Chapter 7: Silverware in the Street
Shepard was waiting outside Tali's room with Garrus. It was a "clean room", much smaller and on a different floor than the master bedroom, but the lavish nature of the old estate still shown through the new medical refit.
"How's she doing?" Shepard asked as he turned to a female Quarian doctor who had just stepped out into the hall.
"Fortunately, the Medi-gel was applied correctly, and the antibiotics slowed the spread of the infection. Tali'Zorah is stabile but it will take her some time to recover completely. Her suit has been fully repaired, but she must remain in the clean room for now, until we can ensure there are no recurring infections. Whoever did that field patch may very well have saved her life." replied the doctor as she turned and walked down the hall.
Garrus turned to Shepard as the doctor walked away, "well, I guess I get to thank you again, Shepard; for saving all of us. I was worried for a minute there, I thought we were going to lose 'Ms. Vas Normandy', but you showed up, eventually."
"I just pulled you out of there Garrus, you heard the doctor. It was you who saved Tali" Shepard replied.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. It surprised me though, that I could patch up her suit. Didn't get to field test 'Quarian First Aid' very often with C-Sec" Garrus said.
"You came through, Garrus" Shepard said as he patted the Turian's shoulder, then turned and walked back down the hall. As he boarded the elevator and pressed the button, he leaned back against the wall and looked towards the ceiling. He hadn't had a moment of peace since he came out of his coma. As he reached the top floor, he walked out and down the hall to the conference room where Ashley, James, Liara, and Wrex had gathered.
When Shepard got to the room, the team was sitting around the holographic image of Admiral Hackett.
"Glad you're here commander" Admiral Hackett said, as Shepard walked in and took a seat.
"Yeah, so am I" Wrex said, "we're going to tear Wreav apart for this!"
"I'll be frank, commander" Admiral Hackett began, "we haven't even rebuilt our forces by half, we're in no position to fend off a joint Krogan-Cerberus invasion."
"Can we get the Turians, or the Salarians to help? I think we've earned a few favors" Shepard asked.
Hackett explained "The Turians are unwilling to leave Palaven right now. They aren't in much of a better situation than we are, and they won't be willing to part with their forces with the Krogan separatists on the warpath. I put in a request with some of our STG contacts, but as of yet I haven't received a response. We're being hit on all continents, and we're not having much success with containing it. We've lost operational control of England west and south of London, and the remaining United Kingdom is following suit. We're maintaining our line at the river, but that's about the only good news we've got right now."
Wrex stood up, and walked towards the middle of the room, "the forces loyal to me will stay on Palaven, and those who're here will be more than ready to help" he said as he pointed towards the window, "what's happening out there now, is going to end with a bullet, right between Wreav's eyes."
"Thank you Wrex, we need all the help we can get, and I'm sure the Turians feel the same way" Hackett said.
"Now what kind of ally would I be, if I cut and run when the fun starts?" Wrex said with a grin "but I'm not doing this for the Turians, or even Earth. Wreav isn't going to stop with the humans, or Palaven, or even that Salarian planet. I need to stop Wreav, for my people. We worked too hard to cure the Genophage, and secure a dignified place in the galaxy, to have him screwing it all up now" he said, as he turned and sat back in his chair.
"I still want to know how he survived that thresher maw back on Tuchanka" Shepard said, turning to Wrex.
"Wish I could tell you, Shepard. I didn't believe it myself, when I heard he was still alive. But, like always, we're going to correct that" Wrex said, slightly irritated.
"Using the remaining allied forces, we'll keep holding the line on Earth, Commander. In the meantime, I want you to organize your team, and start counter measures in London. If we can push them out of here, we can establish a suitable base of operations, and bring in more strike teams. The enemy is entrenched, and their anti-aircraft batteries are keeping us from putting large teams planetside. We need you to get in behind their lines, and disrupt them as much as you can. Keep them looking over their shoulders while command organizes a strong ground resistance. As always, good luck commander, Hackett out" the Admiral said as his image flickered out.
Shepard looked around at his team. "It looks like we're the tip of the spear again, any chance the Normandy is still in orbit?" he asked.
James answered, "She's back under direct Alliance command. After you went out of play, Hackett recalled it, along with the rest of the functioning Alliance vessels. Trying to rebuild the armada I imagine."
"Alright, Liara, how long until we can get some people in here to upgrade this room into a command center?" Shepard said with a sigh.
"Within thirty minutes" she replied, "I am already working on it" she said as she pulled up her Omni-tool and started typing away.
"Great. Ashley, James, see if you can get some marines up here on regular rotation. We need this room secured. Also, we need to start coordinating with primary hospital security. 'Arcturus Memorial' just became a frontline safe-house. I want every window, door, sink and flytrap inspected and secured" Shepard instructed as he stood up, "I doubt administration will mind if we commandeer this room. We have our orders. Dismissed."
Shepard turned and walked back out into the hall. He walked over to a guard rail and looked out at the rest of the hospital. He stared blankly for a few moments, as he contemplated the situation. As he was thinking, Liara walked up next to him and leaned down on the guard rail.
"So, I guess this means you are going back to the Alliance, Shepard?" she asked.
"At least for now, I am. My mission was to stop Cerberus, and save Earth. Although, it didn't end with destroying the Reapers like we thought it would" Shepard replied with an exhausted tone.
"Shepard, you have done more for Earth and the entire galaxy than any one person in history. You do not have to jump right back into the fight, just because you can walk again" Liara responded growing aggravated.
"But I do have to, Liara. Could you sit on the sidelines and watch if this were Thessia?" he said, angrily.
"No, I do not think I could. But I also did not go up inside the Citadel, face down the leader of the Reapers, and get blown halfway across a country, protecting Thessia, Shepard" she said to him with tears forming in her eyes.
"What do you want me to do, Liara? People are counting on me. I can't just sit here while Earth is under attack; Cerberus and Krogan are killing civilians out there and I can do something to stop it" Shepard said, raising his voice slightly.
Liara started to speak again, but paused briefly. "And when will you be done fighting, Shepard? Will you ever be done?" she asked calmly.
He stared into Liara's eyes, wanting to come up with an answer, to tell her that this was his last fight, but he couldn't. He knew that as long as he had legs under him, he was going to keep fighting. Before he could think of something to say, a small team of Alliance engineers appeared behind them.
"Commander Shepard, I'm Sergeant Chase with the 314th Engineering Corps. We're here to convert this room" one of the engineers said with a salute.
"Speak with Lt. Commander Williams, she's just inside" Shepard replied, pointing them into the room behind them.
Liara looked blankly at him for a moment, then lowered her head and walked off towards her room. Shepard started to call out to her, but stopped. He needed some time to think, and assumed she did, too. He turned and followed the engineers into the conference room.
Liara walked into her room, and sat down on the bed. She stared out the window for a few moments, and then turned to her terminal. "Glyph" she said as the drone appeared, "what is the status of our connection to our agents?"
"Communication is fully functional, doctor. Nearly all operatives have checked in, and are returning to full duty, those who did not survive have been replaced" Glyph replied as he floated closer to Liara, "Only three agents remain unaccounted for: Operatives Maroth, Karzak, and Feron."
"Where was Operative Feron when he last checked in?" Liara asked, as she began typing at her terminal.
"Last known location of Operative Feron was the Terminus Systems. The planet he was on is unknown" Glyph replied.
Liara continued working at her terminal. She sifted through Feron's reports, and personal correspondence, searching for a clue to his whereabouts. She and Glyph worked furiously for hours, sifting through Feron's messages, refugee manifests, and casualty reports, but had no luck. Beginning to grow tired, she leaned back on the bed, and closed her eyes. She had just started to doze off, when all of a sudden, she heard a familiar voice.
"What is troubling you now, Asari?" the voice asked.
"Javik" Liara said as she shot forward in her seat, "what are you doing here?"
"I heard news that the commander had awakened, and I came as soon as I was able to" Javik replied.
"But where did you go? After we found Shepard, you just disappeared…." Liara asked.
Hesitating for a moment, he explained "after the defeat of the Reapers, I believed that my purpose had been fulfilled. I did not believe that Shepard would awaken, and I knew that I was the last Prothean, and did not think that I had a place left in this cycle. I wanted to spend my remaining days in the glory of my people, so I "requisitioned" a shuttle and travelled to the planet you call "Mars". When I got there, I discovered that the Reapers had destroyed most of the human station and the Prothean archives. As I looked through the remaining items I realized that the fate of this station would most likely be the same as the fate of our other remaining cities. I became enraged by the desire of the Reapers to wipe all traces of our existence. The notion that an entire race of people, MY people, could be nothing more than a vague idea or some story told by primitive children around a fire in order to scare each other is simply maddening. I was somewhat surprised to discover that the central chamber had been ignored by the reapers. But then I discovered that the humans had not even reached it."
"The chamber was unreachable, Javik. The researchers were not sure there was more, and had come to a point where digging deeper would threaten the stability of all the chambers they had discovered" Liara argued.
"Then why did they not simply use the door?" Javik asked smugly as Liara began to stammer. He continued "It is of no import now. The legacy of the Prothean Empire must be told, and I want to make sure that it is told correctly. I have found new purpose in helping you write your book, Asari. We will bring back the glory of my people, perhaps not through population, but we will ensure that they are never forgotten. However, first I must speak with the human who helped me avenge their deaths."
Liara was frozen in shock. She hadn't known what happened to Javik after they recovered Shepard, and she was floored by the prospect of authoring the complete Prothean Legacy with the help of an actual Prothean. "He is just down the hall, Javik. I will take you to speak with him" she said as she rose slowly from the bed and led the Prothean out of the room.
"You never answered my question" he stopped her as she brushed past.
"It is a long story, perhaps we can discuss it later" she said as she turned and they continued towards the conference room.
As they approached the doorway, Liara could see that the engineers were well into the updating of the conference room. The old wooden structure had been refitted with metal beams, and monitors. Bundles of cable hung from the ceiling. The door had been removed, and was set to be replaced by a security hatch. Inside she could hear Ashley and James talking with a few of the marines, and what sounded like Garrus and Shepard talking in the background.
"…I don't know why, either" Liara faintly heard Shepard say.
"She just wants to see you when you get a chance. She's still in the clean room, but you can go in there with a suit on. I'm going to head up to the roof and get a better view of the city. I'll let you know what I come up with" Garrus said. Suddenly he appeared in the hallway in front of Liara and Javik.
"Hello Garrus" Liara said.
"Hey, I'm just on my way somewhere; I'll catch up with you later. Good to see you back, Javik. Still brooding, I assume?" Garrus said as he brushed past the two of them and continued down the hall to the elevator.
"The Turian is acting strangely, something is bothering him. I could sense it when he walked by. Perhaps it is best if I come back later" Javik suggested.
"I could sense it as well, but there is no need for you to come back later. There are some things I must attend to. Shepard is inside, I will leave you two alone to talk" Liara said as she turned and hurried back to her room.
"No matter how hard I try, I do not think I will ever understand these evolved primitives" Javik said aloud, shaking his head as he entered the room.
He walked over to Shepard, "Commander" he said.
"Hello Javik, where have you been?" Shepard asked, not knowing that the Prothean had disappeared for so long.
"I have been out, remembering what it means to be a Prothean. Right now, I need to speak to you about something else" the Prothean replied.
"Of course" Shepard said as he led Javik back out into the hall "what is it?"
"I wanted to thank you, Commander. My people put me into that stasis pod with the hopes that I would resume the legacy of the Prothean Empire. Even though I was unable to materialize that goal in the way they hoped, you helped me fulfill my other purpose, which was bringing about the destruction of the Reapers. There will never be a second Prothean Empire, but, because of you, millions of my people may now rest in peace" he explained.
"You don't have to thank me Javik. The Reapers needed to be destroyed, but I am glad that I was able to help you. A lot of people's lives were destroyed by the Reapers; I just hope that wherever they are now, they're looking down on us and smiling" Shepard replied, thinking of Mordin, and Kaidan, and his parents.
"I am unfamiliar with the religious practices of humans, but if it helps you to feel better, then I am sure that those people are contented with what we have accomplished. I am aware of your current situation, with the Krogan. I would be happy to assist you in any way that I am able, it is the least that I can do to repay you on behalf of every Prothean" Javik stated.
"Thank you, Javik. I could use all the help I can get. Honestly I wasn't ready to jump back into the fight so soon" Shepard said.
"Of course you were, Commander. You are a capable warrior, a defender of all people. Even if you would like to, you would not be able to simply put down your weapon and fade into civilian life, it is not who you are, I could sense that the first time we spoke" Javik replied, with a tone of indignation "my cycle had many great warriors, leaders, you are like them. Do not run from this, Commander, embrace who you are. Your allies will respect you, and your enemies will fear you. We will put down these Krogan, just as we did to the Reapers, and any enemies that may come after. For now, I will find a place here to occupy. I will let you know when I am settled" Javik said as he turned and walked back towards the elevator.
Shepard stood there for a moment, thinking about what Javik said. He turned and walked back into the conference room. He tinkered with a datapad, trying to assist with the software upgrades for several minutes, before turning to the engineers.
"How's it coming?" he asked.
"It's going very smoothly commander" the Sergeant replied "we have you linked into Alliance channels, there's a QEC linked to Admiral Hackett installed, and the Strategy Map is nearly fully functional. Once we get the security hatch put in, it'll be good to go."
"Good to hear. Ashley, James, stay here with the team until they're finished, I'm going to go check on Tali" Shepard said as he headed back out into the hall.
"Aye Commander" James replied as he turned back to one of the engineers and continued his story, "did you hear the one about how we took down Cronos Station?..."
Shepard walked down the hall towards the elevator. Before he got there, he stopped and walked over to the door to Liara's room. As he was about to go in, he overheard her and Javik talking inside. He thought about going in, but instead turned and continued towards the elevator. He pressed the button, but looked back down the hallway. When the elevator arrived Shepard took a step in, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg. He stopped dead in his tracks, and tried to gently turn back towards Liara's room, but as he placed his foot on the ground, his knee buckled, and he spun violently to the floor. The pain intensified. It was excruciating now, causing him to cry out.
From down the hall, James heard Shepard yell. "What the hell?" he exclaimed as he bolted out of the upgraded conference room. "Commander!" he called out, searching around for Shepard. Ashley and the Alliance engineers followed him out of the room, and spread out to search. James looked around, calling out to Shepard as he went. Finally, he made his way to the elevator and found the commander lying on the ground, face down and trying to pull himself along the floor.
"Somebody get the doctor! The commander is hurt!" James yelled out.
All the commotion got Liara's attention from in the room with Javik. She burst through the door and out into the atrium. "Shepard!" she called out, searching frantically. As she did, the engineers bolted past her, towards the elevator. Liara ran behind them, with Javik following their lead. As they approached, they found James kneeling next to Shepard, who had been flipped over on his back. Seeing him lying on his back, Liara dropped to her knees next to him.
"Goddess, what happened?" she asked.
"I don't know, I was getting in the elevator, and I felt this terrible pain in my leg. Next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground, and Vega here is holding my hand" Shepard replied.
Just then, Dr. Chakwas and Ashley arrived at the scene, followed by several hospital assistants carrying a stretcher.
"My goodness Shepard, are you alright?" the doctor asked him as she instructed her crew to put Shepard on the stretcher.
"I'm alright, but I can't feel my leg" he answered, as the team set him on the board and lifted him off the ground.
They carried Shepard into his room, and placed him on the bed.
"That will be all, thank you" Dr. Chakwas said, dismissing the hospital staff. "Commander, did you hit your head when you fell?" she asked.
"Yeah, it hurts, but the stretcher was probably a bit much, doctor" Shepard said with a smug grin.
"I'm taking every precaution with you, commander. After you ignored my recommendation earlier and went out guns blazing" Dr. Chakwas scolded as she shined a flashlight into his eyes, checking for a concussion.
Shepard sat up on the bed, and slung his legs down off the side, "So, what's wrong with my legs?" he asked.
The doctor scanned Shepard with her Omni-tool, "It looks like your stabilizers were damaged, probably from heavy use. These are not combat skeletal supports, commander; they are simply medical devices to allow you to walk. I will get you a new pair, but you mustn't go running off into battle until you can move without them" she replied, as she turned and walked back out of the room.
Liara sat down in a chair in the corner of the room where she had been standing. She rested her elbows on her knees and folded her hands in front of her face, and stared at Shepard.
"What's the matter, Liara?" he asked.
She scoffed, and replied "that is kind of a silly question, isn't it?"
He lowered his head and sighed, "I'll be fine, I promise."
"I am sure you will, but not only was I worried, I am angry that you ignored the doctor and risked your own health to go off and fight another battle" Liara exclaimed.
"I didn't just go run off to fight another battle, I ran off to save you!" Shepard shouted in reply.
"That is not the point, Shepard!" she yelled, growing angrier.
"What would you have had me do, Liara?" Shepard asked "I wasn't going to let you die out there, and I couldn't wait for the Alliance to send in a team to go get you. It had to be me."
Liara hesitated for a moment, and then replied softly, "Someone else might have gotten it wrong."
Shepard froze in his seat. He hadn't even realized it, but those were the exact words he was thinking.
"I need to take a walk, Shepard. I'm going to clear my head" Liara said as she stood up and hurried out the door. He tried to call out to her, but before he could, she was gone.
Shepard sat on the bed, frustrated at the situation. Before he could dwell on it for long, Dr. Chakwas reappeared in the room, stabilizers in hand.
"Where is Liara?" she asked.
"She went for a walk" he replied.
"Strange timing" the doctor said, confused at Liara's abrupt departure, "Anyway, here are the replacement stabilizers. You must wear them until you are fully mobile without them. You also must not do anything overly strenuous while you have them on, understood?"
"I understand, Doctor" Shepard replied.
They affixed the brace-like contraptions, and Shepard stood up to try them out. He was able to walk around the room, but still with a slight limp.
"It looks like you're going to be alright. Just take it easy for a bit. You didn't suffer a concussion, so I'll give you some painkillers, they should help you relax. I recommend you stay in your room until they wear off, they will make you a touch groggy." Dr. Chakwas said as she gave Shepard an injection and then disappeared out of the room.
He sat back down on the bed and rested his head in his hands. He lay back and looked out the window and saw that the sun was going down. He hadn't had a moment to relax since he woke up a few days beforehand, so he took this opportunity to unwind for a moment. He stared up at the ceiling and thought of happier times. After a few moments, he felt himself drift off to sleep.
When he awoke, everything was dark except for a small white light next to his bed. Shepard stood up, and looked around the room. Seeing that it was empty, he walked back out into the atrium, and out into the hall. Passing by a few hospital staff, he made his way to the newly outfitted conference room. He walked up to the security hatch, and waited as the indicator light spun for a few moments. With a ding, the door flung open and he walked in to find no one but a few Alliance Marines, who were standing guard.
"How's it looking?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Everything is up and running, Commander" one of the marines said.
"Anybody know what time it is?" Shepard asked.
"It's about 0100 sir" the same marine replied, "is there anything I can help you with?"
"No, it's fine. Carry on" Shepard said as he walked around the room.
He examined for a few minutes, finding that it was very similar to the "War Room" on the Normandy. There was a large display in the middle, with several terminals around it; a Comm-link was set up just next to that. There was even a private terminal for him, set up in the back corner. He examined the map for a moment. It showed Earth, with the areas held by Cerberus and the Krogan Separatists shaded in red. It appeared that the entire border of England was under enemy control, with a large portion of the southern region completely occupied.
"If I may, sir, I thought you put an end to Cerberus by wiping out Cronos Station?" the marine asked.
"I thought so, too, Corporal" Shepard replied, as he closed the map and headed out of the room.
He searched around the floor for Liara, unable to find her. He headed back to the room to check and see if she was there, but it was still empty. He tried to contact her on her Omni-tool, but it went straight to her automated answering message. Unable to find her, he wrote her a note and set off into the hospital.
He took the elevator down to the floor that Tali was on. The hospital had been organized based on species, so there were several Quarians shuffling about as he made his way to her room. As he approached the window, he saw a doctor inside taking some readings and speaking to Tali who had put her suit back on, with the exception of her mask. Shepard looked around the hallway for Garrus, but he was conspicuously absent.
After several minutes, the Quarian doctor came out into the hall.
"Is Tali improving, doctor?" Shepard asked, stopping her from walking right past him.
"She is recovering quite well, Shepard. Her immune system is back to normal, well, for a Quarian, and the physical damage has been repaired. We'll keep her overnight to be sure, but she should be fine to leave in the morning" the doctor replied.
"She asked to speak with me, is there any way I can go in and see her?" he asked.
"It is late, but it shouldn't be a problem. Just let me tell her to put her mask back on, and you should put on a rubber suit as well. Wouldn't want you to get her sick" stated the doctor, who turned and walked back into the room.
Shepard found a nearby supply cart, with a suit on it. He put it on, and waited for the doctor to come back out.
"Alright commander, you may go in. Just make sure the door is closed all the way when you come back out" the Quarian said as she hurried off down the hallway.
Shepard opened the door, and walked into Tali's room, "how are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'll be alright Shepard, this isn't the first time I've had my suit punctured" Tali responded.
He walked over and took a seat next to her bed.
"Shepard…." Tali started to say.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I want to talk to you about something, but it has to stay between me and you, is that alright?" she said.
"Of course Tali, what's on your mind?" Shepard answered.
"I have been doing a lot of thinking, and I am going to end things with Garrus, before they get too serious" Tali stated, somewhat timidly.
Shepard replied, "why Tali? You two survived the end of the galaxy together, I'd call that pretty serious."
Pausing for a moment, Tali reached over and put her hand on Shepard's face. With her three fingers she slowly pulled off his breathing mask. As he sat there looking at her, she reached up with both hands, and pulled off her own mask.
"Because you are the only one that I have ever been with like this" she said as a tear rolled down her cheek "you are the only non-Quarian to ever see me without my mask on, and I want it to stay that way."
"Tali…." Shepard began.
"I've already decided, Shepard. I realized today that I don't want to be with him. Garrus is a good friend, it would be wrong to lead him on like this" Tali said.
"I sure hope he sees it that way Tali" Shepard replied grimly, as he resigned himself to her decision.
"I didn't come to this decision lightly. When you're laid up alone for so long, your mind wanders. I asked myself why I wanted to be with Garrus, and I couldn't come up with a reason, not one that made sense to me, anyway. I am worried that I made the decision for reasons that don't apply anymore, and he deserves better than that" she tried to explain, but grew frustrated when she didn't think she could.
"Will you sit with me for a while?" she asked "I hate hospitals."
"Sure Tali" he said, leaning back in his chair.
Meanwhile, Liara had made her way back to the hospital. She took the elevator to the top floor, and walked back into her room. It was nearly 3am, and she was surprised to find that Shepard wasn't there.
"Glyph" she called out to her drone assistant as it appeared from the shadows, "where is Shepard?"
"The commander woke up at 1248 local time, doctor. He left the room at 1252, he returned briefly forty minutes later, and left again after leaving a note on the table" Glyph replied.
Liara walked over to the note and picked it up.
"Liara, I'm not sure where you went, but I'm going to take a walk around the hospital.
If you're reading this, and you want to talk, come find me in the conference room.
Otherwise, I'll be back soon
-Travis"
Liara placed the note back on the table. She sat down and took a drink of water. After a moment she stood up, and rushed out towards the conference room. As she approached the hatch, the green indicator light began to spin. As the door opened, she slowly stepped in.
"Shepard?" she called out softly.
"He isn't here, Doctor T'Soni. He came in a couple hours ago, then left, didn't say where he was going though" one of the guards told her.
"Has anyone else come in since then?" she asked.
"Other than you, no. Shift change is in an hour though, if anyone comes by, I'll pass it along" he replied.
Liara thanked him and headed out back into the hallway. "Where could he be?" she thought to herself. She began to search the hospital, checking all the common areas first, and then pacing the floors. After about an hour she made her way to the Quarian area of the hospital. She walked over to a desk, and found one of the workers, diligently typing on an Omni-tool.
"Excuse me" she asked, "Has Commander Shepard been through here recently?"
"I haven't seen him" the male Quarian responded, not taking his eyes off of his work.
"Thank you, if he comes through here, can you let him know that I am looking for him?" Liara said politely as she turned to leave. Just then, the doctor leaned out from one of the offices behind the desk.
"Are you looking for Shepard?" she asked.
"Yes I am; have you seen him?" Liara inquired.
"He came down a few hours ago, to check on Tali'Zorah. I don't know if he is still in there, but I haven't seen him leave" the doctor stated.
"Thank you" Liara replied as she headed off towards Tali's room.
When she got to the room, she peered in through the window. It was mostly dark, but she could faintly see Shepard in the chair, his arms folded in front of him and his head down, asleep. She saw Tali, passed out on her bed, facing towards Shepard. Seeing that he was alright she turned to leave. Before she did, she noticed something shiny sitting near Tali's feet. Liara squinted, trying to make it out; her eyes grew wide when she realized what it was.
"Her mask…." Liara said aloud, wondering why she took it off. When she remembered what happened on the "Cerberus Normandy", she started piecing it together. Liara let out a deep sigh as she turned and headed back down the hall towards the elevator.
"Did you find him?" the doctor called out.
"Yes, he's still in the room, fast asleep. Please, don't wake him" Liara requested politely as she boarded the elevator back to the top floor.
Notes: Hey Everyone, sorry for the wait. It's been kinda a hectic week, but I tried to make this chapter longer to make up for it. As always, thanks for reading!