Okay, I lied yesterday. I am posting today but only because I had time and my parents are coming for a visit tomorrow and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for two whole days. Either way I am very glad to have reached over 100 visitors. I don't think I know 100 people in real life its kind of crazy to me. I am so glad you are enjoying reading this story as much as I am writing it. Enjoy and review!
Chapter Eleven
When I got back, I went straight for her quarters. Tali tried to follow, but I told her to leave me alone for a while.
"Fine. But we will be talking about your panic attack soon." Panic attack? Is that what that had been? I'd never had one before. I nodded and she left.
I grabbed a whole bottle of Turian liquor and proceeded to drink myself to sleep on her couch, as the bed was too painful.
I woke the next morning to Tali walking in, the lights turning on. A splitting pain in my head made me curl up.
"Get up!" Damnit. She sounded furious. I made the mistake of looking at her. "I'm not going to watch you do this to yourself!"
"I'm fine! Leave me alone." I covered my eyes again.
"Well, if you're so great. EDI, open the skylight." Bright painful sunlight flooded the room. I groaned and pushed my face further into the couch.
A moment later, Tali sighed then she said. "Close it, EDI." She sat down on the couch next to me. She sounded defeated. I recognized the pity in her voice.
It was silent for a whole minute before she said, "I told Miranda to move her." I growled. I didn't have enough energy for much else. "You need to stop wallowing and go see her."
"No." I growled into the pillow. I hoped she wouldn't hear me. She would be furious if she did.
"Garrus!" She shouted. Of course I couldn't be so lucky. She stood up, pulling on my arm. She was quite strong for her size. Or maybe I was just being weak and pathetic. "Get your pathetic Turian ass off this couch right now!"
I yanked my arm away. "No!" I sat up and looked to see Tali landing on her butt on the floor.
She stood, rubbing her sore spot with one hand, the other pointing into my face angrily. I could see the tears streaming down her face through her mask. I felt horrible. I had hurt her. "You think you're the only person who will be in pain not being able to be with her? Well, consider this a reality check, Garrus. We're in pain, all of us. Joker, Liara, James… Me." She was starting to lose steam now. She sobbed. "I'm in pain, too, Garrus."
"I know…" I said as I stood. "But I am doing what is best for her. And I am not sorry for that." My hand sliced through the air. "But I am sorry for hurting you and the rest of the crew." I pulled her into a hug. "I am sorry, Tali." She collapsed into sobs in my arms and I gently sat us down onto the couch, still cradling the fragile Quarian in my arms.
After a few silent minutes, she looked up at me. "Will you go see her?" I sighed. She continued. "I want to see her and I'm not allowed to unless you go with me."
I nodded. When she put it that way I couldn't deny her. "Just give me a bit… I'm not ready to see her again after…"
"The panic attack?"
"Yeah." I sighed
"Want to talk about it?"
I chuckled. "I thought I didn't have a choice on the matter?" She elbowed me lightly. "Not really," I said, answering her previous question.
"Okay," she said, satisfied.
"Okay?" I asked. "I thought you'd be reading me my rights for that."
She giggled. "No… I see now that I need to stop pushing you, we all do. You will come to someone when you are good and ready. No point in trying to talk someone as stubborn as you into doing something you don't want to do." I saw her point. "Is that a Turian thing? Or just you?"
I shrugged and sighed. "Probably just me. Shepard has rubbed off quite a bit on me the last few years."
"She's rubbed off on all of us… for better or worse."
I nodded then said. "Okay. Let me go get something for this headache from Chakwas then we can go to the hospital."
Tali looked up at me, pride in her eyes. "I'll meet you in the cockpit." I watched her leave, thankful for her giving me some space.