Author's Note: Here's installment one of you TGIF gift. This week I will not be uploading for the next two days. My birthday is on Sunday, so I will be away from for the majority of tomorrow and Sunday.

This chapter and the next couple are all left of canon. Mostly fillers, and plot/character development. But, fear not. They will still be fun and adventurous chapters.

Yay for Bioware!

Chapter twenty one

Images and sounds of the Beacon flash and flicker through her brain, like antique Nickelodeon films. Random and piercing into her mind. A massive metal hand of a ship reaches out to her, a red eye glowing bright at its core.

Shepard's eyes snap open, a sharp intake of air into her lungs comes as a gasp. Pain explodes everywhere. A dull aching pain, all of her body is aflame. She tries to sit up, asses the damage.

rushes to her side, laying a hand on her shoulder, she presses her firmly back into the bed. "Stay right there. No bouncing right up this time."

Shepard glares at the doctor. "What happened? I feel like I got steamrolled."

"Very nearly. That's what having a krogan charge into you feels like I presume."

"Oh. Right." Shepard closes her eyes and sighs, "I'd hoped that was part of the nightmare." Opening her eyes she sees Chakwas over her.

"Sad to say not." Chakwas flashes a light in her eyes. "Reflexes look good. I'll raise the bed a bit for you. But you are not leaving it for some time yet."

As the bed eases up to a more comfortable angle Shepard thumps her head back into growling. "How bad is it?"

"Better than I would have expected. In all honesty, you should be dead. Krogan charges are rarely ever survivable."

"I think him being killed two seconds before hitting me the second time accounts for that."

"He hit you twice?" Shepard cringes at the glare Chakwas delivers.

"Maybe. The first really counted more as a shove or throw. It was a less successful flying lesson than those before." Chakwas' glare intensifies. "Tali didn't tell you about those?"

"No, she neglected to inform me of more than one 'flight lesson' as you call them."

"They weren't quite so painful."

"No doubt. You have four cracked ribs across your upper chest, one punctured your left lung. One of your vertebral ribs punctured your kidney, causing internal bleeding. You are beyond lucky it didn't cause sepsis. Your right collar bone is broken, right shoulder dislocated. Not to mention the wound there is reopened. You have a moderate to severe concussion. Again lucky your skull did not crack. Your left pelvis is cracked, your left femur is cracked and fractured. You won't be walking unassisted on it for at least two weeks."

Shepard whistles. "I really did a number on myself, didn't I?" She can't help chuckling.

"You had best be thankful for modern medicine." Chakwas scolds. "If we still had the medicine of a hundred years ago, you would be laid up for weeks, in physical therapy for months. As it is, you will not be leaving here for another day or two, and will not be walking on that leg without crutches or a cane for at least a week if not longer. You can take your arm out of the sling by the end of the week."

"Aw, doc!" She groans, "C'mon, give a girl a break. I've got things that need doing. I still have to check out Noveria and Feros. Not to mention the missing marines I can't wait a week or more to do it."

"I've directed Joker to take us to Noveria. He says it will take us three days to reach Noveria, you can spend that time healing. It's a civilized enough place, I think I can trust you not to get into any fire fights."

Shepard opens her mouth to argue, "Noveria isn't-"

"Not another word. Or I'll sedate you for the next week." Chakwas sounds truly pissed this time as she turns and walks to the front of the med bay and sits at her desk.

"She really cares about you." A warm, weary voice says from her left.

Shepard turns and sees Liara standing nervously in the doorway to the lab.

Shepard just snorts. "She said something like that once. Doesn't mean I have to like a mother hen."

Liara steps closer. "I'm, um, I'm glad you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Steamrolled is an apt description."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what that means. But it sounds painful." She steps up beside the bed, reaching for an IV near Shepard, "I can give you some painkillers."

Shepard lays her good hand over Liara's. "No." It sounds too fierce, forceful, she tries to soften the word, "No, thanks. I'd rather not. I don't get along with pain meds." She shifts a bit, "I'm good. Honest. I've felt worse."

"Alright." The young woman looks down, a blush mantling her cheeks, "I wanted to thank you. For saving me."

"No prob." Shepard reaches out and lifts Liara's face up. "Truly. I was happy to help."

"I would surely be dead now, were it not for you. I owe you a great debt."

"I'd say helping save my life counts. The Trickster put me there for you, and you for me. No debt is owed."

"The Trickster?" Liara shows confusion. "Who is this?"

Shepard looks uncomfortable, uneasy. "It's, it's hard to explain who he is. He's, well, he's a god, of sorts. One I believe in. He is mischief, and luck, he governs fate in a way. He is jokes, and sarcasm, pranks, tricks, and chaos."

"A god? You believe in more than one? I thought Humanity only worshiped their one god. Like asari and our Goddess."

A scowl crooks Shepard's face. "Not all humanity conforms to that religion. I believe in many more than just one true god."

"This Trickster does not sound like a god that would be wise to worship."

Shepard gives a lopsided grin that Liara finds pulls at something in her heart. "On the contrary, it's very wise to worship and appease the Trickster. He can make all kinds of trouble in someone's life, has for me on many an occasion."

"Why choose to believe in such a god?" Liara is confused by this human, so different than those she had read and heard about. They were all projected to be liars, cheats, and hostile. Untrustworthy creatures that were barely more than primates. This woman is anything but such.

"I feel like he is the only one that is real. My Goddess and God are present. I know them to exist. But they have never shown me favor. The Trickster however. He has shown me plenty of both favor and trials."

"Oh." Is all Liara says. Shepard gets the impression that the asari doesn't understand at all. "I should, I should be going. You need rest. I just wanted to be sure you are well, and to thank you."

Shepard is startled and bothered that she is going, their talk seemed to be going well. "Alright then. You're welcome. And my thanks." Liara simply blushes more, nods her head, then hurries back to the lab.

Shepard lies there for a time. Looking up at the ceiling, not really thinking on much. She just lets her thoughts wander from one thing to another until she slips asleep, still lost in thoughts.

The next day sees Shepard sitting up in bed after a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit, and only a small cup of coffee. Her right arm in its sling, her left hand has a datapad in it, and two more are lying haphazardly on the tray among her breakfast leavings.

"Reports." She mutters. Quickly scrolling through the information on the datapad. "Reports, reports. How dull." She's not really paying attention to what they say. Carelessly she tosses this datapad on top of the others, pushing the tray away,

She looks over at the empty desk of Chakwas'. The doctor is out for the moment. And Shepard entertains the idea of slipping out of the medbay. The restlessness and boredom are driving her nuts. Slowly easing her feet off the edge of the bed, the scrubs she is wearing are silent. Her bare feet rest on the cool deck. She has to take a rest, re-center her swimming head and uneasy stomach. The IV still in her arm gives an annoying tug. She grimaces at it, then pops it free. The little bit of bleeding is annoying but she ignores it.

With her head steady now, She uses her left hand alone to slowly push herself to stand. Her left leg lights up in fierce pain as she puts weight on it. A soft groan escapes her. Looking around for a crutch of some kind her eyes focus on one leaning against the wall between the far biobed and the desk.

She grits her teeth and, as carefully as she can, hobbles over to the crutch. Getting it positioned under her left side, it provides instant relief. She works her way, quicker now, to the medbay doors. They slide open and she sees an empty mess. Thankful for her luck. She carefully goes to the lift. taking it down to Engineering.

Adams is there to greet her. "Commander. I'm surprised to see you up and about. Chakwas let you out already?"

She shrugs her shoulders, "Not really. I'm playing hooky. Medbay is boring, and reading reports I swear I can feel my brain cells dying."

"I feel your pain." He chuckles. "So, what brings you down here?"

"Good place to hide, plus it's been too long since I've gotten honestly dirty in a while. Do you have anything I can help with?"

He is slightly startled at first but quickly recovers. "You're gonna get those scrubs filthy."

She looks down at the dull blue-gray scrubs and just shrugs. "I don't like 'em much anyway."

"Very well then." He hands her a set of tools. "Time to get dirty then. I've got a couple small spaces you can fit in and set to rights."

"Aye aye, sir." She jokes with him. Dusting her hands together and accepting the box of tools from him.