Another one so fast? Yeah, apparently. I just wanted to write this, just wanted to move on.
It's a short one, as meant to.
First darkness, then her eyes were flooded with light. Tali was laying on something soft, a bed. The lights became less bright, and her eyes were again able to see things, to recognize shapes. She looked around, seeing she was in medbay. She did not remember being brought there. In fact, she did not remember much at all, after being struck by the husk… Understandable reason; the creature hit hard.
Tali moved her hand to her temple, right to the spot where the creature had struck. She flinched as her fingers touched it. Carefully her fingers explored the area, outlining the size of the bruise, which was quite large.
"Tali," someone, a feminine voice called to her. Tali tried to turn her head towards the voice, but found her neck stiff, and hurting. Luckily, the owner of the voice came into her view. The ship's doctor, Doctor Chakwas. "Glad to see you are well," she said with a smile.
"W-what happened?" Tali asked the Doctor, and found her voice rasp, her throat coarse.
"You were hit," the Doctor responded, slightly tilting her head, like weighing Tali's condition.
"You mean the husk?"
Chakwas nodded. "Yes... Do you remember that?"
Lowering her gaze from the Doctor, Tali's head did a small nod. "Yes...About the only thing I do."
"Hmm..." Chakwas muttered, now datapad in hand. She tapped the datapad with her fingers. "The Commander told me that you stayed conscious the entire mission. You don't remember anything else?"
Tali closed her eyes, trying to remember. She recalled something about a hand...a hand on her...Warmth on her face...Funny... She smiled sheepishly under the glass; it was funny that she only remembered that, and not the other battle... "I, um, I only remember Shepard walking me..." She wasn't exactly lying, just telling it the different way...
"It's all right. I didn't expect you to remember much else-"
The owner of the hand. Out of the blue, Tali asked, interrupting Chakwas: "Is Shepard all right?"
Chakwas lifted her gaze from the datapad, giving Tali a weird look, frowning. "He is," she answered. "Doesn't have a scratch on him."
Tali sighed in relief. "That's good to hear."
Still staring at her strangely, the Doctor replied: "Yes, it is. Actually, Shepard asked me to tell him the moment you wake up."
"Yes... He'll probably want to ask me something."
"Maybe," Doctor Chakwas replied mysteriously, still frowning slightly. She turned to leave. "I'll get him. Please don't try to get up."
Tali nodded, and Chakwas disappeared through the medbay's door.
Without even noticing, Tali began biting her lip nervously, her fingers fumbling under the sheets, her eyes wandering. She always found herself nervous when about to meet him, for she didn't want to do anything wrong, to disappoint him. Her head sunk, she hoped she hadn't. She had been careless, and because of her foolishness, was now hurt. The disapproving figure of her father entered her mind, shaking his finger at her, his voice sounding in her head, telling her how he had known, telling how foolish she was. How she should have listened to him, how he was disappointed.
Her eyes closed, and she quietly sighed. She knew her father's words.
And wished she didn't know Shepard's.
…
The large door opened, and in stepped Commander Shepard. His eyes searched the room, then found her. A smile appeared on his face, as he saw her sitting upright in her bed. "Hi."
Seeing his smile, a small one came to Tali's face as well. Her father lingered in her mind, sinking the feeling. "Hi, Shepard," she greeted him, her voice quieter than his.
"How are you doing?" Shepard asked, his hands resting on his belt.
"I'm alright," she replied, the smile now larger. She gently closed her eyes, and touched her bruised temple. "My head hurts though."
"Yeah, well..." Shepard began, a sympathetic smile still on his face. "Getting hit in the head tends to do that."
Tali's head sunk. "It seems so."
"Well, uh..." Shepard began, his gaze wandering, seemingly nervous. "I, uh...I guess I should go... You probably want your own space."
He turned to leave, Tali staring after him. She didn't want him to leave. Did he think so? She recalled one time she hadn't wished to talk with him, she had wished to be alone, to think. Perhaps he remembered that as well? Now was different, she didn't want him to go... She actually never did. But why would he care? Shouldn't he ask her about the mission, about her actions, her lack of action?
Maybe it was her? Maybe he didn't wish to talk to her, maybe he was upset, angry? She had disappointed him... Her head sunk, all remnants of the smile vanishing. "Are you angry at me?" she asked quietly.
Shepard turned around. "Well, it depends on what you've done..." he replied.
Tali quietly sighed. "I...I was careless. I got hurt. I could have gotten others hurt." She crossed her hands, staring at her six fingers, all wrapped around each other. "I'm sorry."
Arms crossed, Shepard tilted his head. "You're quite self-flagellating."
For a reason. Her head still held low, she sighed. "Someone could have gotten hurt."
"Nobody was."
"But someone could have been!" she snapped, her head rising. She was sorry immediately after, shaking her head, sinking it again. "I-I'm sorry, Shepard...But it's just.." Why wasn't he angry? Why didn't he scold her? He had every reason to; she had been careless, reckless... Someone could have been hurt. Why? "Why are you so understanding towards me?" From the corner of her eye, she saw Shepard's head lower. "You saved me from Saren, took me on this ship...Gave me access to everything..." All these events flashed before her eyes as she recalled them. "I yelled at you at Feros and you weren't angry... You came to see me after Feros... I-I don't understand... W-why?"
Silence descended into the room. He didn't answer to her. Slowly, his head came back up. "I don't know."
He turned, and left. Leaving her to her devices.
She merely stared after him, in confusion, not understanding. What did he mean? He didn't know? He did not know why he treated her so fairly? Why did he not know? How couldn't he know?
Too many questions, none she had answers for.
Why?
…