"Dammit, Shepard!" Grunt sounds pissed before she even sees him.
Internally, Jeryn cringes. Her face only shows the certainty that this is the right thing to do. It was back on Noveria, and it is here, now.
"We hold them back, so the Queen can escape." She isn't asking.
"Shepard, are you sure?" Garrus barely hesitates and starts firing as Jeryn takes out the Reaper node, freeing the Queen.
"Shepard, get out of here," Grunt tries to push her out the tunnel, but she grabs his arm.
She knows that he's Krogan, that he's tank bred, and that he's a royal pain in the ass to everyone who crosses paths with him. It's what makes him a good soldier, and an even better Krogan. If ever she was going to have a maternal instinct, this is the closest she is going to get. She raised him, killed a thresher maw with him, and fought at his side.
"Grunt, no, come on—"
His bright blue eyes reflect the phosphorescent light from the cave walls even as he glares at her. If she didn't know better, she'd swear it was affection she sees. There will be no getting through his skull plates to reason with him, and there isn't time to try.
Nodding once, she shoves turns and shoves Vega as she makes for the tunnel exit. She can hear the screeching of the ravagers behind her even while they gain the shuttle. Cortez has the hatch open, and Garrus reaches out to help her up and in.
She isn't ready to let him go.
Garrus pulls her up, and she reaches up to grab the shuttle hatch as they lift off. A crimson flash catches her eye.
"Stop! Wait!" She's on the ground before Cortez can react.
Grunt staggers out of the cave entrance, and before he hits the ground she's catching the full bulk of him, covered in slime and muck and what she hopes isn't his blood. Her shoulder's jerk under the weight, but she keeps him from hitting the ground, urging him towards the shuttle.
"Grunt," she breathes, relief and worry entwined in one syllable.
"Anyone … got something to eat? Any more of those fish?" His voice is garbled, but it's strong. He's strong. Whatever happened in there, he came through. It's such a Grunt thing to say, and she knows he's going to be all right.
"Let's move!" she shouts, and they all three haul him aboard and pull the hatch as the shuttle lifts off.