Ten

The car coming from the opposite side of the bridge is screaming towards us. Ashley, who hasn't been driving long is panicking in the drivers seat. The bridge has never exactly been safe and is only wide enough for one car at a time and it's our right of way. But the car on the other side seems to have completely disregarded it and at the speed it's going I suspect it's up to no good. Ashley slows the car but the other driver seems to speed up. It's on a collision course with us and as we meet Ashley is forced to throw the car to one side in the hope that the other car will scrape by. Instead it comes slamming past my side, throwing me sideways towards Ashley and knocking Ashley against the window frame of her partly opened window. The force is enough to send us through the wooden railings of the bridge and plunging into the water below.

The bridge is over the narrowest part of a wide lake and is a shortcut for anyone who dares take it. Since people are usually extra careful on it, Ashley didn't think anything like this would ever happen when she chose to go down it.

The lake is pretty damn deep and the moment the car sinks down, water immidiately begins to pour through the open window.

'Ash!' I yell urgently as I unclip my seatbelt and struggle to do hers. She doesn't respond and when I pull her to look at me I realise she's been knocked out. Panic floods through me as I try to think of a way out for both of us or at least for her. The window isn't open enough to fit through so that's out. When I throw my weight against my door that proves useless to. Before I know it the water is up to my neck and I haven't thought of a way out. I try smashing my feet against my window, against the windshield even though I know that's not going to help.

As the water finally closes over my head, I swim to the back of the car, knowing the back windows can be rolled down rather than controlled automatically. For some reason I can't do it, the handle won't budge. Fear grips me as I think of Ashley who wasn't able to take a breath like me when the water filled the car.

With my own air running out I'm trying not to panic anymore than I already am as I look desperately around for anything that could help. And then I mentally kick myself.

Idiot, Shepard, I think angrily.

Biotics. That's the way out of this. I've always tried to not use my abilities for the knowledge of the problems it would cause me but right now I have no choice. Not if I want to get us out of this.

Summoning the energy in me, I concentrate hard on creating a biotic ball and when it's as strong as I can make it I turn and blast it through my side of the car. To my relief it works, tearing the car's metal away and making a hole just big enough.

I take Ashley's hands and then swim through the hole, pulling her gently out after me. When we're free of the car I pull her into my arms and speed us upwards with the help of my biotic charge.

Finally we break the surface and I breath in heavy lungfuls of air gratefully as I swim us to the shore. The other car is nowhere in sight and it makes me angry. But not for long. I quickly turn to Ashley when she starts coughing and spluttering and I gently roll her so she expels the water onto the grass rather than choke on it. When she quietens down, she opens her eyes for a brief second and then passes out again. I check her pulse, it's still going.

The world suddenly reels around me and I collapse next to Ashley, passing out from exhaustion...

When I come to, I'm in hospital. Panic hits me again for a moment, mostly because I fear they may pick up on the biotics in my body but I'm soon put at ease when I'm told I'm fine and no further tests need to be run.

Ashley will be ok to but she does need more treatment than I do. She also doesn't remember anything after the other car slammed into us. Since they found me unconscious, I tell them I don't remember anything either after getting hit. What remains a mystery is a good thing for me.

'Think you'll ever tell her the truth?' Kaidan asks me at one point.

'Maybe. If it ever seems necessary. For now let her put it in her past. Just like I will.'