Miranda saw Shepard early that same morning, around seven A.M. Her gloved hands floated over her omni-tool as she turned off the visible scan, then scanned Shepard. There was no light to wake her, but Shepard could feel in her light sleep the presence of someone.
Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at Miranda's relieved face.
"Hey," Shepard murmured, slowly sitting up. Her bloodshot eyes met Miranda's clear blue eyes. Miranda looked over at Garrus, who managed to build a small bed out of two chairs, a pillow and an extra blanket from Shepard's bed. He was still sleeping.
Shepard smiled when she saw him, then looked back at Miranda. "What's going on?" She whispered.
"Nothing, your vitals are good. Your blood pressure has gone down significantly. You were high for a few days there." She looked back at Garrus then again at Shepard. Miranda's eyes shined with the assurance that her former commander's secret would stay in this room.
"I'll come by with your breakfast in an hour with your meds. Maybe we can take a lap around this floor after you eat, to get you moving. Oh, and Joker is going to stop by later around noon." Miranda dusted her hands off on her pants then stood slowly. She grabbed Shepard's unmaimed hand and gave it a squeeze before leaving and closing the door behind her.
Shepard sat there in silence. She heard the rustling of patients waking on her floor, each nurse checking their vitals.
She pressed the button on the side of her bed, and Dr. Karin Chakwas came into her room almost immediately. "Good morning Shepard, do you need help?"
"Good morning Dr. Chakwas, I was wondering if I could get some help bathing." She placed her unmaimed hand behind her and pushed herself to the side of the bed, her legs swung over the edge.
"I will get a wheelchair in here to make it easier. Do you want new clothes? You got a drop off of items early this morning. After checking them for chemicals or bombs, we have decided they're regular clothes…in your size." Karin placed the bag on her bed.
Garrus woke from his sleep and slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Did I hear something about a bath or was I dreaming?"
Karin smiled at Garrus and looked at Shepard. "I'll be right back with the wheelchair and bag. Will Garrus be helping you today?"
Before Shepard could reply, Garrus interjected, almost proudly, "I'm here to help her with whatever she needs."
Karin nodded at Shepard and smiled at Garrus. "Very well." She left the room, the door closing behind her. Shepard grunted and leaned back in bed with a heavy sigh. Each individual movement hurt. She closed her eyes and placed her hand on her stomach.
"Does Liara know you're here?" Shepard asked without opening her eyes.
"Yes. She does." His voice was soft, low.
"That explains the mystery gift bag." Shepard looked over at him, and he scooted his chair closer to her bed. He grabbed her hand and placed it against his face.
"She told me to make a decision, and I have."
Shepard exhaled slowly through her nose. "Good."
Dr. Chakwas came in with a robe and two towels on top of her gift bag. The bag contained cinnamon scented shampoo and lavender body wash, along with feminine hygiene items. It seemed innocent enough, but she saw a card at the bottom of the bag. It was white with blue print: From the Shadow Broker.
She placed the card against her nose and smelled blueberries. Liara.
Her heart vibrated in her chest as she placed the card back in the bag. She placed her hand out and Garrus gripped it, helping her into the chair. He practically lifted her and sat her down.
As he wheeled her to the bathroom next to her room with her bag around his shoulders, Shepard felt a peace in her heart that she hadn't felt in months.
He lifted her gown over her head and it was then that he saw how thin she was. Bruises covered her torso, scars along her ribs, ashy burns along her left hip and down her leg that were still healing. She had never been so frail as she was at that moment. Her hair was so long and the sensation of it touching her bare back almost felt unbearable. He pulled a comb from the bag and gently brushed it. Goosebumps covered her bare body and the sensation of the comb touching her scalp felt unbearable.
She whimpered in pain and Garrus gently pulled her hair into a bun, wrapping it with a blue ribbon.
"I want to wash my hair but literally everything hurts. I can't even get up to get into the bath." She felt so weak and defeated, her hands balled into fists. She looked back at Garrus and reached for his hand.
He squeezed her hand while telling her softly, "You're going to sit here, and I am going to get a wash cloth." He pulled a small towel from her bag and covered it in lavender body wash. He rinsed it in warm water then placed the cloth on the back of her neck, gently massaging her with his thumbs. She almost moaned.
He smiled and moved his thumbs across her shoulders, the soap's bubbles popping on her skin. Shepard allowed herself to enjoy it. She tried to release her pain, and her questions that were still unanswered, and just wanted to live in the moment. With him.
As he continued to wash her, being especially careful around her hips and still bandaged hand, and she closed her eyes.
A single tear fell. Maybe the worst was over.