Author's Note: Hello guys, got a new chapter for you. sorry on the delay, been having some crazy accident ladden weeks. Should be back on better track now.
Hope you enjoy! As always, Read and Review, Please!
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Shepard groans from pain as she slowly comes awake. Blinking open her eyes, nearly swollen shut from her broken nose, she is laying on her side in the cell. The binders are still on her wrists, cutting painfully into her flesh from the beating she took. She looks around cautiously, the cell she is in has no rack nor any other forms of furnishings. It's just a barren room, small and cramped.
Easing herself to sit upright, she gasps in pain as her abdomen lights up in sharp burning aches. She's never broken ribs before, but she suspects this is what it must feel like.
"Oh good, you're awake." Mel's voice comes from the other side of the cell's barrier, "I was beginning to get worried."
Shepard looks up to see Mel is standing with her arms crossed. "What happened to leaving me unharmed?" she spits blood from her mouth, trying to sound braver than she feels.
"Yes, well, those two have been disciplined. They should never have laid a hand on you. My apologies."
"Yeah well, apologies do no good after the beating," Shepard snaps, her temper shot from all the pain she's in and what she had to endure.
"I understand." Mel taps on the keypad outside the cell, letting the barrier down. "As a sign of good faith, I've brought our doctor to take a look at you, get you fixed up."
"Got something special in mind for me that you don't want me battered and bloody?" Shepard's tone is purely sardonic.
"If you would rather our doctor not help you," Mel smirks at Shepard, "I can always dismiss her."
Shepard grits her teeth in frustration. She knows she's in too much pain though to refuse help simply because of her pride. "Fine. Let her in."
Mel nods to the woman beside her in medic scrubs, "Anna, see to our guest here. Report to me once you are finished." She then looks to Shepard, "We shall see each other again soon." Turning away, she walks out of the room.
The medic, Anna, steps into the cell and walks over to Shepard. Kneeling down she sets a medkit on the deck and opens it.
"I'm not going to hurt you." She says softly as she takes the binders off of Shepard's wrists. Bringing up her omnitool she smiles gently at Shepard, "I need to run a scan. To see the extent of your internal injuries."
Shepard sighs rubbing her raw wrists as she nods to Anna, "Go ahead." Closing her eyes, Shepard sits back against the wall of the cell. Letting Anna get on with her scan.
After a few moments of silence, Anna gasps suddenly. Prompting Shepard to crack an eye open, "I'm a right mess, aren't I?" She jokes weakly, wincing as a split in her lip opens up.
Anna reaches over with some gauze. Lightly dabbing away the blood from Shepard's lip. "I'm sorry."
Shepard opens her other eye to look at Anna full on, "What for?"
"Well, one for how they hurt you." Anna readies a bandage with medigel as she reaches for Shepard's face, "And two, for this." She gently places her hands on either side of Shepard's nose. Giving a sudden jerk, she pops Shepard's nose back into place.
It sets the younger woman gagging and leaning forward as blood flows down her throat again. "Gods above woman!" Shepard exclaims as she leans back against the bulkhead once more.
Anna places the medigel bandage across Shepard's nose. It instantly cools the pain and subsides the bleeding, "I'm sorry, but that was necessary. It won't heal as crooked now, and it should make breathing easier."
Shepard sighs in relief and nods, "Thanks. It does help."
"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for your broken ribs. You've got three broken or fractured on your right side, one on your left." Anna gently wraps Shepard's head in a bandage. The medigel in it is cooling against the burn of pain across her temple and back of her head.
"Thank you." Shepard takes Anna's hand before the older woman can stand up, "Please, help me get out of her."
Anna shakes her head, "I'm sorry, I can't."
"Please, I," Shepard grips Anna's hand tighter in both her hands, leaning forward onto her knees, "I can't do this. I don't know what they want from me, but I can't survive another beating. Please, just help me out of this cell."
Anna gently pulls her hands free from Shepard's grasp, "I can't they'll kill me, just as sure as they will kill you too." She picks up her kit and backs out of the cell sealing the barrier once more. "I'm sorry."
Shepard groans as she sits back down and leans back against the bulkhead. She holds up her hands, looking over her wrists that Anna bandaged up. How the hell is she supposed to get out of here? She hates herself for begging Anna for help. Knowing she is sure to not survive another beating, it grates at her sending terror to her heart. What she wouldn't give for a way out of this hell.
She sits for some time lost in thought before slowly drifting off to sleep from sheer exhaustion and pain from her body.
…
Shepard is woken suddenly by a boot nudging her in her side. Unfortunate for her, it is the side with the broken ribs. She gasps, sitting bolt upright from pain and startelement.
"Good You're awake." a gruff voice catches her attention. Looking up she sees a human man looking down at her, a pair of binders in his hands, "Up you get, let's go. Boss is waitin' on you."
Shepard cautiously stands, crossing her arms she looks the man in the eyes, "I've had enough of your Boss's games and being her prisoner. I am not going anywhere."
"If you don't want another beating like the last one. You'll do as you're told." He warns her, "Now. do I have to drag you from that cell, or will you come peacefully?"
"Nothing about any of this is peaceful." Shepard remarks sardonically. She steps forward, extending her hands for him to put the binders on, "But if it means less bruises and ouches, then I'll come along."
"Good. Let's go." He claps the binders around her wrists. She winces from the tight metal around her already raw wrists beneath the wrappings.
She sighs, but steps out of the cell. As he takes a hold of her arm, she allows him to lead her through the myriad of corridors and passages until they reach the shuttle bay.
Once there, Shepard sees Mel is waiting by one of the shuttles, two other asari mercs are with her. As they approach Mel signals the asaris forward. They each take one of Shepard's arms, walking her up to the shuttle as the man turns and walks away.
"Got some new muscle to handle me?" Shepard raises an eyebrow at Mel.
"I find my girls are much more reliable than the batarians ever are." Mel remarks, she steps to the side and waves Shepard forward into the shuttle.
One of the asari holding her boosts her up into the shuttle as the other one follows, Mel boarding behind them.