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When the door to his room slid open, Kaidan's heart leaped, hoping it might be Shepard. Stupid to let it do that, he told himself. She was married, happily, and out of his life as anything more than a colleague. But if he could control the way his heart reacted around Shepard, a lot of things would have changed long ago, he reminded himself.

He was just as happy to see Garrus, if in a different way.

"I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" the turian asked, hovering in the doorway.

"No, no, it's great. Come on in. Good to see you."

"You, too. I heard when you were taken off the Normandy after Mars you were … in bad shape. You look it." He chuckled, taking the seat next to Kaidan's bed.

"Hey, thanks, man. I heard you took a rocket to the face. Nice scars."

"You like them? They drive the women crazy. Krogan women, admittedly, but hey, a man's gotta take what he can get." They looked at each other for a minute, feeling the old friendship reassert itself. "Seriously, how are you?"

"Better. Almost ready to get out of here."

"That's good news. Are you— Are you coming back on board the Normandy?"

Kaidan shook his head. He'd considered it, but … "I don't think so. Shepard—I mean, I think I can do more good as a Spectre."

Garrus gave a low whistle. "The second human Spectre, huh? Those are big shoes to fill."

"Don't I know it. Hey, on the level … did I hear something about a Prothean?"

"A Prothean? Nope. Nothing."

"Really. So it's true, then?"

"I'll let Shepard fill you in. I'm sure she'll be dropping by once all of her thousand errands are done."

"And once she gets done visiting the drell on the fourth floor."

Garrus studied Kaidan's face. "You know about him, do you?"

"Shepard told me. At least, she told me he existed. I figured out who it was. He seems … like a good guy."

"He is. Thane had my back a lot when we were going after the Collectors. He had all our backs. I've never seen a shot to equal him—and that's saying something."

Kaidan smothered a smile. Garrus insisted on thinking he was the best shot in the galaxy. "She must be torn up about his condition."

"Yeah, she is. But she's known all along that this was coming, so … I guess it is what it is. The galaxy gives her plenty to do to keep distracted."

"I heard she got sent after the krogan."

Garrus nodded. "Wrex had some … conditions. We're working on it."

"Not fast enough," Kaidan said somberly. "The news from Earth—and Palaven—just keeps getting worse."

"I know. You'd think for once the galaxy could just work together against a common enemy. But that's not the way these things go. If we've learned anything on the Normandy, we've learned that." He stood up. "Duty calls, I'm afraid. You're okay, though?"

"I'm okay. Garrus?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep an eye on her."

"I always do. Anything in the galaxy wants to get to her, it has to come through me."

With a sharp nod, Garrus left the room, leaving Kaidan reassured, but envious. He would have given a lot to be able to have the simple, uncomplicated friendship Garrus and Shepard shared. Of course, being biologically incompatible probably had something to do with that, he reflected.

He got up, taking his recommended daily walk around the hospital, pleased that the headache that had lurked constantly at the back of his mind since Mars seemed to be receding. Hopefully he'd be out of the hospital and back to active duty soon. It chafed at him to be lying here safe and sound when people were dying out there.

He was surprised to see the drell standing in the hall, looking out the window, having expected Shepard would be with him, and caught himself just in time before he said so, remembering that he wasn't supposed to know who the drell was.

"Nice day, isn't it?" he said instead.

The drell frowned a little bit, not sure how to take that opening. Every day on the Citadel was a nice day. "I have seen better. I will again," he added, almost to himself, looking out over the lake.

"How are you feeling?"

"The same. Less breath, more pain, but the decline is gradual, if inevitable. And you, are you almost ready for active duty? You look well."

"I hope so," Kaidan said. "I'd like to be out there."

"Will you go back to the Normandy?"

Well, there it was. They looked at each other, abandoning all pretense of not knowing who the other one was.

Kaidan shook his head. "No. I've been offered the chance to be a Spectre, go out on my own. I think I'm going to take it."

"Shepard will be disappointed."

"Will she?"

"She thinks highly of you. Very highly." The drell smiled. "A 'damn good soldier', she said. There is no higher praise. Not from her."

"No," Kaidan agreed. "I'm glad she thinks so. And you? Your days aboard the Normandy are over?"

"I will never leave this hospital. Once, I dreaded this end, but now … there are worse things than going gently into the good night."

"That there are," Kaidan agreed. He started to move on, but stopped when the drell's hand reached out and caught his arm, the grip surprisingly strong for a man practically on his deathbed.

"Kaidan. When I am gone, she will need—"

"I can't be her backup," Kaidan said sharply. "Her consolation prize."

"No. But you can be her friend. You can watch out for her."

"Garrus will do that. And Liara."

"Not in the same way."

Those black eyes seemed to see all the way inside Kaidan's heart, and he couldn't deny the truth of the words. "No. Not in the same way."

"Then you will have her back?"

"Always."

The drell nodded, something in his face easing. "Then I can rest in peace."