Light at the End of the Tunnel
The Normandy made dock on schedule, her efficient crew ready to coordinate with ground control. Kaidan practically ran up the walkway from the Normandy into the Alliance terminal, but not before several of the ship's crew met him at the airlock, offering their good wishes for him and to their commander.
The terminal was in complete disarray, a large portion of it only usable due to barrier shields erected and expanded between the massive gaps in the walls and ceilings. The place was packed with throngs of refugees and displaced non-Alliance military, and those individuals, Kaidan noticed, had begun to set up make-shift barracks in the less vital parts of the station.
When Hackett had ordered them to put in at Mars, Joker and Kaidan had assumed he'd meant Mars Station, but at arrival, they'd been re-routed to this remote location. Joker hadn't questioned the orders, but had been surprised at the change.
Looking at the condition of this facility, Kaidan found himself wondering if the larger outposts, like the Archives and Mars Station, still existed at all, as they would surely have drawn more focus from enemy forces. Perhaps the Normandy had put in at the only location she could.
It was a morose thought, especially considering the size of the different cities on Mars, but something, he realized, he'd better start to wrap his head around. Earth, when he'd last set foot on it, had been nothing better than a smoking crater, and the casualties on Earth alone were estimated at half a billion.
As staggering as it was to consider, he knew it was something his head could easily get lost in, and so pushed aside that train of thought, choosing instead to focus on more positive things.
The biggest of which was Kate being alive and he was only a few hours from seeing her.
He found his way to the ramshackle flight control office and, while attempting to book a shuttle, learned from the liaison officer that Hackett had made arrangements for him to share one with two other officers who were also Earth-bound, and that the admiral had listed their flight as a priority departure.
In theory it should have helped Kaidan leave for home far more quickly than reality was allowing. Priority or not, there just weren't enough shuttles available, and until one was, he was stuck waiting in the officers' lounge. He contacted the Normandy to update Vega on his location, and, grabbing a snack, got comfortable.
His travel mates were decent enough company. A newly promoted captain who was en route to London and a commander headed to Vancouver. Both men had been to Earth at least once since the Reapers had been destroyed, and both men had good news to report.
Kaidan began to feel hopeful about the reconstruction that was beginning: the commander was returning to oversee a massive shelter and resources facility, while the captain would be in charge of coordinating displaced survivors.
The conversations going on around Kaidan were almost exclusively about the heroics of the last battle or the recovery that had already begun. Kate and the crew of the Normandy were mentioned more than once and he felt a surge of pride at all they'd accomplished.
The Reapers were gone, and they still cast very long shadows, but Kaidan couldn't ignore the positive mood of the people who surrounded him.
He smiled, thinking that Kate would be right along with them, planning and scheming ways to help more refugees, reach more survivors and save more lives. He sat back and sighed, realizing he was looking forward to telling her she'd saved the day.
Well, more than just the day, he thought. Way more.
He again considered Hackett's warning about her appearance and wondered how she was doing. He knew the details of her injuries but still blanched when he considered what must have caused them all.
Someday, maybe, he'd forgive himself for not being by her side when she'd received them.
He closed his eyes for a moment and could still see her bloodied face; the tears in her eyes as they'd kissed for what they'd each thought was the last time and then ordered Garrus to drag him from the battlefield. She'd known he was gravely injured but he hadn't cared, and if Garrus hadn't been there to stop him, he would have crawled back to the beam and followed her up to the Citadel.
But she'd been right.
He'd have died up there, weak and injured, and possibly putting her in grave danger as well. She would have tried to protect him and who knows what that would have cost the mission.
Knowing what he did at this moment, he realized had she not forced him from the fighting, she'd now be facing a future without him. He remembered all too well what that particular emotion felt like, and regardless of hating having to let her go alone that day, he realized he should be grateful she had.
Now if he could just stop having nightmares about it, he'd be ahead of the game.
"Captain Montgomery? Major Alenko?" called a young ensign from across the lounge.
Kaidan stood and took one last sip of his energy drink, raising his hand to acknowledge her as he did. The captain and commander also got to their feet.
"Sirs? If you're ready, we've got a shuttle and should be departing shortly. Bay 3B," she announced.
The three followed her out and down a quiet hallway, where she led them to a door and pulled it open for them. "Have a safe flight, gentlemen."
Kaidan paused, recognizing the shuttle as one of the two Kodiak's from the Normandy. Boarding it, he was pleasantly surprised to see Steve Cortez in the pilot's seat.
"Hey, Lieutenant," Kaidan said. "Uh, fancy meeting you here?"
Cortez turned and chuckled. "Hey, Major! Yeah, we've got to stop running into each other this way, huh?" the skilled pilot joked. "Well, we heard you were just sitting around waiting for a shuttle when Joker pointed out we had two perfectly good shuttles in the bay of the Normandy. We thought this was a decent solution."
Kaidan grinned. "It is, and thanks."
"No worries, sir. We'll get down to Earth in no time and I'll bring this tough old girl," he patted his console affectionately, "back home before anyone even notices we were gone."
Cortez stood and Kaidan introduced him to the other two passengers, and Cortez punched their destinations into the navigational computer.
"Hope you fellas don't mind if I drop the major at his destination first, it's priority," Cortez said from over his shoulder. "It's only a few minutes from Reykjavik to London anyway."
"Not at all," Captain Montgomery replied with an amiable smile. "It's his shuttle, after all. We just appreciate the Normandy sharing it and allowing us tag along."
"Gentlemen, please find your seats," Cortez called out. "We've got tower clearance and it's time to go. We'll be in orbit in less than two hours."
Kaidan sat and buckled his safety belt, and then rested his head on the hull, closing his eyes. He was almost there.
xXx
It was dark, well past ten o'clock, when Cortez dropped Kaidan at the shuttle pad at Reykjavik Medical Center. It was snowing, but not heavily, and Kaidan made his way into the building.
The center was huge, but a majority of it had been closed down for years, the upgrades it needed to stay relevant lost to budget cuts. He realized its irrelevancy was probably why it was still mostly intact, even after the Reapers occupied Earth.
Traynor said the Alliance moved a large share of its medical resources to this location once the Reapers had left, being the only place still standing that was large enough to house over a thousand patients at once. The move allowed the hospital ships in the fleet to return to treating patients in more remote locations, while simultaneously taking a heavy burden off of the Fleet.
He entered the main lobby and went to the front desk where he identified himself to the clerk on duty. The woman entered his name into the computer and uttered a quiet, "Oh," before she picked up a communicator and spoke softly into it.
"It'll just be a few minutes, Major. Please, wait here," she requested.
He complied and put down his travel bag, resting his hip against the side of the desk. He sighed, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him. He was having a very hard time not fidgeting and wished whoever was coming for him would hurry up.
And then he spotted Miranda.
He picked up his bag and moved in her direction, meeting her in the middle of the lobby.
"Miranda, hey, it's good to see you again," he said quickly. "How is she?"
Miranda offered a tight smile. "Alenko, always a pleasure," she replied. "She's doing well. Come with me, we'll get you the security badge you'll need for the floor she's on."
She turned and walked to the elevator. He followed and she swiped her omni-tool near a small panel, allowing her to open the doors and punch in the floor they needed.
"I expect you've got a lot of questions," she began.
"I do, but I've been keeping current on her condition with the different reports," he explained. "The biggest question you've already answered though, she's alive and healing."
Miranda nodded and didn't say anything more.
"Miranda? Do you know what happened to her up there?"
The brunette sighed. "No, we don't have a clue. I know the Hammer team that found her submitted dozens of reports from their trip, but no one's willing to show them to me," she answered. "But, if everything goes well in her next series of test results, we'll be waking her up tomorrow. Shepard will be able to tell us soon enough."
"Tomorrow? Is she…is she ready? What about the swelling in her brain? Is it safe to…"
"Major, I promise you, this isn't a decision that's been made quickly," she explained "We've been prepping her for over a week now, and she really is doing remarkably well. For her to continue to progress, she'll need to be awake and participating in her care."
"So you're talking about, what, physical therapy?"
"That, along with making sure there're no mental deficits. The brain swelling is resolved, and there's no longer any benefit to keeping her in the coma," she reasoned. "We can't further gauge her health without her input. It's time."
He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not questioning you, I mean, I know this is the plan, and I get that, it's just…well, it seems so fast, you know? I feel like I just got the report she was alive but barely, and now I finally get here and she's ready to wake up and P.T. it."
Miranda smiled softly. "I understand, but it has been over a month since they found her, so it's not as fast as it feels. Look at it this way - for every minute you've been trying to get here, we've been diligently helping her. Between the extremely talented staff sent to help her, and my past experience with her implants, things have come together very well."
The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, Miranda stepping off first and leading him down a hallway. She quickly introduced him to the security officer there, who, after taking his details, quickly asked him for his omni-tool link. He provided it and it glowed instantly, the officer uploading the security file to it.
"You'll need that to use the elevator and to be unescorted on this floor," the security guard explained. "It also grants you access to the doctors' lounge and kitchen, as well as the dormitory at the far end of the floor."
"Thanks," he replied, tapping the tool and saving the information to his quick access files.
They stepped away from the desk, Miranda gesturing for him to walk with her.
"Let's put your bag in the dorm room first, then I'll take you to see Shepard," she said. "I know it seems a tad excessive, all this security, but the Alliance is being very protective of her. They're worried about someone who's indoctrinated getting to her," she explained. "I think there are still genuine concerns the Reapers aren't truly gone."
"So, is that why they're putting me in the dormitory here?"
"Partially, yes, but it's also to keep the press, what little there is, from noticing you're here," she answered. "Admiral Hackett is going to wait until we wake her tomorrow, but chances are, he'll be announcing Shepard's survival shortly thereafter. We felt it would be best for you to not have to contend with the excitement that's sure to follow."
She paused at the end of the hallway, opening a door with her omni-tool.
"Do you really think, what with all the destruction and the work to be done, that folks are going to show up here?" he asked, surprised at the notion.
"Yes, we do," she replied. "She's a hero, a beacon of hope for a lot of people. I think it's going to be a very big deal once the announcement is made." She gestured to a small bed and nightstand set up in a segregated corner of the room. "That armoire over there is open for you to use, and this will be your bed. Would you like to freshen up?"
"I'd like to see Kate, now."
"Come on, then."
They walked in silence back the way they'd come and then up a corridor that was new to Kaidan. They reached a corner and he spotted a brightly lit room at it, the blinds in the glass walls enclosing it, closed. There were 'Universal Precautions' notices posted on each sheet of glass, and a large data board with basic information showing.
He pointed to the signs. "Do you need me to get into scrubs and a mask?"
She shook her head. "No, sorry, those should be down by now," she said, reaching out and taking one off. "Her burns are closed, so she's no longer got any exposed tissue to be concerned about," she explained. "Uh, Kaidan," she began, surprising him with the use of his given name.
"Yes?"
"I know you've had some medical training, and you've read her reports, but just a word of caution, alright? She's got some facial swelling and is still on a respirator, which she'll come off of tomorrow," she said quickly. "She's improved massively, all things considered, but for someone who's not seen her progress, she may look rather…"
"Rough? Yeah, I know," he replied in a low tone. "But thanks for wanting to warn me."
Miranda studied him for a moment and finally nodded. "Okay, I'll leave you for a bit. When I return, I'll have Doctor Holder with me. You'll need your pass to open her door."
With those final details, she left him standing outside of Shepard's hospital room.
He stared at the handle of the glass door for a breath or two and then quickly lit his omni-tool and waved it by the lock. The light on the door flitted from red to green and he opened it, stepping inside.
He felt the breath leave his chest as his eyes found her and he stood rigid.
Her red hair was closely shaved and a long, angry-looking incision ran from her crown to her right ear. That side of her face was distorted from swelling, her normally fine features lost beneath the puffy bruising. There were dozens of tiny cuts, all of which were nearly healed, across her face and neck and he noticed they traveled down her arms as well.
Her right arm was bandaged heavily and he recalled from the reports that both the wrist and elbow had been broken. He noticed that she had all five of her fingers there, miniscule stabilizer pins protruding from the end of the ring and pinky; fingers he knew were transplants or prosthetics.
The respirator tube was in her mouth, tape securing it in place and the rhythm of the machine the only disturbance to the silence in the room. There were leads running everywhere.
She looked tiny in the middle of the bed, small and battered.
He imagined what had happened to her and roughly scrubbed his face, struggling to control the need to yell or cry, he wasn't sure which. He closed his eyes and drew a ragged breath, and finally approached the bed.
He'd wondered, in the seemingly endless days it had taken to get here, if she'd be able to understand any of the things going on around her while she was in the coma, or if she was truly unaware of it all. He'd decided to talk with her as if she could hear him and pulled a chair over to the bed, settling down close to her and taking her left hand into his own.
Her hand was so warm and he caressed it in his large one. He loved her fingers, they were long and graceful and when she touched him…well, those had been some of the happiest times of his life. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the top of it softly.
"Hey, Shepard," he said quietly. "Kate? I'm here now. I'm sorry it took me so long," he rasped, watching her for any kind of response. "We made it to the rendezvous while you handled the big fight. I still can't quite stomach having to let you go that day."
He fell silent, his eyes on her.
"But, you were right," he forced a soft laugh. "You always are. I was pretty banged up. But it's over, and you did it. They're gone, Kate, the Reapers are gone, and you're safe and everyone's okay. And we're here…together. So, that makes pretty much everything else worth it, doesn't it?"
He heard the lock in the door click and glanced over to see Miranda and a few others enter the room. He began to stand, but a short blonde woman gestured for him to stay seated.
"Major Alenko, hello, I'm Doctor Karen Holder, Chief Medical Officer of the center and head of Commander Shepard's medical team here," said the woman. "We're very glad you're here."
"Thank you, ma'am," he replied professionally. "I'm happy to finally be with her."
"We don't want to keep you too long, we know you've only just arrived," Holder began. "But we wanted to go over the details of the commander's current status as well as explain the process for tomorrow. Ms. Lawson advised me that you're aware we intend to rouse her tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Squeezing Shepard's hand, Kaidan gave his attention over to her doctors, eager to understand what was coming and what Shepard would need from him.
xXx
Cortez dropped off the last passenger in Vancouver and laid in his course back to the small station on Mars.
His short trip had given him an opportunity to see how far reaching the devastation the Reapers had wrought on the human home world. To say it was staggering would be a gross understatement, and he sighed, sitting back in his chair, his heart heavy with what he'd seen.
The European continent was radically different. He'd noticed whole areas of land that would normally be lighting up the night sky were dark. Hundreds of miles of blackness had stretched out before him as he'd brought the shuttle into London. Landmarks he'd been trained to identify on-sight so many years ago, each designated to assist him should his aircraft ever have a navigational failure, were nowhere to be seen.
He remembered being a kid living someplace in the Midwest of America, his father assigned to some remote air station there, and a tornado had formed, wreaking havoc and carving a wicked path of ruin before the weather control systems had eliminated it.
An old man at the local grocery store had been talking with his dad about it a few days later, and he'd likened the twister to a 'finger of God', the way it had dug in and destroyed everything in its path. The buildings, homes and anything else on the ground had been smashed, blown away or obliterated. He'd never seen anything like it since.
Until today.
Today, what he saw looked like a thousand tornadoes had touched down at once, everywhere, and the devastation was astounding, like something from a movie, a very bad movie.
He shook his head, thinking of the massive amount of rubble and wondered how things would ever be right again. There were millions dead, resources were at a minimum and without the Relays, he knew the majority of the Alliance Fleet could be weeks if not months away.
He punched up the extranet and watched what news he could find, listening to the depressing estimates about the loss of life, and wondered where and how the recovery could begin. He realized then that the duty to rebuild would not only fall on the shoulders of those who'd survived, but on the generations to come after as well.
Yet it would get done, that much he knew. One thing he'd learned over the last year of fighting the Reapers was that there was still a lot of fight left in humanity, and that fight, that unyielding desire to go on, was universal. The Reapers may have decimated Earth, Thessia, Palivan and countless other home worlds but the peoples had survived.
The Reapers had not.
No matter what challenges the galaxy may be facing, the greatest one had been met and destroyed, so the truth was, the worst was already over. The trick would be to remember this, and to push through the rubble and the muck without fear.
He felt his mood lighten, considering that at one time, the defeat of the monstrous synthetic creatures had seemed as insurmountable as recovery now did. But they'd done it and the citizens of the galaxy had faced it together.
The leaders who'd carried humanity and the rest of the worlds through this war were still here, he thought, or, he remembered sadly, most of them were. Anderson's death would be a blow to things, but Admiral Hackett would be there to lead humanity through the next phase of things, as he had the war.
Maybe, just maybe, things weren't as bad as they felt.
But, he realized, the most reassuring thing of all was something only Cortez and select others knew, something that the rest of the Alliance, humanity, and the galaxy didn't yet know, but something that would change it all.
Shepard would be there, too.
A huge thank you to Lisa for the beta and the shoulder to sob uncontrollably on. My burden is lessened by your friendship and I am grateful.
Thanks to Michele for her canon check! I really appreciate your help!
