4.
Suvi stood in the medbay, brow furrowed as she tapped a finger on her cheek. "Minigen X3… I've heard of it. It has something to do with biotics, doesn't it?"
T'Perro rolled her eyes. "I believe users of the- may I add illegal substance- describe themselves as… biotic gods. There was some smarmy little volus on Nos Astra who had dealings with the drug. But I don't know what ever happened to him."
Memories of throwing krogan across a bar flashed into Ryder's mind. How his biotic energy rippled with ferocious intensity making him feel powerful. "Yep. Biotic god. That sounds about right."
"How did it get here?" asked Suvi. "All the way to Andromeda?"
"The same way popcorn and cats did," said Vetra, "contraband." She shook her head. "How did I not know about this?"
A tingle ran up Ryder's spine as tiny pulses of static electricity discharged from his fingertips, electrifying the bed. Evidence the minigen still resided in his system. He'd never heard of the drug, and he couldn't say he didn't like the effects, but he couldn't work like this. He couldn't function as a Pathfinder if he were lancing crewmates or annihilating Initiative members on a whim. "So what do we do about this?"
"You don't use your biotics!" replied T'Perro. "Remain calm. Think happy thoughts. Kittens and killing kett. We don't need you sneezing and blowing a hole in the Tempest."
Vetra winked at him. "Or, you know, maybe think about PeeBee."
Ryder flushed, clenched his teeth. He wasn't willing to talk about that yet. "So Vetra, about that T-8 manifold…" Beeping from a monitor caught his attention and he turned to T'Perro. "What is it?"
"I said remain calm," stated T'Perro. She placed a hand on his chest, which he found strangely tranquillizing. Then she smiled. Lexi rarely smiled. So worried about the crew, about everyone's wellbeing, her face tended to remain in a constant scowl. Ryder thought it nice to see her countenance soften, even for a brief moment.
"Now everyone out," she ordered. "The Pathfinder needs his rest."
Music to Ryder's ears. But one thing still bothered him. The void in his head. "What about SAM?"
"I am here," replied the implant's voice over the intercom.
"Yeah, but not here." Ryder couldn't move, so he imagined himself pointing to his head.
"The neurotoxicity level of the minigen X3 overloaded your senses. Our displacement is temporary until the drug leaves your system."
"SAM's right," said T'Perro. "But we'll have to reconnect you back at SAM node on the Hyperion none-the-less."
Still scary as shit according to Ryder. But he swallowed his concern so as not to further worry his crew and decided that changing the topic was in order. "We're on our way to the Nexus?"
"Right on schedule," said Vetra.
But without Gil's manifold, Ryder admonished to himself.
Minor mission or not, an unfinished task grated on Ryder's nerves. He hoped that without the manifold, their next landing wouldn't be as hazardous as their last. He still had bruises from landing on top of Vetra… or was that pain in his ribs from a krogan fist?
He surely had taken a beating in Umi's bar. He hoped his favourite armour remained intact. It had taken forever to acquire all the right pieces. Not to mention a good portion of his salary. Either way, sleep tugged at his mind and he wanted nothing more than to take Lexi's advice and rest. If only PeeBee would come and see him, he would drift off without hesitation. Her presence, knowing she cared at least a little bit to see how he was doing would brighten this horrible day.
Vetra was leaving medbay so he caught her before she left. "So, Vetra… do you know where PeeBee is?"
"Hm, I don't know. Do you want me to get her?"
Not wanting to seem desperate he replied, "No. No, that's okay." After Vetra left, he closed his eyes and let soothing memories of time spent floating in the life-pod with PeeBee lull him to sleep.
~MEA~
PeeBee stomped down the corridor outside medbay. Her hands wrapping themselves in circles as she made another pass down the hall. "What if he's not okay? What if he is? Am I supposed to run to him? Do I act casual?"
"Whoa, calm down there, PeeBee," said Vetra. She blocked the hall until PeeBee ran into her.
"I don't know what to do?" cried PeeBee. She pushed off Vetra and threw her arms in the air. "There's too much… I don't know… stuff… unwelcome stuff… going through my head. I don't know what to do? What should I do? Should I see if he's all right? He's all right, isn't he? You were just in there. Tell me he's all right?"
"Relax. He's going to be fine."
PeeBee's eyes widened. She clapped her hands, bounced on booted toes. "He is? By the goddess, that's good news. Are you sure? You're not lying, to you know, make me feel better?"
Vetra looked her steady in the eyes. "Do I ever lie?"
"Well, no."
"Then listen to me, Ryder's going to be okay. A little rough around the edges, and maybe a little loopy from the minigen X3 he inhaled…"
"Minigen!" PeeBee braced her hands on her hips, tapped a beat with the toe of her boot. "Where? What… How? But most importantly, why would he take that garbage?"
Vetra frowned. "He didn't do it on purpose. There were crates of it in the rooming house that exploded when that scum, Reyes, threw in the grenade."
"Oh, yeah. That makes sense."
"Now why don't you go in there and talk to him yourself. It's what couples do. They communicate one on one, not through turian intermediaries."
"You think I should?"
Vetra nodded.
"Really?"
"Really. He asked about you."
A smile crept across PeeBee's face as she looked over her shoulder at the medbay door. Her heart ached as she imagined what lay on the other side. Was it from excitement at seeing him? Or was her heart telling her she shouldn't go? Their relationship started not that long ago, they were still finding their way. Was it too soon to be the bedside caregiver? So much of her wanted to go through that door, but the small part that didn't had a very loud voice and kept telling her it was too soon for such familiarity.
She turned back to Vetra suddenly aware of something the turian had just said. "Wait, how'd you know about Ryder and I?"
Vetra smiled. "I have my ways. Now go in there before I shove you through that door."
"What do I say to him?"
"Whatever comes to mind," replied Vetra. "But it probably won't matter, he was falling asleep when I left."
PeeBee nodded. "Oh, okay. So I should just sit with him?"
Vetra shoved her through the door. "Go!"
PeeBee stumbled into medbay and came to an abrupt halt at the end of Ryder's bed. In sleep he looked peaceful. She hesitated disturbing him. But his breathing was strong and only a few wires were stuck to his purple and yellow chest. PeeBee had seen worse.
She let out a breath and tiptoed forward, then noticed leather straps securing Ryder's wrists to the bed. Her lips thinned into a straight line as she turned a levelling gaze on Lexi.
With arms raised in a soothing gesture, Lexi said, "It's only a precaution."
PeeBee's jaw clenched. "Go on. Doctor."
Lexi moved forward, speaking in a soft voice. "His biotics are unstable. We don't want him lancing the walls or annihilating the ceiling by accident. The Pathfinder is aware of why the restraints are necessary."
PeeBee's eyes narrowed. "So it's for his own protection?"
"And ours," said Suvi. The scientist moved to PeeBee's side and ushered her into a chair beside Ryder's bed. "If you would like to see him, why don't you sit here."
"But be quiet," ordered Lexi.
PeeBee glared at the doctor then smiled at Suvi. "I'll sit here. If that's all right with the good doctor," she said more than asked as she slid her backside onto the bed beside Ryder's shoulder.
"Be careful!" ordered Lexi. "He's still mildly charged. It transfers to the bed…"
PeeBee cut her off with a wave of her hand. "I'm asari, duh. I can handle a little static electricity." She sat. And when microscopic jolts nipped her backside, she hid her discomfort so as not to validate Lexi's warning.
Lexi threw her arms in the air and went back to her desk. PeeBee squirmed a moment longer before finding a position where the jolts weren't so bothersome. Then she laid a hand on Ryder's forehead and brushed back the hair, which had fallen over his eyes. He always kept his hair so tidy and neat; each strand perfectly in place on top of his cute little face.
So young, she thought. And so much responsibility. "Yet you still manage to be a badass when the time comes," she said.
"He must like you."
PeeBee looked up at Suvi's voice and drew her hand back into her lap. "What?"
"From the moment you touched him his heart rate has come down."
"Well, we do have a little something in the mix. It's new. But I think it's gonna work, you know."
Lexi entered the conversation with a grimace. "Hm."
PeeBee harrumphed. "Figures you'd have something to say about it. What? You don't approve?"
"What? No," replied Lexi. She shook her head and pressed some buttons on one of the monitors before resting a hand on Ryder's forehead; her own brow furrowed with worry lines. "You two are good for each other. It's not that, that concerns me."
A warm sensation spread out from PeeBee's chest into each of her limbs. She squirmed until she stood and crossed her arms over her chest. "Something's wrong? Isn't it?" She dropped her hands, stepped back from the bed then forward again. "Um, what is it? What is it?"
Lexi's eyes were soft when she looked at her. "He has a fever."
"Is that normal with minigen X3?" asked Suvi.
"No," replied Lexi. "Not this late in the game. Something else must be wrong."
…to be continued…
