Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, this belongs to Bioware. Please enjoy.

Chapter 8: Reach.

Flesh being torn from the bone. Wires wrapping round tissue and fat. Gears grinding and roaring monsters. Choking darkness and burning heat. Numbing pain and inky shadows. Haunting images plastering her eyes, screams of fear filled her ears.

Vixen woke with a start; her heart pounding in her chest, sweat slid down her face and back as her took deep calming breaths. Her eyes darting about as dark smudged images dotted her vision. She wasn't on Eden Prime anymore; the wind that rushed through her hair was no longer blowing. The soft touch of grass didn't greet her feet as she walked along the fertile land. The scent and sounds of gun fire left her. No this room had dense sterile air, the taste of antiseptic tingled down her tongue. Beeping drummed against her ears and something hard could be felt against her back. Vixen swallowed a lump that grew in her throat as the images became sharper with each gulp of air she took.

Calm down Vixen, you're not back in that room…Vixen told herself, she recognised the room. The familiar beds that were neatly made and waiting for bloody soldiers to mess up their clean sheets. The trays with orderly scattered instruments meant for medical use, lay near the cabinets of files holding every bit of medical data a doctor would need. She was in the Med-bay of the Normandy. How she got there she was still trying to work out but as she moved to sit up, pain coursed through her body like a rally driver going round a race track.

"Commander, you shouldn't be moving" A woman's voiced called from across the room. As Vixen turned her head, Doctor Chakwas the resident doctor of the Normandy came walking over wearing her famous mothering scowl across her wrinkled features. Vixen hissed as her side screamed with protest as she turned on her side. Chakwas' scowled deepened on her features as she helped Vixen ease back down on to the bed.

"You won't be moving for some time yet young lady, you've lost a lot of blood and if it wasn't for your…little friends…you would be dead." Chakwas told her as she checked over Vixen's body as if she was looking over a master piece of art.

"But I…Ouch…had to get to Nih…Ouch!" Vixen bit on her lip to try and keep the pain to a minimum but with Chakwas' poking and the sterile air touching her wounds as Chakwas removed the bandages. Chakwas let out a sigh as she stood up and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Yes but you have to look after yourself Commander, I know what the Council has you doing and I'm less than impressed." Chakwas went back to her desk to pick up a data pad while Vixen looked at her dumbfounded.

"H…How did you know…"

"Doctors can access highly classified information for medical purposes…Don't worry I haven't told anybody, not even Anderson. Your little-well very big-secret is safe with me" Chakwas explained giving Vixen a wink. Vixen was still in shock, the doctor was sneakier than she looked. But then the events on Eden Prime came crashing back to her like a sea tide.

"Nihlus…Where is he?" Vixen begged but the Doctor held up her hands in order to make Vixen lie back down.

"He's alright Commander" Chakwas pointed to the bed next to Vixen. When Vixen turned her head her breath caught in her throat. Nihlus lay still on the bed with tubes running out of his mouth like they were extensions of his mandibles. A sheet covered his naked body while a bandaged was wrapped round his head in the best possible fashion. Blue blood stained the white linen and his eyes were closed. Vixen wanted to jump out of her bed and run over to check on him but her own injuries prevented her from doing so. She felt so caged by the pain that she wanted to scream in anger; there he was lie only a few feet away and she could do anything. The beeping from earlier was a heart monitor, beeping with each beat of his heart. His chest rose and fell steadily and Vixen only wanted to run to his side more and tell him to wake up.

"He's alright Commander but I'm afraid he's in a coma" Chakwas told her. Vixen felt like her whole world cracked and began to fall apart. A coma, that was worse than death. Living but not, not knowing when they will wake. Vixen's throat tightened, did her biotics do this? She wasn't fast enough. She wasn't good enough.

"Commander, what you did with your biotics saved his life. You steamed the blood flow long enough so that it gave me time to operate and help the wound start to heal." Chakwas told her as if she was reading her mind. But Vixen didn't care, as she kept her eyes on Nihlus' still form all she could think about was the look in his half lidded eyes as she held him close. How he tucked that stray strand of hair behind her ear, the way his talons felt on her skin. Vixen found herself reaching out towards Nihlus' body, her fingers outstretched as if she was trying to reach for life itself.

"Nih…" Her voice whispered and choked as she held back what tears she could feel welling up in her eyes. Chakwas walked between the two beds and gave her a stern but understanding look.

"I can't allow this for long because of the bullet wounds to your arm, Commander but…" Chakwas reached over and took Nihlus' hand from his side and put it within Vixen's. Vixen smiled as she felt his rough skin on her palm.

"…Thank you" Vixen croaked out as she looked at Chakwas. Chakwas smiled in return and nodded before leaving the couple to return to her desk. Vixen looked back at Nihlus as she held his hand; she ran her thumb along his two plated knuckles as his fingers fell limply in her grasp. Vixen fought to hold the tears that wanted, so badly, to spill from her eyes. He was alive, he kept his promise and she kept hers that was the important thing.

Time pasted and Vixen couldn't remember how long she had been led there holding Nihlus' limp hand in her soft grasp but it seemed like hours. Watching him breathe, the way his plates moved against his leathery skin, the way his mandibles flicked out slightly only gave her more hope that he would wake up soon. But when Chakwas came back to break the connection they had it only felt like seconds. Chakwas looked at the injuries on Vixen's arm with an intense gaze and Vixen felt like she was a science experiment once again. Then the Chakwas pulled out a packet of medi-gel and carefully caked one of the shallower wounds that littered her arm.

"Taking thirty one bullets to your person isn't good for your health you know" Chakwas muttered. Vixen managed to crack a half smile for the doctor before it slowly faded away.

"I've taken worse" She croaked back, her mouth felt like something had crawled in and decided to die. It tasted and felt awful, the next thing she knew Chakwas had moved to her side and placed a glass of water near her chapped lips. Vixen drank like a greedy child until the taste of vomit and blood had left her mouth only leaving strange cotton like feel in her mouth.

"I don't doubt…but…" As Chakwas was about to give her another lecture the doors of the med bay opened. Vixen looked over as Anderson and Kaidan strode through. Anderson was the first to reach her bed and Vixen could tell from the way he instantly reached out and grabbed her hand, that he had been worried for some time. Vixen managed a small smile as Anderson looked into her eyes and his aged face wrinkled into his caring natured smile.

"It's good to see you awake, Commander. How are you feeling?" Anderson asked as Kaidan came into view. He seemed to be battling with something inside by the way his eyes connected with each bandage and wound that covered Vixen's body but Vixen wanted to move from his gaze, she was feeling more and more like a science experiment every second those eyes stuck to her body.

"I've felt better" Vixen responded. Anderson nodded before patting Vixen's shoulder lightly. Vixen gritted her teeth so not to scream in pain.

"How is she Doctor?" Anderson asked. Vixen pouted as Anderson smiled.

"Fine, don't believe me" Vixen muttered.

"She will be alright in a few days Captain. She will be fine when we get to the Citadel however" Chakwas explained.

"What about Nihlus?" Anderson asked sparing a glance towards the shirtless Turian. Vixen looked back over to Nihlus, feeling her grip on Anderson's hand tighten slightly as a new lump formed in her throat. Anderson glanced down at Vixen and gave her a reassuring smile.

"We'll have to transport him to a hospital as soon as we get to the Citadel, but I've done all I can" Chakwas spoke. Vixen felt like a third wheel in this conversation as she watched the words tumble out of their lips. She barely heard any of the conversation, whatever meds Chakwas had put her on were working their way through her system, her eyelids felt heavy but she concentrated on the rough sensation that still tingled on her palm.

"…Shepard, about the beacon. It blew up. After it did whatever it did to you, the thing went haywire" Anderson explained. Vixen hadn't thought about the beacon until he mentioned it, well there goes the mission.

"I did notice some strange readings in your R.E.M sleep, associated with intense dreaming" Chakwas gave her a side long look. Vixen closed her eyes and the images flashed before her mind. Feeling her heart skip she opened her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I see images…of death I guess but that's it" Vixen wanted to shut down but the ever pressing eyes of Kaidan on her form. She felt like she was drowning. Anderson nodded and turned to Kaidan.

"Alenko, go and check in with Joker. I want to know how long it will be until we reach the Citadel" Anderson ordered before turning back to Vixen. Kaidan saluted but sent Vixen an apologetic look, Vixen nodded-as best she could-in thanks and understanding but when Kaidan slowly walked away with a look of self-eternal damnation, Vixen had to roll her eyes. Anderson offered a soft smile before marching out of the door and back to his small cabin. Vixen rested back into her bed, as uncomfortable it was it was still a bed and her body was crying out for sleep. But she needed to do something before the Citadel, knowing Anderson he would go straight to that worm Udina (as he should because he was the Ambassador) But Vixen knew that if Udina got his greasy hands on any information he would twist it for his own gain and if he found out that Vixen was the one that led the team he might blow an artery…that might not be too bad actually. Vixen needed to get to the communication room as soon as possible…without Chakwas noticing.

Her thoughts turned to the Citadel, that glistening sliver space station that she called home. It would be good to see it again but she would miss the Normandy, she had grown attached to this ship in a way she couldn't put into words, it was like she knew that this ship would do great things and more than anything she wanted to be at the helm. She wouldn't mind flying it but with Joker already calling it his baby…well that opinion was already out the window. Thinking of the Citadel and its gleaming towers, she wondered if Saren would be there. She needed to tell him about Nihlus, she needed someone to talk to who would just listen. She wanted his arms round her body again as his semi-warm plates pressed against her scared and broken skin. But she needed to tell him…everything. Soon sleep took over and even though she tried to resist and place her gaze back on Nihlus' still body, her eyes closed and her body went back into the floating choking darkness that demanded to haunt her dreams.

)_)

Vixen's eyes fluttered open again; the room was covered in a dim lit darkness. At first Vixen thought that she hadn't woken up at all but her daze was broken by the soft beeping of the heart monitor told her where she was. With a sigh she sat up, her body ached and protested as she willed each muscle to move and do its job. She felt like she about to carry a half a ton weight as she moved and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

Come on Vixen, you can do this She thought to herself as she took a deep breath and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Pain shot through her body like a bolt of lightning but Vixen gritted her teeth and pressed on. Slowly she stood up with her aching body screaming in pain, she looked back at Nihlus and gave a soft smile.

"Wish me luck Nih" She whispered before shakily stepping forward and began walking towards the door. A quick glance at Chakwas' desk told Vixen that the time was after one o'clock in the morning and that the skeleton crew would be about. No problem. Slowly walking out the med-bay she looked round the coast was clear but eerily dimly lit. The faint blue glow lit the table and chairs that stood idle while the hiss of the sleeper pods rattled through the void. Vixen bit her lip and stumbled towards the stairs that led to the CIC.

When the doors opened with a soft hiss, Vixen looked round the immediate area, only a sleeping communications officer was around. Vixen rolled her eyes, some crew the Normandy had. She made her way over, sticking to the darkness of the shadows. When the doors opened she quickly walked in, again the door was dimly lit and the chairs that stood in a circle reminded her of an old movie she once saw.

Vixen hobbled down to the communications hub and brought up the screen. Inputting the person she wanted to talk to she hoped he was still awake and not in a bad mood…If he's in a bad mood…well I do owe…him a favour.

"Joker…you there" Vixen whispered into the radio.

"Vix? You should be in the med bay" Joker's voice crackled over the radio. Vixen smiled; trust Joker to burn midnight oil.

"Yeah, I need you to set up the com to this address." Vixen said.

"Alright, let me guess you want this striped from the ship's records and computer" Joker offered.

"You know me so well sweetie" Vixen spoke in a sing song voice, Joker scoffed but Vixen watched as the terminal in front of her lit up. After a few seconds the blue frame of the Turian councillor Sparatus appeared before her. Sparatus' eyes widened when he saw her and Vixen smiled as best she could.

"Shepard…What in the name of the Damned Spirits happened to you" Sparatus looked as if he was about to almost fall out of his chair. Vixen grimaced as she realised that she hadn't covered up the bandages and exposed wounds. The paper dress didn't offer much cover either.

"Eden Prime sir" Vixen offered. Sparatus' eyes widened again and Vixen thought they were going to pop out of his plated head.

"Eden Prime? Udina just sent me a report on the matter and is demanding an audience with the council" Sparatus looked down at a data pad as he released a growl. Vixen knew Anderson had sent a report to Udina but she didn't know Udina worked that fast.

"I'm betting that it doesn't contain very much but the ramblings of a dockworker about Saren" Vixen mused.

"It also doesn't mention you being injured or even on the mission…luckily I've been getting reports from Nihlus, which surprisingly have good spelling of human names." Sparatus gave a ghost of a smile. Vixen smirked; she should have known the reason why Nihlus had her doing his reports.

"But you are correct, Saren's name is practically plastered all over this reports…along with what I think is Udina's spit." Sparatus grimaced.

"I thought it would be better if I gave you my report, so that you have the details" Vixen offered. Sparatus nodded whilst clicking the button for the Vixen's voice to record her report. Vixen started telling Sparatus all about what happened on Eden prime from the time when Jenkins fell to the time when the Beacon showed her the images. Sparatus listened to very word, mulling it over in his mind. That's what Vixen liked about Sparatus; he listened to everything that was given.

"Hmm…I see. I will forward this to the other councillors. Thank you Vixen, this will help in us making a decision. But you are sure that you didn't see Saren there at all" Sparatus asked. Vixen nodded.

"Positive, the only witness was a dockworker that Williams and Alenko found…Sparatus, Saren is a well-known Turian. Who else better to blame for leading the Geth although it would be unusual to say the least" Vixen thought it over in her mind. What would Saren or the Geth want with the Beacon if it only gave nightmares?

"True enough. But these images the Beacon gave you…I can say that the Beacon gave you information but maybe about something useless but these images concern me Vixen. I As soon as you arrive at the Citadel I want you to report straight to me" Sparatus ordered. Vixen nodded and with that the image of another Turian friend faded back into the darkness. Vixen started to walk out of the room, mulling over what she needed to do once she got back to the Citadel and what the other councillors would say about her report.

The med bay doors opened and to Vixen's relief Chakwas hadn't come back from the sleeper pod. Vixen took the chance, her mind still racing with thoughts and those creepy visions, she wandered over to Nihlus' bed and took his hand into her hers again. The feeling of rough plates against her rough skin brought a calm feeling she hadn't felt in a long time, she wished she could cling to it but Vixen learnt long ago that you were never safe no matter how hard you tried. Her eyes flicked over his face, he looked so peaceful and the way his mandibles flicked about was too cute that she couldn't keep a smile off her lips.

"I wish you could tell me Nih. But I swear I will hunt down whoever shot you…and I will kill them slowly, painfully. I will make them pay until they breathe their last breath" Vixen vowed as her biotics began to flow across her body like a raging fire. Her grip on his hand tightened slightly, she knew Nihlus would tell her that doing so would only be killing herself but then she would argue that no one hurts her friends…least of all those who she loved. Bending down, Vixen kissed his forehead, he felt warm giving her hope again that he would wake up. Slipping her hand away from his, Vixen backed off towards her bed and rolled back under the thin covers. She wished she could get her other blanket from the research room but then Chakwas would know she had been walking around, she didn't need another mothering lecture.

As sleep decided to take Vixen once again into the haunting depths of the images the Beacon wished to show her. She missed Nihlus' hand closing, reaching for the hand that was just here.

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