A/N: Welcome back! By request, feel free to sample more of my work in the horror genre on:
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(AngelicSavant)
After the sparring incident, Shepard had more or less restricted Harvey to his quarters. It was less about punishing him for what he'd done and more about keeping Jack from 'ripping out his biotic amp and relocating it to his ass'. She'd given things a full day to blow over before giving him the green light to show his face again. He'd observed Shepard briefly, but there was nothing much to note as of yet. The secret to destroying her likely didn't lie with watching her take inventory of thermal clips. Perhaps after lunch, she'd be up to something more relevant to his mission.
Harvey sat on the edge of the small, suspended cot, idly browsing more human social cues on a datapad. He'd been at it for a few hours now, absorbing a wealth of useful information. These creatures were so base and simple that it was almost laughable. Showing empathy just because he was a part of their species, demonstrating trust even though their every instinct led them away from it. Even Shepard had surprised him, showing a slight weakness- pity- when he'd told her that he was without memories. He could see it forming on her face; a subtle softening of her ordinarily fierce features. Her voice had followed, wavering. If it was going to be this simple to pass as human, he wondered why he'd even bothered with using this body.
Something mildly unpleasant tugged at the corners of his mind. This body seemed to cause that quite often, reacting to stimuli he didn't understand. It was difficult to know how to resolve these issues when there was no obvious source of distress. Just now he felt… restless. Pacing the small space didn't help. Pushups didn't, either. Seeking more space, he ventured out of the hangar closet and only felt slightly better.
Before he knew it, he'd made a lap around almost the entire ship and still had no relief to show for it. He lingered outside of the lab, remembering the Salarian doctor. Perhaps he was ill? Knowing how frail humans were, he couldn't rule it out. Nothing would compromise his mission more than suddenly becoming too sick to move. This was closer than the med bay, and probably not a first stop for the majorily human crew. If it was nothing, no one would have to see him in here at all.
That final rationale persuaded him to step inside, his gaze almost immediately coming to rest on Mordin. "Doctor Solus," he started, trying to recall everything he'd learned about these kinds of interactions. "I was wondering if you could help me."
Mordin looked up from the samples strewn about the table in front of him and blinked. "Lieutenant Drayson. How can I help?"
"I…" For some reason, Harvey found himself hesitant. "I'm.. not feeling well."
Mordin turned to face him, approaching with an inquisitive gaze. Wide, expressive eyes searched the human male for signs of injury. "Statement has many implications… Details?"
Harvey visibly faltered. He wasn't sure what to say. "I feel tired… restless.." The human shrank away slightly as the Salarian took his temperature and blood pressure. After a few minutes, Mordin seemed to shake his head at the results.
"Tell me, how is adjustment since boarding Normandy?"
"I don't see what that has to do with-"
"Humor me." Something about the slight smile on the doctor's face put Harvey at ease.
"The crew is mostly avoiding me… Only a few speak to me at all, one of whom I.." he shrugged, not knowing how else to explain it, "...I sent to the med-bay yesterday…"
Mordin paused, considering. "I see. Indulge a whim, please."
"Such as?"
"Reaper technology, fascinating subject. Keeps you alive. Would like to run tests."
There was a moment of clear hesitation as Harvey considered the request. Was it possible that the salarian might glean some sensitive information from such a study? The Reaper general had only just begun his mission. It wouldn't do to have an errant piece of data betray him at this stage…
He quickly pushed the thought away. This single organic was unlikely to uncover anything resembling a threat to his mission, or the next Cycle.
Harvey sighed, taking a seat on the examination table. He winced, feeling the cold metal, even through his fatigues. "If you think it will help."
The tests were minimally invasive. For the next hour, Solus drew blood, took samples and scans.. standard fare. All the while, the salarian fished around for topics of discussion until he found something that actually prompted more than a single sentence in response. Surprisingly enough, it was the topic of the Alliance that had Harvey extremely vocal- even if it was just to disparage them in any number of ways.
Mordin carefully packed away all of his samples and data as if they were made of platinum. "Testing sufficient for now." He turned to face his patient. "Current well-being status?"
Reflexively, Harvey began to question the need to ask such a thing. It wasn't as if he'd received any sort of treatment, yet. Still, he considered the way he felt now compared to an hour prior. Admittedly, there had been a great deal of improvement. He no longer felt anywhere near as distressed as before. "I feel… much better. Did you give me some sort of drug?"
Mordin gave a slight 'hm' that resembled a chuckle. "Close. Conversation." When the explanation was met with a series of confused blinks, he continued. "Preliminary diagnosis.. Lt. Drayson displaying acute loneliness. Was concerned about this. Warned commander against such a development."
Harvey tilted his head, mouth slightly agape as he struggled to process what he was being told. "Loneliness? There must be some mistake…"
"No mistake. Homo sapiens, possess 'pack mentality'. Thrive on social interaction. Lieutenant Drayson… outlier."
"That's ridiculous." The words left Drayson's lips even as he started to see the wisdom in the doctor's words. He was no longer synthetic. Organics were bound by hormones, chemical signals, psychological hindrances…
Weak.
Mordin examined the man as he leapt down from the examination table. "My recommendation? Socialize. Get to know crew. New comrades."
Comrades? The statement was so absurd he didn't even dignify it with a response.
Harvey only half acknowledged the doctor as he spoke. Before long, he left the lab, halfway back to his quarters before reason kicked in. Ignoring the issue wasn't likely to help, and besides, he needed to observe Shepard. Pausing at the elevator doors, he turned and set out to look for her. Best to kill two birds with one stone.
The commander was conspicuously absent from the areas of the ship where he'd expected her to be. Eventually, the shuttle bay proved to be her hiding place. Dimly lit compared to the rest of the ship, his eyes settled on her immediately as the door opened. She was near the far wall, the sound of precise punches echoing throughout the space as she trained on a practice dummy. The grey, sweat-soaked t-shirt she wore clung to her skin as she swung. A sharp exhale as she threw a cross.
Layla glanced over her shoulder for a brief moment before resuming her stance. A slight, annoyed huff left her between punches. "What the hell are you doing in here, Lieutenant?"
Harvey moved near the training mat, leaning back against one of the nearby consoles. He started to correct her about the title again but decided against it. They all seemed comfortable calling him Lieutenant. Titles seemed excessively important to organics. "I'm just paying my respects to the commanding officer."
"Paying respects?" She threw a right cross that knocked the dummy over, the weight at its base thudding against the floor. "You'll make me feel like I'm dead already."
You are.
A slight smirk as he approached. "You said it was safe to move about the cabin. I take it that means the air is clear with Jack?"
Shepard grabbed a towel off the table and dabbed at the beads of sweat on her face and neck. "She's still pissed at you." A quick swig of water. "She's just not in the mood to kill you anymore. If she's anything like me, which I know she is.. that can change." She made a slight beckoning motion with her fingers, eyeing him.
It was a challenge- one he readily answered by stepping onto the mat and assuming a defensive stance. "Well, what do you suggest I do about it?" Harvey stayed out of range for as long as possible as they circled each other. "I can't exactly stay in my quarters forever." Shepard went on the offensive immediately. Three swift punches to his forearms quickly broke his defense. The fourth caught him in the jaw.
She smirked as he recoiled. "No? You seemed pretty comfortable to me."
He lashed out with a small flurry of blows, setting his jaw as Shepard seemed to dodge each one effortlessly. She capitalized on the final failure, rushing in to strike his throat. The clothesline caught him by surprise. Before he knew it, he was winded and on his back, the commander standing over him. He caught his breath before attempting to speak. A dull ache in his throat as he gasped. "I might have been a bit hasty..."
Shepard rested her boot firmly against his chest. A few curls had freed themselves from her bun, spilling onto her forehead. "You're not a fan of admitting when you're wrong, are you?"
The air was electrified as a surge of familiar, golden biotics swept the man's form. Layla made a distasteful clucking noise with her tongue before digging her boot deeper into his chest. "None of that bullshit," she growled. "You fight me like a man, or not at all."
Harvey had only just opened his mouth to offer a retort when the bay doors suddenly opened. It was the turian, Vakarian. He seemed none too pleased to see the Lieutenant, even beneath the commander's boot. "Shepard, we're nearing Haestrom. There's a bit of a.. complication. You should come check this out before we land."
Withdrawing his biotics, Harvey stared up at her. He took a deep breath as she took her weight off of him. "With all due respect commander, you need to take me out there with you. You need the backup."
Layla grabbed her water bottle and took a quick swig. "This is my call. If I say you need to stay here, that's the end of it."
"Shepard-"
"Don't argue with me, Lieutenant," she shot back, grabbing a towel as she moved to follow Garrus. Harvey staggered to his feet, watching them as they left. The turian shot him a warning glare before the door closed. At this rate, he'd never get to analyze Shepard in an actual battle. There had to be a way…
"EDI, where are the emergency exits located?"
