Writers notes: Sorry this took so long. I broke this chapter in two during editing, the next chapter will be up shortly, after I finish editing it. I will not be editing any other chapters until 51 is up. The chapter starts a few minutes after pickup. I moved the burn to the other side of Shepard's face. It was always suppose to be on the right side.
Running count: Reaper invasion day 16
Shepard emerged from the wrecked Prothean tank, after a long drive up the shuttle bay ramp. The tank had been batter by the Reaper thresher maw. The door of the tank was barley holding on, and the outer hull was warped. Shepard's face still bared the burn from the Klixen, and his adrenalin from the battle was starting to wear off, presumably allowing the burn start to hurt. Shepard's had made his first priority to go see Doctor Chakwas. Garrus came out of the tank next, hopping out a second latter, and patting Shepard on the shoulder, before looking at the tank. Wrex came out next, and spoke loudly. "Shepard is it alright if I stick around for a while." Called out Wrex, climbing from the tank. Shepard turned around stopping in the middle of the shuttle bay.
"Sure. Make yourself at home. If you can't find something just ask EDI, and she'll get you where you have to go." Shouted Shepard back.
"Alright Shepard. I'm probably gonna go see that Quarian scientist of yours a little later. Find out a few thing." Replied Wrex loudly.
"Just don't distract her to much. It's your people lives at stake." Replied Shepard continuing to shout, before turning back to the Med bay.
"Got it Shepard." Replied Wrex. Wrex turned to Garrus who was looking at the tank, and began chatting. Meanwhile Shepard continued to the elevator, taking it straight to the medical bay.
By the time Shepard had reached the Med bay, the burn had gone from a dull pain to a crippling one. "Karen." called out Shepard, shambling into the Med bay. Doctor Chakwas quickly spun around in her chair and looked at Shepard. Seeing Shepard in pain, she leapt from her chair, running over to Shepard.
"Alright, stop and let me look." Shepard stopped walking and turned his head to the left, showing Doctor Chakwas the burn. Tears were coming from Shepard's eyes, as he barely held them open. Doctor Chakwas quickly glanced around the room, before starting to pull Shepard by the shoulders. "Come with me, and don't fight." Commanded Doctor Chakwas, leading Shepard over to a one of the center beds, to the right of the room. "Alright sit down." Ordered Doctor Chakwas, sitting Shepard on the bed. "Now I want you to lay on your side without the mark, okay. I'll be right back." Shepard nodded, and then layed down on his side, leaving the burn up. Doctor Chakwas quickly walked away to her desk. "If I'm not mistaken, this is a burn correct." Asked Doctor Chakwas beginning to dig through her desk.
"Yes." Replied Shepard talking into the bed, sounding as if he was in pain. Doctor Chakwas grabbed a short, but stout container, and walked quickly back over to Shepard.
"Try and take a nap. I'm going to smear some medi gel on it. It should numb the pain." Informed Doctor Chakwas. Shepard hardly waited for Doctor Chakwas to finish speaking, before he past out.
Shepard suddenly found himself in the park he had dreamed of so many times before. Again the trees were filled with life and color, and the ground wasn't burned. "Hay Shepard." Said a voice behind him. Shepard whipped around at the voice, seeing it was Kaidan.
"Another subconscious meeting?" Asked Shepard, walking towards Kaiden.
"Call it what you want. But it looks like a beautiful day in the park to me." Replied Kaiden meeting Shepard.
"Why am I here?" Asked Shepard crossing his arm.
"Ah, straight to the point, like always. Why do you think you're here Shepard? You're sad, and undecided about the Krogan treatment. That last mission paralleled Virmire almost to the letter. Yeah it wasn't a lush jungle, but it was all about some crack pot cure, made by the Reapers."
"Saren was making clones though. They were empty headed soldiers just waiting for programming. This time it was children."
"Isn't that the same thing. All a clone is, is a mindless adults. That's not far from a child. A child who would one day grow up to fight our war."
"Our war?"
"Yeah, in the war with the Reapers. You know sometimes you're a little dense Shepard. Anyway. Tuchanka had the same ideals as Virmire. Only difference was you weren't put in that position with Wrex again."
"I almost was."
"And that just shows you how much you can really trust a Krogan desperate for a cure. You don't have that option to be racist though. Your a soldier fighting a war. All that matters in the end, and whether or not it was worth it. Did the gains out weight the losses. In a military stand point yeah it did. You can use the Krogan to win, and right now you have them."
"What about the non military factor. The future of this galaxy?"
"We'll you'll have definitely established a dominant power for the Krogan with that treatment. They'll unite now, and move as a society to a common goal."
"And one day they cure the Genophage." Added Shepard, making Kaiden's point.
"Yeah, and when they do, the galaxy better be ready to keep the Krogan in check."
"Or we'll end up with another Krogan rebellions."
"There is a way to avoid it though."
"How?" Asked Shepard sceptically.
"You could lie to them. They'll unite to fight the Reapers, but won't have time to actually realize it, until it's to late. Sure they'll be mad, and may even hunt you down for it, but they're population will remain stable. They may even find a place in society on their own."
"I don't think I like the idea of Krogan hunting me down. What happens if I don't lie."
"The Krogan will unite, fight Reapers, and go on to become a society of their own."
"Sound like the perfect solution, and what i was going for all along."
"It is. Until they find a cure."
"Then what?"
"Then their society boards a runaway train into chaos. Maybe they'll stop in time, but I think so. It's just gonna bring on another Krogan rebellion. They'll never learn to control their urges, and run ramped through the galaxy. The Turians may even just finish them off before it happens."
"But if they stop."
"That's a big if Shepard. They didn't stop last time.
"Doesn't mean they won't."
"There is another option Shepard. You could outright cure it. You'd definitely catch more Krogan eyes this way." Stated Kaiden.
"But then they'll starve to death." Replied Shepard quickly.
"Not necessarily, and I thought the idea was to win. Yeah they'll eat just about everything in sight, and eventually most will starve to death, but not all of them will. A few thousand will survive, and with those few thousand, they'll rebuild. They'll learn from the mistakes they made Shepard. It'll take them a couple thousand years to get things straightened out, but one day they will. Who knows, one day when they finally join the galaxy, on there own. Maybe the Galaxy will be ready for them."
"So you think I should just give them the cure?"
"It's your choice Shepard, but that's what I'd do." Stated Kaiden crossing his arms. "Now look, you need to wake up. Your about to roll off the bed." Stated Kaiden with a smile.
"What?" Asked Shepard confused. Shepard was suddenly jolted awake as the back of his head smacked against the floor. "Damn it"
"Shepard are you okay?" Asked Doctor Chakwas, getting up from her chair, as Shepard looked around to see where he was. Shepard was on the floor between the beds.
"Yeah." Replied Shepard starting to get off the floor, rubbing his head.
"Here let me help you up." Doctor Chakwas walked over to Shepard's side, and pulled him to his feet by his left arm. "ha ha, I couldn't believe you passed out, and then you do this."
"I can't believe I did that either." RepliedShepard dusting the back of his head off.
"You didn't even give me a second to find the medi gel, before you passed out. You must have been in a lot of pain, when that implant burned out."
"What?" Replied Shepard surpised.
"Another of your implants failed. Luckily for you it was non vital."
"Why'd it burn out?"
"Your rough treatment is why. What ever caused that burn must have jostled something in there. It heated up, and melted down."
"Wrex blew up a Klixen right next to me, maybe that did it. I assume you pulled it out."
"Unfortunately no. This one wasn't a small implant, and it will needs to be surgically removed."
"When can you do it?"
"I could do it any time, but I was thinking some time later tomorrow. We can't have you under the weather right now. The Primarch probably wants a update, and I know Wrex is dieing to talk with you. I also heard that Tali's getting drunk, and I figured you might want to check on her. Especially with your daughter up there with her."
"I do. I better go." Replied Shepard sliding past Doctor Chakwas, looking at her, as he backed up towards the door
"Take care of yourself, and if you need more pain killers let me know." Stated Doctor Chakwas looking serious.
"I will." Shepard turned towards the exit and walked out the door.
"I doubt it." Replied Doctor Chakwas loudly, as the doors closed behind Shepard.
Shepard made his way directly to the elevator, and took it up to the room. As Shepard exited the elevator he found Urz sleeping against the elevator door, rolling inside the door as it opened. Shepard walked around Urz, crouching down beside him, pulled his head up, clearing the door so it could close. Urz let out a grown, laying his upper paw on Shepard's arm. "Don't tell me she got you drunk to." Joked Shepard, as he rubbed Urz's head. "Is she scary?" Asked Shepard, joking again. Urz replied with a yawn, and then moved to his feet, trying to lick at Shepard's burn. "Nope not happening." Stated Shepard standing up. "I'll feed you later." Shepard turned away from Urz, and made his way to the room door. As Shepard entered he heard Tali talking to Zuula over the intercom.
"There's a baby?" Asked Tali sounding drunk, and surprised.
"Alright, it's clear that you're to drunk. I'm coming up there." Replied Zuula. Tali looked over at Shepard with a smile. She was wearing all of her suit, but the head pieces and the hood.
"No need. My boyfriend just arrived. I get to break up with him now." Replied Tali, getting up from the bed.
"Shepard she's very drunk. Don't." Stated Zuula, before Tali switch the comm with her omni tool, cutting Zuula off
"Not to drunk to do that." Responded Tali confidently.
"Tali?" Said Shepard, questioning what she was going to do next. Shepard took a quick glance over to Saleen, seeing if she was still alive. Saleen's eyes were open, and she was staring up at the ceiling.
"You know it's always Tali, Tali, Tali, with you. Why not ever honey or sweat heart, or ma'am." Replied Tali hostilely, pulling Shepard's attention back to her.
"Because I like your name." Replied Shepard.
"Well guess what mister name liker." Said Tali poking Shepard's armored chest. "I'm breaking up with you." Tali slowly moved her hands to find Shepard's release levers, and pulled them letting his chest armor fall to the floor, barely missing her feet, as she jumped back.
"This doesn't look like a break up to me." Replied Shepard, watching Tali shove his armor to one side with her feet. Tali then moved in closer poking hard at Shepard's chest.
"Don't you tell me how to break up with my man." Tali's pokes grew harder, until suddenly she switch to hitting Shepard with the side of her fist. "You got Reegar killed. You had to bring him. You and those hulking muscle." Stated Tali calmly, but still sounding drunk. Tali began feeling Shepard's chest, running her hands up and down. "Damn you and those muscle. Take off your pants." Ordered Tali sounding aroused. Tali reached for Shepard's shirt, and began pulling it off, but Shepard grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"Tali." Called out Shepard softly. Tali struggled, and quickly pulled out of Shepard's loose grip, and began hitting Shepard again, the side of her hand.
"What is wrong with you. Am I not good enough for you anymore."
"Tali you're drunk." Replied Shepard, pushing away her slow moving fist.
"So." Replied Tali defensively, backing off.
"Drunken sex won't make those feelings go away. You need to talk about it. But you can't do that, until you sober up. And that means getting some rest."
"What about our daughter that I supposedly have. She'll want her pyjak soon." Responded Tali, throwing her arms out to her sides.
"Tali, that's what your Varren eats." Replied Shepard closing the gap between them. Tali threw a finger up in Shepard's face, blocking him from coming closer.
"How dare you call our daughter a Varren. Just because she's ugly doesn't give you the right to make fun of her." Shepard shoved Tali's finger out of the way, and pulled her to his chest.
Tali. I never called our daughter ugly. Our daughters name is Saleen, and she drinks her mothers milk. She doesn't eat pyjaks.
"Don't you argue with me. I know what she likes, and it's milk." Replied Tali looking up at Shepard smiling. Shepard smiled back at Tali, before scooping her up in his arms, getting a tiny squeak from her.
"You need to go to bed." Stated Shepard as he carried her into his arms, to the right side of the bed. Shepard gently set Tali down, before climbing over her, laying down next to her, and holding her head to his chest. Tali began crying into Shepard's chest as he did this, and her voice tighten the more she spoke.
"He was always such a good man. And now he's dead. Why does everyone I care about die. Mother, father, now Reegar, they're all dead because of me. Next it'll be you. I don't want to lose you."
"You won't Tali. I won't let it happen. And I'll take care of everything tonight. Do you still have a bottle for Saleen?" Asked Shepard softly, putting his lips to the top of her head.
"There's one in the refrigerator down in the mess hall. Don't forget to decontaminate it." Stated Tali still crying.
"I won't, just go to sleep now. We'll talk about this in the morning." Shepard planted a kiss on the top of Tali head, and held her, until she was fast asleep. Once Tali was asleep Shepard would take care of Saleen and Urz for the night.
Writers Notes: Tali was flipping back and forth between many emotions during the scene. One minute she hated him, and the next she wanted to rip his close off then it was sadness, before becoming argumentative. I hope you paid attention to the Kaiden conversation.
