Sorry I've not uploaded in so long but I am here now. I get hyper fixated on things and sometimes it takes me a while to get back to passion projects like this. Either way, enjoy and please review.
Chapter Fourteen
I had started off by talking to her, Telling her all about how I got here. Well most of it. I told her that EDI was back, though she didn't know she had even left. I told her about the crew. Through all of it, I held her hand. I saw no response. I started to tell her about the reconstruction efforts here on Earth. After that, I quickly ran out of things to say. Shepard and I had always sat in such easy silence. But Miranda had stressed to me that talking to her would help. I started reading her the news reports from my datapad. But still no response.
Eventually, a nurse had brought in a tray of food for me. I could smell that the food was dextro-amino based. But it was all canned vegetables. Turians, myself included, much prefer meat, but I wasn't going to complain. This was a human hospital. That they fed me at all was unexpected.
Occasionally, nurses came in, checked the equipment, then promptly left. Hours passed and there was still no response from Shepard. I was starting to get tired in the wee hours of the morning. My chair was pulled right up next to the bed. Both of my elbows leaning on the mattress, one of my hands in hers. I was fighting to keep my eyes open, as I had run out of things to say hours ago.
I heard the door open once more. The nurse walked in once again. After she got done checking the machines she turned to me. "I can bring a cot in for you to sleep on if you want."
"No. I'll be okay." I imagined the cot would be too small for me, my legs hanging off the end. I would be better off sleeping in this chair.
"Is there anything else I could get you?" She looked concerned for me.
"No. Thank you."
"Okay. Well, press that button if you need me." This was the third time she had told me this. She turned to walk out.
I turned in my chair to face her near the door. "Wait…" She turned to look at me. "Is she going to wake up soon?"
Her face showed sympathy. "I don't think so. Maybe by morning. Try to get some rest." She walked out. I heard the door close behind her.
I turned back to Shepard. Morning was still a few hours away. I could definitely use some sleep. I held her hand, then rested my head on the side of her mattress. I watched her face as I prayed then fell into a deep sleep.
I dreamed, something that doesn't happen very often for me. It was a hot summer day on Palaven. I was at my family home. The windows were open, blowing the warm summer air through the house. I could smell levo-amino acid based food being cooked in the kitchen. I heard Shepard's laugh and immediately found myself in the kitchen, behind Shepard, my arms wrapped around her waist. She turned in my arms and kissed me. I felt her hands on my face and neck. She pushed me backwards and I was falling onto our bed on the Normandy.
Now the dream felt like a memory put into fast forward. We were on earth. We had said our goodbyes. I had suggested children. The Beam. We pushed. That was the hardest I had ever run in my life. It was exhilarating but utterly terrifying. Running toward a two kilometer tall machine trying to kill you. Something hit me from the left. I was too focused to figure out what it was, at the moment. Now I realize it was a vehicle. Tali was with us and while she was knocked down, she wasn't too badly injured. Shepard came to me, carried me to the Normandy.
"Here. Take him." she had said to Tali.
"Shepard." I protested. I'm coming with you. We do this together. I thought.
"You gotta get out of here."
"And you have gotta be kidding me." I was angry she was going on this absolute suicide mission on her own. Wherever she goes I will follow, even to death.
"Don't argue, Garrus."
"We're in this till the end."
"No matter what happens here… You know I love you. I always will." She placed her hand on my face. It was comforting even though war was being waged around us.
"Shepard. I…" I whispered. I knew there was nothing I could say to convince her to change her mind. "Love you, too"
She stepped away, though I still reached out to her. As she stepped off the ramp she waved us away, yelled "Go!" and ran off to go save the galaxy. I couldn't tell what hurt worse, my injuries or losing her.