Chapter 2:
I'd prepared the four beds ahead of time, EDI warning me that a squad of turians were coming onboard for medical treatment. Shepard, EDI, and Garrus had gone down to Tuchanka to help the primarch to find a missing team. I guess they'd found them.
There were six in total, the two with the lesser injuries sitting on the floor while I patched them up from worst to least. Four hours passed, before I was finished- the two most wounded set up with drips for dehydration. The other four, I just had drink a couple bottles of water. They weren't as bad off as the other two.
While I was washing my instruments, another turian walked in. One I didn't recognize. He introduced himself as another Victus- the primarch's son. I greeted him back, telling him he could see his men, but not to bother them too much for the next few hours.
...
The turians thanked me as they left, heading out to help Shepard's team with the next part of the mission.
The ground team returned without them. My shoulders deflated as my eyes went to Shepard, seeing the grim set of her mouth. They were all dead.
I returned to my room, hugging my pillow tight against my chest. There had been so much death, more and more each day. If I'd thought it was taking a toll on me before, I had been sorely mistaken.
Over the last three weeks, I'd started needing to forced myself to eat- not from overwhelming work, like on Menae, but from terrible mental health. I was barely sleeping, somehow managing to get just enough that I was still in a good enough place to do my job.
...
Grunt sat in front of me, covered in rachni blood. The most somber I'd ever seen him. He'd had to leave his team behind to help the ground team. I wasn't surprised his mood was sour. But I was glad to see him alive and kicking ass.
...
I treated the rescued colonists for shock toward the end of my shift.
Cerberus had taken over their colony, abducting the people there. These two were the only ones left by the time we'd arrived.
Another Alliance ship took them from us, getting them to safety.
...
I walked into the store, going to the bedding section.
We were docked at the Citadel for the day, and I wanted- I reached out, feeling the fabric of the weighted blanket. I was hoping one would help me sleep. There was only so long I could go on so little sleep, before I wasn't able to do my job. And the Normandy crew needed me.
I chose a twenty pound blanket, having them fold it up all nice, watching as the cashier put it in a sturdy bag for me.
After stopping at the ramen restaurant again, I went back to the ship. Taking a long, much needed nap. The blanket worked like a charm.
...
Shepard had taken Garrus, EDI, Liara, James, and Javik. Wrex, Mordin, and Eve accompanied them, of course. They were trying to release the cure for the krogan.
There was one, giant problem to that, though. A Reaper was in their way- between them and the tower.
Everyone was tense as Joker and the turian fighters shot at the Reaper, keeping it distracted, while the ground team rushed in under its nose.
It was... I was awe-struck, watching Kalros throw it around like a chew toy, before dragging it into the earth with her.
Shepard's voice came over comms, stating that the cure had been released. It sounded like she was crying. My heart jumped into my throat. Who had died, this time?
She, EDI, Liara, James, Javik, Garrus- they all came back. Wrex and Eve were staying behind, rallying the krogan to join the fight for the turians.
Mordin was gone. He had sacrificed himself to make sure the cure was dispersed.
...
When we got to the Citadel, it was under attack.
Once they'd driven Cerberus out, Chakwas and I made for Huerta. We were eagerly accepted, doing our part to help the injured as best we could.
We stayed docked for a little over a week, while Shepard and team helped C-Sec get things under control. I don't think Chakwas or I left the hospital at all during that time. We were both clearly exhausted, by the time Shepard approached us, all but dragging us back to the ship.
It was time to go.
And we had a new crew member- Kaidan Alenko. He'd been released from the hospital a while back and made Spectre. He'd been protecting the council all this time, and now, he was joining us.
...
Shepard sat in front of me, on the bed, grinning. I sighed at her.
"You didn't have to step in front of the missile, you know." I admonished her, tending to her blast burn.
"What's life without a little excitement?" She joked.
I rolled my eyes, placing a bandage over the wound. "Your idea of excitement and my idea of excitement are two separate things, I'm afraid." After one last glance-over, I stepped back. "You're good to go. And I'm glad you got Jacob and his people out safely. Though, I still wish you wouldn't take the brunt of the attention."
She laughed.
We both knew she wouldn't stop.
...
Once again, she sat on the bed.
I let out an exasperated sigh. "How can you be so cheerful, after taking a banshee to the face?"
Still grinning, she shrugged. "I guess it's because I saved a friend's life today."
I softened. Samara had tried to kill herself, so she wouldn't need to kill her only remaining daughter, and Shepard had stepped in. Prevented it. I was thankful for that- the justicar had never been anything but kind to me.
Shaking my head, I applied the medigel. "You are the luckiest person alive, you know that? You're constantly walking away from things that would put anyone else in a hospital, with surface-level wounds. You're a medical marvel, Jane."
"If you want to date me, just say so." She winked, before tilting her head, thinking. "I guess I shouldn't say that. Garrus might kill me."
It was my turn to grin, now.
A few moments passed, before I stepped back. "You're good to go. Get on out of here, you scamp."
She flashed me a peace sign, darting from the room.
Man, she was a handful.
I was glad she hadn't changed.
...
Another week had passed- where we stayed docked at the Citadel- during which, Shepard was on a mission with Aria. Retaking Omega from Cerberus.
I was present in the med bay, chatting with Chakwas, when she got back. Her armor had certainly seen better days, and her hair was singed on one side.
Chakwas sat her down on one of the beds and looked her over. Applied medigel where necessary. Thankfully, Shepard didn't have anything more than scratches and light burns. They were all easily taken care of with the medigel.
She regaled us with the tale of her lone wolf adventures. Her voice did trail off toward the end, when she was talking about Nyreen dying, but her enthusiasm picked back up almost immediately as she finished.
...
Tali rejoined us- an admiral, now. I was proud of her- she'd grown a lot since we'd last seen each other.
She told me all about how the war between her people and the geth was going. How she was against it but had needed to present a united front for her people, so she'd kept her mouth shut. I felt for her- it was hard, when everyone was against you.
...
"Jane!" I scolded.
This time, she'd gone off the deep end! She'd fought a Reaper on foot! Using the targeting laser to signal the fleet and the Normandy to fire at the Reaper, she dodged the Reaper's beam of instant death.
Everyone had been holding their breath, waiting to see what would happen. If she would survive or not.
And here she was, caked with dirt and sweat, cuts on her exposed skin from the flying bits of rock from the beam, sitting on the bed before me.
She had the grace to look guilty. "I'm sorry."
"Are you?" I raised an eyebrow, starting the task of wiping her skin clean so I could see if there were more injuries.
"I am." A nod of her head. "But I had to. We needed to stop it, and we did."
I pursed my lips for a few moments. "I know." I paused, applying medigel now, spotting two wounds that needed stitches. "You're very brave, and I admire that about you."
"Aw, shucks." Her grin was back. "Thanks, Emma."
...
I held Liara, who was sobbing into my chest, my arms wrapped around her protectively.
They had just returned from Thessia, where it was reported that the planet was all but lost. And the ground team hadn't gotten the information we'd come for- Cerberus had stolen it.
A planet full of people... How many lives was that? I couldn't even begin to comprehend the magnitude of that.
I felt for her. Everything I'd heard about Earth broke me a little more. I couldn't imagine if it was in the same state as Thessia.
...
The door opened, but I barely heard it. I was on the floor of the women's bathroom, vomiting into a toilet.
The atrocities of Sanctuary had made me physically ill. I couldn't... What... No. How could Cerberus have done this? This? Cerberus used to be a pro-human group. Now... Now, they were just terrorists.
A hand settled on my back, rubbing soothing circles.
"It's okay." Shepard said quietly.
She stayed with me until my stomach was empty and my body no longer heaving. When I was finally able to stand, she took me to the lounge, sitting me down in a chair before going to get us a couple hot drinks. Kaidan stood off to the side, keeping an eye on me until she came back- he left us after that.
We sat there for a long while, staring out into space. My chest never stopped hurting, but the pain did dull. After a while, she got up and left the room again. When she came back, her footsteps sounded heavier.
Garrus crouched in front of me, and I blinked at him, tears still in my eyes- they had only stopped for a short time. He gathered me up in his arms, and I clung to him, my empty mug falling to the floor.
...
Chakwas and I were both in a frenzy, flitting around the med bay like moths. Shepard was on one of the beds, unconscious. Blood dripping from her nose. Lack of oxygen and high, intense pressure from being so deep under the surface of the ocean- she was damn lucky to be alive. And we were hard pressed to keep her that way.
It was touch and go for the first couple hours, but finally, her vitals stabilized, and we were able to breathe out sighs of relief.
After that, came the waiting. Waiting for her to wake up.
She did, after four hours. Perfectly fine.
...
I snorted, sitting on the couch. Only Shepard could go on shore leave and have her own clone attack her, trying to take over her life.
"Again, I ask- who would want your life?" I repeated.
"Maybe they missed a screw with her." She joked, leaning over the back of the couch.
"Must have." A shake of my head. "Your life is so crazy, if it were a movie or book, it would be unbelievable."
"Don't I know it."
A few minutes more of chatting, and she went off to see how other guests were doing.
Garrus approached, a plate of food in each hand. He held one out to me, and I gratefully took it. It had been forever since I'd had pizza.
He settled beside me, and we ate, silence stretching between us- but it was comfortable. When he'd finished, he set the plate aside and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me tight against his side. His face buried in my hair, and I heard him inhale.
"I'm glad we can spend some time together." He said quietly, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.
"Me, too." A hum left me, feeling happy for the first time in a long while. "I want you to know something."
He pulled back, angling his head so he could meet my eyes. "What?"
"I love you, Garrus." His eyes widened as he froze. "You don't have to say it ba-"
His mouth descended over mine, and I felt him relax against me.
"I love you, too, Emma. So much." He said when we parted, his mandibles moving animatedly. "Don't ever doubt that."
"I won't." I promised.
A little later, people started dropping like flies, too drunk to function. I'd had just enough to gather my courage. Standing, I grabbed one of his hands and led him to the bottom guest room. Locking the door after it closed behind us. My hands went to the hem of my shirt, my eyes on his, and I very deliberately, very slowly, lifted it over my head. When I finally stood bare before him, I moved toward the bed, laying across it. Posing.
"I need you." I murmured softly.
That snapped him out of his daze, and he shed his clothes while stalking toward me, looking every bit like a hungry predator.
...
The ball started rolling.
The ground team breeched the Cerberus HQ with the help of Hackett and his fleet. The Illusive Man wasn't there, but Kai Leng was. Shepard ran him through with her omni-tool blade. A quicker death than I would've liked- which a part of me was upset with. I was a doctor, after all.
They discovered the Catalyst was the Citadel.
And the Citadel had been moved to Earth, positioned above London.
We were on the final stretch, now. The Crucible was ready and on its way to the Sol system. As were we.
This was it. The fight that would determine our futures.
...
It was utter chaos. I watched from the observation lounge, my heart in my throat. The entire ground team was down there. Cortez was down there. They were fighting for their lives and the lives of everyone else. And all I could do was stand and watch. Wait for them to come back. Hope that they came back.
The ship took a hard turn, descending toward the city, and I raced to the med bay. We would only be flying into the hot zone if someone needed immediate extraction.
EDI and one of the soldiers rushed in, half-dragging, half-carrying a beaten to hell Garrus.
Chakwas and I set to work immediately- I stripped him of his armor, and she readied the supplies. We divided and conquered- I took the burns, she took the other injuries. He stayed conscious the entire time, wincing in pain any time we touched him.
When we were finished, I left him under Chakwas' watchful care, returning to the observation lounge. Only to realize we'd left Earth. We were traveling through a Mass Relay. Where the hell were we going?
...
We returned a few days later- it had taken that long to get the Normandy up and running again. Everyone had poured out of the ship, digging through rubble in the city. Garrus, EDI, Liara, Kaidan, and I went to join the people searching the Citadel for lost loved ones.
We were hoping to find Shepard. Even to just know that she was truly gone.
I was a distance away from the others, all of us having fanned out, when I shifted a particularly heavy piece of rubble. Faintly, almost overpowered by the sounds of people working, I heard what sounded like an inhalation.
Someone was alive down there?
"EDI!" I shouted. "Come here!"
She was by my side a moment later and together, we shifted the rest of the debris. Revealing N7 armor.
Shepard.
"Garrus! Kaidan! Liara!" I called out, frantically waving them over. "Come here! We need help!"
The converged on us, Kaidan pale, looking as if he was waiting to see her corpse. When he realized she was alive, he fell to his knees, staring at her as EDI and Garrus lifted her up gingerly. They rested her on the first flat surface we could find, and Kaidan joined me in removing her armor.
EDI maneuvered the Normandy closer, so we could get into a shuttle and reach the ship as soon as possible.
We rushed her into the med bay, where I got started after kicking everyone but EDI out. I wanted her here, in case I needed a second pair of hands- Chakwas was helping out there somewhere.
Hours passed, while I worked, EDI handing me various implements. She was very helpful, fetching whatever I needed so I wouldn't have to stop what I was doing.
Finally, there was nothing to do but wait. Wait and watch. I perched on Chakwas' chair, not taking my eyes off her. I wanted to be able to jump up at a moment's notice.
I told EDI she could let Kaidan in now, as long as he didn't disturb Shepard's rest. He stepped into the room, pulling up one of the stools and sitting beside her bed. Holding one of her hands and staring at her face.
Garrus, thankfully, didn't distract me from my vigil. From his own bed, he looked on, keeping watch with EDI and me. Kaidan fell asleep at some point, upper body draped over the side of her bed.
...
Three years had passed, and the Citadel was still under repair. The living districts, the Embassies, and the Presidium were back to their full glory, but the rest was rough, still.
Garrus and I walked through Jane and Kaidan's apartment door, and I went to the table just off to the left of the door. Placing our gift onto the pile that was already there.
Jane came out from behind the fireplace, greeting us with her signature grin. I rushed toward her, hugging her.
"She was so excited for today, she couldn't sleep last night." Garrus, the traitor, told her.
She laughed, returning the embrace. "That's so cute."
I made a face as we parted. "Oh, boo. I know where you sleep, turian."
He pulled me away from her, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Yeah, and it's in your arms."
My cheeks flushed, and I cleared my throat. "Where is the birthday girl, anyway?"
"Right this way." She gestured grandly, inviting us to follow her around the corner, into the room with the large tv.
Little Mirielle sat in her father's arms, looking thrilled by all the attention she was receiving. Her second birthday was today, and nearly everyone that had been- or currently was- a ground team member was present. Some of the regular crew, as well. All doting on her. And she was eating it up.
I approached Kaidan, my arms out, silently begging to hold her, and he handed her over, chuckling. I cooed at her, loving how she giggled when I tickled her shoulder. The space between her neck and shoulder was where she was most ticklish. A fact that I abused whenever I got my hands on her.
After passing her back to her father a while later, I went to sit with Garrus. Leaning my head against his shoulder and watching our large found-family.
