La'Dauna exited the Night Fox, pulling up her communications app on her omnitool, and headed for a transport pad. She needed to check in with the Presidium medical station and let them know she would be away longer than expected. Once finished, she contacted Zaeed.
"Hello, luvly," Zaeed answered.
"Can it," La'Dauna said with a smile to her voice, "tell me where you are so I can make sure those doctors are patching up the kid correctly."
"They seem to know what they're doing," Zaeed said, "but we're in the lower wards near the market and that new guddam noisy club Flex or whatever the hell it's called."
"I'll be there shortly," La'Dauna said. Before she hung up, "Did you tell the doctors about…" she didn't get to finish before Zaeed answered.
"Yeah."
"Good. See you soon," La'Dauna said and cut the call. She boarded a transport and entered her destination, then sat back for the short ride.
As La'Dauna enter the med station, she rolled her eyes. Of course, she thought to herself, standing off to the side out of the way was David Anderson. She caught Zaeed's eye, who sat in a waiting room chair, and motioned him over, trying unsuccessfully to not draw attention to herself.
"Dr. Onassis," Anderson said, now looking at her, "Is Cara all right?"
Zaeed had begun to stand from his seat but stopped and raised an eyebrow at Dauna when this Alliance man mentioned Shepard. He looked over to Anderson and sat back in his seat as understanding caught up to him. Must be the people who picked Shepard up, Zaeed thought. Then another thought occurred, Wait how does he know Dauna then? Zaeed looked back at Dauna, who gave him a subtle hand gesture that she would explain everything as soon as she could. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, watching.
"Captain Anderson!?" La'Dauna said, feigning surprise. "Oh, no, Miss Shepard is doing well. Currently sleeping. Your Chief Williams is with her. I'm currently running tests as she rests."
Zaeed watched relief cross the Alliance man's features. Odd, he thought.
"That's good," David said as a curious look overcame his features, "What brings you down here? If you don't mind me asking."
Before she could answer, the surgery field dropped, drawing everyone's attention to the patient and her doctors. Zaeed stood this time, and Wrex, who had stood quietly in a corner, pushed off the wall.
"How's she look, Doc?" Wrex asked, looking over at Jack's relaxed form.
"Almost as good as new," Karin answered.
"She'll need an hour or two with the muscle stitcher, but should recover fully," Dr. Michel said in her lilted accent, cleaning away the tools they used and taking them to the disinfectant and de-con area.
"How was she?" Zaeed asked, walking towards Karin.
"We had to pause a couple of times for her to… collect herself, but she did well," Karin assured him. "You can go talk to her if you like."
Zaeed began moving towards Jack's bed but stopped and turned towards Karin. "Thanks, Doctor…" Zaeed paused, realizing he didn't know the doctor's name.
"Chakwas," Karin provided.
Zaeed tilted his head, Why does that name sound so guddam familiar? he asked himself as he said, "Doctor Chakw…" No guddam way, he thought. He looked over his shoulder to the Alliance man, Anderson, Dauna had called him. His eyes widened. No way in guddam hell. Zaeed looked to La'Dauna, who had covered her face with a hand as she watched Zaeed put it all together.
"Are you all right, sir?" Karin asked. The yellow armored mercenary had stood staring at her funny for a full minute before he had turned to look at Anderson.
"Bloody, guddam hell," Zaeed said.
"Excuse me," Karin said, not sure if she should be offended or not.
Zaeed ignored Karin and turned to Dauna. "Their..." he pointed to the two Alliance people. Dauna nodded. "And, they know…"
"Some," La'Dauna said vaguely.
"Does she?"
"Yes."
"Would somebody please explain what is going on?" Karin said, using her authoritative doctor's voice.
"Yes," Anderson said, suspicion on his face as he stared between La'Dauna and Zaeed. "I'm curious also. What in are hell you two are going on about, and how you know each other?" He crossed his arms and gave them a stern look.
Zaeed went from confused and curious to tight-lipped and stoic in an instant. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against a nearby wall. Like guddam hell, he was going to explain anything to these people.
La'Dauna sighed.
"Well," Karin asked, her voice still strong and commanding.
La'Dauna sighed again but said, "I think this will all be better in private and with a strong drink."
Anderson raised an eyebrow at that. "And if we want answers now?"
La'Dauna shrugged, not worried about the Captain's ire, "You'll have to wait. I have a friend I need to check up on." She nodded her head towards Jack. "Now, give me ten minutes, then we can go up to my office in the Tower's medical station, and I'll explain some things to you." La'Dauna looked at Anderson and Chakwas and watched as they made eye contact. The human doctor relaxed.
"Very, well," Karin agreed. "We'll wait."
La'Dauna nodded. She approached Jack, who had watched quietly from her bed. A curious look on her face that she tried to hide. "How do you feel?" La'Dauna asked.
"Like I was shot," Jack said, "What's going on there?" La'Dauna raised a brow waiting for her to answer her question appropriately. Jack sighed. "Sore and a little overwhelmed, but the docs here did good. Kept me in the loop. Didn't try to put me out, even when I freaked out a bit. Now, will you tell me what that was about?"
La'Dauna ignored Jack's question. "Good." The asari ran her omni scanner over the young woman. "Looks like they knew what they were doing. A couple hours under the stitcher, and you'll be up and moving again, but I recommend going easy on the biotics for the next day or so. And no fights."
Jack realized she wasn't going to get any answers and gave La'Dauna a stubborn look but quickly gave in and nodded in agreement with La'Dauna's recommendations. "Yeah, I drained myself pretty good. Fist had like fifty guys waiting for us in that tiny bar."
"Guess he wasn't expecting Wrex to bring back up," La'Dauna said with a smirk.
"You should have seen his face when we made it back to his office," Jack smiled. "Pretty sure he shit himself."
La'Dauna rolled her eyes at that. "Okay, you hang out under that stitcher for a couple hours, then head back to the Night Fox."
"Are those CJ's people?" Jack asked, flicking her eyes toward the Captain and doctor.
A heavy sigh. "Yeah."
"Where've they been?"
"Not sure, but I plan on finding out," La'Dauna said, a hint of anger in her voice.
"Get'em mama bear," Jack teased.
La'Dauna raised her brow again, and Jack shrugged, then hissed as pain shot through her shoulder. "See you later," La'Dauna said, patting her forearm, "try to not hurt yourself anymore."
"Yeah, yeah. See ya," Jack agreed.
La'Dauna left Jack's side and approached Zaeed, who watched the Captain and doctor with a shrewd eye. Wrex joined her from his corner, an amused look on his face. "You people find the best fun," he said with a chuckle. "I'll stick with Jack if you need to take care of this."
"Getting grandfatherly in your old age, Wrex?" La'Dauna asked, a twinkle of amusement in her eye.
"Bah," Wrex said, "I figure, I stick around, something else exciting will happen. Squaring off with the Alliance, that sounds like it could be fun."
"We're not squaring off with the Alliance," La'Dauna said, "just dealing with ghosts." She knew Wrex had some knowledge of Cara's past but didn't know how much, and it wasn't her place to share Cara's story.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she gets back okay," Wrex nodded at Jack. "You and the old man go take care of whatever ghosts need taking care of," Wrex said, dropping the subject. La'Dauna squeezed his shoulder.
"Come on, Zaeed. Let's go explain some things," La'Dauna grabbed Zaeed's elbow and pulled him behind her. "Follow me," she told Anderson and Chakwas as she passed them. They did.
Shepard, that's what Ashley had decided on calling the mysterious and aggravating Cara Jane, slept in the medical bed next to her. Ashley had watched Shepard sleep for the first few minutes looking over the woman and thinking about the last few days. Now she sat in an uncomfortable chair, flipping through an outdated magazine, not really seeing the pages and still thinking about her current situation.
It was overwhelming how much her life had changed and how quickly. From ground side grunt, as far in the command chain as she could get, with no chance of getting on a ship, and seconds from being court marshaled and dishonorably discharged, to being a member of one of the newest ships in the Alliance.
On the one hand, Ashely was still pissed at Shepard. What if Eden Prime hadn't been attacked? Ashley would either be on her way to an Alliance prison for 'aiding in the attempted theft of the Prothean artifact', or packing her rucksack and heading home with a dishonorable discharge. Would Shepard have even cared? Ashley sighed and tossed the magazine on the bedside table next to her. She had taken her hair down from the tight bun it stayed in for military purposes and now ran her hand through it, trying to settle her thoughts. Of course, Shepard would have cared, Ashley tells herself. Shepard was indignant when she heard the reason they suspected Ashley. "Ugh," Ashley grunts, shifting in the uncomfortable chair.
On the other hand... Ashley was still unsure about Shepard because her actions were a bunch of muddled signals that Ashley couldn't untangle at this time, at least, that's what Ashley was telling herself. How Shepard looked at Ashley, and the sincerity in her voice when she apologized, made it difficult for Ashley to continue ignoring what her traitorous heart insistently told her. "Oh, shut up," Ashley mumbled to herself.
Glancing at the still sleeping woman, Ashley noticed Shepard's scrunched-up features. Shepard's brow was knitted together and her jaw clenched tight. "Hey," Ashley said, worried, "Shepard?" Silence answered her. She stood up and moved to the bed, getting a better look at the distressed woman. Shepard's eyes shifted back and forth quickly behind her closed eyelids. A pained noise escaped from the sleeping woman. "Shepard," Ashley said, grabbing the woman's hand, "wake up. It's just a dream." Shepard squeezed her hand in a vice-like grip, causing Ashley to wince, but didn't wake up. The thrashing began next.
Cara leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching her mother cook breakfast. A happy smile spread across her lips as her mother hummed to herself as she stirred eggs in a pan. Strong arms wrapped around Cara from behind, and she squealed as she was lifted into the air, "Dad, put me down!" A raspberry was blown on the back of her neck as she tried to wriggle away. "Ewwww," Cara whined as she reached to wipe the area. "Moooomm, tell dad to let me go."
Her mother had turned around when Cara squealed and now had a large smile on her face, watching the antics of her husband and teenage daughter. "Victor," Hannah said in mock exasperation, "put our daughter down before you hurt yourself." The wink she gave did not go unnoticed by Cara, who giggled.
Victor sighed, "If I must." He lowered Cara back to her feet but held her in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his in reciprocation. "When did you get so tall, Janie Bean? Yesterday you barely reached my knees." He loosened his hold on his daughter.
Cara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, jutting out her hip as she glared at her dad, "Haha, dad." The smile she tried to hide slipped, and she let her arms fall to her sides with a chuckle.
He poked her in the side and grinned at her squawk of annoyance. "Come on," he said, ignoring her scowl and turning her towards the cabinets, "let's help set the table. Your mom looks like she cooked a feast."
Cara released her exasperation with a sigh and did as asked, collecting plates from the cabinets and placing them on the table while her dad grabbed the silverware. "Drinks?" Cara asked, grabbing the juice carafe from the refrigeration unit and pouring herself a glass.
"I'd like juice, as well," her mom said. Cara's mother kissed the side of her head as she passed with a platter of eggs and breakfast meats. "Thanks, baby." Cara gave her mom a warm grin.
"Cup of joe for me, Janie Bean," her dad answered, bringing over the platter of pancakes and cut fruit.
Cara grabbed a mug for her dad's coffee and turned to fill it as the sound of a deep, deafening horn permeated the morning air. Without knowing why a numbing fear spread through Cara to her soul. The coffee mug fell from her nerveless fingers and shattered on the ground. She looked down at the broken ceramic.
When she looked up from the shattered mug, Cara's eyes widened in surprise. She was no longer in her kitchen but in a field. It was a bright sunny day, a warm breeze blew against her face, but she felt like something was wrong. A gasped out "No," escaped from her lips as panic filled her, and she started to run. "No, no, no, no," she chanted as she ran. The sky darkened, and red lightning jumped between dark clouds overhead. The booming noise from before sounded overhead and shook the air around her. Cara stopped paralyzed with mind-numbing fear and watched the silhouette of a monstrous metallic beast break through the dense clouds. It landed in front of her and turned its glowing red eye her way. A red laser-like beam came towards her. Cara tried to move but was too late. The red light engulfed her, and she screamed in agony as searing pain ignited in every nerve of her body. As suddenly as the pain was there, it is gone, and her world is swept into blackness.
Ashley called out for a nurse, unable to move with her hand still held hostage. Her brow furrowed as she watched Shepard, whose breathing had become almost a pant and a layer of sweat coated her forehead and face. "Shepard, wake up!" Ashley shouted while attempting to pry her hand from Shepard's grip. She could finally hear footsteps rushing her way. Her hand now free, Ashley tried to keep Shepard from further hurting herself as she thrashed violently on the bed. "Come on, Cara. It's just a dream," Ashley said through gritted teeth, frustrated that she couldn't pull the sleeping woman from whatever haunted her.
A turian nurse rushed to the bedside. He looked at the monitors for a moment. Ashley glared at his inaction. "Do something," she growled. The nurse tapped a few buttons on his omni.
They had just begun their journey back to the Tower's medical bay when La'Dauna's omni pinged with an incoming communication. The walk to the transport station, and the ride so far, had been tense and silent. She opened the message and swore silently under her breath after reading it.
"What is it?" Anderson, who had been watching her closely, asked. "Is it Cara?"
La'Dauna sighed, typing a response. "Yes." She hit send on the message and pulled up Cara's stats on her omnitool.
"Is she okay?" he asked.
"Graaaaaahhh," the pained scream ripped from Shepard's throat, shattering Ashley's waning calm.
"Fucking now! Do something now!" Ashley yelled at the nurse. The turian's mandibles flared in annoyance, but he stayed to his task of button tapping before walking to a medical supply pod and removing a vial and needle. He returned promptly to the bed and injected Shepard. The woman's body relaxed and collapsed into stillness. Ashley watched as Shepard's heart rate slowed and heard her breaths evened out.
Ashley's eyes focused on the turian, who checked over a sedated Shepard. "Where the hell is Dr. Onassis? Shouldn't she be in here?"
The asari's shrewd eye noticed the subtle changes in her brain chemistry and the increase and sudden decrease in heart rate. "She's been sedated. The nurse said Cara was having a night terror."
Chakwas had leaned forward to get a better look at the other doctor's omnitool. "Are those her current readings?" she asked with a worried frown. She looked to her omni and began bringing up the information she had on Cara.
"Yes," La'Dauna answered, watching the human doctor.
"Are you aware of her previous injuries?"
La'Dauna gave her a slow nod, watching both Alliance members' reactions. "Are you?"
"Of course," Karin answered, "I'm the one who attended to her after the artifact exploded."
"Wait! What!?" La'Dauna said, at the same time Zaeed said, "Exploded!"
Karin looked at them both, puzzled. "Were you not informed of her experience with the prothean artifact before it exploded?"
"Are you telling me she got sucked into that thing again?" Zaeed asked.
"Again?!" Karin and David said, alarmed.
"Fuck," La'Dauna swore aloud. She turned to the transport's control center, "override for La'Dauna Onassis, Citadel Medical Emergency, Personal ident 274-08-Tide."
"Emergency Medical override engaged," the onboard VI stated. "Enabling manual control, now." A steering controller extended from the dashboard. La'Dauna grabbed it.
"Everyone, hold on," La'Dauna said as the sound of emergency sirens blared from the car. She raised the vehicle to the Emergency lane and increased speed.
The turian nurse looked at her. His voice was calm and gentle. The subharmonics, a soothing sound as he answered, "She was called away to another medical incident but should be here soon. Miss Shepard seemed to suffer from some sort of night terror. The sedative I administered should let her rest in peace."
Ashley breathed out a long sigh to calm herself. She nodded to the nurse, "Uh, thanks." She ran her hand through her hair, suddenly feeling sheepish for her loss of control. "Um, sorry for yelling."
The nurse tilted his head and fluttered his mandibles in understanding. "You were worried," he said. "I will try to answer any questions you have, but," he paused to look at the readings he had taken, "these readings are unlike anything I've seen before."
It was the artifact, Ashley thought as she collapsed back into her uncomfortable chair. She looked at a now peacefully resting Shepard and furrowed her brow in worry. What the hell did that thing do? She asked herself before turning her attention back to the nurse. "Um, thanks, but I'll wait for the doctor."
"Of course," the turian said before leaving Ashley alone in the room once more.
Ashley's eyes wandered back to Shepard and stayed there, watching the woman for even the smallest change. After ten minutes of staring at the unconscious woman, Ashley relaxed back into her seat. The sedative the nurse gave Shepard appeared to be doing its job. A heavy breath, Ashley didn't realize she was holding in, released in a large woosh. Ashley let her head rest on the back of the chair and closed her eyes, Damn, it had been a long day. Her breathing had just become deep and even when she heard the slightest of whimpers. Ashley's eyes flew open and landed on Shepard. The sedatives weren't working, was Ashley's first thought.
Shepard slowly emerged from the blackness, her surroundings coming into focus gradually. No noise came to her ears, the air around her void of sounds. Blinking, Cara felt tears fall from her eyes and down her cheeks. She used the back of her hand and wiped them away. Her loving parents were dead. Anger coursed through her, and Cara felt buzzing energy become ignited beneath her skin.
Shepard's brow once again scrunched in what Ashley thought was pain. Her eyes shifted rapidly from side to side under her closed eyelids. Shepard's fingers curled into her palms, making tight fists on both hands. Ashley reached a hand to touch Shepard but retracted her hand quickly when a strong field of biotic energy engulfed Shepard's body.
Growing even more worried, Ashley ran to the door and looked around. Not seeing anyone who could help, she yelled down the hall to the nurse's station. "A little help in here!" She looked back to see Shepard's jaw was clenched tightly shut, and the biotic buffer had increased in strength.