Chapter 48
Admiral
My Comments :
"So many different ways to tell a story, but that's what makes them so interesting. You can never predict how they're going to turn out." - Professor Paradox, Ben 10: Omniverse (Episode 2)
Why this quote you ask? Simple. I have gotten quite a bit of complaining, or even hate, for the directions I have chosen to take with this story (that and this story is coming to a close). It is just my way of saying, "hey. This may not be the path you would choose, but it is the one I chose. And, as the writer, I can't read all of your minds. Not to mention I wouldn't be able to implement all of your ideas." So, that's the gist of it. Just food for thought I guess, whenever you read a story that annoys you because of the direction it takes. This is in no way my way of complaining for everyone giving their opinion. Go ahead. Have your opinions, it's what makes us sapient life forms. Just... for those who do take offense, be careful about how you give them.
Anyway, now that my little blurb is out of the way, feel free to read on. And... sorry for how long this took. The gods on inspiration are cruel indeed. I can't even count how many times I scrapped this chapter and started over.
The Story :
Doctor Chakwas narrowed her eyes, frowning at the datapad. The light colored eyes skimmed the information before glancing up at her patient for a few moments and returning them to the data. Without a word, she sat the datapad down, glared at the young man on the only occupied bed, and walked out of the room. Within seconds, a young Asari came and took her place.
"Matthew," Liara said, her voice tinged with slight worry despite her best attempts at trying to be calm. "I see you are still confined."
The commander grunted, wincing a little as he shifted to look at Liara. She was carrying something, he couldn't tell what. "Yeah. I guess the doc wants to make sure my bones are healed enough before letting me go. I'm pretty sure it's just the bruising that hurts at this point." He lifted an arm to rub a temple, his side screaming at the pain of stretching. A beep to his left indicated some pain medications being injected into his IV.
To say he got out of that entire mission unscathed would be a complete and utter lie. Both shoulders had minute fractures from trying to hold the barrier up. After getting that point blank blast that threw him back quite a ways, the man was left with a minor concussion, a couple broken ribs, and a break somewhere in his leg. If he'd actually been paying attention, then maybe he'd remember where. Add to the fact that using his Biotics had left him dehydrated and exhausted to the point of near-total collapse, and you had one hell of a messed up situation on your hands. Regardless, most of the modern medical equipment, along with Chakwas' and Legion's skills in fixing up injuries – thanks to his mother no doubt –, would make sure he was ready to at least get up and present the information to the Alliance. Or whoever was trying his mother.
"Mom mentioned that Karin could be terrifying if you get hurt. I never realized just how scary she could be." Matthew chuckled, shrugging despite the pain.
Liara walked up, sitting on the bed across from him and handing him the bag. "Oh trust me. I know what that is like." She lowered her arm as he grabbed the bag and eyed her with unrestrained curiosity. "Open it. It is an old recipe I have that Kaidan and I created at some point during the fight against Saren."
Matthew opened the bag, taking out a lidded cup of what seemed to soup and a spoon out of the bag. "Thanks."
"It is supposed to be good for regaining strength." A light smile adorned her face. "Great for those with Biotics."
With a hum of approval, the man opened the cup and began to eat without hesitation. Liara sat and, after a moment of awkwardness, opened her Omni-Tool to check on some information.
"We should be docked at the Citadel in twenty minutes. Doctor Chakwas is currently sleeping."
Matthew choked on his soup for a few seconds before raising his head to glare at the ceiling. "What?!"
"She asked that I allow you to leave the Med Bay under the supervision of another crew member twenty minutes before arrival. She also suggested the use of crutches."
"That sounds terrible," the Human replied, grimacing as he thought about the bruising on his side. "I'll just grab a brace and limp or something. Pull a Joker."
"I was told to restrain you if you attempted to leave the ship without crutches."
"And I heard that," Joker's voice came, the familiar, fake annoyance clear in his voice.
Matthew sighed, putting the empty soup cup beside him of the bed. Liara was trying to hold back her laughter, both shoulders shaking.
"I shall grab the crutches," Liara's voice was full of amusement, earning her a glare from her Human friend. The young Asari, however, wasted no time in grabbing a pair of crutches from a side compartment and adjusting them to what she believed to be the right height. "Here. Try these, Matthew." She moved to his other side, sliding the IV out and covering the spot with Medi-gel and a small bandage.
The commander managed another glare at the ceiling before hopping off the bed, getting the crutches adjusted, and heading towards the airlock with Liara in tow.
~ Break ~
Shepard looked around the absurdly large room, eyes narrowed. Just behind her, Urz yawned as loud as he could manage, his own eyes focused on the three officials standing before the duo. Something wasn't right here. Both Human and Varren were well aware of it. This didn't even seem like a real trial. The lack of cameras as the galaxy's hero was tried made that face painfully obvious. Other than a few officials who were standing before the duo and her guard, there were no witnesses. No bystanders. No viewers. No jury. What kind of messed up trial was this? What happened to all those laws?
She was currently standing on a lone platform with three similar platforms forming a semi-circle around her. One larger platform was behind her. Stairs were connected to that one that led to the door. There was also a control panel on it that extended the bridge for her to cross.
"Shepard, I presume?" the man in the largest chair questioned. Probably the judge or something.
"Who else would I be?" the woman retorted, Urz growling at her feet.
"Please just answer the question, miss Shepard."
Okay. Now that was an insult. She was a Commander damn it! And a Spectre! Noticing her death glare the man sighed.
"Procedures, Shepard."
"Fine. Yes. I am Spectre Commander Shepard."
Feeling her blood boil, the Human could already tell this was going to be a long day.
~ Break ~
Matthew hopped through the Citadel as fast as he could go. Behind him, the crew followed. All of their eyes conveyed the same worry that was spread throughout them. Just in front of him, Liara was leading the way. Every once in a while she'd glance back to make sure he wasn't tripping over himself.
"Liara?" the commander panted out. He may be in shape, but the muscles he was using on these things weren't muscles he used everyday. "Are we almost there?"
"Just another turn," came the quick as ever reply.
"You said that three hallways ago."
As they turned the corner, the group spotted one Diana Allers arguing with a few armed, Alliance guards. Judging by the annoyed glares they were giving her, the few guards that were there had never served on board the Normandy.
"Listen lady," the one right in front of the door said. "This is a private affair. No cameras."
Allers groaned, her usual perky exterior vanishing. "You can't try someone as prominent as Shepard without witnesses! There are laws for this sort of thing!"
Matthew, upon hearing those words, froze. "Wait. You're doing what?" he questioned, noticing Liara open her Omni-Tool from his peripheral vision.
The guard to the right of the door sighed. Her voice was soft, but firm as she said, "this was deemed to be a private trial. No one is allowed entry."
Seeming happy with whatever she'd been doing, Liara walked up next to him. "You can't keep us out if we have evidence," she stated, crossing her arms. It was a Human motion she'd learned from Shepard.
The last guard spoke with a deep, gruff voice, "prove it."
Before anyone could respond, Kaidan's Omni-Tool went off. Everyone in the area turned to him as he shrugged and answered. His face paled within a second.
"Councilors?!"
"Spectre Alenko," came Tevos' voice. "We hear the Shepard is being tried on the Citadel without our knowledge. How close are you to these-" a pause, "-coordinates?"
His Omni-Tool went off again, everyone watching in interest as he replied, "already there, Councilor."
"Good," Sparatus' voice replied. "Any trial on the Citadel is supposed to be done through the Council. We want you there."
"And public," Mordin cut in. "All trials public."
"No way," the female guard cut in. "The higher ups decided this."
Kaidan angled the Omni-Tool towards the door, giving the Councilors a good look at who was there.
"If you do not open that door, C-Sec will be there within moments," Sparatus growled. He may not like Shepard, but he disliked those who openly broke laws even more. At least she tried to follow them. "Do not expect for the Alliance to continue to be looked upon favorably if this continues."
"Now please. Let this group in," Tevos added, her voice strained, but calm.
The link closed and Kaidan eyed the soldiers. They looked among each other before sighing and opening the door. The first words that came out were from a very familiar voice;
"You think I was with who?!"
~ Break ~
Shepard cringed after she spoke. That was a little louder than intended. Urz glanced up at her in surprise before going back to growling. She was too annoyed with the situation to notice the doors behind her open and her crew start to climb the steps.
"We shouldn't have to repeat ourselves, Commander," the judge drawled, stifling a yawn. He stopped mid motion at the sight of the crew stepping onto the platform. The other two froze as well. At Shepard's feet, Urz stopped growling, turned to look behind him, and barked. His master ignored him.
"I, and I hate to say it like this, did not have a sexual relationship with Admiral Anderson!"
The Normandy crew blanked at that statement. That's what the fraternization charge was for?!
"For the sake of the Spirits," she groaned. "That is not the type of relationship we had!"
"Then what type?" the judge asked, regaining composure. "You spoke with him often, there are reports of you being on ships together when you were younger, he gave you a very expensive apartment. The evidence is overwhelming, miss Shepard."
Shepard didn't even notice that his gaze was behind her, her own eyes narrowing. "He was my father!" She put her head in her hands. "And no. I cannot prove it. All of the files were sealed when I joined the Alliance. I don't even know where the only copies were brought."
"Ahem," Matthew managed, coughing into his hand.
Shepard spun, eyes widening when she spotted everyone. "Matt?!"
"Who are all of you? And how did you get in?" questioned one of the men.
"Council sent us here. Broke a couple laws not informing them, you know." Matthew smiled, hopping towards the edge of the platform. "Hey, mom."
"You have no right to disturb these proceedings."
"Actually, we do." Matthew waved his new friend forward. "Legion here has the data that will prove Commander Shepard's innocence."
Legion stepped forward, his brow plates shifting. "This unit is here to help." He opened his Omni-Tool. "This data should free Shepard-Commander of any charges."
Shepard watched, her face blank as her Geth friend uploaded the data to the judges. Quiet sound came from each of their Omni-Tools as they reviewed the data. Seconds after they stood and turned down their own pathways, meeting in the center and talking in hushed tones.
"Matt? Guys? What's going on?"
"Just as you heard, Shepard," Liara spoke up. "We got the sealed data from Illium."
Urz barked, bouncing back and forth in his happiness.
"But why are you all together?" she reiterated, confusion clear on her face.
"That would be thanks to Aunt Kasumi," Matthew explained. "She called me and had Hackett approve my taking over the Normandy while you were incarcerated." He adjusted his grip on the crutches. "We worked as a team to get the data to free you."
Shepard's eyes grazed over the whole crew. "Is everyone okay?"
"For the most part," her son continued. "I took the most damage. No one else has worse than a lot of bruising, really. Nothing some medi-gel and time won't fix."
"There should be no conversing so casually in a courtroom," one of the judges spoke.
The Normandy crew turned to the three judges who had returned to their spaces.
The one of the left rolled his shoulders. "We have reviewed the information given-"
"-and come up with a verdict," the one of the right finished.
The middle judge nodded to the other two before opening his Omni-Tool. "Spectre Commander Shepard? We rule you not-guilty on all charges."
"Thank the Spirits," Shepard said with a sigh of relief. Behind her, the crew started to cheer.
"We apologize for the inconvenience, Commander," the left judge added.
"Thank you for your service," the right judge finished.
The three judges turned and left the room, none of them looking entirely happy with the outcome. Once they had left, the bridge connecting Shepard's platform to the exit started to expand, allowing her to cross within moments. The Commander didn't wait for it to attach before jumping across the gap – much to the unrestrained horror of her crew – and tackling her oldest son in a hug. Urz leaped as well, opting to stand next to Amara and David.
"Matthew! I haven't seen you face-to-face in years." She leaned back so she could look him in the face. "Hackett didn't tell me you were the one taking the Normandy."
Matthew managed to wiggle out of his mother's grasp, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Yeah, well, it was the most trouble I've ever had on a mission. I think your ship is cursed."
"Hey!" Joker yelled from the back of the group. "My baby is not cursed."
Shepard chuckled before turning to the rest of the crew. "So, uh, hi guys." She managed a wave, her eye sparkling.
"Mom!" both twins yelled at the same time, charging forward and wrapping their arms around their mother.
"Hey, David. Hey, Amara. I see you two are doing well." Shepard rubbed each of their heads, ruffling their hair.
"Mom," Amara groaned, leaning back and trying to fix her hair. "Stop that."
The Commander laughed again. "Sorry." She waited for both kids to detach before looking at the rest of her crew. "So, uh, sorry about not telling you all."
"About the charges or your son?" Kaidan questioned, a hint of annoyance in his voice. He'd known her the longest and he hadn't known about him.
"The first one is my fault."
The crew jumped in surprise before turning to the owner of the voice. Hackett stood in the doorway, smoothing out his uniform. A light, guilty smile rested on his face.
"Councilor," Shepard said, her voice calm despite everything that had just happened.
"The second one is also partially my fault," he added, walking up the steps. "I apologize for being so late. They managed to hold me back from telling the Council with pointless meetings."
"What do you mean your fault?" Liara questioned, her instinct to want to know more taking over.
Hackett managed a guilty chuckle. "I asked her to meet them alone. I am well aware of how protective you all are. It seemed having you go with her would not have ended well." He reached the top of the steps, stopping before them. "As for the second one, both the late Admiral Anderson and I agreed that it would be easier if Matthew remained a secret. Unfortunately, once the fight with Saren started we lost any opportunity to finally introduce him. Shepard had been against it. Though she knew she couldn't raise him on her own, she wanted to be there for him."
Shepard shifted, an unidentifiable expression on her face. "Can we not talk about this right now?" she asked, noticing the curious gazes from others in the room.
"Ah, right. One of the reasons I came. I need some of you to come with me for a quick meeting. Alliance business." The five people in the room who were currently Alliance glanced at each other. "Vega, Alenko, Moreau, Shepard, and-," he paused, frowning, "Shepard, please come with me for a few moments."
"Is this about the real reason you called me to the Citadel? Back when I was still on Tuchanka?"
"Yes. And the sooner we do this, the sooner you can be on your way."
As the five moved to the head of the group to follow Hackett, the others followed behind them without a word. Urz ran to the front to walk next to his master while Amara and David took to either side of Garrus. When the Alliance members and Urz, who had ran in before anyone could stop him, entered the room, the rest had to wait outside. Garrus still didn't make a single sound.
~ Break ~
"The reason I called you in the first place is likely why the members of the Alliance who don't like you made such an attack," Hackett admitted, standing in front of his desk.
The other five had fallen in and were standing at parade rest, eying him with curious expressions. Urz had taken to laying between both Shepards, yawning before laying his head down and starting to snore. Matthew was putting the majority of his weight on his good leg, the crutches leaning against the wall behind him.
"Ah, permission to speak. This won't last long. More like an informal ceremony."
"Ceremony?" Matthew asked. "What for?"
"Lola," Vega said. "That's my guess."
Shepard rolled her eyes at the nickname. "Can you tell us what it's for?"
Hackett chuckled. "You'll see." He turned around to grab a few things from his desk before facing them again. A datapad and box were in his hands. "Attention!" he called out, all five snapping forward. "Commander Shepard, please step forward."
Shepard did as she asked, Urz waking up when she moved.
Hackett shifted, not used to having to be so formal around the Commander. "Ahem. Spectre Commander Shepard, due to your service to the Alliance, I would like to congratulate you on your promotion to Admiral."
Shepard took in a quick breath, her eyes widening. Behind her, Vega choked on his own saliva and the other three had tensed in surprise so much that the veins in their necks were popping out a little.
The Councilor handed the box forward. "These are your new ranks as well as a few medals awarded to you for everything you've done. I would list them, but I am well aware of your dislike of being the center of attention."
Shepard took the box from him, her hands shaking a little.
"One more thing, Admiral," Hackett continued. "Based on the reputation of the ship and its crew, we would like to present you the Normandy. It has been transferred from an Alliance jurisdiction to the control of Spectre Shepard." He handed the datapad over. "Congratulations, Spectre Admiral Shepard."
The new Admiral reached forward, grabbing the datapad. Her hand was shaking even more now, the shock evident on her face that was usually stoic in these situations. She moved the box and datapad to her left arm, saluting Hackett. He shook his head, holding an arm forward as a handshake instead. Shepard lowered her arm, shaking his hand.
"Everyone," Hackett said with a smile. "Fall out."
The group took a step back before facing to the right.
"And Shepard?"
She turned to him.
"As for the document you sent, we accept."
"Then why?" she asked, her voice small.
Hackett smiled wide. "Because you have done so much for us." He turned back to his desk. "Now if you would please excuse me, I must get to work. I need to contact the Council about who did this to you."
Shepard turned. The other four marines saluted her, shock still evident on all of their faces. Urz howled since he couldn't do the same. She saluted back, allowing them to drop their own, before heading out the door. The crew outside turned to her.
"Shep," Garrus said, his first words since they'd gotten back. "Why are you so pale? Are you alright?" He rushed forward, stopping a foot before her and looking straight into her unfocused eyes.
"I think Lola is in shock," Vega said, stepping out behind her.
"Not surprising," Matthew managed. "I would be too."
Kaidan didn't say anything as he stepped out, opting to lean against a nearby wall. Urz followed his lead but laid next to Shepard instead. Joker limped out a moment later, moving to stand next to EDI.
"Shock? Why?" David walked forward, standing next to his father.
"Mom? Are you okay?" Amara joined them.
"Commander?" EDI questioned.
Shepard shook her head, looking like she was trying to find words but couldn't form them.
"You can't really call her that anymore," Kaidan spoke up.
The group turned to look at him.
"And why not?" Liara asked, starting to sound annoyed.
"Did she get discharged?" Kasumi asked, clearly not happy with not knowing what happened.
Shepard shook her head again.
"Someone is going to have to tell us something," Garrus said in exasperation, mandibles fluttering in clear annoyance.
After taking a deep breath, Shepard looked ahead. "The Normandy is no longer an Alliance vessel." Everyone stared at her in confusion. "It was given to a Spectre."
"Which Spectre?" Amara asked, frowning.
Kaidan stepped forward. "Spectre Admiral Shepard."
The group was shocked silent.
"A promotion?" Liara managed. "And the Normandy?"
Shepard nodded. "Yeah."
"And something about accepting a document she sent," Matthew added.
"What document?" David asked, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.
"Ah." Shepard was visibly happy for the change of topic. "I'm a consultant for the Alliance now. I'll only go for a mission every once in awhile." She managed a smile, starting to shake out of her shock.
"So you're what, partially retiring?" Matthew asked, eying her with a curious expression.
"Pretty much." She managed a smile, though her eyes were still conflicted. "Same thing for the Spectres." Her eyes went to Garrus. "Some people think I put myself in too much danger."
Garrus scratched the back of his neck, looking away. "Some people."
"So where are we going now, Lola?"
Shepard turned to Vega. "A very specific planet," she responded, ignoring the suspicious glares. "Shall we go? We can discuss more on the way." Her eyes went to the datapad. "Matthew? You're coming with us."
"Huh? I'm not getting reassigned?"
"No," she continued, walking forward as her 'commander' aura came back. The crew split to allow her through. "According to a second document on here, you're being brought aboard the Normandy to work under the Alliance officials there and learn from them." A smirk adorned her face. "No matter what we're doing." Shepard raised her head. "Liara? Can you send EDI and Joker the coordinates?"
"Of course, Admiral."
Shepard paused before walking forward once more. "T-thank you."
~ Break ~
Upon returning to the ship, Spectre Admiral Shepard had ordered EDI, Liara, and Joker not to reveal their destination before heading up to her room, Garrus following her without even bothering to ask if he could. Matthew opted to go hang out with Amara and David in the Main Battery to get to know them a little better. The rest of the crew went to their normal spots, with Liara locking her door to avoid any questions and Urz sleeping behind Joker's chair to keep curious crew away.
"Everyone appears to be curious of our destination, Admiral."
Shepard cringed from her desk. An unfinished ship model had been pushed to the side to allow room for her to put her new rank on the uniform. "Don't call me that," she muttered, earning a curious glace from Garrus.
The Turian turned from his spot, Cinders in hand. "Is something wrong, Shep?"
The woman frowned the second he spoke, turning away from the uniform to look at him. "You're asking me that, but something's off with your subharmonics." She eyed him with an unrestrained mixture of curiosity and worry.
"Ah. You've gotten better at Turian vocal patterns."
"And you're getting better at trying to avoid my questions." Shepard leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
Garrus tilted his head to the side, Cinders squeaking in his claw. "You didn't tell me anything. Again."
"What would you have done if you had been there?" she asked in response, leaning back.
The Turian's mandibles fluttered as he tried to come up with an answer that wasn't 'not let them take you, of course'.
"See? Besides, I found out only a little while before we reached the Citadel. I didn't have time to explain it to anyone." She sighed, leaning back and turning towards the uniform again. "I mean, I know you were worried, I can tell by that gleam in your eyes, but I was in a jail cell with Urz. You were going on a dangerous mission to clear my name. Do you have any idea how terrified I was? I knew you would do something dangerous."
Garrus tilted his head once more as he set Cinders back in her cage. It was hard enough reading Turian's voices, but Humans didn't even have subharmonics. What was that strange tone in her voice?
"It's something EDI, Tali, Liara, and even Javik mentioned," she continued, attaching the last medal to her uniform. "It was about how when I go into danger, I almost always have a way out or there was no need for concern in the first place. When I get into danger, you put yourself into even more danger trying to get me out of it. Any other time you manage to keep a level head." She stood up, picking the uniform up and placing it back on the hanger before walking down the steps to put it back. "I asked Aurora about it. She said Turians are especially protective – something about instinct – so it's not like I can ask you to curb it a little." Shepard opened her section of the dresser, slipping the uniform in. "Anyway, my point is that I try not to put myself into danger knowingly. Remember when the Mindoir colony was attacked by Espie and Holly? I had called the Reapers there the moment I found out. I had a plan. When we were rescuing Wrex and Jack there was no need for concern; we didn't know it was a trap." She sighed, closing the dresser and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I know that you don't like me going into danger, but the fact that you go into danger, because of me, kills me." Shepard leaned back, staring through the glass window and into the endless void of space.
Garrus moved down the steps, each foot hesitant. Years ago, after the Collector base was destroyed, he'd come up to talk to her and found her curled up on the corner of her bed whimpering. Though she refused to talk right away and just shook and cried for a while, he later found out that staring through that window had caused memories of when she was spaced to flood back. Even now she'd only look out of it willingly when she was lost or confused about something. His mind ran back to when they were trying to infiltrate the Geth Dreadnaught, and how she even got panic attacks then, despite how long it had been.
~ Break ~
"Alright, Shepard," she mumbled to herself, feeling each foot latching onto the tube that was already falling apart. Her comm link was set to mute, making sure she could talk to herself without worrying about someone hearing her. Who in the right mind thought this would be a good idea?
"Shepard," came a quiet voice over her link. How the hell did Garrus get onto her personal comm from that distance?
"Garrus?" Shepard managed, her breaths coming too quickly to form any more words as she switched off the mute. Oh spirits why had she suggested she come out here? What if it fell apart while she was walking? What if a metal piece or stray bullet from the battle pierced her oxygen tube or, hell, hit her?!
"Shepard," came the voice again. "Stop thinking. Just talk to me. Listen to me. Why did you go out there? Why not send someone else?"
"I'm the Commander," Shepard said between gasps. "I have to be willing to do this."
"Breathe, Shep. Keep breathing, alright?"
"Thanks for the insightful tip." The Commander moved to the side to get past a hole. A terrified gasp racked her whole body as a piece of the tube behind her broke off and sent her to a couched position, shivering in terror.
"Shepard! Did you make it to the next part of the tube?!" He sounded frantic.
"I-I-I made it-t."
A sigh, as well as some clicking sounds, that she associated with Garrus being relieved beyond belief came over the comm. "Thank the Spirits." A pause. "Shepard? This radar says that you're not moving. You okay?"
"I c-c-can't move," she gasped, trying to force her legs to start working again. They were shaking so bad her knees were smacking together.
"Listen, Shep," came Garrus' voice again. "If you think I'm going to let you get spaced again, you're actually crazy." A light chuckle was added with a low growl. Shepard preferred feeling the growl when she was next to him; the vibrations were calming. "And I'm one of the few people that is still arguing that you're mostly sane."
"Aw thanks," Shepard said, the absurdity of the comment making her laugh. Her laughter went through her whole body, easing the uneasiness inside of her. She stood up with some apprehension, managing to stand tall and start walking again. "And I'm not crazy. Chakwas or Kelly would say that a fear of dying again is completely normal."
"And you're going to take Kelly's opinion? The one who was ready to get with any of the aliens you brought on board?" Garrus laughed, the growling sound louder than usual. Shepard could hear the strain. He was really trying to keep calm.
"Hey. I said Chakwas, too. And there was no way I was letting her anywhere near you."
Silence.
"Garrus?"
"Speak of the devil," he said under his breath. "Listen to this," the Turian added.
Chakwas' voice filtered through her comm as Shepard narrowly avoided being spaced when another piece of the tube broke off. She hit her own mute button to avoid being heard once more.
"Who in their right minds let the Commander go out there?!"
"Calm down, doc. We needed to send someone out," Joker replied, his voice calm.
"You off all people, Jeff, should remember just how the Commander died before! Who thinks sending her out in that condition is smart?!"
No one responded to the good doctor.
"S-she insisted," Tali managed, her voice quiet.
Shepard arrived at the door, the rest of the tube breaking off.
"Shepard!"
"Garrus?" Tali. "What's wrong?"
"The rest of the tube just broke off!" Joker.
"Shepard!" Garrus again. "Say something!"
"Dammit," Joker muttered. "EDI! Patch me through to her comm!"
When sound finally filtered through the cabin, all they heard was unrestrained laughter. Shepard's laugh. It was a strange thing. Most of them hadn't heard her laugh in months. And while her laughter was filtering through the comm, everyone else felt their own little dose of crazy and joined her.
"You guys," Shepard said between laughs. "I swear."
Even though she couldn't see it, she knew Garrus was smiling. She could hear it in his laugh. Maybe she could handle this fear of space itself with these people at her side.
~ Break ~
By the time her fiance reached the end of the bed, Shepard heaved another sigh and sat up. "Anyway, this is my solution. If I don't have to go on missions, than I don't have to put myself in danger. And then you won't put yourself in more danger trying to save me. So stop worrying about me. I decided this awhile ago. Besides," she added, "we might still get missions sometimes."
"Shepard," Garrus managed, mandibles fluttering. "One of your favorite things to do is go on missions. I know how much you enjoy helping others."
"Then I can advise others to make sure I can save as many as possible," she responded with a shrug. "I have people to care about. If Amara, David, and I lost you because of some stupid situation I got myself in, I'd never forgive myself. Or if I did something stupid and died, leaving you, Matthew, Amara, and David, I can't even imagine." Shepard stood, stretching her arms above her shoulders. "Now if you excuse me, my lovely Turian, Chakwas wanted to run a few tests to check my stress levels." She pat the right side of her fiance's face, smiling brightly as she kissed his scarred mandible. "I'll be in the Med Bay if you need me."
Garrus watched her go, mandibles stuck to his face in a tight frown as he thought over what he had just learned.
~ Break ~
Shepard hummed to herself as Chakwas strapped a small band to her wrist. If she'd been paying attention, she'd know the specifics of what it did and how. What she did know was that it tested for hormone levels and was much quicker than the testing her doctor friend used to do.
"Give me one moment, Comm-" She paused. "Admiral."
Shepard made a face, listening to a small whirring noise coming from the bracelet. "Please don't call me that. It's either Shepard, Shep, or Commander."
"But you're not a Commander anymore," Chakwas pointed out, chuckling as she read the incoming data from her terminal.
"I don't care. I don't want to be called Admiral. Spirits, I'd rather people called me Spectre." She frowned. "Anything by Admiral."
The doctor laughed again before standing. "EDI? Would you please call Garrus down?"
"As you wish."
Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Something I should know, doc?"
"You'll see," she replied, smiling brightly as she removed the bracelet and did a manual scan with her Omni-Tool.
"Chakwas," Shepard said, her voice including a hint more of her signature 'Commander Tone'.
The doctor went back to her chair, not even moving when Garrus came in.
"You know, Shep. I start to wonder what the heck happened when I get called down during a stress test." He leaned against the wall next to his fiance, his subharmonics suggesting he was more worried than he was letting on.
Chakwas grabbed a datapad, transferring some information as she spoke, "you really must slow down, Commander."
"Huh?"
She stood, handing the datapad to Shepard. "Based on your hormone levels and my confirmation scan, this is what I've found out." She watched Shepard read the datapad, Garrus trying to read the Human writing over her shoulder. "Though your levels of stress are normal all things considered," Chakwas added, moving back to her desk.
Shepard's eyes widened as she read the conclusion of her quick check-up. "Oh, fuck me."
The doctor chuckled. "Now, now, Commander. That's what got you into this mess in the first place."
