"You should be resting."

"I am resting."

"In your room, Jules." She and her team had just gotten back from Korlus. Okeer was dead, but Shepard had managed to bring his final test subject aboard in his place. In the course of the mission, Shepard had gotten hit by some mechs, bullets ripping through her shields and armor like tissue paper. To top it all off, her group had stormed the lab Okeer had been in before the room's vents had completely neutralized the toxins in the air. While Jacob and Zaeed had come out relatively unscathed, the combination of open wounds and chemical toxins had hit Shepard hard. Chakwas had been able to patch her up, but there wasn't anything she could do for the fever Shepard had picked up except to let it run its course.

"Can't. My fish died."

"Again? You never remember to feed those things." He really didn't see a reason why Shepard couldn't stay in a room with a few belly-up goldfish, but apparently she had issues concerning her recently departed pets.

He was just grateful that she had decided against getting the hamster.

"I did. I think I fed them too much now." Stumbling down into her usual spot, she turned her flushed face towards him. "EDI, how come you never feed my fish?"

The monitor to Joker's left flared to life. "I am not equipped to handle the care and keeping of aquatic life forms, Shepard. My suggestion would be to purchase a VI suited to the task."

She waved a dismissive hand in EDI's direction. "Nope. Too sad. I'm never buying fish ever again."

Joker snorted. "Figures that you'd have a gigantic aquarium and never stock it."

"Quiet, you. If you want fish so bad, you come up to feed them. Otherwise, stick to doing what you do best, mister."

He shook his head. A slightly delirious Shepard was somewhat entertaining to behold. "And what would that be, O Commander?"

"What else? Sitting here looking adorable."

Well, that was different. "You think I'm adorable?"

"Yep. You have very pretty eyes, Jeff. They're so…" She shivered, even though he could see that her hair was starting to stick to her temples and cheeks in damp curls. "Eye-colored."

"Thanks, I think."

"And you're cute."

"Great, I'm cute and adorable. Just what every guy likes to hear."

She leaned against the arm of her chair and he had a fleeting worry that she'd spill over the top of it. "That's because you wouldn't believe me if I told…" she yawned and pressed her face against the cool metal side of the chair. "If I told…"

"If you told me that I had a rockin' bod and you wanted to take my clothes off with your teeth?" Joker helpfully offered. He really hadn't expected her to answer, especially since she had closed her eyes and seemed to have fallen asleep, but she nodded.

"Exactly. Wouldn't believe me, I tell you." Cracking an eye open, she gave him an unfocused stare. "Now less talking. More flying through purple varren clouds," she sleepily ordered.

Joker shook his head again, wondering just how long it would take for her fever to do its thing. Plotting a course to the nearest fuel depot, he gave her a sideways glance. The way that she had contorted herself in her chair was bound to give her a crick in her neck when she finally woke up, but he didn't have the heart to move her. He also wondered about her little confession and how much of it had been fever-induced babbling and how much of it had been things that she never would have told him otherwise.

"Ah Jules," he said on a sigh. "If anyone up here is adorable, it's gotta be you, babe."