The Tempest: Ryder
Ryder hissed as Lexi applied the last bit of ointment to her wound. The omni-gel stung. She was never ready for the bite of the healing substances.
"Ryder, hold still," Lexi chided her.
"Trying, but the stuff hurts." Ryder complained teasingly, "I would think you'd have a gentler hand, Doc."
Lexi rolled her eyes and continued to work. "You're lucky, if that bullet had been an inch or two lower…" She trailed off.
Ryder nodded. "I know," She didn't need to be told, she'd be dead. Again. But she didn't think SAM would be able to restore her that time. Why had she jumped in front of Kaetus like that? It hadn't mattered in the end. Kaetus was still dead. She frowned.
"Ryder, you're tensing, please try to relax. I'm almost finished,"
"Sorry, Lexi," Ryder answered softly, her words to Kaetus all those weeks ago, played over and over again in her head. She couldn't shake them. She never would.
"I didn't like her. Plain and simple." Words she could never take back. Words that in the heat of the moment she had spouted to a defeated turian. A turian who in the end escaped confinement, killed and kidnapped her all in the name of avenging his friend.
Ryder hadn't liked Sloane. But that was because their personalities hadn't blended well together. She definitely hadn't wanted the woman dead because of it. She knew that now. She hadn't killed Sloane, but she had let it happen which was almost as bad.
"There, finished," Lexi said, "You should take it easy for a couple days. Let yourself heal,"
Ryder slid off the medical table. "Tell that to the universe,"
"I don't need to. I'm telling you," Lexi ran her omni-tool up and down Ryder once. "Scans show how stressed you are. Your amplifier is still realigning itself. You need to take it easy for a couple days. You and Cora both."
"Thank you, Doc," Ryder slipped her jacket back on and walked out of the room with a small wave of good bye.