December 24th, 2187

Thalassa wished they could have stayed at the apartment to properly celebrate Christmas; however, Garrus was eager to get going. She didn't want to delay his return, especially when it was for an urgent affair. Before they left Earth, there was one trip that Garrus wanted to make, and it concerned Shepard's health. He didn't trust that Turian doctors would be able to take care of her if she came down with something, so he insisted that they make a stop in Vancouver. Hackett must have been involved somehow, but she didn't prod Garrus for an explanation.

Shepard walked through the prestigious hospital to a lab area with Garrus at the head, following a staffer. The gazes from patients, staff, and onlookers burned holes into her. It wasn't necessarily negative glances- there was just a lot of muttering and staring. She assumed that the public or the entire galaxy for that matter, had no idea that she had survived. She didn't blame them for being curious or taken aback by the sight of her.

As the group approached what seemed to be an office, the staffer stopped and gestured for them to enter. Shepard glanced at Garrus for guidance and he nodded at her. She requested entry from the panel at the door, and a voice came from within. The door opened and Shepard stepped inside, a woman swiveled around in her chair to face her visitors.

"Shepard!" The human woman cried softly with emotion as she rose from her seat.

"Karin." Thalassa breathed and the elder approached her and they embraced. Dr. Chakwas shed a couple of tears before pulling away to rest her hands against the younger woman's cheeks. Shepard couldn't believe that she was seeing tears in the doctor's eyes.

"Oh my- look at you. I'm so sorry. The things you have had to endure..." Shepard's scars must have elicited the heartfelt response. Karin was like a mother to Thalassa. The mother-daughter dynamic had developed during the time they had spent together on the Normandy from the Collectors to the Reapers. Chakwas sighed sadly and looked over at Garrus with a welcoming smile. "Hello, Garrus. Staying well, I hope."

"Doing just fine, doctor. You are as well?" The elder nodded and rested her hands on Shepard's shoulders briefly as a gesture of affection before she pulled away. Karin moved toward her desk and shifted some documents around.

"Yes, my work here has been helpful to the many patients we have had in the last few months. We have discharged many with a bill of health. As rewarding as this work has been, I believe I am ready to move on." Shepard pursed her lips.

"Dr. Chakwas, are you still with the Alliance?" The doctor paused and her brow furrowed at the question. "No, I decided that I needed a break. Everyone from the Normandy had departed, so naturally I couldn't imagine working on another ship." She sighed- her gaze rested on Shepard with sorrow.

"I am so relieved you're alive. Yet, I feel responsible for not trying harder to find you." Shepard waved a hand in dismissal.

"Don't get hung up on it. It's okay- apparently it wasn't a well-known fact that I was alive. I think Hackett hid it to protect me. Regardless, you're here now- that counts for something." She reassured the doctor with a smile.

"And I am certainly ready to serve you both. I do thank you for giving me this chance, Garrus. I always take pleasure in treating our commander." Garrus stepped toward them and spoke up-

"It's a pleasure to have you onboard, doctor. Get your things and meet us at docking bay G7."

It took little less than an hour for Karin to arrive aboard the V2-Jullianus, a well-made Turian frigate that reminded Shepard of the Normandy in a few ways. In body style, Turian ships had a more rugged look to them, this ship was no exception. She had to hand it to the Turian Hierarchy, they knew how to construct ships. It wasn't as homey as the Normandy, but it would have to suffice for the time being.

The ship had a small crew of whom Shepard could sense harbored mixed responses to the humans coming aboard. Unlike the Alliance though, Turian crews saw respect in keeping their opinions to themselves. It made her wonder if there would ever be any issues in the future.

Chakwas was preoccupied with the well-outfitted infirmary. Despite the fact that the medical bay was wealthy in supplies, Karin had brought her own medical supplies to treat human anatomy as well. Garrus also had the foresight to stock up on human supplies while they were on Earth. Shepard made her concerns about the various selection of supplies quite clear to him, but he reassured her that he wasn't expecting there to be any situations that would call for blood transfusions- it was just a precaution.

After the ship had taken off and headed toward Palaven, Garrus sent Shepard to the room that would serve as her quarters for the time they would be on the ship. The room labelled C-3 was on the crew deck- so she expected to be bunked with the rest of the crew, but the room she walked into was spacious.

Upon entry, there was a desk on the right, and to the left was a long horizontal window that provided an impressive view of the outside. Beyond the window was a large bed in an alcove on the far side.

She approached the bed and a soft texture beneath her feet caught her attention. It was a rug that closely resembled the one she once had in her own quarters on the Normandy. As she looked around more she began to realize that maybe the rug was hers after-all. The medal in a frame on the desk was also hers, and she smiled at the framed photo of her and Garrus. It was a photo they had taken at Garrus' 'favorite spot' on the citadel during their excursion on shore leave. Shepard dropped her small bag of things on the bed and noticed a rifle propped by the nightstand. Then recognized an assortment of things that were also Garrus'.

Why would they be bunking together? There had to be some kind of Turian regulation that prohibited high-ranking officers to share a room with- well, since she wasn't considered military anymore it didn't really matter.

"Getting settled?"