"Commander, the Illusive Man wishes to speak to you."
Shepard grunted discontentedly as Kelly relayed the message. She hated talking to that douche. He was pretentious and evasive and claimed to have the interests of mankind, but she knew there were probably thousands of things he kept secret; their designated seer not the least of them. Shepard knew that his goon had probably made a report by now, and the Illusive Man was probably calling to bitch.
The commander strode into the vid-com room, and started the sequence that brought her employer and his creepy eyes the life.
"Shepard, Kai Leng says you have something that belongs to me."
"Oh I didn't know you were in the business of slavery." Shepard quipped.
"The Oracle is too valuable to be gallivanting around the galaxy unrestricted. She needs proper medication and observation to be truly effective." He spit vehemently.
"You mean she needs to be doped up on lethal drugs, and scrutinized by scientists while she stays in a state of unconsciousness? Do you even know 'The Oracle's' name? Do you know anything about her past, or the hell she's endured only to be thrown into a future where she's had to endure the same? Sorry to disappoint you, but you gave me control of my ship and my crew, and Audrea is part of my crew."
"I know plenty about Ms. Cox, more than you in fact. I'm fully aware of her past, and I even tracked most of her decedents to present day. Sadly, all the ones we knew of were colonists on Freedom's Progress." He didn't seem to be too sad about it. "And who exactly do you think put together your dossiers?"
"Oh, you with all your magnanimous generosity. It still doesn't change the fact that it is my team."
"I may have, put names on a computer, but it was Audrea's visions that lead me to them. Each person on your team is there because they played a part in the Oracle's dreams."
This stunned Shepard, and she paced to cover it up. She'd always wondered how he had come up with such a strange list. They had an eclectic group, and they were all due to Rea's visions?
"Didn't it ever peak your interest how you arrived on Omega to save Garrus, just in time?"
"I knew you knew who Archangel really was." Shepard barked in a satisfied manner. "But I don't care about any of that, she stays with us."
The Illusive man was silent, letting the seconds tick by.
"Fine, Shepard. Have it your way, we were using her talents to enhance yours. But don't think that as soon as you've stopped the collectors, I'm not going to retrieve her. Oh, and you should be interested to know that Kai Leng is the progeny of someone she knew in her own time. Ask her about General Cho some time."
Shepard had already heard the story, and it took a fair amount of her self-control to not pull her pistol and shoot at the image. The prick was just giving her even more reasons why she wouldn't hand Audrea over.
"Now, we need to talk about Horizon."
"I've actually already sent a warning, the colonists should be evacuating."
"Mmm, she had that vision again then. Keep the Oracle safe Shepard. I don't need to tell you what a disaster it would be if the enemy got ahold of her and indoctrinated her."
He cut the connection without further proliferation, and Shepard left the vid-com room loudly vocalizing what a prick he was.
Break
A few days had passed since Tali had been injured at Delphi, and the small infection she had started with had turned into full blown sepsis. The antibiotics weren't working on whatever nasty microbe that she had picked up from the edge of Kai Leng's sword. Now she lay supinated on a bed in the med-bay, with Dr. Chakwas fussing over her grimly.
"I think we may lose her Shepard." The doctor warned ominously.
"Isn't there anything we can do? I can't lose Tali, I just can't. Not like this."
"There is one last thing we can try, but it may or may not work. I don't believe it's ever been attempted before, but it would be ground breaking if she's successful."
"She?"
"Yes, Audrea came to me with the solution when she learned Tali's condition was degrading."
Shepard turned to the dark haired woman who was perched on a stool by Tali's bed. Her green eyes were half hooded in contemplation as she gazed at the Quarian.
"Rea?" Shepard prompted, when Audrea didn't offer her explination.
"Oh, yes, well…Tali's body is obviously not working to fight off the infection, so I'm going to be her immune system for her."
"Come again?" Shepard asked.
"Humans produce different kinds of lymphocytes to battle all the nasty bugs we pick up. Basically there are two main subgroups, which work together to both kill infection and to build a 'memory' so it is attacked sooner the next time the body sees it. Quarians lack one of the subgroups of lymphocytes, which is why they're more susceptible. Tali's body is failing right now, her system can't keep up, so I'd like to use my biotics to filter the antigens out."
Shepard stared at her, not believing she was serious. She looked at Chakwas with the question apparent on her face.
"You can't be serious."
"This may be her only chance Commander. Septic shock will set in soon, blood flow is already showing signs of slowing, soon it will be a toss-up of what happens first, renal failure, cardiac arrest, or respiratory failure." Doctor Chakwas said clinically, but her voice was thick with concern.
"How dangerous is it?"
"Very. I don't think anything like this has ever been tried. It will take extremely fine control, but Rea's biotics could potentially put the electrical system of Tali's heart askew, or a bit of her fields could break off and filter in with her blood, tearing her veins up as her heart pumps. A thousand things could go wrong, but we don't have a choice. If we do nothing, she will die in the next twenty four hours. "
Shepard leveled her gaze on Audrea, who had been silent as Dr. Chakwas pleaded their case.
"You're sure you can do this?"
"No, I'm not. I'm not even sure if it will work, but it's as Chakwas said, we're out of options and Tali is dying."
"Explain to me your plan."
"Well, simply put, we have to clear up the bacteria in her bloodstream first. I'll put up two microscopic fields in her pulmonary artery. The de-oxygenated blood will be heaviest there, and it will be easier to differentiate the erythrocytes from the bacteria. While I have the fields up, the doctor will insert a shunt so I can expunge the microbes from her body as I filter them through the field. I'll use the natural beat of her heart to move the blood through the fields, so basically all I'll have to do is skim her blood, and maintain control of my fields."
"Fine, I don't like using Tali as a guinea pig, but I'm hearing from both of you we don't have a choice."
The two physicians set to preparing for their strange procedure.
"I'll check on you when I get back; I have to take a team down to Horizons surface, they ignored our warning."
Rea looked up at Shepard, a strange look on her face.
"Commander…whatever he says to you, don't take it personally."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"My dreams aren't like watching a movie, Shepard. I just know Kaiden is going to say something that you're not going to like. Just take it with a grain of salt. People act differently when they're taken by surprise. "
Shepard's eyebrows furrowed as her long legs carried her out of the med bay. She compartmentalized her worry for Tali away, and focused on her mission.
In the med bay, Audrea had her own mission to fulfill. Soon they had the room scrubbed as aseptically as they could, and they were cleaned, wrapped and gloved. Chakwas opened Tali's suit around her chest as Rea settled onto a stool next to the bed. She leveled her breathing in partial meditation, and placed her hands near Tali's heart, slightly above. Carefully she raised the biotic fields in the artery. It took careful precision to put the filter in a 3 cm. area, but she was successful, and she took a moment to let her senses adjust to the Quarian's body. Rea breathed steadily until their heart beats were slow and in sync, and then called for Chakwas to insert the shunt.
Everything was working smoothly so far, and Rea allowed herself to get lost in the rhythm of her filtering. Thane had spoken to her before of his battle sleep, and she had understood immediately what he meant. She might not be a furious warrior, but she had waged her own wars on ailing bodies.
Soon Rea was lost in her own battle of healing.
Break
Shepard was back from Horizon and the Collectors had come and gone, with most of the colonists. A few had headed the warning, so there were a half dozen families that had made it away before the attack. Rea had been correct when she said Kaiden was going to piss her off. She had hoped that seeing her friend after so long would be a joyous reunion, but no such luck.
She made her way back down to the med-bay to check on Tali, and saw Chakwas lingering outside the windows sipping on a glass of water.
"How is she?"
"Well, we haven't killed her yet." Chakwas said tritely "Her vitals are a bit more stable, and her breathing seems easier, but this is taking a long time."
"How's Rea doing?"
"She's deep in it Shepard. She hasn't even spoken in several hours, but someone is going to make her pause to eat something soon. It would be bad for her to collapse on Tali right now."
"This is working then?"
"It seems so, I connected a beaker to the shunt to collect the pathogens she filters out of the body, and she's already removed a half liters worth."
The two stood silent for a moment, staring at the woman that had changed all their lives in such a strange way.
"Shepard, if she's successful, this could mean incredible things for the medical field. Biotic surgery, with completely sterile mass effect blades, and respiratory therapy. The ability to completely lift sickness out of someone's body. This could be life changing for the Quarians alone."
"Why hasn't this occurred to anyone before?"
"It's simple; most biotics find out early in life of their abilities and are trained from a young age to be soldiers, weapons or support. Their profession is basically chosen for them because of their ability. Doctors, surgeons especially spend as much time learning their craft. It's likely there's never been a combination of the two before. Audrea was a fully trained surgeon before she was infused with the eezo. That is the mentality she has, a healer. I think that's why she is having problems forming the attack biotics, she naturally wants to save someone, and not be a weapon."
"There are so many strange things about her."
"Indeed, she a unique combination of many great things humanity has to offer."
Several more hours passed, and at some point each member of the crew would stop and gaze through the window with varying degrees of worry stamped on their faces. Chakwas had Gardner put together a nutritionally rich drink together, complete with a straw. She walked through the med-bay door and tried for some time to get Audrea's attention without making her jerk and harm the patient. Audrea's eyes were gently closed, and it didn't matter how many times Chakwas spoke her name, she didn't respond. The doctor sighed heavily. Then she had an epiphany and smirked to herself as she left the room.
Minutes later she way making her way back in, with Thane in tow. Audrea and he had spent hours upon hours together meditating, so hopefully she would recognize his voice through her self-inflicted stasis.
"Audrea," Thane let his voice rumble gently as he stood by her side.
He had to speak it once more before her eyes opened slowly. They blazed with the blue fire of controlled biotics, but her focus was far away. Her head tilted slightly in his direction.
"Thane," Rea started her voice low and husky, "I need to concentrate."
She started closing her eyes again, but Thane toned again, insistently.
"Re-ha" He always pronounced her short name strangely, "You need to drink this so you can continue."
Heartbeats passed, and Rea nodded slightly.
"Will you hold it for me; I can't move my hands right now."
Thane held it and Audrea took steady gulps until the liquid was gone.
"Ug, that's vile." She said as she finished the last swallow. "Thank you Thane. I need to…"
Audrea trailed off, and her eyes and fluttered closed again. Thane padded quietly out of the room, leaving Rea to her work. Dr. Chakwas gave him a congratulatory smile as he emerged.
"I knew you'd be able to make her listen."
"Yes, she's deep in meditation. How long has she been working on Tali?"
"About ten hours now. I do hope she finishes soon, the shunt is as dangerous as the infection if it's in much longer."
The doctor's hopes came true. She came back later, and found Audrea had finally moved from her statuesque position. The shunt had been removed, and a few small stitches had closed the hole. Tali's condition had improved dramatically. Her vitals were steady, and the fever she'd been running had dissipated. Audrea was on the bed next to her patient, lying on her side with her head cradled against her arm. At first Chakwas thought that Audrea had fallen asleep, but as she shuffled about the room, she saw Rea sit up from the bed.
Their eyes locked, in professional understanding. The weariness was stamped plainly on Rea's face, but she had a small satisfied smile.
"It worked?"
"Yeah," Rea said almost breathlessly, "Most significant amounts of contamination are gone. The area around the initial wound is still a little inflamed, but I dosed her up with more antibiotics."
Rea handed the doctor the sealed beaker that had almost a liter's worth of fluid, sickly and green.
"Incredible." Chakwas breathed. "You are an artist, Audrea."
Rea bowed her head in recognition of the compliment.
"You should go rest Audrea, I'll watch Tali."
She obeyed without argument, and soon the doctor was alone, watching the much improved patient. Twelve hours ago, she was on the edge of death and now she slumbering peacefully, and Chakwas was left wondering if she had seen a miracle.