A/N - I know this a short chapter, but I don't feel guilty since you don't have to wait for the next. This chapter mostly just links the last one to the next, so there wasn't a huge amount to say.
Kaidan called the meeting for 0600 the next morning after taking some time the day before to contact all the names listed on the datapads Hackett had, as promised, delivered to him. He had spent some time the evening before writing a plan of action based on the input he had received during those contacts. He had arranged the office (although it suspiciously resembled an empty linen closet) Hackett had mentioned to his liking and set up the few items he would need there. The time he spent in the office rather than at Shepard's bedside pained him, but he felt he owed Hackett his full attention to this project, and Hannah some time alone with her daughter.
Standing in front of his crew family he realized that Hackett was absolutely right, and insightful in a way he should have been about these people. They, too, were people of action, like Shepard, and whiling away their hours in this waiting room was doing them no good. He could see the tension and stress manifesting itself on each of their faces in different ways. He guiltily realized that at least he had been able to see her alive alive and had confirmation alive firsthand. The rest of the family had been relegated to this room, waiting for his, he realized now, all too infrequent reports. He was quite sure he wouldn't be able to get the doctors to bend the visitation rules enough to get any of them in to see her, at least not now, not in her condition, and he was grateful, once again, that Hackett had cleared the way to allow him access. But, he realized, he needed to do better by them in any way that he could. He shook his head, wondering not for the first time how Shepard did it. The weight of the responsibility she took on unthinkingly, even willingly, rested crushingly on his shoulders for a moment then he straightened, thinking to himself that this was the least he could for Shepard and the project he brought them here to discuss was a good first step.
He cleared his throat and all eyes turned to him, expectantly. He was not surprised to see, once again, the entire extended family had gathered, not just her current crew, and he took a moment to wonder how the Alliance would feel about him giving orders to ex-Cerberus agents, former mercenaries and a former (current?) thief. He also noted that the group had grown by two – Grunt and Wrex towered over the group, arms crossed, scowls on their faces. He wondered what had kept them from being here before but decided in the end, it wasn't that important.
"Good morning, everyone," he began his speech, "first, let me report that as of five minutes ago, nothing has changed with Shepard's condition. We're still in a holding pattern here, and that's good news, from what the doctors say, so try to keep that in mind." Murmurs of assent and gratitude traveled through the group.
"I've received orders from Alliance military command, and that's why I've called you here." Kaidan sighed softly and forged ahead. "I'm fully aware that the majority of the people in this room do not answer to the Alliance military so if you feel the need to excuse yourself, you may do so without recourse. I'm hoping, though, that you see what I'm about to present to you the same way I do, as an opportunity, to give back to Shepard some of what she has given us -," here he deliberately inserted Shepard's own words, "a new life, free from the threat of the Reapers." He saw nods of agreement and gratitude wander through the group and he felt pride, not for the first time, to have known and have fought with these people. Misfits they may be, they were good people, and he realized not one of them would take the out he offered.
He proceeded to detail his plan of action and coordinate the team according to their strengths. After two hours of what he felt was satisfactorily productive talks, they broke, each going their ways to complete the assignments he had given them. As he had suspected, not a single person had declined to participate nor even demurred an assignment, no matter how menial. For the first time since he had stood on the Normandy, restrained by Garrus, watching Shepard walk back toward the beam, not sure he would ever see her again, his heart filled with hope and a smile of genuine warmth broke out over his face. It was a brief but welcome respite from the fear, stress and pain he had suffered, but it ended too quickly. Alive alive alive he repeated to himself over and over as he turned to leave the waiting area and head back to Shepard's side.