gunnery Sergeant?"

"Well...it seems that there was a batch of bad chicken and everyone got food poisoning." Ellison replied, trying very hard to keep a straight face which was more then he could say for the others.

"You can't expect me to believe that. Food Poisoning...Really? Come on, there was was a riot. Anyone can see that. Gentlemen please...Can one of you tell me what happened? At least file a report." LCpl. Harkin directed, saying the last part of the sentence more so to the remaining Staff NCO's, hoping for something, anything to explain what had happened.

"It happened the way the Gunnery Sergeant said. Food Poisoning. We should have the food prep stations looked at and maybe even the food suppliers." Sgt. Johnson replied.

LCpl. Harkin just stared at the group of DI's, "All right...it was 'Food Poisoning.' I'll get some Corpsmen over here to deal with the 'Food Poisoning.' I'll need to contact maintenance to fix this place up so it can be up and running for the next chow call."

"I don't think that will be necessary. We have all the man power needed to fix this place up. We'll have it spic and span by dinner. PLATOONS FALL IN!" Ellison bellowed.

As the Platoons fell in, the Corpsmen arrived and started collecting the five unresponsive recruits that were laying on the floor. When they attempted to recover Shepard, they found themselves pushed back. Confused, the Corpsmen tried again, but were meet with the same result.

"Gunnery Sergeant...a little help over here would be appreciated." one called over his shoulder.

Gunny Ellison looked over and saw that the Corpsmen were attempting to recover Recruit Shepard with little success. With mild amusement, he watched as the Corpsmen were gently 'pushed' away over and over again.

"Stand fast Doc...I'll handle those two myself."

The Corpsmen nodded and moved on to the other less injured recruits. As Ellison moved to help Recruits Shepard and Wolff, he found himself being 'pushed' back as well.

"Recruit Wolff...calm down. It's Gunny Ellison. I wont hurt you."

Kitrina was lost in her own little world. It was as if the rest was all black, didn't exist. All she could see was Hew in her arms and little else. She focused on the wound on his arm, staring at the smoothly sliced flesh. It was deep but she got the blood to stop and was accelerating his bodies own ability to heal. The fact she was doing this both surprised and frightened her. She had never done this before or heard of it being done but here she was, using her Biotics to heal the man cradled in her arms. Why do my Biotics react to him like this? First they don't affect him, then they heal him? Why is he so special? Why do they accept him?

"...I won't hurt you"

Kitrina's head snapped up to the was obvious not her's or Hew's. The blackness seemed to melt away to reveal the rest of the true world, one of destruction and chaos that she didn't remember seeing.

"Recruit Wolff...Can you hear me?" the voice repeated.

Kitrina's eyes shifted to the familiar face of her Senior Drill Instructor, "What...What's going on? What happened?"

"Every thing is going to be ok. Can you release Recruit Shepard for me?"

"Recruit Shepard?" she whispered.

At first, Kitrina was confused. Who is Recruit Shepard? I wonder if Hew knows who he...OH NO! HEW! Kitrina panicked with the sudden realization of who the Senior was talking about.

"Oh God! Is he going to be alright? There is so much blood!" she called out, looking back down to the unconscious man in her arms.

Ellison saw the panic cross Wolff's face, "Calm down Recruit Wolff. He'll be fine. We need to get him to the infirmary so they can check him out. Come on...let him go so I can lift him."

Kitrina was still a bit out of it but she did hear the word 'Lift'. At that thought, Shepard's unconscious body was engulfed in a misty, blue aura and rose slowly into the air.

Well that's one way to do it. Ellison thought as he watched a seventeenyear old girl, lift a 92 kilo, 19 year old with no strain, "Do you think you can get him onto the stretcher?"

"Yes." was all Kitrina said as all her focus was on maintaining the field that held Hew aloft. This has to be a new best. she thought to herself. No time for that...Hew needs to get to the Infirmary. Shepard drooped a little at the slip of concentration, but was easily corrected. How can I be doing this? I've never had this kind of control before. Kitrina was so lost in thought that she didn't notice she arrived at the stretcher.

She slowly lowered his unconscious form onto the mobile bed, "What happens now Sir?" she asked quietly, letting the field drop and letting the stretcher take Hew's full weight.

Ellison watched with amazement as Recruit Wolff showed a fine control that human combat Biotics lack, "We get him to medical and go from there."

"Understood Sir, " Kitrina responded with a short nod, "Can this recruit go with him Sir? To make sure he's ok?"

Ellison thought for a moment, seeing the pleading look in her eyes, "We'll see what the doctor has to say. Understood?"

"Yes Sir."

Kitrina fell into step behind the Senior as they headed towards the infirmary with all the other injured. When the group arrived, there was already rooms ready for everyone. The two set the stretcher down and lifted Shepard onto the bed, taking care not to jostle his injured arm. They waited quietly for several minutes for the Doctor to arrive, not speaking or even daring to look at each other. Upon the doctor's arrival, he triggered the table scanners and while waiting, read the datapad in his hands.

"The report says this recruit had a 30.48 cm cut on his right forearm and my scans are showing nothing. Is this the right recruit?" the doctor asked in puzzlement as the scans were contradicting what the reports stated.

"The report is accurate and this is the same recruit. Are there any abnormalities involving his right arm doc?" Ellison asked.

"Um...let me check," the doctor went to Hew's bedside and checked, "Huh...nothing out of the ordinary that I can tell. Hold on...Has he been exposed to Eezo in the last forty eight to ninety six hours?" the doctor's brows pulled together.

"Why do you ask doctor? Is there something wrong? Is there something I should know about?" Ellison asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No no...Recruit Shepard seems to have high levels of Eezo in his system, centralized around his right arm. His medical record says nothing about Eezo exposure or Biotic potential." he was more curious then anything else.

"Is it affecting him adversely?" Ellison asked, a bit worried at the find.

"There should not be any issues with it. Surprisingly his body seems to be benefiting from the dark energy. It is actually promoting cellular regrowth from what I can tell. I wouldn't have seen it if not for the deep tissue scan. This is amazing...I've never seen anything like this before. Can I ask how he was exposed?" the doctor asked, rapping a finger against the datapad.

"I have no idea...Maybe the transport we were on had a core leak." Ellison offered, not wanting to divulge the real reason..

"Huh...I don't think this level can be explained away with a core leak. No...It's too clean. No variances in the energy signature. If I didn't know any better, I'd say a Biotic did this...Now how could that have happened I wonder." the doctor mused as he filled out paper work.

How can he not know a Biotic is standing less then two meters from me? I thought the fact that Wolff had her flare would be common knowledge by now, "Just out of curiosity but, how long have you been stationed here doctor?"

"About four weeks. The previous doctor had to leave for some reason or another. The upsetting thing is she took all her notes and files with her so I have to start from scratch. Most unprofessional in my opinion." the doctor shook his head.

The other doctor is gone with all her files? that's odd. I wonder why? Before Ellison could ask another question, a moan was heard from the bed.

There was darkness and pain, then there was a soft glow of warmth. Hew had no idea what was going on but it felt familiar some how. For the life of him he couldn't place it though. The next thing he knew, his back was cold and he was hungry like he hadn't eaten in months. The soft glow gave way to the harsh lighting that medical facilities seem to prefer. As he slowly opened his eyes, he couldn't help but moan as the aches and hunger made themselves known. The surprising thing, was his arm didn't feel like it had been slashed. It felt more like a bat or a chair had hit it.

"I'm not dead am I? Because if this is Hell...it's too cold." Hew groaned, refusing to open his eyes.

"Not dead yet Recruit Shepard but banged up a bit. What do you remember?" Ellison's voice drifted in from the left.

Hew sat up to better address the Senior Drill Instructor, his eyes stinging from the harsh light, "Not much Sir...Uh...I think the First and Second Squad leaders were giving Recruit Wolff some trouble. There is a blur, then a knife I think but not much else Sir."

Ellison thought over Recruit Shepard's response for a time and kept an eye on both him and Wolff, "Does that happen often?"

"Does what happen often Sir?" Hew asked, confused.

The confusion in Shepard's voice, or was it fear, caught Ellison off guard. "The blackout."

"Um...Not that often Sir," he cringed, "Not that I can remember Sir." he corrected.

Ellison mused over the response for a bit, "Doctor...Is there any neurological damage found in Recruit Shepard?"

The doctor, whom was listening intently to the conversation slowly shook his head, "None that I can see but I would recommend that Recruit Shepard get some food as soon as possible as his electrolytes are extremely low."

"That can be arranged doctor...Thank you for your time. Recruits Shepard,Wolff...head back to the Squad Bay and grab a couple MRE's to hold you over." Ellison ordered the recruits after finishing with the doctor.

"MRE's Sir? Isn't chow coming up? Last thing I remember was filing into the Chow Hall Sir." Hew asked, slightly confused.

"The Chow Hall experienced a little problem after we got there so get an MRE, and be happy about it. Dismissed!" Ellison barked.

As Ellison watched Shepard and Wolff leave, he couldn't help but notice Recruit Wolff pass Shepard a protein bar as they rounded the corner. The smile left his face as he turned back to the doctor, who seemed to be having trouble with his terminal.

"Something wrong Doctor?"

"It's the damnedest thing. Not only am I unable to bring up Recruit Shepard's last medical exam report, but I can't seem to save this one. Every time I try it deletes it. Goddamned computers will be the death of me. Why couldn't they keep paper copies like they used to?" The doctor replied more to himself then the Senior DI.

Ellison took that as his queue to leave. As he walked back to the Squad Bay, he couldn't help but wonder what fun and exciting things those two will get into next. Hell, the Knowledge Exams were in a couple of days. Wonder what will happen then...This is way better then my soaps.