Cold metal. Uncomfortable, but somewhat reassuring to Garrus. It meant he was still alive. Still on the Normandy. It also meant that the Normandy was still in one piece - Or at least enough of a piece - and that he was still able to breathe.
He attempted to sit up; It was no small feat considering how much he'd been thrown around. Eventually, Garrus was upright. He began to focus on his surroundings. The distant, muffled shouts around him were becoming clearer. He could see the shapes of his crewmates shuffling around - trying to get their own bearings - and helping each other. The room was still spinning, though. Standing up was going to have to wait, but a quick appraisal let Garrus know that he did still have all his limbs - At least, the ones he cared about.
"The ones I care about... Shepard!", he gasped. The Turian's vision focused, the dullness in his head fell away and his legs almost moved on their own. Now standing, Garrus looked around desperately, hoping to see his love helping the crew, or directing an evacuation, or...
Then he remembered. The last Garrus saw of Shepard - After narrowly escaping being turned into paste by a Mako - she was one of the last to make a run to the Conduit beam. After being evacuated, he had heard conflicting reports; None had made it, then one. Was it true? Was it Shepard? Garrus wanted to believe but, right now, he could just about manage standing straight.
"You did good.. you did good. I'm proud of you."
"Thankyou Sir."
Silence.
"Sir?.. Anderson?.. Don't go! Anderson.."
Damn it
I'm Cold and broken
It's over
I didn't want to see it come to this
I wonder
If I will ever see your face again
And I know
That I will find a way to shed the skin
It's simple
I know that I will suffer in the end
Fast I fade away
It's almost over
Hold on
Slow, I suffocate
I'm cold and broken
All alone
It's hopeless
The end will come and wash it all away
Forsaken
I live for those I lost along the way
And I can't
Remember how it all began to break
We suffer
I live to fight and die another day
Fast, I fade away
It's almost over
Hold on
Slow, I suffocate
I'm cold and broken
All alone
Fast, I fade away
It's almost over
Hold on
Slow, I suffocate
I'm cold and broken
All alone
I'm cold and broken
Echoes of the last human voice she heard, rang circles around the void Shepard now found herself. Was she dead? Again?
Not surprising after she blew up the crucible and every mass relay in the galaxy. As they say, you only die once.
And yet...
After everything it took to destroy the reapers, this was not how she wanted it to end.
All the sacrifices she had to make - uniting the Turians and Krogan, curing the genophage... they were for the good of the galaxy.
What about the good of Commander Shepard?
After losing so many friends to the war, what did she have left back in the living world?
There was Kaiden .. Horizon...
That ended up in shit creek.
Liara was a good friend but had fallen in love with Javik the prothean. She was happy and Shepard didn't want to ruin that.
And then Garrus came along and mended the wounds, fixed her and when the time came when he needed her, she fixed him.
But of course she had to move on. Found love in the turians arms, they even survived the suicide mission- finally something was going right just once.
But no.. they get separated by fucking Harbinger! Shepard had to face the Catalyst without him. She even made him say goodbye... Oh Garrus what have I done?
Shepard had to make a choice.
Fight to live, or give up and die alone.
VVVRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOMMMMMmmmmm
Wake up!
Garrus was abruptly removed from his stupor by a firm tap on the shoulder. "Hey Garrus, you okay?". He looked round, nodding his head nonchalantly. He didn't even know who it was that was checking on him. Joker? No, there was no snide remark about a long wooden implement being in an uncomfortable place. The Turian began to walk around the CIC. There was a mad scramble around him, although it appeared to be dying down. There didn't seem to be any bad injuries, at least up here. Garrus made his way to the elevator, which was already quite full with his crewmates. He wasn't going to the Medbay, however. He was going all the way down.
The Armoury was looking decidedly worse than the CIC. For one, there was a Kodiak shuttle that had decided to rest at the opposite end - and side - of the deck, from it's normal mooring. Cortez and Vega were still down here, along with a couple of Marines rescued from Earth. "Cortez, everyone accounted for down here?", he shouted. "As far as I'm aware!", came the hurried and similarly loud response; The Lt. was preoccupied dealing with a fire in the Armoury. James grabbed a tarpaulin from the cargo bay and covered the flames.
"Can't waste time, Esteban! We've got to secure everything down here, then head upstairs! People must be going loco." James' normally proud demeanour had given way to professionalism, mixed with a little panic. Garrus waded in. "Most people are heading to Medbay. I'm sure they could use a couple more hands there to triage people. James, take the marines and head up." He turns to Cortez. "Come with me. We'll need to check on Engineering. Adams, Donnelly and Daniels will need to help us secure systems and assess damage." Cortez nodded. The five of them got into the elevator, which quickly ascended.
The Engineering deck was a mess of electrical short-circuits and exposed, hanging wiring. Garrus and Cortez made their way round into the Engine room. "Hello? Anyone here?", Cortez tentatively asked. "We're over here! Need help!". It was Adams. Rushing over, it became clear to the new arrivals what help was needed. "We all hit the deck hard on impact." Adams recounted. "Ken, unfortunately, met a bulkhead on the way down.". Donnelly was out cold, and bleeding from a small head wound at the side. "I sent Gabby to check the hull integrity on this deck, but I can't do much more for him.", said Adams, solemnly staring at Ken.
Garrus' face lights up. "I have some medi-gel! It was supposed to be for me, but he's in much worse shape than I am. Here". He bends down and applies a dose of medi-gel to Donelly's head wound. "It should stabilise him while we work out how to get him up to the Medbay." The Turian straightens up and turns to Adams. He puts his hand up as the Chief begins to speak. "You can thank me later. What's the situation down here?". "Well.", said Adams, "the Drive Core is completely dead. I'm not sure what the hell we went through, but whatever it was completely overloaded the thing. No propulsion, main power's gone. God knows what it's done to the weapons, communications... At least the emergency lights are working." Garrus looked over at the now-deceased Core. What could have done that, Garrus wondered to himself. If Shepard used the Catalyst, what could it have done to the Citadel? Could she even have survived that?
Gasp.
Breathe.
Air.
The basic impulses of fighting against trauma. Shepard could feel life returning. It was a good feeling. She tried to move. Nothing. Was she paralyzed?
Open your eyes! A voice inside her head yelled.
The Commander did as instructed. Even she knew when an order was important enough to follow. Especially when it was her own mind giving them.
Sunlight and blue skies filled her hazy vision. It was a feeling she never thought she would know again.
Looking down at her surroundings, she could see at least one arm sticking out against grey and black rubble. However her lower torso and legs were completely buried under the destruction left by the Crucible combusting. Shepard tried to wiggle her toes, thankfully the electrical buzz of feedback told her that everything was working normally.
Just peachy. Thanks for the cybernetics cerberus... Her thoughts were laced with contempt for the organisation that brought her back to life, but also a sense of relief maybe? It wasn't every day you could defy death twice. She never should have trusted them. It was one of the biggest mistakes of her career as Commander. At least Garrus is in charge of the Normandy now. I got that right if anything else. A sigh. A tear. A memory of happier times. A kiss. A passionate embrace. Shepard hoped to experience these things with Garrus once more.
Suddenly a pang of guilt raced through her. It seared like the hot pain from an explosion. Realisation followed.
Anderson.. Why couldn't you just make it? Damned Reaper Bastards. I'll get out of this. For you. I promise.
Shepard always kept her promises.