~Author's Note~ Just to clarify something from the previous chapter that a couple people seemed to be confused about- Shepard didn't "get high" when the banshee stabbed her, that's just shock from the massive trauma a stab wound to the chest would cause.

Enjoy, and thanks for all of your kind words.

The first time Shepard woke up, it was because she kept hearing things. There were voices, lots of them. They all seemed scared. She couldn't really make out exactly what was being said, but she could hear the tone. First it was Garrus and Vega when they were carrying her. She was sure she could walk, but they hadn't even asked. She heard gunfire as well, but she couldn't tell if they were being attacked, or if they were the ones firing.

Still, though, she felt comforted by the knowledge that Garrus was close by. She drifted back into sleep.

Garrus dropped the Cannibal that had been partly on the boarding ramp and yelled to Joker to get them off of this blasted rock. The boarding ramp closed swiftly. Chakwas had brought a stretcher for Shepard, and with Garrus and James' help, she got the Commander onto it. Garrus' mandibles flared at the amount of blood that stained the front of Shepards crumpled armor. The banshee had punched right through it as if it was cardboard. The smell of Shepard's blood was not something he would ever get used to, no matter how many times she was injured.

Chakwas met his eyes for a moment, and the worry he saw there made him feel like he had been punched in the gut.

She wasn't expecting Shepard to make it.

Chakwas was going to have her hands full. Garrus was sure that only adrenaline was keeping Vega on his feet, Tali was missing half her arm, and he didn't feel so good himself. But Shepard was the priority. She had to save Shepard. She had to.

He wouldn't lose her again.

The second time Shepard woke up, there were no voices at all. She was in the Normandy's medical wing, that much was obvious. They were currently going FTL, that was also obvious. She looked around the bay and spotted Garrus, sitting in a chair at the front of the room. His head was resting on his chest, and he had fallen asleep, obviously.

She smiled. She returned her gaze to the other patient in the room. Tali'Zorah was hooked up to some weird type of machine Shepard wasn't even aware they had. Her breathing was slow, but steady. The material that had formed the rest of her right arm was gone, just leaving the stump. Shepard wasn't sure if it would even be possible to attach a prosthetic arm to a quarian, although surely there was a way to do it. She hated the thought of Tali having one arm for the rest of her life. Tali would tell her not to worry about it, that they all knew the risks. But to Shepard, it was still painful. Tali had become like her little sister over the years, she had been by her side throughout this entire mess. And seeing the war leave a permanent mark on her was like someone had just knocked all the wind out of her.

She took a deep breath, sitting up a bit.

And the machine attached to her went crazy.

The loud beeping noise it emitted brought Garrus' head snapping up. "What- who- whats that!" Dr. Chakwas came bursting through the door of the medical bay, she must have been right outside. Her eyes were sunken a bit, and she had dark rings under them, from lack of sleep, but the smile that spread over her face when she saw Shepard sitting up seemed to wipe away all the stress at once. "Commander!"

Garrus turned to look at Shepard. Their eyes met for a second, and the smile he gave her was one of pure relief.

Then Chakwas was next to the bed, blocking her view. "It's so good to see you awake, Commander. I... we weren't sure you were going to make it there for a bit. It was touch and go."

Shepard looked up at her friend. "You and I still have a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy waiting for us. I couldn't leave that behind."

Chakwas reached past her and hit something on the machine, shutting off that incessant noise, and Shepard flashed her a grateful smile. "Plus... someone gave me an order that I wasn't allowed to go out in a blaze of glory just yet."

"Ever, Shepard. You're not ever allowed to go out in a blaze of glory," Garrus corrected with a smile.

"I believe that's rank insubordination there, Officer Vakarian."

"I'll deal with the consequences, Commander," was his quick reply.

Shepard smirked at him. "I'm not sure you could handle the consequences."

Chakwas cleared her throat, reminded both of them that they weren't alone in the room. Shepard glanced at Tali again, and was surprised to see the quarian was still asleep. "How's Tali doing, Karin?"

Chakwas glanced over at her for a moment, then returned her gaze to Shepard. "I honestly don't have experience here, Shepard. The only quarian I treated prior to now was Tali, back on the SR1. Not like Alliance frigates make a habit of picking up quarians. She needs medical help from her own people. But... I've been in contact with them and even they aren't sure how to handle an injury like she has. To be honest, a quarian soldier who loses a limb in combat- they have no records of any surviving. Infection was a certainty, and that combined with the loss of a limb was always fatal- at least, so far as they know."

Shepard nodded. "Makes sense. Tali herself said the only reason she lived was because of the Geth in her suit."

Chakwas grimaced. "Yes. I had a hard time getting her hooked up to that machine with its interference. Tali woke up for a bit- the poor thing had passed out just after we got you hooked up- and managed to convince it I wasn't trying to kill her. Otherwise, I don't know if we could have gotten around it. It was rather stubborn. You might have mentioned something to me about it."

"I didn't know myself till after the injury occurred. Tali was very secretive about it. I'm guessing she wasn't keen on the quarians knowing what she had done. Despite the peace with the Geth, I doubt many of her people would look favorably on something like that."

"Most probably not, Commander. Anyway, I'll let you two catch up. Try not to wake up Tali, she needs her rest. And before you ask, no Commander, you are not allowed to leave the medical wing."

Shepard frowned. "Is there anyone on board my ship that isn't engaged in insubordination?"

Chakwas drilled her with a glare. "I'm serious Commander. You are confined to that bed. It's a miracle you're even alive, and you're going to need plenty of rest. That thing tore out part of your lung, I had to replace it in a rather dangerous surgical procedure. Your body is not equipped to take any strenuous activites." She looked at Garrus pointedly. "Any strenuous activities. Are we clear on that?"

Garrus' mandibles flared in the turian equivalent of a smirk. "I have no idea why you're looking at me, Doctor. You should be telling that to Shepard."

"I would, if I had any confidence that she'd actually follow it. You, I think, have more self-control."

"Hey!" Shepard looked mildly offended. "I have plenty of self-control!"

"Yes, that's why you spent thirty thousand credits on exotic fish because they 'looked cute' and that VI that regulates their water temperature because it 'sounded badass'."

"That has nothing to do with this!"

Chakwas' eyes twinkled. "How much have you spent on your model ship collection, Shepard?"

"Nothing to do with this! So I spend money like crazy." Shepard did her best to look serious. "This is my health we're talking about. I'm very serious about my health."

There was a strangled sound from where Garrus was sitting. She whipped her head around to glare at him. He was making a noise that sounded suspiciously like he was choking- or trying to restrain himself from laughing.

Chakwas just rolled her eyes. "Shepard, you're in this med bay after practically every mission. Usually because you, according to Officer Vakarian here, 'were too damn heroic.' Just... take better care of yourself in general. And for now, rest."

She turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "Oh and Vakarian? That bed is only meant for one patient. Got it?"

Garrus mock-saluted her. The effect was partially lost since her back was still to him. "Ma'am, yes ma'am!"

She shook her head and went out, sealing the door behind her.

He looked down at Shepard to find her glaring at him. "What?"

"You talking to Chakwas about me behind my back?"

"Nope. Always right in front of you." He grinned. "You're just unconscious most of the time."

She growled. "Vakarian..."

He looked away from her. "Look, Kate, you just worry me sometimes. You don't have to do it all. I'm afraid you really are trying to go out in a blaze of glory sometimes." He quieted for a minute, then- "I know what that's like. I... never told you this. But... that's what I was doing when you found me on Omega." His voice was halting, unsure of himself. It was so unlike how he normally sounded. "My team was dead, and it was my fault."

Shepard stared at him. She had suspected, of course, but never had the will to force an explanation from him.

"I could have gotten out of there. Easy. Taken the back tunnel, blown it up behind me, and I'd've been away. Take a ship off Omega and go somewhere else. But I just didn't care anymore. I wanted to take as many of those damned mercs with me before... before I... " He stopped. Still not looking at her. "First you were dead, then my team. Both times, had I been there, maybe something would have been different. Maybe I would've already gotten Joker and tossed him in, maybe I would have realized the mercs were coming for my team and gotten us out."

Shepard looked at him, reaching a hand up and touching his face, her eyes shining with tears. "Garrus... Garrus, it wasn't your fault. Not either of them. You can't blame yourself- you have no idea what would have happened. Maybe if you had been there on the Normandy you would have gone down with the ship. Or if you were with your team, maybe you would be dead now."

He looked at her. "I know," he said softly. "I realized that awhile back. You can't remain mired in what could have been. I just can't... lose you. Not again."

"There's no Shepard without Vakarian, either," she replied softly. "You're not allowed to go out in a blaze of glory if I'm not."

He laughed. "That's a deal, then."

She smirked. "I think it needs some sort of seal if it's going to be official."

He bent down, and she kissed him, long and hard. "That'll work, I suppose. Though you do realize I'm going to require you to face the consequences of your earlier insubordination when Dr. Hardass allows me out of this bed."

"If it means you're out of the bed, you can punish me however you see fit."

Her smile was slow and sensual. Garrus realized what he had implied a split-second later. "Err, I mean.. Damn. I'm not gonna get out of that one, am I?"

There was a small groan from the other side of the room. "Oh Keelah. Would you two stop giving me mental images of... that. I'm going to have nightmares."

Garrus straightened immediately, and Shepard looked around him to see Tali sitting upright, her hand on the stub of her other arm, glancing around the lab. "Tali! You're awake!"

The quarian looked at her. "I wish I hadn't woken up yet. Keelah. I need something to wipe my memory of the past few minutes."

Shepard smirked at her. "You're just jealous."

"Pff. Right. Some of us prefer our men to be a bit less... pointy. No offense, Garrus."

The turian grinned. "None taken, Tali."

Shepard's smirk simply got wider. "You don't know what you're missing, Tali. I mean honestly, the things you can do with leg spurs-"

"KEELAH Shepard! I didn't need to know that. Please."

Garrus shook his head. He was more than used to Shepard's little quirks. "Well, at least we all know Shepard is feeling great. I'll go get the doc, let her know Tali is up."

Shepard waited till the door slid shut behind him. "So... you like your men to be a little smoother, Tali? Maybe I should let Lieutenant Vega know about your preference."

The pillow that hit her across the face was her only response.