Chapter 9 – The Flames Rise

Victus

Victus headed to Vakarian's room. The suite the younger Turian had found for himself was set up rather like a small apartment. They'd put Shepard and the Drell up in a couple of the extra rooms and still had a room or two left over.

Shepard – what in Spirit's name was he supposed to do with her? He respected/liked her – she'd been instrumental in bringing about the treaty with the Krogan that had saved his planet/his people. He could understand her wanting to stay and find out more about her past. The concept of amnesia was still amazing to him, but a quick check on the net had assured him that it was indeed a real medical condition for humans.

But Shepard was also a symbol for the humans and they weren't going to accept that she was off somewhere hiding, without questions and a search. Something he had no intentions of permitting or getting involved in; but his promise to Vakarian had bound him to provide her, and the young Drell, Kolyat, with sanctuary and protection no matter what. Yet another Vakarian mess as one of his Generals would term it.

Then there was the problem of the bond. Victus had no idea why the younger man had taken Otak, but that he was so sick now was a very bad sign. With Otak, the stronger the bond the worse the reaction.

He slipped into Garrus's room. It was simply furnished – no 'fancy kindling'. There was a crude workbench near the door that Vakarian had obviously set up for his weapons and his armor.

With help from the humans, particularly Whiteson's friend, they'd managed to create a type of turian bed. It wasn't the fanciest thing around, but it certainly beat a cot. Vakarian was lying on the 'jury rigged' (and wasn't that a curious term) mattress. It supported him while having room for his cowl, spurs, fringe, and spinal plates.

Jakan had elevated the bed so the younger man was partially sitting up.

He looked pale and Victus could see the dullness on the skin between his plates. That and the faint scent of infection told him just how sick Vakarian was. Jakan turned at his intrusion.

"How is he?" Victus kept his sub harmonics in check so as not to disturb Vakarian.

"Not well." Jakan was obviously frustrated. "I wish I knew where he got the Otak." The Primarch snorted, Jakan was sometimes more schooling smart than barracks smart.

"Some of the younger ones think taking it can prevent a pregnancy."

It was Jakan's turn to snort. "Hardly. That's what the hormone implants are for."

"For a soldier yes – but it's usually employed with those not serving."

Jakan scowled as he injected something into Vakarian's IV feed. He glanced over at Victus. "Do you think she's telling the truth?"

"Shepard?" At Jakan's hum of agreement. "Yes, she was never one to lie and she seemed very startled at the news of the bond."

"So she didn't want the bond – why in Spirit's name would he take Otak?" Jakan was upset with Vakarian's decision. "Didn't he know how it would effect him."

Remember a couple of talks he'd had with Vakarian, Victus was oddly certain the younger man had known exactly what he was getting in to.

"For a 'bad' Turian in some ways he's very traditional." Victus told him, again remembering some of their conversations on Menae. "You use Otak to sever a bond." Jakan growled at that.

"Watch him, Victus, I need to get some more supplies." With that the doctor left.

Victus settled in a chair. A human chair that a thick pad had been taped to with – fowl tape, he thought he'd heard it called, to make it more comfortable to Turians. He sighed, looking at the young male.

He thought of Vakarian as a friend, a good friend. Not a son – no one would ever take, he swallowed his keen of sorrow, Tarquin's place, but rather like a younger brother.

In fact, Vakarian reminded him, sometimes way too much, of what he'd been like when younger. Head strong, not one to mindlessly follow rules if something could be done easier, faster, or safer, and with a decided attitude. Though Vakarian had raised that attitude to an art form, if some of the sub harmonic rumbles and growls from his command staff were anything to go by.

He also respected what Vakarian had accomplished. His task force had pushed through and implemented procedures that had helped to save Turian lives when the Reapers hit, and he'd been at Shepard's six since the beginning.

Unconsciously Victus was humming in his sub harmonics.

"You still can't sing, Victus." Came a weak rumble as Garrus opened his eyes. If Turians could blush, Victus would have been dark blue. He always forgot his nervous habit.

"Thanks," Victus said dryly. For a moment the two men were quiet.

"Are Kolyat and…and.." Vakarian closed his eyes for an instant and shuddered, and Victus was certain he was hurting. "..she…alright?"

"Yes. The Drell has a sprained arm; but otherwise they're okay."

Vakarian gave a faint hum of amusement. "I warned him she couldn't drive."

"She can't be that bad?"

Vakarian gave another faint chuckle. "Wrex threatened to rip the tires off the Mako and send them out an air lock after one 'mission'."

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Otak?"

"It needed to be done." Vakarian's voice had gone flat.

"She didn't even know you two were bonded." Victus told him.

Vakarian shifted uneasily at that. "I had hoped she wouldn't find out."

"Why?"

Vakarian wouldn't look at him and Victus instantly knew there was far more to this situation than Vakarian was saying. "It will be easier."

"For who?" Victus demanded. "Certainly not you."

"Just easier." Vakarian mumbled, avoiding the question. "Has a human doctor seen her?"

"You told us to go to Dr. Chakwas if we were at Huerta, so I got in touch with her and had her come out." Victus told him. That actually got a smile from the younger man.

"Good, good, Chakwas knows her. That's good…very good."

Victus realized that Vakarian was beginning to ramble. He stood up and touched the pads of his fingers to Vakarian's throat. Hot, too hot even for a Turian. Instantly he got on his omni-tool and called Jakan.

"Jakan, I think he's spiking a flash fever!"

Flash fevers hit in an instant and could raise a Turian's temperature dangerously high in minutes. Turians might be resistant to high temps, but even they had their limits.

Moments later, Jakan charged through the door, supplies in hand, Dr. Chakwas right behind him. Victus stepped back as the two physicians converged on Vakarian.

"Don't go far, Victus. I'm going to need you." Jakan had thrown the supplies on a nearby chair and was now scanning Vakarian as Chakwas instantly got a pair of sterile gloves from her med-kit. Victus wondered if she'd ever dealt with a flash fever. They were dangerous but weren't common, thank the Spirits.

"I'm no doctor." Victus protested.

"No, but I'll need your muscle if he starts struggling. I need my hands free and Doctor Chakwas isn't strong enough to hold him still."

With a trill of agreement, Victus removed his heavy robes just leaving what was basically a fancy suit of under armor. He still thought of himself as more a General than a Primarch.

"What do you need me to do?" Chakwas asked Jakan.

"Clean away some of the dead tissue from his shoulder wound." Jakan told her studying his scanner read out. "Just try to keep the bleeding down. He's lost too much blood as it is and isn't replacing it fast enough."

She nodded. Jakan changed places with her so she could reach Vakarian's shoulder. She carefully pulled free the stained bandage and Victus heard her gasp at the weeping, infected wound it revealed. Victus gagged on the smell of rot and even Jakan let out a dismayed huff.

"What, how?" Despite her shock, she got a cleansing pad from Jakan's supplies and started to gently clean away the fluids from the dead and rotting tissue. Vakarian moaned, and for a second his eyes flickered open and he looked up at her.

"Hey Doc." His voice was faint and raspy.

"Hey Garrus. Trying to make work for me, again?" She was, Victus realized, joking with him while she continued to carefully work on his shoulder.

"Can't let you get out of practice." Came the barely audible answer and Vakarian passed out again.

Jakan was working on the wound in his side. It had started to ooze blood again, though, at least, it wasn't infected.

Victus had to admire the human doctor. Though Turians weren't her normal patients, she had obviously learned how to tend to one. She knew what supplies to use, was very gentle with Vakarian while using just enough force to get the job done, and what to do or not do

"Is this his bond mark?" She'd cleaned away enough necrotic tissue to reveal part of the small, rather shallow mark.

Realizing that Jakan was too involved in what he was doing to answer, Victus spoke up.

"Yes. The stronger the bond the more Otak affects all those things connected with it. Bond marks become infected and will eventually slough away, there is pain, and just a general sickness."

She looked up, concerned. "Will Shepard be affected, Primarch?"

"No, she didn't have any of the drug."

"What the hell was he thinking? The only time he was near suicidal were those times when he thought he'd lost her." Chakwas had taken a small scalpel and was now removing some of the older dead tissue being very careful to avoid any viable tissue.

"I've been asking that myself, Doctor." Victus noticed then that Vakarian's muscles were starting to tense and he moved up to the bedside, afraid that the younger man was going to start thrashing.

"Careful, I think he's about…

Victus was cut off as Vakarian groaned and tried to roll away from Chakwas. Instantly the older man got a hand on Vakarian's good shoulder and the left side of his chest and held him down. Using his body, judiciously, to trap the younger man's right arm.

Restrained, Vakarian upped his struggles. Forcing Chakwas to back away before she inadvertently cut him, and even Jakan had to step back.

Even weakened the younger man was a handful for Victus. Distantly he wondered if he would have been able to handle him if Vakarian hadn't been so sick.

"His wound is starting to bleed." Chakwas exclaimed. Despite the danger of Vakarian's talons she got in close to get a gauze pad on it. Trying to use her body as Victus had to trap Vakarian's other arm. She didn't lack for courage.

"Jakan, you better do something or he's going to bleed to death." Victus growled as he fought with Vakarian.

Shepard

Chakwas had stepped outside to make a call to Joker to let him know that she, Shepard, was okay. She left Shepard and Kolyat looking at each other. Unsure of what to say.

"Chakwas tells me that I knew your father?" She ventured finally.

Kolyat nodded. "Yes, he was one of your crew when you stopped the Collectors." He paused, "you also helped him to reconcile with me."

"I did?" That was unexpected but it was nice to hear that her legacy wasn't just about shooting things and people.

"Could, would you tell me about him, and you, and everything that you know?" She'd seen the young Drell flinch slightly as he mentioned the reconciliation and wasn't sure if he'd want to.

With a small nod, Kolyat began to talk. Interspersed with those strange spells of remembrance. He talked for over an hour.

"I am sorry for your loss, Kolyat. Sorry too that I don't remember your father." She told him.

"You gave him purpose in his last years and you gave us back to each other." Kolyat gave her a small smile.

"Funny, in some ways that seems somehow more important than killing the Reapers."

"We are defined by all that we do, all we effect, all that we alter." He told her.

"You are growing into a very wise young man." She smiled at him. She didn't know if Drell blushed but it seemed as if the skin on his throat got a bit darker at that.

Just then Chakwas finally came back in. She looked tired, her fatigues had splashes of an inky blue on them (Turian blood, Shepard realized), and a strange sicky sweet smell clung to her.

"I called Joker, he'll pass the word onto Alenko and the Alliance that you're safe…" Chakwas began. "Also put you down for medical leave for…"

"Vakarian?" Shepard demanded, interrupting her. Chakwas frowned.

"He's very ill, Jess." Chakwas sighed. "The Otak has weakened his system too much for him to recover easily."

"What can I.." She looked at Kolyat who nodded. "…we do?"

"Nothing. As long as that damnable drug is in his system – nothing!"

"Filter it out?"

"That we could." Chakwas said. "Apparently it's hard to filter out at the best of times and now he wouldn't survive a complete change out of his blood to remove it, on top of that it tends to collect in certain tissues, making it even harder to remove."

Something seemed to occur to her and she moved over to the bed and pulled down the neck of Shepard's fatigues on the left side, revealing a large flat scar.

"Damn!"

"Damn what? What are you looking at?" Shepard tried to stare down her nose at her own shoulder.

"Your bond mark.." She tapped Shepard's shoulder with a finger. "It's gone."

"Bond mark?"

"Turians bite their mates – sort of a really painful version of a wedding ring." Chakwas explained. "Garrus bit you and you bit him." She paused and smiled ruefully," though I still don't know how you managed to get through his hide."

"Maybe the explosion?" Jess felt the scar on her shoulder.

"No! Before the Alliance moved you, I saw it under your bandages. This has been done recently."

"Damn!" It was Jess's turn to swear. Bad enough to keep her in the dark but to remove any signs of this connection she had with Vakarian. If she hadn't been angry before now she was furious.

"Probably Renfield giving the orders." Chakwas grumbled.

Mentally, Jess promised herself a long talk with Hackett as soon as she was able and he was available. It was no use talking to Renfield; he'd just pull rank on her. Sometimes she had the feeling that he thought of her as some grade schooler, needing guidance and protection.

Guidance, her left eyebrow.

Her mental fuming was interrupted by a sharp, raspy…snort?..sneeze? She glanced over in surprise to see Kolyat holding a hand to his mouth.

"Kolyat, what was that?" Chakwas started to walk over.

"Nothing, Doctor. Merely an involuntary clearing of my sinus cavities." On the heels of that explanation came another sneeze.

Before the young Drell could move, Chakwas was scanning him.

He let out two more of those snort/sneezes as she was.

"As I thought." Chakwas looked at the results. "You've got Shi'est."

"No, Doctor, I'm sure you are mistaken." Kolyat protested. Apparently, avoidance of doctors was universal.

"No, I'm not." Chakwas stated, getting a hand under his arm to get him out of the chair. "Your father caught it. With his condition it was far more serious, but you should be over this in a day or so."

"I've been around no one who is ill." Kolyat exclaimed.

"You were on the Citadel." Chakwas pointed out. "Who knows what's lurking up there."

"What's Shi'est?" Shepard asked as Kolyat was pulled reluctantly to his feet.

"I guess you'd call it the Drell version of the common cold." As the older woman started guiding Kolyat out of the room. "Funny, seems like every species has some version of an annoying, usually non fatal, no one can figure out a cure, disease. Come on, Kolyat, a couple of days of bed rest and you'll be just fine."

"This is most unnecessary and undignified." Jess heard Kolyat muttering under his breath only to be interrupted by more sneezes.