"Dammit Liara, you are not going to die on me today! You hear me! You are going to stay with me, until we get you back to the Normandy for medical care!" Shepard all but commanded as she used the last of her medi-gel, to staunch the bleeding that was pouring from the blue Asari's shoulder.
Liara had jumped in front of her red-haired lover with her biotic shields up to stop the deluge of weapons fire that had been directed at the Commander, by a surprise Geth attack. Unfortunately for Liara she hadn't seen the lone Geth sniper with a special round of ammo, that had been made specifically for piercing biotic shields. The sniper only managed to get off one shot before Garrus had spotted it, and picked it off with his own high-powered sniper. Now Liara lay cradled in Shepard's arms as the Commander communicated desperately with Joker on the Normandy, to hurry up and pick them up.
Shepard placed a soft, tender kiss against the side of Liara's forehead, not caring that both Ashley and Garrus were still looking on. All she cared about at that moment was the bleeding asari lying limp in her arms.
Dammit, Liara! Why did you do it? My armour could have handled the shots. Certainly better than yours did! Why would you risk your life for me like that...I know that I would have done the same for you, if the situation were reversed but...dammit Liara! I love you! You can't die on me! Shepard mentally cried as she tried to simply will Liara to open her beautiful, blue eyes so that Shepard could gaze into them again.
"She'll be alright, Skipper. What she did...any soldier serving under you would have done the same. You inspire that kind of loyalty and devotion in all of us," Ashley spoke up softly, as she hesitantly placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder, only to just as quickly remove it. Garrus nodded quietly in agreement with Ashley's words.
"That's just the thing, Ash...Liara isn't a soldier...I should never have allowed her to be put in harms way like this...I never should have..." Shepard said in an agonized whisper as she bent her head low, placed her cheek against Liara's still-warm forehead, and listened out for the welcome sound of the Normandy swiftly approaching.
~o~o~o~
"How is she, doc?" an anxious and worried Shepard asked, as she entered the Normandy's medical bay.
Dr. Karin Chakwas swiftly turned around in her chair, then rose effortlessly to her feet to face the fretting Commander.
"She'll be fine, Commander. No need to further worry about our little asari. That medi-gel you applied to her wound did its job, and she should heal up just fine with minimal if any scarring. The ammo round nicked a blood vessel, which was the cause of the excessive blood loss. But with a couple days rest, plenty of fluids, and the necessary nutrients fed into her system, she should be up and about in no time," Chakwas told the Commander, who had listened to every word the doctor said, but had also begun moving slowly closer to the medical bed, Liara was quietly resting on.
She look so small and fragile, Shepard thought to herself as she raised a hand, and gently ran a finger down the side of her lover's face.
"Well, if you need me I'll be in the mess hall getting a much-needed cup of coffee. Take care, Commander...and keep a watch over our little asari," Chakwas said with a slight grin at the barely-listening Commander. She already knew that Shepard would be keeping a very close eye on Liara...most probably for the rest of the night. She also knew that many of the crew had developed a bit of a protective streak for the adorably-shy and socially-awkward asari.
Liara always tried so hard to befriend everyone on the ship, and went out of her way to learn as many human sayings and customs as she could...with varying degrees of success. The day Ashley had passed her by and nonchalantly said, "what's up?" and Liara had actually looked up at the ceiling in confusion, the blue asari had promised herself then and there, that it would be the last time that she embarrassed herself, by not knowing the true meaning of a human saying.
Most found it quite a bit adorable actually, and admittedly more than a little funny. That was how the term the crew's 'little asari' had come about. Liara had asked Shepard once what it meant as while she was smaller than most Asari, she certainly wasn't little. Shepard had just smiled that infuriatingly-adorable grin of hers, before giving a slightly-nonchalant shrug, and simply replied that it was a 'term of endearment' the crew had come up with for Liara.
Liara hadn't really understood how being called 'little' anything could be considered 'endearing', but as long as it meant that the crew of the Normandy had accepted her, and in fact probably actually liked her, then she would be happy (and indeed perhaps a little proud), to be known as their 'little asari'.
However for Shepard right now, the Commander would give just about anything for Liara to not look so little, pale, and completely breakable.
Shepard felt her knees weaken with the strain of her worry, right before her legs gave out, and she slowly sank down into the chair by Liara's bedside. She carefully and gently picked up the small blue hand laying open on the white, pristine sheets before her. She then slowly brought the small hand to her lips, to place the softest of kisses against the pale, blue skin.
"I love you, Liara. Please open your eyes for me...I love and need you...please..."
To be continued...