Author's note: 'Kay just as I had said in my other main story, I'm back to continue this one. So I'm going to focus in writing more chapters for this story for what is left of this year. Let us hope I can make some ground in here, I think I'm gonna have to cut the chapters that describes the missions and make them as succint as possible. Not that surprising certainly, because if you're reading this story then you must know what happens in the main missions of the videogame, I want to focus more in the interaction between characters after all. We all know how canon goes at this point, or should know...
Anyway, so here we have the first update for what is left of the year. Not that long, but is the best I could come upon in a couple of weeks of work. Haven't synched my mind back into this story yet, the juices are not flowing as freely as they should be. Also I need to refresh my memory to remember what the hell I was doing and what my plans for this story were…
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing all belongs to EA.
CHAPTER 21
MEDICAL STANDARDS
Inside the Normandy's medical bay, our dear Alice was sitting attop one of the beds glaring at Doctor Chakwas while she rubbed one of her arms. The senior medical officer was not impressed by the baleful look that the younger woman was giving her. "Don't give me that look Alice, belive it or not this is actually for your own good. With the frail condition your body is in, you're liable to easily catch a disease; having you vaccunated will raise your body defenses against external patogens and make you immune against several of these diseases." The good doctor explained not unkindly.
Alice finally relented from trying to incinerate doctor Chakwas with her sight and let out a tired sigh. "I get your point doctor, but did you really have to go loose with the injections and turn my arms into pincunshions? It hurts!" The girl complained as she sank in shoulders with an overly cute pained expression, like one only little children are able to accomplish.
Obviously, such display of cuteness could only warm Chakwas' heart. "Awww, you poor little thing…" She said resisting the urge to pinch Alice's cheeks. She turned and opened a nearby cabinet to bring out a lollipop that she presented to Alice. "Here! This is to reward you for being such a brave girl during this whole procedure."
The girl grabbed the lollipop alright, but only to keep it at arm's length and stare at it dubiously. "I'm not much for sweets."
Chakwas just stared at her squarely in the eyes with a blank face. "I do not believe you, Alice." She deadpanned. "But seriously, just put it in your mouth, I assure you it will make you feel better." The senior medical officer said before going back to her seat and taking hold of her data pad to go over her notes.
Alice was doubtful for a moment, still eyeing the piece of candy in her hand warily. Eventually, she decided to get over her misgivings and acept the lolli. She took off the wrapping around the candy and put the sweet inside her mouth. She took a moment to analize the taste, a measuring frown on her face. Finding it to her liking, she then proceeded to suck on the candy at her leisure in contentment. Chakwas looked up from her pad and smiled to her insides.
The airlock to the med-bay suddenly parted and in came waltzing Commander Shepard with Miranda trailing behind. He roamed his eyes around the room to asses the condition of its two ocuppants. A smile then began to grace his lips. "So doc, what's the diagnosis?"
"So far things seem to be looking up commander. I've already gave to Alice all the obligatory shots she needed to be up to par with modern medical standards." Doctor Chakwas replied in a pleasant mood as she set down her data pad. "Though I am still worried about the frail state of her body, I believe we'll be able to heal all the damage and negligence done to her. That is if we follow to the letter the treatmeant and nutritional diet I will prescribe for her; which leds me to ask, did you bought all the supplies I listed for you?" The gray-haired doctor asked as she turned in her chair to fully face the commander, her hands set on her lap.
Commander Shepard replied with a nod. "Got all the things you wanted Doc. The food supplies have already been delivered to Mess Sergeant Gardner, and the medicines you asked for are in the cargo bay waiting for you to check them up."
Chakwas acknowledged the Commander's words with a nod of her own. "That is good news Commander. I'll make sure to speak to Rupert and instruct him on the diet that Alice is to follow from now on." She said as she brought a fist to her chin in thought, her other arm supporting her elbow.
Shepard then approached. "So kiddo, how are you holding up?" He asked not unkindly.
The young British girl stopped eating her lolli and looked up at the Commander. "My arms hurt and sting so much Commander… But I've been hurt much worse by uncaring doctors in the past who were not as kind as doctor Chakwas. At least she apologized and gave me this lolli as consolation. I know it's not much in terms of a fair restitution, but it is the thought that counts." She said as her eyes focused on the piece of candy in her hand, her stare inscrutable.
Shepard rubbed the back of his neck, don't really knowing how to properly respond to something like that. Akward was not enough to describe the feeling. "Right…. Anyway Alice, I just came here to make sure you were fine and to return this to you." He presented to her the omnitool he had given her as a gift. "You always leaving it behind every time you jump back to your time, maybe now that you're finally physically here you will not be leaving it lying around." He said with a smile.
The girl beamed in happines as she took the offered device (currently inactive, little more than a small unassuming trinket in its current state) from the hands of the recently reinstated Spectre. "Thank you Commander, I promise it will never leave my side again."
The Commander just nodded in acknowledgement with a smile of his own. His mood then turned serious and the smile dissapeared. "Now Alice, the original reason I came here was to inform you we will soon depart towards another mission. So I want you to stay in here and let the good doctor keep working in your condition until she gives you the go ahead to leave."
Alice was not in the least pleased by that declaration. "You mean you're going out in another adventure and you want to leave me in here!? Why!? I thought you said I was part of the team now! Why would you want to leave me behind! I'm already at my wit's end after so many tedious hours locked up in here!" She exclaimed in a very frantic voice.
The commander wasn't moved by her pleading and just stared at her solemnly. "I'm sorry Alice, but you're not in any condition to be going out on missions just yet. Not with the frail state your body is at the moment. And let us remember the way your powers have been acting up erraticaly as of late. So I really don't wish for you to be straining yourself unnecessary after those warnings we received from Morpheus while in your wonderland. Instead, I want you to remain here and rest until doctor Chakwas deems it that you've recovered enough, and that is final young lady." He said looking at the young girl straight in the eyes to make her understand the seriousness of the situation.
Alice wanted to retort and give him a piece of her mind, but ended up bitting back her comeback as her resolve crumbled under the commander's intense gaze. "I understand what you're saying commander, but is just so hard to be cloistered in this room for hours and hours on end while Doctor Chakwas pokes me around with her needles. It reminds me of the asylum… I know is not the same as that place since you all went out of your way to show that you actually care for my wellbeing, but it's just… There are just too many similarities for my liking: the same smells, the same faceless uncaring walls, the same pointed instruments, the same invasive procedures..." Chakwas felt the need to speak up at that part, but the girl beat her to it with a conciliatory tone. "I know the injections are to prevent me from catching an illness, that point has been well explained already; you're not doing it to hurt me. But still, the similarities are there. I've been through too much already to easily put them away from my mind. I didn't escape from one prison only to be confined into another, even if the living conditions are much better…" She said as she struggled to convey her sentiments, the memories of the asylum were still too fresh in her mind.
Shepard never broke his sight away from her and spoke back with the most serious and honest voice he could muster. "Alice! Believe me when I tell you that whatever happened to you on that Asylum, I will never allow it to happen on my ship, not while I'm in command of it; almost everybody on this crew dissaproves of torture and abuse against helpless people."
"Almost?" The petite girl remarked pointedly.
"Well… You've seen the way that Jack, Grunt and Zaeed behave… I like to consider myself a very charming and charismatic fellow, but I don't think those three will be calming down any time soon. Even I can't perform miracles…" He said as he trailed a little. He cleared his throath once to change the subject. "Anyway Alice, don't think that because we are keeping you confined in the med-bay for today, that you are our prisioner and that we are going to keep you under lock and key. That's not our intention in the least. We are just keeping you in here so that you go throught the obligatory medical examination as regulation dictates and we can have an accurate assesment of the condition of your body and how best to proceed to deal with the (desventajas) you may have in the most expeditive manner. It's only for today; I promise you that tomorrow we will assign you a proper bunk of your own in the crew quarters." He said with a reassuring smile.
It was in that moment that Miranda decided to butt in the conversation by clearing out her throat. "Ahem… Actually, I don't believe that to be a good idea at the moment commander. Let's just say that after that stunt Alice pulled in CIC when she was first introduced to the crew, note to metion the rather volatile incidents where she dissapeared, none of our crewmembers are completely fine of being near her. They seem to be scared of her and her powers, so I don't think that letting her bunk in the same space where the rest of the crew sleeps would be a smart move." She said as politely and she could in her usual professional manner.
Commander Shepard turned to look at his XO with a frown marrying his features. "That is not acceptable! I will not tolerate discrimination on this ship and let Alice be singled out by the rest of the crew!" He said in a fiery temper, showing that underneath his ususal calm and diplomatic demeanor laid the unyielding will of a veteran N7 Soldier.
Miranda to her credit; did not show any outward reaction to Shepard's reaction. A testament to her professionalism, though she made sure not to voice any comment that could antagonize the Commander. "I know this is not the best outcome you had in mind Shepard; but you have to understand, her abilities are dangerous in a level whe can't even begin to imagine. She can break through all known primal laws of the universe with a single thought, I admit, the crew may be a little more willing to approach her despite her theoretically unbelievable power if it wasn't for the fact that she has shown a lack of completele control over her abilities. We have seen those violent outburst of hers at sporadic, and often inconvinient, times. The fact we have no way of preventing or predict them with any kind of accuracy, well… Is it really that surprising that the crew is less than thrilled of being around her?" She said, not unkindly, but it did nothing to reduce the unpleasant impact that her words made. Necessary words, as someone was needed to tell the truth about the matter, even if it was something that no one was eager to hear. Well, they do say that facing the truth is not something pretty.
The Commander knew that, as he acknowledged his XO's words with a sigh. "I suppose I can understand their reservations. But this is not what I promised Alice when I recruited her…" He said with cast-down eyes.
Miranda nodded in agreement. "I know Shepard; believe me I too agree that this is far from the ideal thing for Alice after we took her away from that place. But, this is the best we can do with what we currently have. Anyway, we can continue this conversation once you return from Horizon, as she nonetheless has to spend the night in here under medical observation so that Chakwas can finish with her examinations. Which reminds me; we should all take advantage of the travel time to get some sleep before that mission." She said with a bit of firmness in order to put an end to the conversation.
Shepard rubbed the back of his head in resigned contemplation. "As much as it pains me, I have to admit you're right Miranda." He then bent down towards Alice until he was at eye-level with the younger girl. "I am sorry Alice, but I'm afraid you'll have to suffer being locked up in here for a little while longer… I promise I'll make it up to you once I return from our next mission. Once I'm back we can start teaching you the basics, I would at least want you to know how to carry and use a gun, how to interact with our technology and basic combat tactics in a firefight before I consider taking you out on missions. Not to mention, having doctor Chakwas here giving you a clean bill of health before I can start with your instruction."
"I'm not against the idea of being taught more about your modern inventions, but I would really like to know if I'm going to get a room where to sleep in, it is such a gross lack of hospitality to invite someone to stay at your dwellings and not have a guest room ready for them." The Victorian girl said as she crossed her arms and stared at Shepard, a frown being the only thing marrying her usual sweet features.
Miranda interrupted her tirade by speaking again. "As I had said, the matter of your accomodations can be resolved later. Regardless of our current issues, you will have to spend the night here in the med-bay. We can then worry about finding you a place of your own here on the Normandy once the commander is back from his mission." She said crisp and professional as always.
Alice almost scowled at that answer. "And how long would that be? I feel I will become even crazier if I remain cooped up in here any longer." She complained loudly.
Shepard just turned his eyes towards EDI's holo display in the corner of the room. "EDI, how long will it take us to reach our destination?" He asked pointedly.
The small brilliant holographic ball that was EDI's avatar appeared as the A.I. gave a response. "I have estimated a travel time of roughly nine hours for the Normandy to reach the Iera System from our current location here in the Citadel, commander."
Shepard simply nodded in acknowledgement. "Very well, tell Joker then to begin undocking procedures and get the ship underway."
"Acknowledged, commander." Chirped the little glowing ball before fizzing out.
The commander then turned back to Alice. "Well, I suppose we should all retire for the night and try to get some sleep before the mission." He put a reassuring hand over the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry Alice, I promise you everything will get better over time, for now though; just try to bear it the best you can, okay. It is just a single night here in the medbay under observation. I'm sure you can easily deal with that, you are a strong girl for what I've seen so far. The things you went through in that place… Not many would have been able to get out of there in such a good shape as you did." He said carefully as tactful as he could be.
"I didn't get out of the Asylum in a good shape commander." Alice retorted with mild-depression, but she got out of her funk rather quickly, as if a switched was turned on to make her mood do an 180o almost immediately. "But I understand what you're trying to say. Very well, I'll endure this tedious torment for a while longer if that is what you need of me. It is for the team after all, isn't it?" She offered a tired smile, before she acquired her usual –according to Chesire- petulant attitude. "But just to make matters clear, commander. I expect to be properly compensated for my troubles; you don't know how dreadfully anxious I get after being cooped for too many long hours." She said, as she crossed her arms and stared haughtily at Shepard.
Well… Ain't she quite the cheeky thing? The commander thought sarcastically. "Yes, yes, I'll make up to you I promise. Just hold tight kiddo. If everything else fails, you can use your omnitool that I returned to you to keep boredom at bay."
The look on the younger girl clearly told him she hadn't tought about that. "I…! … You're right, commander. With this little glowing device, I'm sure my stay in this room will be far more tolerable." She said as she ran an eye over the small gizmo in her hands.
Shepard just nodded with a smile. "See, things are not as bad as they may seem Alice. It's all about the right attitude."
A voice suddenly spoke behind him. "I couldn't care less whether that pretentious child decides to stay in this unremarkable room or not, but you and I have a different deal between us, and I'm of the mind of seeing it fulfilled to the letter." Said the voice in a rather brisk and despot tone.
All of the adult crewmembers of the Normandy turned around sharply in surprise to find the Childlike appearance of the Queen of hearts looking up at Shepard with wrath-smoldering eyes, not that she had a particular hate for the commander, it's just that her regular mood consists of having an undying unreasonable hate for any and every living thing. She's all the rage during social gatherings by the way, and that's in a literal sense.
Shepard just blinked dumbfounded at the seeing the unexpected visitor. "You are the Queen of Hearts… What are you doing in here?" He simply asked, a part of his mind told him he should be pulling out his weapon right on this instant and aim it at the face ot the tentacle monstrosity in child form in front of him. His more rational part however, told him that if the Queen of Hearts had any intention of harming either him or his crew, she would have done so already instead of exchanging words with him, so it might be a good idea not to do any action that may set the terror in miniature into a rampage. Then again, maybe exchanging pleasantries with your intended victim before killing them is the proper thing to do were she's from, weird english people with their obsession for etiquette and decorum and all that. Not that he put any stock in stereotypes or anything like that, but ever since meeting Alice, all the creatures acquainted to her that they had met have been rather polite, even those who are supposed to be nothing more but murderous psychopaths. Like the tiny queen in front of him.
"Must you make such inane questions of which you already know the answers, or were you simply not listening to me while I spoke!? You promised me to have the chance to sate my thirst for blood on your enemies and add their heads to my collection if I allowed you to pass through my lands and let you retrieve that bothersome girl… I'm simply here to collect what was promised to me." She said with a dismissive gesture in what could be known as the most condescending and irritated tone of voice ever.
"And that's exactly why I ask!" Shepard replied a little riled up. "There's no sense for you to be in here. In case you haven't heard, it will take us nine hours to reach our next destination, so there will be no enemies to fight against until we get there. And no, coming in here to try to hurry us will not make this ship go any faster, you will be only wasting your breath and distracting us from doing our jobs." He quickly added to interrupt the Queen from snarking back when he saw her raising a finger. "In any case, it is not advisable for Alice to be using her powers right now as it is causing her undue strain. I really don't think your presence is making her any good. I mean, would you like to see her suffering another collapse like the one she had when we were rescuing her from the asylum just because you couldn't be a little patient? That is the main reason why she will be sitting out the next mission. What if her next collapse brings about the destruction of wonderland just like that Morpheus fellow warned us about? Do you want to be responsible for the destruction of your own home?" The commander asked with a pointed look as he crossed himself in arms.
The response from the small monarch was a strange angry growl coming from the back of her throat. It seemed her version of a bristle, but it sounded way too close to a snarl. "Please, do not try to use ill thought rhetoric to back out of our deal; it will be detrimental for your health…. You don't even know how the nature in which the foundations of wonderland work, so you don't have the right of making any kind of wild assumptions regarding the subject. My presence in here has no direct correlation to her lack of control over her powers. Even though it is a side outcome brought about by that particular problem, my ability to materialize in this place is a separate issue altogether. Her condition simply makes for the walls between reality and wonderland to blur and dissapear, it is I who have to decide whether I want to cross the thresholds between worlds or not, not her. The consecuences brought about by such actions are only mine to deal on my own. She doesn't even needs to be present for me to move wherever I want, all it takes is for me to know the way." She said sharply with very stiff motions, as if she had trouble in keeping back the rage that was most certainly threatening to explode underneath her features.
Shepard seemed a little stumped by that explanation. "But aren't you and the rest of wonderland supposed to be creations made by Alice's mind? Physical representations of the aspects of her subconcious?" He asked
The Queen of hearts acknowledged Shepard's point grudgingly. "Yes, it is true that we have to thank that girl for our creation, but each and every one of us are our own individuals. The actions we take, unless they directly affect wonderland as a whole, will never have any kind of impact in that girl's mental state. Not even our demise is enough to cause any kind of change to her connection with wonderland, though she is able to bring us back to the land of the living in case we expire, though not exactly quite as we were before." She said as she passed one giant deformed hand in front of her face, a long sharp claw slowly trailing the side of her jaw as if in a caress.
Shepard just blinked as he thought about what he had just heard. He stroked a hand on his chin for a moment before speaking. "Well, I suppose I can see your point, if what you say it's true." He added quickly as his eyes zero'ed-in on the apparent child. "Not that I had any reason to doubt in your word or anything, but most of my interactions with an inhabitant of wonderland has been with, or under the advice of, Cheshire. And he doesn't give me the bests of confidences."
It seemed that little comment offended the tiny monarch greatly. "Do not dare to compare me with that annoying hollow sack of bones and fur! I have been honest in our transactions haven't I!? Wasn't I gracious enough to allow you and your followers to pass through my lands with all of your limbs still attached? I could have forced you all to pay a heavy toll for my favor, an arm or a leg if I felt merciful enough… So don't go around saying that my word has no value, for I have been true to a fault to the agreement we made. It is you who's trying to go against your word!" She said with a stare of a thousand hells that would have made lesser men whimper on the floor like little girls. As it is, it simply made the hairs on the back of Shepard's neck to stand on end.
He raised a hand to try to appease the terror in miniature. "Easy, I was not my intention to insult. It's just that your presence in here was rather sudden and unexpected. It caught us all off guard, if you wish to stay in here in the Normandy that's fine. Though I don't particularly see any reason why you should; since, again, it will take us many hours before we reach our destination. But fine, do as you like, I just ask you not to do anything to disturb the crew since they are nedded to operate the ship."
"As long as they don't bother me, I promise not to remove pieces of their bodies without notice. But if they are fool enough to approach me against what all common sense may tell them, then I don't make myself responsible for whatever punishment that may befall them." The red queen stated with derision before turning around and walking out of the med-bay.
Shepard just shook himself knowing this was going to come back to bite him in the ass. He will have to tell EDI to make a general announcement on the ship to give a wide berth to the small royalty and warn the crew not to approach her under any circumstance. He turned back towards Alice. "Well this has been fun but I guess is time for me to go, you know make sure that tiny menace doesn't start killing my crew or something like that." He patted the English girl in the head. "Just keep holding as you've been doing so far kiddo, you're doing great. Maybe you should use the next free hours to get some shut eye while we travel to our next destination. See you around Alice…" He said before turning around and start walking towards the exit, he signaled Miranda to follow him as he move, the Raven-haired beauty acknowledging with a nod and falling in line behind him.
"Goodbye commander. Until later…" The petite girl said with a wave of her hand as she watched the commander and his XO leave through the air-lock, leaving only Alice and Chakwas inside the med-bay.
Right, this is all I could come up for the moment. Sorry if it felt a little short, but know it is really hard for me to be switching my focus back to this story after I spend months working in the other. The juices are not flowing as seamless as before; anyway let's hope with some increased focus I can sourmount this small obstacle.
So that's it for now, only one more chapter before the Horizon mission. There's still one more scene I want to include first. Don't forget to leave your reviews and tell me what you think and I'll read you all later.