Chapter 9
"Come on, lets go! Karrera needs us to be with her," says Eric for the third time today. The past thirty-six hours have dragged by slowly. Too slow for the teen. He does not like the idea of his big sister lying alone in a hospital room. She needs her family with her and he's been quite vocal about it. Kaja has to remind him, Karrera's doctor knows what she's doing and is taking good care of her. "LETS GO ALREADY!" yells Eric from the front door. He has a bag in his hand with some clothes for Karrera even though it will be weeks before she comes home.
Derek shakes his head at Eric. "What's the big hurry? Dr. T'Sakos said she wasn't going to take Karrera off the sedative until we got there today and it could take hours for her to wake up."
Kaja listens to her sons and smiles at them both. Eric's attitude has taken an one-hundred-eighty degree turn for the better. Instead of raging about Neena or blaming his momma for his mom's death, Eric as been focused on Karrera and wanting to be at his sister's side. Even if she's not wake. Karrera has been his topic of discussion since they came home early Saturday morning or late Friday night depending on how one looks at it. She asks, "Derek, are you ready? Eric's been ready for hours."
"Yes, I think so. I have my sketch pad and pencils with me in case I want to draw something," replies Derek.
Kaja chuckles to herself when Eric runs for the car. She has not seen him this excited about anything in years and she isn't sure when the last time Eric was this excited. She thinks it was his sixth birthday, but maybe it was when they got the fort the day Cass died. Either way, she really doesn't care, all she does care about is he's been easier to deal with since Mico jumped them the other night. Mico jumping them has turned Eric's attitude around, but it also put Karrera in the hospital with life threatening wounds.
As much as Kaja is enjoying seeing the new attitude from Eric, she doesn't like how it comes at Karrera's expense. She blames Mico for what happened to Karrera, but wishes Eric didn't need to see his sister bleeding from a gun shot wound for him to turn his attitude around. As par for the course, she takes the good with the bad and keeps moving forward. Which is what she has done since Cass died, take the good with the bad and keep going. Having Neena staying with her the past two nights has been the biggest blessing so far.
Unfortunately, Neena isn't with them to see Karrera. She unable to take the time off from work, but she did promise Eric she would be at the hospital once she got off work. Her promise to Eric has made him realize, she cares about his momma, but she also cares about him and his siblings too. He's learning why his brother and sister like the turian so much. Neena is a caring person, just like his mother. He's slowly warming up to the idea that his momma and Neena are going to stay together and he is starting to see how they care for each other as much as his mom and momma cared for each other.
When they arrive at the hospital, they see Dr. T'Sakos talking to Detectives Caine and Ta'anari outside Karrera's room. Neither detective looks happy especially Caine. Eric glances to Kaja with a concerned look on his face. Kaja pats him on the shoulder to reassure him, everything is fine. She speculates they're waiting for Karrera to wake up and don't like the answer the doctor is giving them. Eric still doesn't like it. He doesn't like Detective Caine either. Something about the detective rubs Eric the wrong way. The youth gets a feeling the detective is waiting for him to mess up again or wants to prove he is at fault for shooting Karrera. Eric feels he is responsible, but Kaja has explained to him, it's not his fault. He was defending himself and his family and Karrara getting hit was an accident. And if anyone is at fault, it's Mico. Eric is slowly buying it, but still feels he's responsible.
The two detectives nod to Sergeant T'Soni when they decide they'll come back later after Karrera wakes up to get the asari's statement. Dr. T'Sakos updates the family on Karrera's condition. No infections and everything is healing nicely. She's lowered the dosage of the sedative,so Karrera will wake up, but not stay awake for very long before falling back asleep. Her biggest concern is the abdomen and making sure everything heals without any complications. She expects the young maiden to remain in the hospital for at least the next two weeks if not three. Eric nor Derek like hearing what they're hearing. They go back to school in two weeks and they wanted to spend time with their sister before she had to go back to Thessia. Now it seems she's going to spend her break recovering and not be able to do anything.
Dr. T'Sakos looks at the twins then asks, "Which one of you put pressure on Karrera's wound?"
Eric and Derek exchange glances with Eric saying, "I did." He raises his left hand to about shoulder height.
The asari medical doctor smiles at Eric. "Well young man, I must inform you. Your quick thinking helped keep Karrera alive."
"Really?" asks Eric. His face lights up with both surprise and joy.
"Yes, your actions helped. You should be proud of him, Detective. I'll be back to check on her in a few hours. I can't say for certain when she'll wake up. I would expect it to be a few hours yet. Be patient." T'Sakos leaves to tend to her other patients, leaving Kaja and the twins alone with Karrera. Eric puts his sister's bag on a small table next to a small bouquet of flowers from Liv and Tracy.
Derek asks, "Why don't you correct her when she calls you Detective, momma? You're rank is Sergeant." He positions a chair at the foot of Karrera's bed. He likes the angle the sun shines through the window. The way the light reflects off the equipment. He opens his sketch pad then starts drawing.
"I'm lucky she doesn't call me Lieutenant," replies Kaja. She moves a chair, so she can sit next to Karrera's right side.
Eric sits to Karrera's left. "Why would Dr. T'Sakos call you Lieutenant?"
"Because that was my rank when I was in the military and her patient with my shoulder wound," answers Kaja. She hates seeing her daughter like this. She looks so weak and helpless with tubes connected to various areas on her body.
Eric leans with his elbows on the bed, looking at his sister. "She looks so pale, momma."
Derek looks up from his sketch to say, "She looks better than she did the other night, Eric."
"You sure, Derek?" asks the younger twin.
"Yea, I'm sure. She still looks weak though," replies the older twin. He returns is attention to his sketch.
Eric takes Karrera's hand and holds it carefully so he doesn't move the IV attached to the back of her hand. "Get better, Karrera. You have to get better. We're here for you."
Kaja is touched by Eric's tenderness when it comes to how he is handling Karrera's hand with the IV attached to it. It is a side of him she had always thought he had in him, but Eric has never shown it. Even when Cass was alive, Eric was the one who liked to roughhouse the most. Or the one to start it. She still wonders if his attitude is genuine or will he go back to raging about Neena or how his mother isn't with them and that's her fault. She just hopes he keeps the good attitude and starts to really get to know Neena. Kaja really believes if Eric takes the time to get to know Neena, he will like her.
The minutes turn into an hour then several hours. No one likes the wait, but neither twin is complaining. Derek is drawing while Eric sits next to the bed, holding his sister's hand. Liara shows up a couple of hours later, while Karrera is still unconscious. The elder asari asks, "How is she doing?" Liara had intended to be at the hospital before Kaja and the twins. While looking over some intel about the 2nd teen's gang ties, she received an updated report on Ragtop's whereabouts and lost track of time. She doesn't know if Kaja is in the loop or if she should inform Kaja herself on what is going on with Ragtop.
Eric replies, "She still won't wake up, grandma. We've been here a while too."
Liara sees the worry in her grandson's eyes then looks at her granddaughter to see why Eric seems so worried. Karrera looks very weak and frail. Liara looks at Eric again, "She will soon enough. She needs time to heal." She finds a chair and moves it so she can sit next to Eric. She pats him on the back. "Be patient, Eric."
"I know, grandma. I wish I could do something more beside sit here and wait," responds Eric with his elbows on his knees looking at his sister.
Kaja comments, "We all do, Eric. All we can do is wait. Trust me, I know it's hard. I want to do more too."
Derek keeps working on his sketch, but he is paying attention to what is being said. He also would like to do more for his big sister. He does the one thing he thinks will cheer her up when she finally does wake up, which is to draw her a picture. As the time ticks away, Derek has three different sketches done. One is of Karrera lying peacefully in the bed. Another is of the machine Karrera is hooked up to and the third is of his brother and grandmother sitting next to each other. The young artist starts on a fourth sketch when Karrera starts stirring.
Karrera squeezes the hand holding hers. Eric sits tall with a grin on his face, waiting for her to open her eyes. Derek puts his pad and pencil on the table near him then moves closer to the foot of the bed. Karrera opens her eyes enough to see four sets of eyes looking at her. She asks in a dry, husky voice, "Where am I?"
"In the hospital," answers Kaja. She runs her hand over her daughter's crest. "What do you remember?" She gets Karrera an ice cube to suck on. She's not sure if she can give Karrera anything to drink or not, but the ice should help with the dry throat.
The young maiden pauses to think about her father's question. She grimaces and groans in pain when she moves to get more comfortable. "Last thing I remember day is leaving Adventure Park and walking to the car. I'm don't remember anything else. I hurt so much." She closes her eyes, hoping the pain will cease.
A nurse enters the room to check on Karrera. She smiles at the asari as she checks her vitals. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore," answers Karrera.
"I'm sure you are. I'll inform the doctor you are awake. She will want to see you." The nurse's smile brightens the room and puts a grin on Eric's face. The nurse leaves to get Dr. T'Sakos.
The asari medical doctor enters and loves seeing what she is seeing. A patient with family support. She walks over, checks on Karrera's chart, nods, liking what she is reading. "Everything is looking good. Nurse tells me you said you're sore. You will be for several more days if not weeks."
Karrera's eyelids start to feel heavy, but she's awake enough to ask, "What happened?"
Dr. T'Sakos explains in more detail what she did to repair the damage from the bullet. She had to remove a few centimeters of her small intestine in several places, plus repaired the nicked liver. Karrera also has a concussion from the blow to the head, but no fracture to the skull. No one is liking how Karrera needs to stay in the hospital during the holiday break. T'Sakos also makes a point to praise Eric again for his quick thinking when it came to applying pressure to Karrera's wound. Karrera squeezes her youngest brother's hand and grins the best she can at him.
Hearing the medical doctor praise him for helping Karrera has Eric beaming with pride. He always thought he has nothing in his future, but he starting to think maybe he does have something. His gut reaction to seeing his sister on the ground bleeding was to apply pressure to her wound. He didn't panic and remained calm until helped arrived. Eric feels good he helped keep Karrera alive. It's the first time he can ever remember feeling good about doing something right. Normally, he's messing up and not caring about anything. He's slowly starting to see the 'I don't care' attitude isn't working for him very well. He wonders if that attitude works for anyone in the long run.
All that attitude has done is get Eric into trouble with not only his momma but with the law too. He remembers that when he sees the two detectives enter Karrera's room. Detective Caine still has a look that tells Eric the detective thinks he is at fault for what happened the other night, but doesn't have the evidence to prove Eric's guilt. Kaja has Liara take the twins to grab a bite to eat and to please bring her back something while she sticks around to watch Caine and Ta'anari take Karrera's statement.
Karrera is an adult, but Kaja is not going to allow Det. Caine to badger her daughter about what happened. Not when Karrera doesn't remember anything after receiving the blow to the head. Caine is a sloppy and overzealous detective and the Sergeant gets a feeling from just looking at Caine, he blames Eric for everything and is waiting for the moment he can arrest him. Ta'anari has to get her partner to leave the young asari when she sees they're not going to get anything more from her.
Neena enters as the two detectives are leaving. Neena gives Det. Caine a curious look when he gives her a scrowl. The turian can tell the detective isn't very happy, but she doesn't feel he need to give her a rude expression because he isn't getting what he wants. Neena gives Kaja a tight hug and kiss before asking, "How are you feeling, Karrera?"
"Tired," answers Karrera. She's groggy and close to falling back asleep. The youth closes her eyes and dozes off.
Kaja hugs Neena again. "How was your day?"
"Long. It was one meeting after another all day long. It's the one thing about my job I don't care for at times, meetings," replies Neena as she sits in an empty chair next to Kaja.
Kaja grins at her turian girlfriend. "You sound like Liv. I think she'd rather code all day than be in meetings."
Neena looks at Karrara sleeping peacefully. "Is she going to be okay, Kaja? She looks so weak?"
"Dr. T'Sakos says yes she will be fine in time. I hate this, Neena. I feel so helpless and I know there isn't anything more I can do for her besides be here with her every day." Kaja squeezes Neena's hand.
Liara and the twins return with food for Kaja. Eric says when he sees Neena, "See, I told you. We should have brought something for Neena. She's here now."
Derek hands his momma her dinner. "Here you go, momma. Grandma got you a tuna salad sandwich and a cup of potato soup." He smiles at the turian sitting next to his momma, "Hi Neena."
"Hi, Derek, Eric, Liara. That's okay, Eric. I grabbed something to eat before I got here. Thank you for thinking about me. That means a lot." Neena smiles at the younger twin. Seeing the change in Eric has been amazing to witness. Instead of ranting about her, Eric is thinking about her. It wouldn't surprise her at all if Derek was the one who said it, but it wasn't Derek. It was Eric.
Liara hugs Kaja then gives her a quick peck on the cheek. "Has Karrera been out for long?" asks the elder asari as she sits across from Kaja and Neena on the other side of Karrera's bed.
"She dozed off about ten minutes ago or so. I'm not keeping track of the time, mom. So, it could be longer, I really don't know. She didn't give Detective Caine the answers he was looking for and he left frustrated. Mico did knock her unconscious, so I don't understand why Caine thinks she's going to remember anything. I know she's not. Maybe over time she'll remember, but I doubt it." Kaja reaches over and tenderly runs her hand over Karrera's crest and hair tentacles.
Liara watches her daughter's tenderness with Karrera and it puts a smile on her face. Karrera was an unexpected addition to their family, and Kaja has done what Liara thinks is an excellent job of handling the situation. Being with Cass made it easier on her, but seeing how Kaja is with Karrera. Liara doubts she'd feel any different about her daughter if Cass' wasn't her bondmate. Thing might have been a little rougher at the beginning, but Kaja's feelings would have been the same. "I get the sense he wants the evidence to point in a different direction than the direction it's pointing at." Liara tilts her head at Eric.
The Shadow Broker wants to inform her daughter on what happened with Ragtop, but is still unsure if she should or not. Or even if Kaja already knows. This is something she'd rather discuss with Kaja in private and not in from of the twins. She wants to tell Kaja, the police found Ragtop last night in an abandoned building, dead from a drug overdose. The needle was still in his arm. Mico's still in custody and his family is unable to post his bail. Mico needs to stay locked up. The youth is a menace to society. That's how Liara views the boy. Everything she's received about Mico points to the kid being rotten to the core and nothing is going to change him.
Kaja's only words in response to her mother's assessment is, "I know, mom." She doesn't want Eric believing he is at fault or that Caine is wanting to make it look like Eric is responsible for Karrera's injuries. Kaja has seen the evidence collected and the fuzzy video from the amusement park's security cameras.
By 2300, Kaja takes the twins home for the night. Neena heads to her apartment, leaving Liara with Karrera. Kaja brings the twins to the hospital in the morning and they sit with Karrera while Liara heads home to get some sleep. Neena stops by every night after work until the family leaves anywhere between 2200 and 2300. Neena spends the entire weekend with the family at the hospital. This is the routine until the twins go back to school once their holiday break is over. Gaia stayed for a week before heading to her next gig. Liv and Tracy visited every weekend. After three weeks in the hospital, Dr. T'Sakos has Karrera transferred to a rehab hospital, so the young maiden can start working on regaining her strength.
February 2417
Karrera is coming home today. The house is buzzing with excitement. But to Eric's disappointment, Kaja isn't allowing the twins to miss school, so they can go with her to pick up their sister from the rehab hospital. "Eric, for the last time. I said no. You and Derek need to go to school. Karrera will be here when you get home," says Kaja with annoyance in her tone.
Eric pleads one last time. "Please, momma, just let me help you get her into the house then you can take me to school. Please."
Kaja stands firm on her answer. "No, Eric and stop asking. I won't change my mind."
Eric responds, "Yes, ma'am." He will do what he is told. If he skips school, he gets into trouble with his probation officer. Eric doesn't want to get into any more legal trouble. He doesn't like getting into trouble at home any more either. Before Karrera got hurt, he really didn't care about much of anything. Now, he cares and has done his best to not get into too much trouble at home. He's done a lot of soul searching the past few weeks and has realized he has a future ahead of him and he does care enough to not want to mess it up any more than he has already.
Eric hasn't told anyone yet, but the more he thinks about his future and how to reach his goals, the more he thinks joining the Alliance military is the right place for him. He can get the hands-on training he'd rather have then go to college and studying out of a book. Ever since Dr. T'Sakos mentioned more than once how his quick thinking helped save Karrera's life, he has been thinking about being a medic once he graduates high school. He knows he can learn to be a medic while serving in the Alliance. It made him feel good knowing he helped Karrera and not because she is his sister. Because he helped save a life.
Kaja drops the boys off at school, heads to the office for a few hours before she needs to pick up Karrera. Kaja has been working half days since the school term started a month ago. Her squad needs her back full-time and she's feeling the pressure from her superiors to come back full-time soon. Which is what she plans on doing after today. Go back to working a full day instead of a few hours going over paperwork. She does miss being involved in the interview process and helping the detectives with their cases.
Karrera sits on a cement bench, waiting for her father to pick her up. The young maiden didn't call to tell her dad they were releasing her early. She wants the time alone away from everyone so she can enjoy being outside without being fussed over. Eric is the worst. His concern has turned into an annoyance to Karrera, but she refuses to say anything to him because he is acting so differently since she got wounded. She likes the new attitude from Eric and she doesn't want to deter it.
Karrera sees her father's skycar approaching, it brings a smile to her face knowing how much her father cares and has been there for her. She doubts she could say the same about her mother if Vela was still alive. Having an actual family who cares about her as been wonderful and something Karrera wishes she had the entire time growing up. Even her brother is annoying at times. It beats being alone in a foster home.
Kaja parks the car in front of the building and is surprised to see Karrera sitting outside, waiting for her. "Am I late?" asks Kaja.
"No, dad, you're not. I was released early and wanted some time alone," answers Karrera.
Kaja hugs Karrera then grabs her daughter's bag. "Are you feeling okay?"
Karrera returns the hug. "Yes. I'm good. I'm stiff and a little sore at times, but I am ready to go home. Thanks dad."
"You're welcome. What are you thanking me for?" asks the confused parent.
Karrera hugs her father again. "For being my dad and not bringing Eric with you," replies the young maiden.
Holding her daughter close, Kaja chuckles at her comment about not bringing Eric. "He wanted to come and I told him no." She kisses Karrera's crest. "I love you, Karrera. Ready to go home?"
"Yes, dad, I am. I love you too," replies Karrera.
Kaja takes Karrera home then heads to work after Karrera tells her she is okay with being alone and will probably sleep most of the day. Shortly after Kaja leaves, Karrera sends a message to her friends from school to let them know she's out of the hospital and she is doing well. She also writes how much misses them and how she can't wait until she can return to Thessia. The next thing she does is check on which classes are being offered during the summer term. To her disappointment, there are not any classes she needs being offered during the summer.
Karrera falls asleep on the couch while watching her favorite cheesy horror vid, "From Within It Came" and wakes up when the ending credits are rolling. The young maiden is startled when she see Liara sitting in a chair, sipping a glass of iced tea. "Oh, hi grandma, I didn't know you were here."
Liara smiles at Karrera. She couldn't be happier to see her granddaughter home. These past few weeks have been rough on everyone, so with Karrera finally home, she sees it as a sign they are almost through this rough patch. "I stopped by to see how you were doing and noticed you were sleeping, so I stayed to watch the vid you had one. How many times can you watch the same vid?"
"It is my favorite horror vid. I never seem to grow tired of it. Normally, I don't fall asleep watching it either," replies Karrera. She gets up to hug Liara then heads to the kitchen to get something to drink.
"Your father slept a lot while recovering from her shoulder wound and yours was a lot more serious than hers. Sleep when you feel like it, Karrera and don't try to do too much too soon," says Liara once Karrera returns with a glass of water.
The young law student hopes she never gets used to having a close knit family. She's learned over the years since moving to Elysium the tougher things get, the tighter the family becomes. Even if someone is butting heads with someone else. When things get bad, they always come together. She watched it happen with her father and aunt, Gaia after Cass died. Again with Eric mellowing out when it comes to Neena and his attitude about things in general has also taken a turn in the right direction.
"I remember dad saying being shot wasn't very fun. I agree with her. It's not very fun. I think one good thing came from it though," says Karrera.
Liara has an idea on what or who Karrera is referring to. Eric's new attitude. The youth is right too. It does seem like Eric's attitude adjustment happened when Karrera got shot. Liara is a little skeptical if Eric's new attitude will stay once Karrera leaves for Thessia in a few months. Liara wants nothing more than for Eric to keep his upbeat, caring attitude he's had since their run in with Mico and Ragtop. "I know it's not fun being shot. Eric's new attitude being the one good thing?"
Karrera nods while sipping her water. "Yes and he's annoying now too. But I don't want to deter him by saying anything. I might have to now that I'm home."
Liara chuckles at Karrera. She points to the front door when she hears her grandsons outside talking. "I think they're home. I do agree with you. You might want to talk to him about it."
Derek opens the door and Eric walks in first then yells, "KARRERA!" He drops his bag next to the door and walks over to hug his sister. "I'm so glad you're finally home. Is there anything I can get for you?"
Liara covers her mouth to conceal her chuckle at Eric's question. Karrera is right, she is going to have to say something to him about it. From Eric's reaction, he's going to smoother Karrera with attention she doesn't need or even wants. The young asari does her best to smile and not tell Eric to leave her alone. Hugging her brother back, Karrera says, "It's good to be home. No, I'm fine for now. I'll let you know if I do need anything. Thank you."
Derek chuckles and shakes his head at Eric. It's nice to have his brother being tolerable again. Derek also thinks Eric is annoying at times. He grabs Eric's bag then takes it to their bedroom. He returns to give Liara then Karrera a hug. "It's good to have you home, sis. Is there anything you need to eat or can't eat, so I know when I cook dinner."
"Yes, I was given instructions on my diet for the next few weeks." Karrera brings up her omni-tool, "I'll transfer the info to the kitchen terminal for you. Thanks for reminding me about that."
Derek smiles at Karrera before he heads to the kitchen to look over Karrera's diet. He doesn't see anything on the list he can't make for everyone, so everyone will eat what Karrera can eat. He grabs an apple, bites into it, then returns to the living room. "Karrera, do you want anything special for dinner? After all, it's your first night home." He motions his hand to let Eric know he's asking to keep her in the dark about their surprise. After reading Karrera's diet, they're going to have to change their plans to accommodate her.
Eric finally gets around to greeting his grandmother. "Hi, grandma. Did you have a good day?"
Liara hugs Eric while answering, "Yes I did. Did you?"
Eric sits on the footstool so he can tell his sister and grandmother about his day. Derek stands behind Liara eating his apple adding to the conversation when he feels he needs to. Karrera excuses herself, so she can lie down and take a nap before they have dinner. The twins with Liara's help have arraigned a surprise party for Karrera to welcome her home. There is one surprise Eric hasn't told anyone about and one he's been planning for a few weeks. One he hopes everyone appreciates too.
To no one's surprise, Neena shows up an hour before Kaja does. The twins barely give Kaja time to say hello to everyone after she gets home. They've been ready to leave since Neena arrived and are itching to go by the time Kaja comes home. Derek says, "Come on, momma. We need to go. I'm getting hungry."
Eric adds in, "Yea, me too." He rubs his belly while licking his lips.
Kaja asks after giving Neena a hug and kiss on the cheek, "Is everyone ready to go?"
The twins say in unison, "YES!"
"Yes, I am." Karrera has an idea on why the twins are so excited about going out to eat and she's sure it has to do with her being home from the hospital. She is loving everything the twins are doing for her even if Eric is annoying at times. Karrera firmly believes that it's good to have siblings. She can't imagine what things would be like if it was just her and her father without the twins.
Everyone piles into Kaja's skycar and they head to Freddie's Crab Hut. It's a newer restaurant in Illryia and imports seafood and fish from around the galaxy. The place is packed and there is a line out of the door. Kaja starts to say something about maybe they should go some place else when Liara says they'll be fine and they won't have to wait for a table. That's all she says on it. She doesn't want to spoil the surprise.
The twins planned this for Karrera a few days ago with Liara's help. Kaja and Neena only know the twins wanted to take Karrera out to eat when she got home. They don't know the twins planned a small celebration. For the past month, Derek has been going to his grandmother's house to work on a painting for Karrera. He wanted to keep it a secret on what he was working on. Liara knows, but if anyone can keep a secret, it's her. And her grandsons know it.
They bypass the line and get a few dirty looks from those waiting. The owner escorts them to the small room reserved for parties. Karrera, Kaja, and Neena have stunned look on their faces. The room has a banner that reads: Welcome Home, Karrera. Below the banner is a framed painting of Karrera when she was lying in the hospital bed those first few days after she was shot. Derek did several sketches and combined them together into one picture. It's something he hasn't done before, but he feels he pulled it off.
Karrera looks at the painting. "When did you do this, Derek? Goddess, it has so many little details. Derek, you are so good at this. You really should do this as a career. Thank you, so much. I'll treasure this forever." She walks over to give Derek a hug.
The details are amazing. Karrera was looking pale and bruised from the blow to the head, but Derek painted her in her normal blue tone. She looks likes she is just sleeping with the sun's rays shining through the window, not lying in a hospital bed with tubes in her nose. Derek changed the background from the machines monitoring Karrera's vitals to a generic picture hanging on the wall. The young artist beams with pride over his work. "I did a few sketches those first few days you were in the hospital then I asked grandma to let me work on it at her house. I wanted it to be a surprise for you. I just finished it a few days ago."
Kaja pats Derek on the shoulder. "It's beautiful, Derek. This is what you been doing all these weeks when you go over to your grandmother's house?"
Derek gives his momma a sheepish grin. "Yes, momma, it has been."
A server walks around the room, getting everyone drink order. Liara along with Derek has already ordered the food. Freddie's Crab Hut is known for its large selection of seafood from around the galaxy, but few know about their party platters. The smallest platter is designed for ten people and they're a group of six. Eric and Derek both eat enough for two if not three people between them. No one expects Karrera to eat much of anything.
The platter for ten they created has crab legs, lobster tails, and salmon from Earth; oysters and shrimp from Thessia; and a red fish from Palaven. The platter also has three different side items and it comes with a dozen mini bread loafs. The boys picked ears of corn from Earth; potatoes from Thessia; and coleslaw from Earth, Palaven and Thessia. They requested at least one portion of each side item be dextro-based so Neena can have more than just fish, clams, and coleslaw.
The server brings their drinks and their food and everyone starts eating. The food is excellent. Everyone is happy Karrera is home. She's not fully recovered yet and that will take time. Dr. T'Sakos believes she will be fully healed by summer break. Karrera gazes around the table and wonders which one of her brothers came up with this idea, Eric or Derek? To her, it really doesn't matter which on came up with the idea, she loves them both.
Eric stands when the servers remove the empty plates and big platter from the table. "I'd like to say something." All eyes turn to look at the younger twin. Eric takes a deep breath. He's getting a little nervous because he's wants to say something he's not told anyone before. "Um. First things first. Karrera. I'm sorry you got shot. I still feel responsible for it even though I'm not, Mico is."
Derek interrupts, "I'm sorry too, Karrera. Maybe Mico wouldn't have come after us if I hadn't got him transferred to Radcliffe."
Liara and Kaja exchange looks and Kaja eyes are watering up with pride. She is so proud of them. Both have grown up so much since they got jumped. Neena moves closer to Kaja and wraps her arm around the asari's arm then holds Kaja's hand.
Karrera replies. "I don't blame either of you for what happened. We got jumped and I got the worst of it. It's not your fault."
"I don't know about that Karrera," replies Eric. He sips on his iced tea. "Momma, you were right about Mico. I'm sorry I didn't listen. I'm sorry for everything." The young adult is feeling his emotions bubbling to the surface, but knows he needs to finish what he wants to say. He looks at his momma and Neena. The guilt he feels for how he treated them both is becoming a burden and one he needs to rid himself of. "I know I was an asshole to you, Neena. I..." He puts both hands on the back of his chair to regain his composure. "I..."
Kaja takes Eric into her arms. "It's okay, Eric. I forgive you."
Eric pushes away enough to look Kaja in the eyes. "Don't you get it? It's not okay. What I did was not okay. I'm sorry, momma." Tears stream down his cheeks.
Kaja pulls Eric close again. This time he wraps his arms around her,weeps on her shoulder, and mumbles he's sorry over and over. Neena and everyone else join Kaja and Eric for a big group hug. The turian also has tears in her eyes. She thinks the corner as been turned and things between her and Eric are going to go down a smoother road. Eric gives Neena a big hug and tells her how sorry he is about how he has acted towards her.
Eric tries his hardest to pay the bill, but Kaja isn't having it. He's been saving his money for weeks to pay it too. It was part of his plan and part of the surprise. He feels it is his way of showing everyone he does care about his family and life in general. Eric knows he changed when he saw his sister on the ground bleeding. He realized in that moment, the path he was on wasn't the path he needs to be on. He is still unsure what the future has in store for him. He knows he on the right path now. He still wants to think more about joining the Alliance military to learn to be a medic. It feels good knowing he helped saved Karrera's life and he really thinks he'd feel that way if it was a total stranger too.
A/N: Hello again. I've been quiet the past few weeks because I really didn't have anything to say. First off, I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to review. Thank you. I would also like to thank my proof-reader, Tkvis, without his help, this story wouldn't have gotten finished.
I'm taking a break after next week's final chapter. This chapter and the epilogue took me a month to write. Normally, I would write 4-5 chapters in that span, not 2. I did have a bad case of writer's block at one point while working on this.
I have a few ideas floating around that I have not started writing yet. I will soon, but don't expect anything from me until August at the earliest.
What I want to know is...What type of stories do you, the reader, want? Do you want more family fluff with Shepard, Liara, and the kids when they're kids? More action stories? Do you want more stories with Kaja as the protagonist? Or only focus on Shepard and Liara?
See everyone for the final chapter next week. :)