[AN:/ Sorry for the long wait on this one! I've been busy with Finals and all that good shit. I'm going to try and recap the story less and just let my mind run free with what goes on between missions. Also my apologies for not writing a longer chapter. The next one will make up for that, though. I promise ;)]
Shepard returned to the Normandy and clung to the injured Garrus as they rush him to the medbay. His eyes continued to flutter and look at her as he gasps for air not contaminated by his own blood. Jane's hand rests on his shoulder and strokes it in hopes to calm him down some. When the elevator door opens deck 3, the gurney rolls towards the medbay and near an operating table. She keeps holding onto Garrus' arm as Chakwas inserts an IV into him. A sedative is injected and he slowly closes his eyes. Karin gives a sympathetic look and motions Shepard to leave so she can work on the injured Turian. Turning onto her heels, Shepard walks out and watches the door closes. A deep sigh leaves her lips and Jane begins to pick and peel at her fingernails in anxious worry. Unknowing on where to go, she leaves for the lounge. Sitting down on the sofa there, her body begins to shake. Pumping her legs up and down as she continues to pick at her nails, her eyes meet the stars outside the window along with the sight of Omega.
"I wish I arrived sooner, you wouldn't be in this mess…"
Footsteps sound and Miranda enters the room.
"Shepard, the Turian should be alright. While docked we should work on recruiting Mordin Solus. Your friend's surgery should be done by the time we get back."
Leaving at this moment seemed wrong to Jane, she felt a need to be there for her friend like she hasn't been for the past two years. The look on his face when she entered the apartment is burned into her thoughts. But the Cerberus agent had a point. Plus it might be a good way to keep her mind occupied while Garrus is repaired from taking a rocket to the damn face.
"Might as well while I'm still geared up. I'll meet you and Jacob in the airlock in a few minutes."
"Alright Commander."
The door closes and Shepard continues to look up at the stars. Swallowing her guilt, her hands meet her lap and she stands up.
"Be careful out there, the Blue Suns and Vorcha are shooting anything that moves."
"We'll keep that in mind."
The slums smell of ash and death. Bodies of dead Batarians and Turians line the streets, lit from the flames brought on by smoldering piles of the deceased and barrels. The fight to the clinic proved trying on Jane's Psyche. The scene of Garrus repeatedly being shot in the face plays as she blinks her eyes. Charging into enemies and blasting them with her shotgun proves to be some comfort, especially with the blue suns. It feels almost as revenge for what their comrades did to her friend. Or maybe she's taking things far too personal. That line blurs as Jane and the Cerberus operatives continue onwards to the clinic. One last merc stands in her way and her fury reaches its climax. The krogan begins to charge at Shepard but she charges right back and even stronger than the nine foot tall battle master. She raises her shotgun and shoots twice before realized she was out of thermal clips. Tossing it aside, she growls and raises a pistol. Shooting the beast at point blank, he falls down defeated. Looting the body for any thermal clips, she grabs her shotgun and reloads it with force. Miranda stares in a state on intrigue at her commanding officer but understands.
Solus follows the group of three back to the Normandy after the circulation systems were back online and spreading the cure throughout the district. Jane's steps are long and quick, suggesting haste back to the Normandy. Miranda and Jacob sandwich Mordin between them and the obviously impatient woman in front. Shepard's omnitool blinks with a new message from both Yeoman Chambers and Doctor Chakwas. Jane slows down just a beat and opens the message to find details on the operation and her patient. She seemed to be lucky with the fact that Cerberus supplied them with turian blood for transfusions if something were to happen. Garrus took a massive blow but Karin cleaned up the mess and patched together his flesh with cybernetics. He is now laying in the medbay, sleeping from the anesthesia introduced to his system. A smile creeps upon her face as they reach the market district. Omega did not have much for shops but she felt buying Garrus something would be a nice gesture.
"Jacob, would you please escort Mordin to the Normandy and brief him on our current status. I need to pick up a couple things for the ship."
The young man nods and the pair leave for the docks. Miranda can tell by the change in demeanor that Jane received good news about the turian's operation.
"Shepard, there isn't much here for shopping. The only thing really is maybe some black market upgrades and a Fornax."
She chuckles but walks over to a stand selling a piece of equipment Gabby and Kenneth needed to help with their calibrations down in engineering. Walking through Afterlife, a bottle of brandy is purchased for the doctor. She deserved now more than ever.
"You know Miranda, I think we need to stop at the Citadel soon. Keeping Kasumi waiting might be bad idea and I have someone I would like to visit. Plus there might be a better selection of what I'm looking for."