Chapter 13 – Seashells
Miranda strolls into Shepard's hospital room, her usual air of confidence back, the worry she had held onto for so long had gone.
"Good to see you awake Shepard."
"I hear I have you to thank for that. You know you didn't have to sneak in to work on me, the nurses knew the whole time."
"You know me Shepard, I like to work alone."
Shepard chuckles, "so how long do you reckon on my recovery?"
"Well last time we kept you in a coma for 2 years, we needed you in top condition… but these guys, they just wanted their commander."
"So, you're saying I have months of physical therapy when I could have just been napping?"
"Precisely." She laughs.
A few days later
Shepard had put off seeing Garrus's family till she could at least stand up; she didn't like wasting away in bed and wanted to get started on her physio straight away. On her way there she caught sight of Javik staring out of a window, he hadn't come into her room yet but had received updates on her recovery.
"LJ can you leave me with Javik for a bit." She asked her Geth Prime babysitter, he had chosen to call himself Legion 287, much like many of the other Geth. She thought Legion Junior or LJ for short was easier to remember.
"Yes Shepard Commander." LJ wheeled her over to the Prothean and waited for her on the other side of the room.
"Javik."
"Commander. It is good that you are awake."
"Thank you, I hear you've been given the all clear."
"Yes, I will be leaving soon."
"For the Cronian Nebula?"
"Yes Commander, it is time I joined my crew."
"... And there's nothing I can say to convince you otherwise?"
"No." He responds dryly.
She takes a deep breath and manoeuvres herself in her wheelchair to face the hospital ward, with her back to the window. "I wanted to apologise to you."
"For what Commander?" This seemed to pull him from whatever he was watching and face Shepard.
"Reactivating the IFF, I know you didn't want to. I just look around and feel so guilty….. I was willing to risk all of this…. just to prove I could save everyone….. I believed this wasn't enough, but it would have been…. I think…. What was it you said to me, stand in the ashes of a trillion souls and ask the ghosts if honour matters. I keep thinking about that."
"You brought peace between the organics and synthetics Commander, many others would not have. They both owe you their lives."
"Maybe you're right. But it doesn't change the fact that to win I had to make deals with a lot of people and not all of those will be on our side now. This chaos, it would be easy for any of them to take advantage, like the Leviathans. Maybe they won't want to hide again, maybe they want to be the superior race again. Hell, maybe they'll make another intelligence and more reapers…"
"You are wise to distrust the Leviathans, perhaps my vengeance is not yet complete."
"Perhaps."
"I still wish to join my crew…" He pauses, feelings are definitely not the Prothean way "Shepard." He chose to use her name instead of her rank, far too emotional.
"This is a big Galaxy Javik. You might know where you want to end up but it's the journey that matters. You were born into war, I think you should see a galaxy that is recovering from one, feel the hope first hand, see where the help is needed, see it rebuild instead of being destroyed. I think you deserve that, before you leave us."
He ponders the idea for moment, staring back out the window.
"You could go the long way to your crew, make the most of this second chance you got. I think they would be ok with that." She wipes away a tear.
"I will consider it Commander. Perhaps you will stay with me for a moment."
She turns herself around again to look out the window "what are we looking at."
The view to some was just of destruction, but to those who knew what they were looking at, they could see all the species working together to clear through the rubble, building temporary accommodation, helping each other."
"Hope Commander."
After physio
LJ collected her from Physio, he was quiet just as he had been after her conversation with Javik.
"Everything ok LJ?" She asked.
"Do you regret saving us Shepard Commander?"
"You heard my conversation with Javik."
"Yes."
"I don't regret saving your people LJ, I just… being on the other side of it, it was quite a risk."
"You risked all this to save us."
"I did."
"Thank you Shepard Commander."
"You're welcome LJ." She patted the prime's hand.
Just as she approaches her room she chooses to stand and sends LJ on his way, knowing that Garrus's family are waiting for her. She stands by the doorway not really sure she can go any further, she was in more pain from the physio.
"Sir, Solana how is the leg?"
"My leg, oh its fine I wouldn't worry about that. We've been much more worried about you, I'm not important."
"Not important, knowing you were safe helped us face the Reapers, so you're pretty damn important in my book."
Solana smiled…
"Would you mind giving us a moment, I'd like to talk to Shepard alone." Castis phrased it as a question but it was definitely a command.
"Yes dad." Solana went to leave, Shepard awkwardly moved out of the way leaning on the door frame. Garrus felt unsure "Shepard?"
"I'll be fine Garrus." She stroked his arm as he went passed, it was a reassuring 'I've got this'. Her legs were feeling weaker and weaker and she was fighting the urge to sit down. She managed to make it to a chair in her room, only a few steps but it felt like a marathon. She grabbed the chair back to steady herself. Castis noticed and suggested they be seated, much to her relief.
"Shepard I am glad to see you up and about."
"Thank you sir, I was glad you could make it. I'm sure you've been a big support to Garrus."
He gave a slight chuckle.
"I had heard about your ability with words Commander, you've made Solana believe she was vital to the war effort and now giving me praise for Garrus's recovery."
"What can I say, I just say the truth… sometimes loudly."
There was a brief pause.
"When I first found out you and my son were in a relationship I had some reservations."
"I can imagine." She noticed he didn't appreciate the interruption.
"You were his commanding officer, a Spectre and finally a human."
She chose to remain silent for this pause.
"I however overcame these reservations when I realised how much Garrus cared about you and how you have helped shaped him into the turian he is today. He always spoke very fondly of you when you were tracking Saren… I imagine if you had been a turian you would have gotten together much sooner."
"Your son has been my greatest friend, ally, champion since those early days Sir. I can't imagine my life without him."
"Then you have my blessing, I'm sure it is unneeded, but you have it none the less."
She stood up from her chair, he followed suit and she stared him in the eye as she extended her hand.
"It means the world sir."
Garrus returned a bit later and Castis and Solana left them to it. He leant down and placed a kiss on her forehead. She smiled and grabbed his arm pulling him down to her, placing another kiss on his lips.
"So, what do you want to do today?" He asks.
She thinks for a moment "The beach."
"The beach?"
"Yeah, collect some seashells."
"Seashells, I like that."