Sam jerks awake, she can feel the sweat on her body rapidly cooling, and it brings her a small amount of relief from the heat that seems to be coursing through her. She's grateful she had the foresight to bunker down in the sub-deck of engineering; the gasping breaths she's currently taking would have drawn too many questions had she been in the crew quarters. The dream she just woke from,of Ashley taking her against the window in the Observation Deck, is still lingering.
She wearily rubs at her face, it's been several days since her visit to Chakwas and she's grown out of her inability to look at look at any of her female coworkers.
Shepard taking the ground crew to Tuchanka several days ago helped immensely and they have yet to come back. Her usefulness increased drastically, as well. Trying to coordinate between a group of turians and track Cerberus all while Reapers were within their vicinity helped her focus on more important things.
Sam shivers, her hands grip the fabric of her military issued pants in an effort not to touch her skin. The very vivid dream of Ashley taking her against the window in the Observation Deck is still fresh and she aches to be touched. Sitting up, Sam leans against the pipes and tilts her head back as far as she can and lets out a shaky breath.
In hindsight it was a relief to have a dream that didn't revolve around Reapers and the Normandy floating in pieces in a dark realm of space. Then again, before this mess even started her dreams had featured a familiar AI's voice and some interesting scenarios thanks to her rather bizarre extranet searches during the copious amounts of downtime.
She knows anyone might argue that her current Lieutenant Commander filled dreams are steps above her nightmares, but she has to disagree. Both cause her to wake up feeling unrested and frustrated.
She contemplates a cold shower as she calls out, "EDI," her voice cracks and her face scrunches in confusion, she sounds terrible. "H— how long have I been asleep?" she questions, mostly to herself but EDI answers.
"It has been two point six hours."
"Great," Sam groans. It takes her a moment to gather her bearings before asking EDI what she had originally intended. "Has there been any change?"
"The Commander and crew returned an hour ago for repairs and debriefing. They are currently preparing to return to Tuchanka's surface in a few hours."
Sam scrambles to her feet, nearly falling face first off the cot in her haste, "Shit! EDI, why didn't you wake me?" She struggles to get her jacket off the chair and almost rips it in the process. "God, this is great. I'm going to be thrown into the brig. Wait, do we even have a brig?"
Sam continues to struggle, one arm in her jacket while the other is flailing, trying to catch the other side, "Shepard's going to sick Liara on me or something. Or maybe force me to sit and listen to Joker talk about how amazing he is." She stops as a horrific thought comes to mind, "She— she won't make me clean the lavatories with my toothbrush, will she? I just got that back," Sam whines.
"I'm sure the Commander will spare your toothbrush, Samantha."
Sam screeches and barely manages to catch herself from tumbling over the chair, "Doctor Chakwas!" she screeches again and shakily plants herself on the cot. Sam covers her face, only letting one of her eyes peek through her fingers to see the doctor chuckling at her misfortune.
"Had I known you were this accident prone I would have forced you into the med-bay sooner."
Having no witty retort ready as her heartbeat is wildly out of control and her brain is fried Sam doesn't have a coherent response, "I— is— what?"
Chakwas holds out her hand and Sam recognizes what's in it immediately, "I've had EDI monitor your stress levels, and she has informed me that chess might take your mind off a few things."
Sam is silent for a few moments before she chokes out, "how often do you monitor my stress levels, EDI?"
"I keep a constant surveillance of all the crew's thermal readings and fluctuations of abnormalities in case there is an emergency."
"Of course you do," her yes dart around nervously, not sure she can handle the knowledge that EDI can read her body temperature, amongst other things. Her eyes land back on Chakwas, "Oh crap, I have to get back to the CIC!"
Chakwas places her hand on Sam's shoulder, stopping her frantic movement, "No. The Commander can handle things without you for at least another hour. Sit with me and we'll play a round or two. I'm afraid I'm a bit rusty, so do go easy on this old lady."
Sam nods and gives a small grin, the stern voice of the doctor ensures she won't bother questioning anything and Sam stays where she is, letting Chakwas take the chair.
As Chakwas turns on the GUI interface she says, "EDI, inform the Commander that Specialist Traynor has another hour to relax before her help can be requested."
"Acknowledged, Doctor Chakwas."
"Now then," Chakwas grins and Sam is sure it's supposed to be disarming, but it feels anything but, "try not to defeat this old soul too badly."
An hour and a half pass before Chakwas leaves the sub-deck and heads for the elevators.
Sam was clearly distracted and had been a less than stellar opponent. It was another mark in the negative column for her mental stability. Chakwas had overheard from some of the crew that Sam had something of a competitive streak when it came to games like chess and it was better for everyone to not play against her unless you had years of experience. Chakwas was by no means an expert, but she could hold her own for a time. What worried her was that Sam had nearly lost countless times, and hadn't noticed.
It was clear to her that Samantha still hadn't had the rest she needed. The next few hours were going to take their toll on everyone if the ships scuttlebutt had any merit to it. Knowing Commander Shepard, curing the genophage is something she will have a hand in. The relaxation she forced Shepard to give to Samantha isn't enough anymore and with EDI's strange interruptions about Sam's welfare, while appreciated, wasn't a task she had given the AI to do. Shepard's knowing grimace and seemingly first-hand knowledge of Sam's predicament and Liara's constant about-face whenever Sam enters the same space were more than just coincidence and Chakwas can't ignore it any longer.
There are undoubtedly other driving points because Sam held up remarkably well under the constant pressure of the Cerberus attack two days prior. So her ability in the field, as it were, was not in question. Not yet. With the lack of relaxation during her personal time, however, Chakwas knew it was only a matter of time for Sam to be off her game and Chakwas wanted to avoid that disaster at all cost.
"EDI, please send the Commander to med-bay the second she becomes available."
"The Commander will be arriving momentarily, she is finalizing mission parameters."
"Thank you," Chakwas slowly let the words out. Informing her of Shepard's doings was unusual when it came to formal business. It happened around the same time she found out about Traynor's issues.
"What is going on?" She says to herself, idly going through her medical supplies for the battle ahead.
"Joker, once this shit is done set course for the Citadel," Shepard barks out the second she steps foot out of the med-bay and away from an irate doctor.
"Aye aye, Commander."
Her shoulders sag in relief now that she's out of sight from Chakwas. She's going to have to have a talk with EDI and Liara. Sam as well. All conversations she isn't looking forward to. She wonders if she should talk to Ashley, but she doesn't know enough about the situation to warrant that just yet. She has a small spark of hope that Ashley won't even be as involved as Shepard thinks she is, "Fat chance, with the way things are going."
"Is everything alright?"
The worry in Liara's voice is clear and it does little to calm her fraying nerves. With the combination of the last several weeks and the lecture she just endured, it takes all she has to keep her anger in check.
It isn't enough.
"Not now, Liara," her words are harsh and Shepard makes haste towards the elevator. If there wasn't a genophage to cure, an organization to rip apart, and a bunch of crazy ass Reapers to destroy she'd head straight to the bar.
She spots Ashley, James, and a forlorn and exhausted looking Sam sitting in the mess, "what the hell did I get myself involved in?" She curses to herself, angry at herself for only partially listening to Liara, too distracted by rekindling their relationship, to have gathered all the details about what her and EDI had planned.
"EDI," Shepard barks out.
"Yes, Commander?"
"You and Liara are to stay on the ship, tell everyone else to ready-up in the cargo bay."
She's met with silence and she takes the moment to collect herself.
"Understood, Commander."
"Does Liara," Shepard whispers. Her anger at the situation doesn't mask the knowledge that Liara's hurt by her dismissal, but she can't take System Alliance measures with two non-alliance crew and for now this is the best she can do as a small punishment until they head to the Citadel. She doesn't need the entire ground crew, but she's being careful. Leaving Liara on the ship also helps calm the fear she constantly endures whenever Liara is on the field with her. Their time is short and she does not want to lose her on the surface of a damn Cerberus and Reaper infested planet.
"Yes," EDI replies. Shepard clenches her fist, knowing EDI relayed the information to Liara and again Shepard feels a pang of regret. She should be speaking to Liara personally, but she can't bring herself to shake the anger. She's going to need it for what's ahead as it is.
The elevator doors open and she pushes aside her worry, letting the fury build as she prepares to take back what was stripped from the Krogans.
Samantha has stopped worrying so visibly about the ground crew after watching them leave and return safely after the fiftieth something mission(most of the time, she now can vividly recall the mad rush to the Citadel when Ashley was critically injured on Mars. She's glad she didn't know any of them at the time). Of course, once Liara and EDI started messing with her head, it all went downhill from there. Any time Ashley goes with Shepard, which is far too often for Sam, she ends up finding some excuse to hover near the docking bay doors. She's positive the new stress she feels whenever Ashley is ground side is the opposite of what Chakwas wants.
After a few tense Cerberus-related missions, that she feels personally responsible for, Sam has taken to hovering around Joker. Initially he thinks it's because she wants to bask in his magnificent humor and wit, soon replaced with suspicion that she was there for EDI's body. As the last few missions have gone by and EDI has been staying on the ship, Joker has to reassess his reasoning.
"Which one?" he nearly jumps in surprise along with Sam when he abruptly disturbs the silence.
"Excuse me?"
She stops mid-pace and stands still to stare at him, something he's grateful for, she's been pacing and fidgeting with almost everything around him for the past twenty or so minutes. "Well, at first I thought you just couldn't stay away from my dazzling personality, but I've heard some things and your eyes trail after certain female members of our wonderful crew more than just a passing glance. It's not as obvious as most people, you know, but I make an art of subtly checking women out and you are getting worse as the days go by. How is that even possible, by the way—"
"Do you have a point?" Sam grounds out, her face rapidly heating up.
"You've been hovering behind me for the past two weeks and EDI has been here the last three days, so you're either stuck on Shepard or Liara. Or maybe both. I bet my hat you've see Vaenia more than once," her blush only deepens and Joker looks far too smug about it. She certainly feels like punching him now, "and the only other options are Tali and the LC slash newest human spectre and," he pauses, and Sam isn't sure she wants to hear what he has to say next, "Hmm, actually I'm not entirely sure about your luck on that last one, at least you're human. That should boost your chances a little bit."
"What is that supposed to mean?" she growls out. Hell, that was the last thing she intended to do, and she isn't sure if she iss defending Ashley or defending her own chances, but there is something about the way he says it that has her ready to fight.
"Guess that answers the question," he chuckles not bothering to explain.
Instead of snapping back Sam groans and unceremoniously flops down in the seat to Joker's left, "I can't believe I let them get to me." Sam rubs her forehead, trying in vain to stop the oncoming headache.
"The Commander?"
"Partially, but I'm sure EDI and Liara are more of the culprits here. They just…" Sam trails off, not sure she wants to explain what is going on. It might help, she thinks. She hasn't been comfortable talking to anyone about it, really. However it's Joker and he's the last person she is going to tell about this situation.
EDI's voice cuts through her musings, "The Commander will be docking shortly, please inform Doctor Chakwas to ready the med-bay."
Ignoring the terror that erupts in her chest, and before Joker can say anything, Sam speaks out, "Anything serious?"
"— I don't need to go to the med-bay, I'm fine! it's just a flesh wound!" The exasperated but amused tone of Ashley comes across the comms loud and clear and Sam nearly falls on her face in her haste to remove herself from the co-pilot seat.
"I'm just gonna— go. I'm gonna go."
Joker smirks and waves her away, "Maybe she'll need some one on one healing time!" He yells after her retreating form, cackling as she stumbles and flips him off before disappearing.