Notes:

Ardat - demon (Source: CDN)

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

Grá mo chroí - love of my heart (Gaelic)

Gráim thú - I love you (Gaelic)

GST - Galactic Standard Time, standardized time system utilized by inhabitants of Citadel Council Space

Hobbles - device that limits movement by tethering feet together with a short strap or chain

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

Leannán - Lover (Gaelic)

Mo cheann geallta - My promised one (Gaelic)

Nara - literally "bearer"; one who shoulders another's burden, aids others (Thessian/Source: CDN)

Rebekha - guardian, protector; literally "watcher of the night" (Source: CDN)

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian/Source: CDN)

XO - Executive Officer

Reprisal and Recovery

Shyria, Republic of Pivaema, Thessia – 5 Jul 2188

Jona Sederis was so intent on driving her dagger deep into Shepard's chest before anyone could intervene, she didn't even think of dodging, activating any type of shield or bringing up a barrier to protect herself. Liara launched her exceptionally powerful warp, which flew across the room like a guided missile, where it crashed into the fanatic Asari in the middle of her lunge; the intensity of the warp going through her body literally ripped her apart at the molecular level before she even realized she'd been struck.

The jellied remains of Sederis' body were mostly contained within her leathers as the warp's momentum threw her backwards to strike the wall on the far side of the room with an incredible amount of force, the former Eclipse leader slumping to the floor in a pile of tangled limbs. Liara's victory had been incredibly swift but, had circumstances provided any other option, she most certainly would have altered her approach had she realized the effect her use of biotics would have on Shepard.

Shepard's world slipped into frighteningly slow motion as the Spectre watched Sederis begin her leaping attack, the imposing dagger leading the Asari's body by a full arm's extension. She closed her eyes and steeled herself against the impact she knew was coming... hoping beyond reason that, in her rabid anger, the lunatic's aim would be off and the blade would not strike home to be buried to the hilt in the center of her heart.

The instant Liara burst into the room, power gathered to a level she hadn't held since she had shattered Javik against the bulkhead on the Normandy, Shepard felt her wrists start to tingle. Fully aware of the supremacy of her Ionúin Álainn's power at its upper limits – particularly when Liara was motivated by Shepard's life hanging in the balance – the Spectre instinctively knew what was coming and immediately clamped down on her thoughts, not wanting to distract her Leannán from doing what needed to be done.

The warp that blasted through the room barely cleared Samantha's left shoulder as it whipped past the Spectre to intercept Sederis. Due to the warp's immense power, the sensor in Shepard's collar immediately triggered the controller on the back of the chair... which instantly ramped up the pulse frequency to the fastest cycle rate it was capable of producing. The corresponding signal from the controller then simultaneously activated every single stimulator connected to the Spectre's body which, in turn, immediately caused her entire neural net to react, sending nearly every muscle within her body into spasm from the intense pain.

With the biotic war raging in the room around her, the stimulators continued to activate the multiple receptors throughout her body, her own nervous system being used against her. As the electrochemical waves flashed through her shoulders and crisscrossed her chest, her jaw locked and her fists clenched as tightly as they physically could in violent reaction to the induced agony. Though she wanted to, with the intense pain paralyzing her entire body, the Spectre was not even able to breath, much less scream.

Her head crashed against the back of the chair as the unrelenting pulses flashed downward, past her hips, through the needles on her thighs and into her calves. Like everything else along the transit line, the muscles in her legs immediately spasmed and cramped as she tensed against every strap keeping her locked into a sitting position. After the initial, excruciating surge, her entire body strained against the restraints, driven by an involuntary reflex to curl into a protective fetal position... and beyond, had it been at all physically possible.

Shepard groaned in quiet agony as the muscles in her abdomen contracted viciously and she felt a rib, previously fractured by the booted kick of the Batarian slaver, suddenly give way and snap – the only true success of her body's attempt to collapse in upon itself. The rib's painful shift within her torso elevated the torment beyond her ability to endure and Shepard finally slipped into a state of blissful oblivion, just as her heart fluttered on the brink of arrhythmia. The heart rate sensor tucked in her bra immediately cut off the power to the neural stimulator, ending the current session, but Shepard was past the point of caring.

Liara cried out and crashed to her knees immediately after she released the warp, one hand on the floor and the other clasping at the armor plating over her chest, feeling as if someone had violently reached through her ribcage and attempted to rip her heart from her body. Livos and her team had rushed into the room behind Liara and were busy dealing with Clarissa and the unnamed Salarian... but Riana immediately flew to Liara's side. "Mistress! What is wrong?"

Kneeling on the floor with her body folded over by only an echo of the agony her siame was experiencing, tears streamed down Liara's face as she groaned in pain and gasped, "Shepard! Help Shepard!" Riana was torn between helping her mistress and doing what she was told when Liara released the grip on her own chest plate to reach up and shove Riana away. "Go!" The throbbing pain coming through the link was nearly overwhelming, leaving Liara with barely enough strength to keep from collapsing the rest of the way to the floor, much less get to her feet to aid her siame.

Suddenly realizing Liara's distress must be originating from the link, Riana sprang to her feet and hustled to the chair, finding the Spectre slumped over against her restraints. "By the grace of the Goddess... be alive, Shepard!" She whispered the prayer as she swiftly laid her first two fingers against the pulse point on Shepard's neck, having found the method to be faster than queuing up the medical scanner on her omnitool. Breathing a sigh of relief upon finding a racing but steady beat beneath her fingertips, she sent the emergency evacuation notice to the Knight Shade and promptly set to undoing the first buckle of the band on Shepard's forearm. For some reason, the strap would not release its grip on Shepard's skin so Riana tugged on it, causing the woman's arm to bleed when the needles lining its inner surface ripped the skin as she pulled the strap away.

"Goddess! What has that Ardat done to you, Nara?" Having not realized the needles were there, revulsion flooded her mind as she carefully undid the strap's second buckle so she could pull the needles straight out and not cause any more injury than what had already been done. Now knowing the design of the restraints on her captain's extremities, Riana was more careful, greatly reducing the damage done to Shepard's flesh during the remaining extractions.

With all the augmentations in her body, Shepard was unusually heavy for a Human of her size, so only after Riana had removed or unplugged every piece connected to the wiring harness did she begin to undo the meshed leather restraints, saving the chest strap for last. Having taken notice of the slave collar on the woman's neck during the process, Riana dared not utilize her biotics to carry the woman, knowing it would likely result in getting them both shocked –something Shepard certainly did not need in her condition. Instead, Riana gently slid the Spectre from the chair and eased her to the floor before activating the medical program in her omnitool.

With Shepard unconscious, Liara managed to catch her breath and stand, moving shakily to Riana's position to once more sink to her knees, this time at her siame's side. Tears still on her cheeks, she turned glassy blue eyes to her First. "How is she?"

Riana looked at the results of the scanner and rattled out, "According to my scans, her nervous system has undergone significant stress and she is suffering from extreme dehydration and low electrolytes, sodium and potassium. She has also experienced a number of episodes of an irregular heartbeat, likely caused by multiple, severe muscle contractions... Her heart was racing when I first got to her, but is gradually slowing to a more normal rhythm. Getting her out of the chair and keeping her prone should continue to help stabilize her heart rate and regulate her blood pressure."

"Mistress." Riana's eyes came up to meet Liara's as the First growled her next words. "We have witnessed Shepard blowing through suppression cuffs before; a standard slaver collar is not powerful enough to cause these symptoms." Her gaze flicked angrily to the chair in which Shepard had been strapped and she stabbed an angry finger in its direction as she turned back to Liara and continued, "The bindings of that... torture chair... where she was confined contained pins that were inserted into her body. I do not yet understand their function, but they were all wired to the box on the back of the chair and I can only assume it contains some type of control system that regulated... whatever they did... to Shepard."

Thinking back on their final run through the Citadel to end the war, Riana shook her head in disgust as she continued, "Based on her unconscious state, it must have been agonizing to endure, because I have watched Shepard suffer immense levels of trauma and pain before she reached such a point, Mistress." She paused and turned a remorseful gaze on Liara as she reached for her mistress' hand, "It is an extremely evil device... and I cannot be certain... but your warp passed very close to her shoulder and neck... and the slaver collar, which was also plugged into the system. The devices were tied together and I believe your warp activated the collar; the control circuit likely interpreted the energy as Shepard pulling up her own biotics..."

"Oh merciful Goddess!" Liara's expression turned to one of nearly overwhelming guilt as she squeaked out, "You're saying I caused this?" The possibility that she had almost killed her Promised was too much to bear and she collapsed in grief, draped over Shepard as she wept uncontrollably, mumbling words of apology between her sobs and gasps for breath.

Riana moved quickly to grasp Liara by the shoulders, leaning over her to whisper into her ear, "Absolutely not, Liara! You may have caused the latest episode, but it was only the last of many since she was placed in that chair... and your actions were necessary to save her life!" Riana sensed the Asari's sobs were softening, so continued, "Had you not acted as you did... Shepard would most certainly be dead... as a result of Sederis' dagger biting deep into the middle of her chest. You did what needed to be done and Shepard will thank you for it!"

Liara sat up and angrily spat out, "She will be thankful for being alive, but how can she possibly thank me for..." Her eyes turned back to the very still form of her siame – showing absolutely no signs of regaining consciousness – and waved her hands in frustration as she finished, "... this?"

"Because otherwise she would be dead." Riana frowned at her. "You saved her life, Mistress."

Livos and her team had finished dealing with Clarissa and the Salarian, so the four commandos arranged themselves to stand guard over their mistress and her captain while Livos and Tra'ana Iremi prepared the body of Molia Tressi for transport. Livos was also conversing with Hailot Jatok and monitoring the progress of the second team when a relieved smile crossed her face. She walked over to Liara quickly, the smile disappearing as the young Asari, an anguished expression on her damp, tear-streaked face, looked up at the new arrival.

The Team One Lead knelt quickly at her side and glanced at what she suddenly feared was Shepard's corpse, only to breathe a sigh of relief and whisper a quick thanks to the Goddess when she noted the slow rise and fall of the captain's chest. "Liara. How is Nara?"

The overwhelming guilt Liara felt for Shepard's condition made it impossible for her to speak, so she simple hung her head in remorse as Riana answered for her, relaying the same information the First had so recently passed to their mistress with the addition of, "... and the medical evacuation team is enroute. They should be here momentarily."

"Yes, I know. I've been in communication with Jatok and they are escorting the team to our location. They are coming up the back way, via the slave quarters, so will be entering soon through the rear entrance to the Penthouse..." She pointed in the general direction of the doorway. "... which is back in that corner. The good news is they freed a number of slaves as they cleared out Sederis' troops... and Fala was among them. She is coming with them and bringing the keys required to get those disgusting slave devices off of Shepard."

As if on cue, the rear door flew open, Commander Jatok leading the charge with his booming voice. "Where's Captain Shepard?" Surveying the room quickly he pointed at the small group by the chair. "There! Get that stretcher over there and let's get everyone home!"

Knight Shade, Thessia, At Large

The return trip to the Estate would be extremely short and Lusmeni had the engines hot, lifting off even before the outer hatch had fully closed and locked. The Knight Shade's doctor, Derek Yandle, didn't even bother relocating Shepard to the medical bay, much less a bed, opting instead to simply keep her in the decontamination chamber immediately inside the ship's entryway. "It's a sterile environment and the trip is shorter than the time it would take us to get her relocated and settled into a bed. I'd rather use the time to get an eezo-infused electrolyte-saline drip started to help her rehydrate and replenish her reserves while I monitor her condition."

Much to Liara's disgruntlement, he chased everyone else out. "All of you need to get out of your gear, secure it in the appropriate lockers and get some energy bars, along with eezo cubes as appropriate, into your system. When Liara hesitated, he stared her down and spoke respectfully, but firmly, to the lady of the house. "That goes for you as well, Doctor T'Soni. I know how worried you are, but Captain Shepard will recover from this... quickly, I imagine... so at least get cleaned up and changed while enroute or I'll have Doctor T'Lori put you on a mandatory bed rest period as soon as we arrive at the Estate. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Derek, you do." Liara scrubbed her forehead with her fingertips and sighed. "Take good care of her for me?"

He nodded and replied, "Of course," as he promptly ushered her out and set to work.

T'Soni Country Estate, Armali Republic, Thessia

Lusmeni barely got the ship up to speed before they were decelerating for a landing at the docks; the Estate doctor, Alyna T'Lori, met them at the hatch and discussed Shepard's condition with both Derek and Riana as they moved her to the medical facility. Once there, Alyna paused outside the door to speak with Liara. "I know you want to be at her side, but let us perform a full medical evaluation first. As soon as we're done and she's truly settled in, I swear Derek or I will come speak with you to discuss her condition. We can't give you any more details until the exam is complete."

Her focus shifted to Riana. "Your job is to scan Lady Liara's blood eezo levels and make sure she eats whatever is appropriate between now and then. Understood?" With a nod from Riana, Alyna vanished into the clinic.

It wasn't long before Riana had returned with a plate from the kitchens, along with two eezo cubes sitting prominently on the tray. Liara ate the eezo cubes before consuming anything else, since that would probably be the first thing Alyna would ask about; she then began working on the main dinner, which consisted of a rather simple seafood salad. She was very nearly done when a smiling Derek stuck his head out the door. "The exam is complete and Shepard is asking to see you."

Liara practically threw the food tray at Riana as she eagerly jumped up from her chair. "She's awake?"

"Not sure how she'd request your presence if she wasn't," Derek chuckled. "But, before we go in, you need to know a couple of things. The machine Shepard was connected to was a neural stimulator, programmed to target pain receptors in her body. The pain intensity caused severe cramping of her muscles and the heart fluctuations she experienced... as well as spasms of her diaphragm, which manifested as shortness of breath and lightheadedness. I'm actually quite surprised she kept it together as long as she did to continue link communications with you."

A distressed frown on her face, Liara responded, "Thank you, Derek... I'll certainly keep all of that in mind. May I go in now?"

He smiled softly and continued, "Not quite yet, Liara. You also need to know the depletion of essential minerals from her system has caused bouts of tingling, numbness, and burning pain as a result of random and unpredictable cramping throughout her body. Don't be offended if she unexpectedly yanks a hand away or seems to grimace at something you say. She is likely experiencing a muscle spasm and it will pass; it will get better as the drip replaces those missing elements."

Her growing impatience made itself known as the Asari shifted nervously back and forth between one foot and the other as she made a short query. "Now?"

He glanced at his notes before adding, "There's one more thing. Don't be put off by the burn mark on her neck and the rashes on her extremities; they are a result of the slaver's lash and those nasty pins they jammed into her... and we did only preliminary treatments with the exam. We have yet to start her dermal regenerative care but figured we could let you speak with her before we started the noncritical treatments... We'll then turn out the lights so she can rest while her nanites finish the job."

"Of course. Thank you." Liara looked longingly at the entry as she asked, "Would it be possible for me to stay with her?"

"I just knew you were going to ask that." Derek heaved a heavy sigh. "The random muscle spasms make physical contact inadvisable. They'll lessen as her mineral and electrolyte levels return to normal and her nanites should help speed that process overnight, so let's see how she's doing in the morning, shall we?" The sad face before him made him smile understandingly and add, "Alright. Come on. Let's go visit and see how she reacts while you're there."

They walked in and Liara's eyes immediately met those of Samantha, obviously waiting for her arrival with the back of her bed raised so she could rest comfortably while visiting with her promised. Shepard smiled weakly as her Ionúin Álainn entered the room and breathed, "Liara."

In spite of being advised against contact, Shepard reached out and grabbed Liara's hand as soon as the Asari was close enough to the bed. Liara glanced at the doctor who simply stood there shaking his head. "I'm beginning to better understand some of Karin Chakwas' warnings about the two of you." He scratched his head and turned to walk away, saying over his shoulder, "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Shepard's face held one of her lopsided grins and Liara couldn't help but giggle as she sat in the chair placed beside the bed. She didn't try to grip the hand holding hers, allowing Samantha the freedom to easily break contact should it become suddenly painful. Her brow furrowed and she asked, "How are you... really?"

"Tired... but alive, thanks to you." Shepard shook her head and sighed softly as Liara looked away. "Hey, you. I had closed my eyes... knowing that Sederis was about to kill me and having no desire to watch it happen, as I was completely helpless to stop her. But I knew it was you who blasted through the door behind me... I felt the charge building in the air and instantly knew one of your super-warps was on its way. I could only hope that it got there in time to stop that lunatic – and it did just that, so don't you dare feel guilty for any of the repercussions caused by that infernal machine; you kept Sederis from burying that damned dagger in my heart." She chuckled lightly as she continued, "Which is good... because the only one that has any dibs on my heart is you, Liara. Well... except maybe my Mom." She squeezed the blue hand she held in hers. "Look at me. Please?"

As Liara's teary eyes once again met hers, Shepard smiled. "Thank you."

"Samantha... I nearly killed you!" Liara hissed in her vehemence to condemn her own actions.

"You did no such thing... You were my Rebekha, Liara. If it had been left to Sederis, she definitely would have killed me." Shepard answered the hiss with a calming whisper. "If you had delayed to try something else... anything else that didn't involve biotics..." She stopped and sighed. "This is silly. Reopen the link and see it from my point of view, Grá mo chroí. I am happy to share the memory, because it's a good one as far as I'm concerned." She chuckled and then grimaced, pulling her hand back and opening and closing both her fists a couple of times before shaking them in front of her. "Damn it."

Concerned, Liara leaned closer and looked into Shepard's eyes, shadowed in pain.

"How bad is it? Do you need Alyna or Derek?" Liara had to resist the urge to reach out and hold Shepard to comfort her.

Shepard rolled her shoulders and shook her hands one more time before relaxing again. "No... I'm good. The sensations don't last long... and they seem to be decreasing in frequency and intensity."

In that moment, Liara made her decision. "Sam, let me see it." She reached her hand out and placed it on the side of the bed where Shepard could touch it when she was ready for physical contact again. "And I'm not talking about your hand... or just the end, when the team entered the room..." She gulped and shuddered as she continued, "I want to see... to experience... everything you went through."

Shepard's gut reaction was to shout out a resounding 'No!'; instead, she drew a deep breath and held it for a moment as she thought about her answer. "Liara. Sederis was anything but kind. She teased and taunted... She brutally murdered Molia right in front of me." Shepard suddenly stopped and a pained solemnity swept over her face. "Oh, Gods. Has anyone spoken to Alestia... told her about Molia?"

Tears came to Liara's eyes yet again as she answered, "Yes. Captain Tremi and Livos went together to tell her the unfortunate news. She wants to speak with you when you are recovered... and I think you should show me first and let me share the burden. Then, when you are ready, we can go to her together, as Lyria and Livos did."

Shepard leaned back against the bed and closed her eyes. "I need to think about that, Liara."

"No, you don't, Samantha." Liara whispered, taking a chance and leaning in so she could reach her siame's hand, gently laying hers upon the Spectre's fingers. "We have no secrets, remember? And this is a big one that would eat at your soul. We need to share it, just as we shared the death of my mother... and Dezzi Tressi."

"You're right, of course." Shepard moved her hand to place it on top of the one offered, curling her fingers to wrap around Liara's. "I love you, Liara. Thank you again for saving my life and resetting my compass when I began to take a wrong turn. I... accept your offer... and would be thankful to have you at my side when I go to speak with Alestia."

Liara's free hand came up and closed on Shepard's cheek, but she resisted the temptation and didn't touch, speaking to explain her hesitation. "I want to hold you close... to feel your heart beat with mine... to truly know you are here... alive within as well as physically, but I am afraid of causing a spasm."

Shepard smiled softly and turned her head to intercept Liara's hand, nuzzling gently against it before turning to place a kiss on a blue palm.

Liara's brow pinched. "You asked me to open the link... and you will open completely on your end, as well, and show me what I need to know?"

Shepard nodded and answered without hesitation. "Yes."

It was roughly a half-hour later when Alyna returned from dinner to check on her patient. She stood in the doorway, hands on her hips in consternation. "I thought we decided to instruct them to have no physical contact?"

"They started by holding hands... no. Fingertips. They held fingertips. Shepard had one very minor episode and when it passed... then they held hands and opened their link," came a quiet reply. "After only a few moments of their private communication, Shepard slid over and Liara climbed in before I could stop her." Derek simply shrugged his shoulders as he continued quietly, "They've been like that since, with zero repeat episodes. I don't know if it's Shepard's nanites or the link with Liara that heals her faster... but Karin Chakwas warned me things like this would happen and the only way she successfully kept them apart was to physically lock one or the other out of the med bay." His eyes finally shifted from the sleeping couple to his fellow physician. "Are you prepared to do that to a bonding pair, Ally?"

Alyna rolled her eyes and shook her head in resignation. "No, I suppose not... At least not until their actions prove detrimental." She chuckled softly and joined Derek on the couch in the small office area. "I hate to wake them, but the treatments for her wounds should not wait any longer than necessary... They will certainly alleviate more of the pain and ensure Shepard gets what I assume will be an excellent night's sleep." A doting smile snuck onto her face as she continued, "They really are rather cute together, aren't they?"

At that, Derek laughed, knowing both of them were going to be just fine... and that his thoughts applied not only to the House's leading couple... but to the two doctors who had recently signed on to serve them. "Yes, they are... but you're also correct about having to wake them. We need to finish Shepard's treatments or she's going to scar."

They stood and moved to the bed, waking Liara first, who only reluctantly slid from the comfort of Shepard's arms before asking, "Do what you must, but may I remain during the treatment?"

"Certainly, Liara." Alyna looked to Derek and saw no disagreement in his eyes, so continued, "There is nothing about the procedures that would preclude you being here." She inserted a needle into the drip-line and injected an anesthetic before shifting her attention to Derek, asking, "Upper or lower?"

He chuckled softly as he answered, "I'm a leg man, myself," as he picked up a surgical wand and moved towards Shepard's feet, gently lifting her right leg at the knee and beginning the dermal regeneration treatment on her calf.

Liara moved around the bed and stood at Samantha's right side as her lover woke with a light groan from the unexpected movement. Gently stroking the Human's cheek, she smiled down upon her leannán. "It's okay, Sam. It's time for your treatments... but I'll not leave your side, I swear it."

Drawing a sleepy breath, she queried, "Wha' time's it?"

"We slept less than thirty minutes. It is still Saturday evening, Siame."

Waking more fully, Shepard chuckled lightly, "Hell of a way to spend a Saturday night, Li. We seriously need to work on that."

Smiling bashfully in return, Liara responded, "I agree wholeheartedly, Sam."

Alyna stood across from the young Asari, smirking as she stated, "If you two are done, I'd like to get started on Shepard's facial cuts... unless, of course, you want them to scar." The pair immediately fell silent, Liara blushing lightly as the captain smiled and tipped her head to the right so Alyna had better access to the slice that had run along her left jawbone. The doctors had already sealed all her wounds; Alyna simply wanted to speed the dermal generation along to prevent it from leaving a permanent mark that would remind Shepard of her abduction every time she looked into a mirror. "Thank you, Captain. That makes this much easier... now, all you need to do is hold still and not talk."

Between Liara's soothing presence, the warmth of the medical wand, and the gradual influx of the anesthesia, Shepard's eyes slid closed; it wasn't long before her chest rose and fell with the rhythm of sleep. Pulling a chair close to the bed, Liara sat down and relief flooded her system as she watched the doctors work, the marks left behind from the day's events finally becoming things of the past. Warm tears trickled down her cheeks as she peered lovingly at the woman asleep before her. Will this ever end? Will there always be people trying to take away our dreams of peace and a future?

"You alright, Liara?" Derek's question interrupted her reverie and she looked up quickly.

"Yes. Of course." Wiping the tears from her cheeks she almost laughed. "I'm sorry. Karin was used to my emotions when it comes to Shepard. I forget you have not known us nearly as long and it may come as a surprise to you but being linked as we are, our connection runs deep... so it pains me when she is hurt."

"I wouldn't expect it to be otherwise, Liara." Alyna paused for a moment, observing the younger Asari as she continued, "It's only natural to feel that way when we see someone we know and love get injured. There is nothing regarding such feelings that you should be worried about... yet I sense a deep uneasiness within you. What is it you fear?"

"It is not fear, Alyna." Liara's expression was earnest as she met the doctor's eyes. "You have to understand the pain I feel is not limited strictly to an emotional connection. If I am either unprepared or purposely keeping the link wide open, I will feel her pain physically... and it has driven me to my knees more than once."

She read the surprise on the doctor's face before she refocused on Shepard, reaching over to run her fingers through the Human's hair. "Today was one of those days so, even though I was not there to see them happen, I know only too well the agony she suffered receiving these injuries."

"That is..." Alyna's forehead pinched in both consternation and concern. "I have never heard of such a thing."

"You are not alone in that. The phenomenon is called Inanna; a term I did not know either, until it happened... and Consort Sha'ira explained its meaning, effects and potential to both of us." Warmth spread through Liara's chest as she thought about everything else their special connection brought along with it. "Without a doubt, it is most definitely more a blessing than a curse and, now that I have experienced it, I would never wish it to be otherwise. Our link is very special, as it brings us a closeness like none other."

The love with which Liara spoke stilled Alyna's protest before it left her lips; the younger Asari positively glowing as she doted over her Promised made her reconsider her next words. "So... can you turn it off, if necessary?"

"Yes." Liara looked up to once more meet the physician's eyes. "I can set up a mental barrier and block her out, if required... and she's capable of doing the same, though we try our best to make that unnecessary."

Derek spoke again for the first time since Liara's explanation began. "I, for one, think such a connection would be a wonderful thing to experience... Humans don't normally have that option – even with an Asari mate, we can't be the one to initiate a meld – so, I imagine it is very special from Shepard's perspective as well." He looked at Liara, pure joy in his expression as he said, "I wish you both a long life together, filled with happiness."

"Absolutely," added Alyna. "My curiosity is purely clinical. Personally, I do not doubt they will live in extended bliss." She gave Derek a playful wink. "Especially with the two of us caring for them both."

"Speaking of which..." Derek turned off his medical wand and stepped back. "... I'm done."

"Well then." His associate gestured at Shepard's right arm. "If you can convince Liara to move out of the way, you can work on those punctures... as I am sure you have nothing better to do. I am done with her face and left arm, but I'd like to return my attention to the burn on her neck. It is being rather stubborn and I want to see if I can clean it up a bit better."

Liara stood as soon as she heard her name and moved the chair out of the doctor's way before circling around to stand at Alyna's side. "This is not the first lash burn she's had; she received her first from a Cerberus Dragoon class trooper while we were on Cronos Station. Does that matter?"

"That is good information to know, but it should not matter. Was it just as hard to heal the first time?" Alyna continued working as they spoke.

"Harder. The Dragoon was very good at what he did and wrapped the lash around Shepard's neck like a whip, both shocking her and cutting off her air at the same time." Liara's voice picked up an angry growl as she finished, "He was dragging her backward with the damned thing... wrapped so tight around her neck it was choking her. I blasted him with a warp, but treatment was delayed because we were still in the heat of battle."

"Ahhh," Derek sighed, knowingly. "So it was more severe and also had time to swell and blister. That had to have been nasty."

"It was." Liara looked once more at Shepard's neck. "Comparatively speaking, this is just a scratch." A small smile began to appear on her face as both doctors chuckled quietly. "If she was awake, Shepard would surely comment on my developing dry humor."

He couldn't help himself and Derek's quiet chuckle burst forth into full blown laughter. "This is a story I'll have to relate to Karin. I'm sure she'll enjoy the tale."

"Yes, she will; but only because Shepard is going to recover in full."

As Derek finished up with Shepard's bicep, he once again stepped back. Alyna saw his movement and looked up, also turning off her dermal regenerator. "Okay. Enough for tonight. We'll let her nanites work on it overnight and do some touch up in the morning, if required. If there is a scar, it shouldn't be very visible."

Liara looked down at the woman on the table and smiled. "I suppose I'll leave her to rest and grab some dinner." She looked up, her eyes traveling between the two doctors. "May I join her later?"

Derek laughed again as Alyna rolled her eyes in defeat. "Yes, Liara. Just remember we'll be taking turns checking on her tonight, so your sleep may be disturbed. You'd sleep better in your own room."

Liara grinned and shook her head, answering with conviction, "No, Derek. I wouldn't."