Chapter 52 - The Wayward Matriarch

No matter if they make them as nice and clean as Huerta Memorial, I still hate hospitals, Shepard grumbles at herself, idly scanning the crowds of patients for her old acquaintance, Thane Krios. You'd think that a drell would stand out. I better ask some nurse, she will know where I can find this... Tannor Nuara.

Liara has stayed back on the Normandy, Shepard for once happy to leave her studying the Prothean blueprints. She can make everything more interesting just by the virtue of her company alone, but somehow it doesn't seem to do much for hospital visits. James has also remained on the ship after a wild night at the Purgatory, while Garrus has left to coordinate food supplies for the turian refugees, 'mistakenly' delivered to the Presidium instead of going to the people most in need of them.

I'm just happy I don't have a nasty hangover after last night, Shepard grins, remembering the little come-together at the Normandy's lounge. Aria had consumed most of the rum, letting her ice-cold demeanor slip just a little towards the end of the evening, making not entirely serious passes at Liara, mostly just to embarrass the other asari. By then, Liara had been more or less zoned out, not really understanding what was going on around her. Aria's really not that bad, all things considered. Ruthless, dangerous, but... somehow fun to be around with.

A nurse shows her towards a more remote part of the hospital, where Shepard can see a familiar, lanky figure standing in the shadows and exercising, throwing practice kicks and punches at an imaginary foe. "Thane," she says, grinning. "Still trying to stay in shape, eh?"

"Commander Shepard," the former assassin swiftly turns around. Shepard finds drell expressions difficult to read, but Thane appears happy to see her. "When I heard that Earth was under attack I tried to get in touch, but I could not get through," he says. "And yes, with the way that my disease kills... there's no reason why I should not stay in shape. It simply pleases me."

"I thought about you now and then while I was still in the Alliance custody," Shepard says. "Wondering if the inevitable has happened."

"My allocated time has come and gone, already. But what are you doing here, siha?"

"One of your messages did come through, Thane. So, I knew where you were and actually came to visit you," she stops, before adding. "And there's also an old friend of mine as a patient in this hospital, Kaidan Alenko. He got hurt a while ago during a mission on Mars."

"You must mean the human biotic in the intensive care," Thane lets out an unpleasant sounding, dry cough as he speaks. "I saw the marks of an implant. We spoke a little, though it is clear he prefers solitude. Still, he seems like an honorable sort."

"Yeah, he is... maybe a little too honorable," Shepard mutters quietly. "Never mind that," she then says quickly. "So, how are you really, Thane? How far has it progressed?"

"I need daily medication, Shepard," Thane explains without any bitterness or regrets. "It should not be long. Do not let sadness fill your heart, siha, I am at peace with what I've done with my life. That is more than most men can say when their time comes."

"Very true," Shepard admits slowly. "I wonder if I will be."

"I will pray that you are, if you will allow me," Thane says.

Shepard shrugs. "Well, I don't see how it could hurt." They stand silent for a while, before Shepard speaks again. "I hope you will be around the next time we return to the Citadel. I would love to talk some more."

"It would be a pleasure. There is also the extranet, of course," Thane nods, then looking at her with unreadable expression in his eyes. "Do not grieve for me, siha. I have good doctors and my son visits regularly. I wish you all the best, Commander."

"And I for you, Thane," she says quietly, shaking his hand and then leaving, walking towards Kaidan's ward. Thane might claim that he is at peace, but Shepard finds that such knowledge does not mean much to those who will be left behind, still feeling depressed from the realization that his death is imminent. This must be so terrible for his son, she realizes with heavy heart.

Shepard takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the somber mood, attempting to get ready to face Kaidan, knowing that this would be a difficult conversation. Once she has steadied herself, she opens the door and runs into Councilor Udina, about to leave Kaidan's room, Shepard overhearing only the last bits of their conversation, Udina pressing Alenko for an answer regarding the Spectre candidacy.

"Shepard," Udina says stonily as he exits, not even sparing a look at her. Shepard simply shrugs and swallows her greeting, stepping through and approaching Kaidan, who is curiously watching their exchange.

"I see your friendship with Udina has only deepened," the Major chuckles. "I don't think he even mentioned your name once during our conversation."

"Yeah, I made him a laughing stock in front of all the other councilors, I don't think he'll ever forgive me that," Shepard smiles. "Say, you are looking much better. Certainly far less beaten up than when we brought you in. That was nasty, I'll show you pictures later."

"Err, thanks..." Kaidan replies. "And thanks for coming, Shepard. I had no right to expect you to come after... well, what was said between us."

"Water under the bridge, I say," Shepard shrugs. "Or do you want to make it more complicated?"

"Letting me off that easy, Shepard?" Kaidan faces her with a questioning stare. "Sure I'd like to forget what was said, but those were not insignificant accusations. Are you certain you can just forget it as simple as that?"

"Kaidan, the truth of the matter is that we simply don't have the time to be at each other's throats. And we probably don't have time to work through these issues all proper-like," Shepard says simply. "So yeah, I confess to not having the desire or inclination on spending more time arguing or holding grudges. That's why I say, water under the bridge and I mean it. Truly," she reaches out, offering a handshake in reconciliation and Kaidan wastes no time in grabbing her hand and shaking it vigorously, smiling.

"I'll take that offer, Commander," he says, looking relieved. "And I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

"No idea what you're talking about," Shepard shakes her head, winking at him. "So... Udina's pressing you about the Spectres, huh?" It actually does seem a little odd for him to be so interested... I wonder what's up with that.

"Yes, he has been most insistent," Kaidan nods. "Still, it is a big responsibility, I want to make sure I don't regret my decision. Besides, I am not in the shape where I could contribute in the field. The implant got rattled, doc says, so I have to keep the biotics offline for a bit."

"Well... considering all the issues with L2, that's... alarming," Shepard manages, starting to feel a little worried. "Make sure not to rush back into action, Kaidan."

"Oh, it's really nothing serious, Shepard, the doc is just overly cautious," Kaidan says, sighing. "I think she just wants to keep me here as some sort of lab rabbit. Keeps running all sorts of tests on me."

"This doc... is she a looker?" Shepard grins.

"Asari," Kaidan replies.

"Oh, say no more. You're not really complaining then, are you?"

"No. No, I guess I'm not," Kaidan smiles back at her.

"But seriously now, do you have any plans for what you want to do once they let you out?" Shepard asks. "I guess with the Spectre candidacy up in the air, you probably don't know it yourself?"

"Serving on the Normandy will always be great temptation, Commander, if you're willing to extend an offer. But... you're right, if I accept the Spectre offer, things might change. Hell, Udina might already have something in mind for me, the way he's been trying to talk me into it."

"You'll always have a place on the Normandy, Kaidan," Morgan smiles. "By the way, we've got Garrus back, and Wrex will be joining us soon. Now we just need to find Tali and the old crew will be back together."

"Except for Ash..."

"Except for Ash," Shepard nods, the painful memories of their lost friend suddenly resurfacing. "I sometimes wonder what she'd be up to now, if not for... you know what."

"She'd be where the action was the fiercest, making the Reaper's day completely and utterly miserable," Kaidan smiles, with a shadow of bitterness. "Good old Ash. Miss you."

"Yeah..." Shepard sighs in agreement. "Listen, Kaidan... I've been asking everyone about their families, but it just occurs to me that I never had the time to ask about yours."

Kaidan winces, looking upset. "I left my family in Vancouver..." he says. "They were headed towards their orchard in the BC interior the day of the attack. Haven't heard from them yet, but... hoping that dad's Alliance training will keep them safe."

"Rough, isn't it, not knowing where your loved ones are? My mother's ship has been missing since the day of the attack and Hackett just keeps reassuring me that she'll report in any day..." Shepard speaks, feeling her own voice becoming strained.

"This war is hell for everyone, Shepard," Kaidan says, shaking his head. "Soon there won't be anyone in the galaxy not affected by it..."

"Yeah, you're probably right, depressing as it is," Morgan nods. "Well, I should probably let you rest now," she says, feeling a little desperate to get out of the hospital, the atmosphere starting to suffocate her. "Between me and Udina, you're probably feeling completely worn out."

Kaidan laughs. "Don't be a stranger, Commander. Next time you're on Citadel, feel free to check in with me, alright?"

"Sure, it's a promise," Shepard nods, heading for the exit. "Goodbye, Kaidan."


The refugee camps in the repurposed docking bays are slowly becoming completely cramped, despite the reassurances of the officials that the conditions remain adequate and comfortable for all those seeking shelter on the Citadel. Two more turian cruisers with wounded have docked overnight and the part of the temporary residence allocated to them is by far the worst in terms of crowds.

As Shepard slowly makes her way there, she notices the great amount of volunteers carrying away turians on stretchers, their bodies completely wrapped in white sheets. It would appear that great many of the wounded have not endured the journey to the Citadel, expiring from their injuries along the way. As Morgan walks along the rows of the injured refugees, settled on dirty, bloodied blankets on the floor, she hears a deeply disturbing chorus of pained moans and crying assaulting her ears, making her shudder.

Some of these people might have been better off dead, she notes grimly, sparing a few looks to assert their injuries. Most are missing a limb or two, some injuries clearly too devastating to recover from. The Reapers are merciless. If you get caught by that destroyer particle beam, you can probably count yourself lucky if you end up only losing a limb. For a given value of 'luck'.

She hears the familiar voice of Garrus, rising high above the cries of the wounded. "Someone, give me the update on our medi-gel supplies!" his voice sounds very strained, worse than anything Shepard can ever recall. "And where are those food supplies that I requested! Did you get Bailey on the line or not? Get on it!"

Shepard slowly makes her way towards Garrus, listening at him shouting out orders. "Did you hear from the hospital yet? Can they spare their surgeons? All busy? Damn it!" her turian friend swears, looking exhausted and exasperated. "Well, keep on it then, some of these wounded don't have much time!"

For a moment, Morgan wonders whether she should even approach Garrus, fearing he might not appreciate the distraction, he seems too wrapped up in helping his people, but as Shepard is considering a careful retreat, Garrus looks up and notices her. "Shepard," he says, motioning her to approach him. "Damn it, we convinced the Council to accept our wounded, but... I had no idea it would be this bad," he confesses. Shepard fixes him with an inquisitive stare.

"We are getting more dead than injured. 85% KIA," Garrus explains, sounding depressed. "Even the morgues can't accept our dead anymore. There just aren't a lot of treatable flesh wounds when fighting Reapers..."

"85% is insane," Shepard blinks, shocked. "If it's the same on Earth then... damn it, Garrus, this is... this is..."

"Slaughter. Our front-line units are being wiped out whole platoons at a time," Garrus nods. "A single Reaper can destroy nine or ten of them in a single attack."

"You just can't congest your forces like that with Reaper destroyers walking about," Morgan shakes her head. "Guerrilla war, it can't be anything else but that." I hope that our people back home have figured that out quickly. I know Anderson would have realized that immediately.

"Yeah, our military just found that out the hard way," Garrus says grimly. "We're doing what we can for these people, but... only a few here will be able to get back into action. The rest, amputees or dead..."

"You know, you hear about millions dying on the first few days, and it's horrible, but somehow it's also... a number, and you look at it, but you don't really see the faces behind it, if you know what I mean?" Shepard asks, Garrus nodding along thoughtfully. "Then you come down here to witness something like this... and the reality just punches you in the face. Just pisses me off... makes me angry, as if I could strangle the Harbinger with my own bare hands!"

"Maybe that's how we need to feel if we want to win this war, Commander."

"Maybe..." Shepard admits, before looking at her friend again. "Any news about your family?"

Garrus winces, making Shepard instantly regret asking about it. "Not yet, but I'm trying to keep the hope alive."

"That's all we can do," Morgan nods, giving Garrus a sympathetic look. "Garrus, I know you must help your people, but I don't want to see you burning yourself out, okay?"

"I'll be fine, Commander," Garrus replies, then eyeing her with an evaluating stare. "What about you, Shepard? I'm starting to see some wear and tear."

"Eh..." Morgan shrugs, not really willing to talk about it or even spend time thinking how she is truly feeling. "I get by, somehow. Liara won't let me collapse, anyway. She's been... a great help."

"Good to hear," Garrus nods. "We both have no illusions, Shepard. We're only at the very beginning of this war. If we feel like we're about to collapse now, we have no chance to make it through to the end. We haven't seen a tenth of the horrors that we'll be forced to confront before it is all over."

Morgan swallows heavily from the implications of Garrus' words. "Gods... and people say that I'm depressing," she groans. "Listen, I think I'm heading back to the Normandy, Garrus. Check in with us soon, the time is running out for the asari representative to show up."

"I'll be in touch," Garrus promises as Shepard quickly makes her exit, the cries of the wounded in need of basic medication starting to get a bit too much for her to take.

I could do with some asari-cuddling after all this, Morgan thinks at herself, briskly making her way back towards the Normandy, contacting Joker on the comms to inquire about the situation on the ship. Everything appears quiet, the asari representative has not shown up yet and everyone else save for her and Garrus are back onboard, awaiting further instructions.

She arrives at the Docking Bay D24 and heads directly towards the Normandy airlock... then stopping in her tracks as she sees a regal figure of an asari matron leaning on the railings and staring at the ships outside with a ponderous expression on her face. There is a heavy footlocker at her feet, holding the asari's belongings, as she appears to be waiting for someone.

"Excuse me," Shepard approaches the asari, interrupting her reverie. "You wouldn't be the asari representative for the war summit?"

"That's right, babe," the asari turns around to face her, addressing Morgan in an all too familiar voice. "Funny how we keep running into each other, isn't it?"

"Matriarch Aethyta!" Shepard beams at the sight of her old acquaintance from Ilium. "So that's what Tevos meant when she said... but, if you're, uh, shunned by all the other matriarchs, then what can you..."

"Not now, babe," Aethyta interrupts her. "I will answer all your questions onboard. There is only one thing I need to know before I am to join you for this summit." Shepard stands like frozen, waiting for the asari to continue. "Does your ship have a bar?" Aethyta asks.

"...yes, we have a nice little lounge," Shepard replies, after the initial surprise.

"Wonderful!" Aethyta exclaims, grabbing her belongings and then slapping Shepard on her shoulder, unexpectedly hard. "In that case... show me the way to the drinks cabinet!"