Chapter 54

Garrus got Cassidy's frame through the B2 door. He called out, "Let's stop and lower the wheels on these in case the float power dies." So, they did. The wheels lowered down with a fold out crank. It took a minute before they were down and the frames rolled. They rearranged the order so Garrus and Cassidy went to the head of the line. Garrus counted the tiles and found the right door. The turian guard opened it and swept the room ahead of them. They filed into the room and closed the door behind them. Garrus said, "VI, combat lockdown."

A thick metal wall came up out of the floor and covered the hallway wall, settling into place with a solid thump. Garrus looked around and saw a kitchen, a bathroom, stacks of chairs and cots. Floor to ceiling cabinet units were next to each bed space.

Cassidy croaked, "Could I get some water,please?" Garrus went to the cabinets and found one labeled as cups, lids and straws. He pulled out 7 sets. He put water into one, attached the lid and inserted the straw. He brought it to her and put in the space on the frame meant for that and adjusted it so Cassidy could reach the straw. He went back to get a cup of water for Melanie, but one of the guards had filled several cups already and was working on the rest. The other guard had handed one to Melanie and was tipping her frame up so she could see everybody.

Adrien was helping Hannah out of her frame and into a chair. Garrus took a cup for Adrien and one for himself. He walked over and handed one to Adrien. Adrien motioned to Cassidy, "Would you like your frame tipped up?"

"Yes, please." Cassidy responded. The guard said she would do that, so Garrus dragged a chair over on the other side of Cassidy to complete the circle.

Garrus checked his omni-tool. There was no signal in the room. Adrien said, "It will take them some hours to properly sweep the hospital for any mercs that may have hidden themselves." Hannah asked the turian guards what had alerted them. "Admiral, the supposed cafeteria worker came off the elevator with a cart and covered trays. We told her to get back on the elevator, that nobody had ordered anything. She said she had an order and kept coming. We targeted her and instructed her to get back on the elevator. She grabbed a weapon from under one of the covers and I put up the shield."

Hannah said, "We piped in the camera feed and saw the rest of that." Cassidy finished her water and felt herself drifting back to sleep. Melanie had already done so. Hannah got up and walked to the restroom.

Adrien looked at Garrus. "You need to get them onto the Normandy. We will wait until you jump out of the system, then head back to Palaven. She needs to take her security more seriously. What if she had been carrying a child when that happened, you probably would have lost the child." Garrus nodded, "Yes, sir. I completely agree. She is never stepping into a public cab again, if I can help it." "You need to think about where she's going to stay when she is carrying. I don't think any planet will be safe enough, not even the Citadel. Probably the safest place is the Normandy. I can arrange to have a turian specialist on the Normandy when she's carrying a turian." "Actually, she's going to have to carry two at a time. In order for her to carry a turian, she'll have to have a human right alongside, to enable the support systems to grow to support them both." "I had wondered about how that all was going to be accomplished. Well, with the lives of two children depending on hers, that's just that much more important that she not risk herself to these radical elements."

Hannah came out and said, "I think we should tip these two back to flat, since they've fallen back asleep." The guards got up and did that. Adrien said, "We are going to get everybody back to the ships as soon as we can. I remember you saying you are on leave until your new ship is ready. Can I tempt you to come back to Palaven? I'd like to show you some of our geological splendors, which will involve some long shuttle trips." Hannah smiled, "I want to see Melanie off to Grissom Academy, then, yes, I will come to Palaven." "Good. I will make plans."

Garrus said, "I'm going to stretch out on a cot. Should I grab some for all of us?" Hannah yawned, "I suppose so, we were interrupted in the middle of our night." Cots were arranged, bedding found. Everybody laid down and the VI lowered the lights.

They got a couple hours of sleep before the VI's voice came on, "Communication request from Adminstrator Besia." Adrien pushed himself up, "Request accepted." "Primarch Victus, I am calling to let you know that things have calmed down up here. You have options available to you now. If the injured members of your group wish to remain to continue treatment, we will accommodate you. If you wish to relocate, we will facilitate that." Adrien said, "We wish to relocate." "Then you may now instruct the VI to direct you to the shuttle bay just outside the bunker. You may call for your shuttle to come in at your convenience. Once the VI determines that you all have left, then it will release the lockdown."

Adrien got up. "VI, I wish to access the shuttle bay." A panel opened up on the wall between the kitchen and bath. "There is a manual crank behind the panel that will open a doorway to a short hall, which leads to an empty transportation bay. You may call for a shuttle from there."

One of the guards got up and went to the indicated panel, pulled out the manual crank and started cranking. After a few cranks the door released. The two guards when out the door and down the hallway, weapons out. "Primarch, sir, there is an empty room here with a hangar door. We have signal." Garrus got up, "I'll go call for Cortez to come." Hannah got up and grabbed her bag, "I'm going to go change." Melanie said, "I want to get out of this thing and change, too." Adrien went over and helped her out and steadied her over to a chair.

Cassidy's fluids monitor began to beep. Adrien went over and saw that the reservoirs were at 33%, getting low. Hannah came came out, "We probably ought to get those out of her before they run out completely." Hannah helped steady Melanie over to the bathroom. Garrus came in, "Cortez is on his way, Dr Freilich is coming with him." Adrien said, "Good, then she can do what she needs to with this fluid system."

About 20 minutes later, the VI announced, "Normandy shuttle requests permission to dock." Garrus said, "Permission granted." The sound of the hangar door moving came from the hallway. They gathered up their stuff and Garrus pulled Cassidy's frame out to the shuttle. Dr Freilich got out and came over to check the fluids system. She began turning things off then taking tubes out of Cassidy. She directed a guard to remove the bar supporting the system and take it all back into the bunker. When the guard came back, Adrien had directed Garrus to take the co-pilot seat,then Dr Freilich and Hannah to get in, then he and Melanie. The guards pushed Cassidy's frame into the middle and they boarded last and pulled the door down.

When Cortez engaged the engines to leave, Cassidy woke, her head pounding and pain coming from all over. She looked up and saw Hannah on one side and Dr Freilich on the other. Hannah saw the stress on Cassidy's face and reached up to stroke her forehead and said, "I know, honey. We'll get you to Dr Chakwas soon and she'll hook you up again." Melanie reached in to hold one of Cassidy's hands and Adrien did likewise on the other side.

Cortez said, "The Normandy is docked with your ship, Primarch Victus. The news is saying that two gunships and a troop transport were chased away from the hospital by the turian fighter wing. The fighters then took positions on the roof of the hospital and nearby roofs until the hospital and the city gave the all clear. They are escorting us back."

Hannah checked her messages. "I have a message from Matriarch Kaleera. She says she has obtained new premises on Thessia and she includes the address. She says she gave the Nos Astra city council a piece of her mind." Cassidy smiled and said, "I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that piece of Kaleera's mind." Melanie did a search on her omni-tool, "Here it is, the vid, I'll put it up on the screen there." Dr Freilich said, "Oh my, she certainly does know how to dress for the occasion, doesn't she?" Hannah said, "She sure does, she looks the epitome of Distinguished Outraged Matriarch. Look, the councilors are physically cowering." Adrien said, "I wonder if she was in theater, she's a wonderful performer." Melanie said, "Oh, and the perfect exit, she even flicks them off the back of her skirt." Hannah said, "Pass me the link, Melanie, I want to show this to Solana."

Cortez' landing in the cargo bay of the Normandy was exceptionally smooth, for which Cassidy was grateful. The turian guards got out and pulled Cassidy's frame out and rolled her over to Dr Chakwas who was standing by with an IV bag. Dr Chakwas checked her eyes, and "Oh Cassidy, I'll get this going for you as quick as I can." She got the IV in and flowing. Cassidy quickly felt the effects and relaxed in relief.

Adrien assisted Melanie out of the shuttle. Dr Freilich and Hannah came next, then Garrus and Cortez. Dr Chakwas said, "Why don't you all go down and get breakfast, while I get Cassidy up to the med bay." Garrus came over and said to the guards, "You two go get breakfast. I'll accompany these two." Garrus took Cassidy's hand in his and looked in her eyes and quietly said, "Welcome home, Captain. You have been missed." He looked up to see the others getting in the elevator. James came over, "Hey, Lola, I hear that was not your first crushed Prothean ruin. What was that Jacob said that the batarian said to you your first time on Omega, 'Things explode around you.' " Cassidy smiled.

James took one side of the frame and Garrus the other. Dr Chakwas went ahead to signal the elevator to return.

Garrus said, "Was that Arno?" Cassidy said, "No, um, I think 'Moklan' and there was a salarian, um, 'Fargut'?" Garrus said, "I think I heard Moklan's name once or twice, one of Aria's people." They got on the elevator with Dr Chakwas, went up to Deck 3 then wheeled her into the med bay.

Dr Chakwas was turning the windows opaque. She said, "Leave her in the frame. Wheel it over here. Cassidy, I'm going to do the second bone treatment of your neck then your rib. The splint will have to stay on one more day. Tomorrow we'll do the final bone treatment, then start clearing off your scraped skin, just like we do for burns. Hm some of your bruises are starting to turn color. That's good." She had brought the bone regenerator down and programmed while she had been talking. She brought it down, carefully aimed it and turned it on.

When both fractures were done, Dr Chakwas asked what flavor shake she wanted. Cassidy said, "Strawberry banana." She sent Garrus and James down to breakfast and told them to have Samesh send the shake back up. Dr Chakwas told Cassidy about the small things that had been happening on board while she was missing. How different people expressed their anxiety in different ways. "I think Clowder was relieved to be able to help once there was searching he could go do."

Liara and Solana came up with a strawed cup and a larger insulated container. Solana said, "Hannah showed us that vid of Matriarch Kaleera. Wow, I wish I could have seen her do that in person. Reminded me of my grandmother." Liara said, "I fully understand why the city councilors were cowering. Kaleera certainly knows how to harp on asari insecurities."

Cassidy said, "Do I have to be flat, doc? This would be easier if I could sit." Dr Chakwas considered. "Solana, you know that reading chair in the lounge, could you bring that in here?" Solana said, "Come on Liara" They left, returning with the chair between them. Javik came in, "You asked for me, Liara?" Liara said, "Yes, you and I are going to gently lift the Captain from this frame onto that chair." Dr Chakwas said, "Just a minute, let me prep her. Let's push this frame that way. Good. Now put the chair where the frame was. I'm taking the straps off Cassidy. Solana, see if we can hook an IV holder to that light support pole?" Solana inspected the holder and then the pole, "No problem, its like they were made for each other."

Dr Chakwas checked everything, unhooked the IV holder and nodded to Liara and Javik. They carefully built a joint biotic field around Cassidy with her blanket, but not the frame, then Liara added a bit of lift. They maneuvered her over to the chair then gently down onto it. Cassidy said, "Very nicely done, thank you." She started on her shake. Dr Chakwas handed the IV holder to Solana who got it attached to the light pole on the chair. Javik said, "I will take this frame back to the cargo bay to be returned to the surface." Cassidy said, "Yes, take it down, but let's keep it. Its better than the one in the shuttle. We'll keep this one in the shuttle and the other can go on the bulkhead, for emergency use. The hospital can include the frame in the damages for Eclipse to reimburse." Dr Chakwas said, "Good, it is a very useful design. Be sure to recharge the battery." Solana said, "That looks like an old battery. Later on, I'll see if I can replace with something that can hold more charge."

Javik checked the frame until he figured out how to get it to fold. He carried the folded version out. Adrien came in as Javik was leaving. "I just want to say goodbye, Cassidy. I am returning to my ship now and then to Palaven. I will see you for the ceremony, if not before." He leaned in and kissed the top of her head. She said, "I'm so glad you were there for all of us." "So am I." he said. He shook hands with Dr Chakwas and Liara and exchanged salutes with Solana. Then he left. Cassidy lifted her cup and Solana took it, refilled it and gave it back to her.

Liara started telling about how they got the rockslide off of Cassidy. Melanie and Hannah came in. Dr Chakwas motioned each to a bed. She scanned Melanie first, pronounced her good for light activity. "No heavy biotic use for a couple days, you are still healing." Liara said, "We'll have a light refresher lesson this afternoon and tomorrow." Dr Chakwas turned and scanned Hannah. "Same for you, still healing, another day on light duty for you, Admiral." Hannah joked "I'll keep my biotic use to a bare minimum, and I won't play blitz ping-pong, either."