By the time they reached the coast just a few hours later, Kaidan's headache had developed into a full blown migraine. He'd barely used his biotics in months, and that shockwave had really done a number on his antiquated L2 implant.
He was used to working through the pain, but this time it was almost too much. The headaches had been almost constant before and he'd learned how to ignore the pain. It had been so long since he'd had one he'd forgotten how awful they really were.
Catherine was the first to notice the change in his behaviour. When they stepped out onto the sandy beach, he immediately shaded his eyes. He was terse and grumpy as they unloaded the storage bins and buckets. When the others had moved closer to the water, Catherine hung back and sat down in the open door of the shuttle.
"Sit down, Kaidan." She patted the metal floor beside her. "Take a load off."
Kaidan, usually reluctant to stop working, sat down heavily beside her and put his head between his knees.
"Everything okay?" she asked, with concern in her voice.
"I get headaches sometimes," he told her through a stiff jaw. "This is a bad one."
She pulled herself backwards on her behind into the shuttle and got on her knees behind him.
"My best friend back on Earth had an L2. He always had headaches. Right up until he died of a massive brain hemorrhage."
Kaidan turned to look back at her with a disgruntled look. "That's not helping."
She laughed. "He was one of the first to get the implant and mistakes were made. He was never even able to use his biotics. I can only imagine how an effort like that shockwave has made you feel. Anyway, my point was that I used to give him massages and he said they helped. I could do the same for you."
When he didn't reply right away, she sat back on her heels and said, "I'm sorry. This is presumptuous."
She made to stand up, but Kaidan reached a hand back and touched her leg. Something in her voice had triggered a distant memory and he'd been trying to see it through the pain.
"No. I appreciate the offer. Give it a go. It can't hurt, that's for sure."
Catherine settled back down and tentatively put her hands on Kaidan's strong shoulders. She was gentle at first, moving the heels of her hands in slow circles into the tense muscles. Kaidan had to admit, it felt good. He sat up a little straighter and let his arms fall to his sides, palms resting on the cool metal floor.
She let her hands drop lower as she rolled her thumbs on either side of his spine. Kaidan could feel the tension coming out and he grunted a little as she hit a particularly tight knot. She pulled back a bit.
"Keep going," he said under his breath. "Feels great."
Assenting, she went to work on the knots and Kaidan relaxed into the sensation. Soon her hands were back up at his shoulders and she was dragging her thumbs down the back of his neck while her fingers gently massaged over the arteries below his jaw. He tilted his head back as she moved her hands to his head, running her fingers into his hair to rub his temples.
Kaidan felt as if a great weight had lifted from him, and the headache was a shadow of what it had been. The piercing pain had been reduced to a dull throb he could easily ignore.
Catherine pulled her hands from his now tangled hair and gave him a pat on the back before settling down beside him once more.
"Feel better?" she asked.
"Much," Kaidan replied as he rolled his shoulders and tried to smooth his hair back down. "Where did you learn how to do that?"
"When my friend, Tommy, started getting the headaches I started reading up on pressure points and acupuncture. Eventually I took a course in massage therapy. It was horrible watching him suffer. Something simple as turning his head too quickly could bring on a crippling migraine."
"Why did he never have the implant removed?"
"He did. We both did. But the damaged was already done."
Kaidan stared at her, bewildered. "You're a biotic?"
"Yup, Tommy and I were both exposed to eezo at the same time as kids." Her eyes went a bit vacant as she spoke.
"So, you two knew each other a long time."
"All our lives," she smiled. "Not a day goes by that I don't miss him, but now he's one of those memories that just feels good. You know?"
"Yeah, I get it. I've got a few like that." Kaidan thought again about the girl in BC. "So you never got another implant?"
"Nope. Never wanted to be a soldier. Not much else you can do as a biotic. What about you? Why have you never upgraded to something safer? I hear the L5x is brilliant, and you must have had access to the best surgeons."
Kaidan sighed, and his hand instinctively went to the small lump at the base of his skull where the L2 sat beneath the skin. The amp port had almost completely healed over now.
"It's a pretty dangerous operation, for starters. But mostly, I just... Well, I felt pretty used and abused by Conatix. I guess I felt like getting an upgrade was condoning what they did."
"So, you thought a bit of masochism would set them straight?"
"What can I say? I can be a stubborn guy."
There was a silence between them then, and Kaidan wanted to say more. Wanted to ask her about her past, about her occasional strange reactions to him, but felt suddenly awkward and tongue tied.
"We should got some work done," Catherine said after a time as she stood and grabbed one of the buckets set out on the ground beside the shuttle. "Food won't gather itself."
As she walked away towards the water, Kaidan had his first chance to look around at their surroundings. He'd been here before, but it looked much different in its spring mantle.
They'd landed in a sheltered cove, where rocky shelves jutted out into the slate grey water. There were patches of fine sand here and there, the silvery grains reflecting the sunlight into little rainbow fractals.
The forest reached right down to the water in places, the trees graying and falling into the desiccating salt water. Further out in the water, jagged pinnacles of rock, similar to the ones inland near the crash site, rose up out of the waves, covered in the naked silhouettes of trees and shrubs.
Though the sun was warm, the water still looked icy cold, and Kaidan was glad the massive tide was out so they could scour the rocks for crustaceans and mollusks, rather than wading in the tidal pool as they had done on their last trip just before winter. Even then the water had been chilly and the experience unpleasant.
The sun was still high in sky, but it was beginning its decent to the horizon and Kaidan hoped to be able to fill the cargo compartments before dark so they could be on their way first thing in the morning. Grabbing his bucket, he joined Cortez on the rocks.
Steve looked up as he approached.
"What earned you a massage, my friend?"
"Implant's acting up," Kaidan said as he crouched at the waters edge to get some water in his bucket. "That woman's got magic hands."
"Yeah, seemed like you were enjoying yourself."
"I'm sure she'd do the same for anyone," Kaidan reasoned. "Nothing special about me."
"Oh, I don't know. You are the best looking guy here. I doubt she found it a chore," Cortez chuckled.
"Back to work, Lieutenant," Kaidan said, pointing to the buckets at their feet, and they got busy collecting.
After the incident earlier in the day with the croco-monkeys, the five of them stuck close together, and Kaidan kept a watchful eye on Gabby, though she seemed to be doing just fine.
Several hours later they had filled the crates to the brim with edible seas creatures. With the tool Dr. Chakwas had devised for scanning potential food sources, Gabby had identified several new shelled animals and even a few fish, though those had been tougher to get their hands on.
While not straying too far, Kaidan and Ivan had collected a mound of seasoned driftwood from above the high water mark and built a towering fire not far from the shuttle while Catherine and Gabby set up their tents. Cortez spent several hours readjusting the loads, ensuring the ship would fly on an even keel when they took off the following day.
A soft breeze blew in off the water, smelling of rain and brine, but the night was warm and the fire barely needed. The giant moons hung like solemn sentinels on the eastern horizon, their faces fully revealed in all their pockmarked glory, so much like Luna they made everyone ache for home whenever they waxed. Tonight they made Kaidan marvel again at EDI's estimate of the size of the planet. Given the size of the moons, he'd already guessed it must be enormous.
EDI's computing had revealed it to be nearly ten times the size of Earth and no one could fathom how a garden world of such a size could have gone unnoticed in a galaxy hungry for expansion. Their only current theory was that they must be very near the Outer Rim, perhaps even beyond the Perseus Veil, where few organic explorers had ever ventured.
The Veil was typically visible from a great distance, and they should have been able to see it in the night sky, but according to EDI the light of the two moons could easily eclipse any from the nebula.
Glutted on the rich pickings from the shores, the five of them sat around fire, staring into the flame, each lost in their own thoughts. Ivan was propped up against a rock ledge, dozing once again. They were all exhausted, and Kaidan had encouraged Gabby at least to call it an early night, but they were all reluctant to leave the fire side.
Humans were the only species in the galaxy to go camping. Perhaps it was due to their rather recent evolution, compared to other species, that they managed to hold onto their primal need to commune with nature, build fires, and cook meat spitted on a stick over an open flame.
Their conversation was quiet and desultory, everyone feeling content to just relax and watch the fire die down. Ivan was the first to crawl into his tent, and before long his light snoring could be heard from behind the flap. Gabby and Catherine were the next to give in and said their goodnights with impressive stretches and yawns.
Cortez and Kaidan were left alone to stoke the glowing embers and watch the heavens wheel above them. Their silence was companionable, neither feeling the need to fill the quiet night with idle chatter. The waves lapped at the shore, soft and rhythmic, juxtaposed by the more irregular sound of the wind stirring the occasional creak and rasp from the nearby trees.
Kaidan was about to consider sleep when Cortez spoke.
"It's not so bad here, is it?"
The question seemed rhetorical, but Kaidan could sense a deeper need beneath. Cortez had been happy here thus far. He'd lost so much even before the Reapers arrived, leaving the rest of the galaxy behind had been almost a relief to him. A reason, an excuse, to let go of the past. But the feelings stirred guilt in him, knowing what others had lost, that not all of them had wanted a new beginning. Now he seemed to be seeking a kind of forgiveness from Kaidan.
Kaidan looked around them before answering. Out at the flickering firelight reflecting on the waves, up at the twinkling stellar canvas above them, at the tents with three of the brilliant people who shared this world with them.
"No. Not a bad place at all."
Cortez nodded, but didn't respond. After a few minutes he stood and stretched.
"I'm for bed. Thanks, Kaidan."
"Any time, Steve. Sleep well."
When Kaidan was alone, he got up and was ready to head for his tent, but diverted instead to stand at the waters edge. The tide was slowly creeping back in, filling all the hollows and crevices in the rock shelves. The cold sunlight reflected off the moons illuminated everything it struck to crystal clarity, but cast deep shadows that cut sharp lines everywhere they touched.
The headache had entirely retreated, leaving Kaidan feeling clear headed and wide awake, rather than muzzy and deflated as he usually felt after a migraine. He closed his eyes and breathed in a deep lungful of the crisp ocean air. It smelled like home. Like Vancouver. Vancouver always smelled good. Like ocean, loam and green things. Such a difference to some of the other cities he'd visited.
As he stood there the wind picked up and blew a little bit of salt spray into his face. It was refreshing after the heat of the fire. And suddenly sleep was creeping up on him as the wind stole some of the heat from his body. With one last look across the water, he walked back to his tent and ducked through the door.
His palette, though hard, felt like the softest thing in the world as he crawled into his sleeping bag and bunched up his pillow under his head. Sleep stole over him quickly and he was lost before he even had time to considered closing his eyes.
He didn't wake again until the sun peaked over the horizon, bathing his tent in warm, golden light. From outside he could hear the activity of the others moving about the camp and chatting quietly, clearly trying not to wake him.
It was the best sleep he'd had in ages, though not as long as he would have liked since he'd stayed up so late. Pulling on his boots he emerged from the tent to the smell of coffee and citrusy wood smoke.
"Morning," Gabby called brightly from her seat by the remains of the fire. She cradled a mug of steaming black liquid in her hands and a plate of nuts and dried fruit sat beside her.
"Morning," Kaidan replied with gravel in his voice. He cleared his throat before speaking again. "Any more coffee?"
Gabby pointed to a metal thermos sitting on the rock ledge beside an open crate with their rations.
"Fill yer boots."
As Kaidan poured himself a mug, he looked around for the others.
"You just missed them," Gabby said when she noticed him looking. "Catherine wanted to check out something on the forest edge just down the beach. Don't worry. They'll be back soon."
Kaidan sipped at the hot coffee, savouring the bitter taste.
"I am really going to miss coffee," he said with semi mock sadness.
"Can you believe Cat doesn't drink it," Gabby exclaimed in disbelief. "At least someone won't be going through withdrawal in a few months."
Looking out across the water, Kaidan could see clouds looming on the horizon.
"Looks like EDI was right about the weather," he commented. "We shouldn't linger here too long."
Who knew how quickly that cloud bank would reach land, or what it would carry with it. Kaidan had experienced monsoon season in India as a kid and hadn't liked it. You'd think growing up on the west coast would have prepared him for rain, but it had been like nothing else he'd ever seen. The rain had come down like some giant above was dumping a bucket of water on them. A solid sheet that would soak you to the skin in an instant.
Kaidan hoped the weather here wouldn't be quite so severe, otherwise the people in tents were in for a rough go of it. It would also be the first major test of the their construction abilities. If their work wasn't solid they could be in for a rash of leaky roofs and shifting foundations. It wasn't as if any of them were architects or engineers.
"We'd better pack up and get a move on soon." Kaidan gestured at the ominous horizon.
"They said they'd only be a little while, but if you're that worried let's start without them."
She popped the last few nuts into her mouth, crunching loudly. Dusting the sand off backside she grabbed a stick and started raking out the last of the coals. The rising wind picked up a cloud of ash and it swirled away down the beach.
Kaidan finished off his coffee and set to work rolling up the tents. He had to stop when he reached Catherine's. Everyone else's was neat and tidy, their gear stowed away and ready to go, but her tent looked like a bomb had gone off inside.
Her sleeping bag was a rumpled mess and her clothing from the day before was scattered about the floor with little regard to order. She clearly had never lived in a barracks.
Feeling like he'd invaded her privacy, Kaidan backed away and looked around for other work. Gabby had loaded most of their gear back into the main space on the shuttle and there was little else to do.
"Kind of a disaster in there, eh?" Gabby said as she stuffed her neatly folded sweater into her pack. "She never would have passed muster."
"Please, don't tell me her house looks like that too," Kaidan begged.
"Well, she never makes the bed, that's for sure," Gabby laughed. "Her theory is why bother if you are just going to mess it up again in a few hours. I get it. Sometimes I wish I could let my self control slip like that. I mean, it's not like we have to stick regs any more."
Kaidan shrugged. "Still, there's something to be said for order."
"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it. That girl's clearly got her head straight. Maybe having a little self imposed chaos in your life keeps you sane."
"That's true," Kaidan admitted. Catherine certainly seemed to have her life together, even after having been completely uprooted and transplanted here.
"So, Kaidan," Gabby said tentatively. "What's going on with you and Cat anyway? Hard not to notice that massage yesterday."
"Nothing going on," Kaidan said quickly, not wanting to provide grist for the gossip mill. "Saving your ass yesterday gave my implant a bit of a rattle and she was helping me relieve a headache."
"Whatever you say," Gabby responded, clearly not convinced.
"Really, Gabby. Nothing is going on." Kaidan was careful not to sound too stern for fear of sounding like he was protesting too much.
It was then that the other three arrived. They were each carrying a satchel filled to bursting with leaves and shoots.
"Early greens," Catherine announced as she walked up with a spring in her step. "Thought we might find some near that stream. Sure enough, we hit the mother load again."
"And this time we didn't encounter any furious locals," Ivan chimed in.
"That's great you guys," Kaidan helped Catherine lift the heavy pouch off and passed it to Cortez who was already packing his away in the Kodiak. "It's going to be a nice change from what we've been eating all winter."
"I see you've left my tent to me." Catherine grinned as she walked towards it. "I wouldn't have minded if you'd just stuffed the whole works in the bag and tossed it in the shuttle."
"Kaidan was too scared of the chaos," Gabby told her with a smirk.
"Oh, it's not so bad," Catherine said as she dragged out her sleeping bag.
Kaidan cringed a little as she began stuffing it into it's bag, punching at it when it didn't fit all the way. It went into her backpack along with her clothes and other gear. Gabby was right. She would have failed muster in one inspection. But she did it all with a smile and it was obviously all part of the carefree nature that kept her lighthearted and happy here.
The shuttle was far too heavy for them to land anywhere on their journey back to the settlement. As they got closer, Catherine once again got into her hearness, but this time she was more sedate, simply sitting in the open door and marking locations on her datapad.
She was the first to notice the change in the weather. She was gripping either side off the hatch and leaning out to sniff the air when Kaidan got up from the cockpit to stretch his legs.
She turned to him and asked, "How far are we from the ocean now?"
"About three hundred clicks or so, why?"
"I can smell brine in the air again."
"Could just be from the cargo," Kaidan shrugged as he sat down on the front bench. "We've got a lot of salt water in there."
"No, it's definitely on the wind. And there's already a bit of haze in the air."
Kaidan leaned to look out the open hatch. Sure enough the sky above seemed to be covered in an translucent film. The sun was still shining, but its light was noticeably weaker.
"Well, we're almost back, so let's not worry about it yet," he said with a grim look that belied his casual statement. "Better come in and close the hatch anyway. We'll get there faster with out the drag."
He held out his hand and Catherine grasped it as she stood. She pulled the door shut with surprising strength and started unclipping the harness. Kaidan was about to reach for it, scared she would put it away in the fashion she did everything else, but she gave him a smile as she folded it, closing the snaps around it into a tight, compact, and neat ball.
"I'm only careless with my own stuff."
"That's good to know," he replied, as he lifted the seat for her so she could stow it away.
They sat back on the bench together, her with a heavy sigh as she leaned her head back against wall. Gabby was completely engrossed in something she was reading on her datapad, and Ivan had joined Cortez in the cockpit.
"Thanks again for yesterday," Kaidan said quietly. "I don't know how much help I would have been if that headache had kept up."
"No worries." Catherine smiled up at him. Sitting, their heights were almost even, but she was still shorter than him by several inches. "I really think you should talk to Karen though. She might be able to do something for you. Conatix won't know now."
"Maybe you're right, thought I'm not sure I mind having an excuse to ask for a massage."
Catherine blushed and looked away shyly, but her response was interrupted by a deep rumble that vibrated the shuttle.
"What the hell was that?" Kaidan yelled in surprise as he swung back into the cockpit.
"Trouble," replied Cortex as he poured on some more speed. "That storm is catching up to us. I've never heard thunder like that in my life."
Kaidan wished there were windows on the back of the shuttle so he could gauge just how much time they had before the storm hit.
"Don't take any chances, Steve. Just get us home."
Everyone was alert and tense now, but no one more than Catherine. She'd gone slightly green and her knuckles were white where she gripped the seat.
"I really hate thunderstorms," she said with a nervous laugh. "I especially hate flying in them."
Kaidan stepped back into the cockpit and looked down at Cortez. Steve glanced up and seeing the look on Kaidan's face, added a little more speed. The trees below now whizzed by in a blur. Kaidan barely noticed as they whipped over the garden, and before he knew it they were at the landing area and Steve was setting them down.
Everyone jumped into action. Ivan was the first out and began lugging everything out at double times speed into a pile beside the ship. Once everything was out they closed the hatch and opened the cargo compartments. Others were arriving by that time and already making trips back to the hall with the supplies.
Javik fell in beside Kaidan, grabbing a crate of sea water and mollusks from him, just thunder rumbled once again in the distance. The leading edge of the clouds was already over them.
"You have made it back just in time," Javik said in his basso voice. "We were concerned you might becoming caught in the storm. We've been hearing the thunder for quite a while now."
"It was a little nerve wracking," Kaidan replied. "Where's James? We could use his help getting the shelter up around the Kodiak."
"Vega is helping put the finishing touches on some changes we made at the came at EDI's insistence. He is needed there."
Kaidan wondered what Javik meant, but didn't have time to stop to ask. The late afternoon sun was completely veiled now and the thunder a near continuous reverberation, and Kaidan could feel the vibration through the thick soles of his boots.
When the last of the supplies had been carried away to the hall, only Kaidan, Cortez and Javik remained the put the shelter back in place. Lightening flared in the distance as they lifted the heavy plating, sliding it into the foundation on either side of the shuttle until it eventually formed an arc over the Kodiak.
The air had grown thick and muggy, and sweat prickled on Kaidan's back. The air tingled with electricity, and without a word between them, the three simultaneously broke into a jog. Kaidan cleared the forest path first and had to stop when he saw the changes.
A platform had been built against the side of the hall using pieces of the outer hull of the ship. Kaidan could see the blue and white of Alliance markings. It was raised up on several large rocks so that it was almost half a meter off the ground.
The unused tents had been split in half and jury-rigged into a sloped canopy held up by sturdy branches set in holes cut into the plating. Beneath it sat all of the remaining tents still in use by members of the crew. Their domed roofs all but filled the space.
As he neared the settlement, Kaidan could see that the path between the houses leading up to the front door hall had been built up and covered in gravel. James was in the process of dumping another load near the door.
"What's all this, James?" Kaidan asked, his voice echoed by a peel of thunder.
James dropped his bucket and dusted off his hands.
"The platform was EDI's idea. Didn't take too long to build once we got the pieces of the hull down here. The path was the Doctor's idea. She's worried about us all walking in the mud everyday. Something about trench foot and infection."
Lightening snapped overhead, a crack of thunder followed close on its heels, and the two men ducked inside the door. James added his bucket to a dusty pile of them just inside and leaned against the frame to survey his handy work.
"We've also got a huge stack of dry wood in the one house we managed to get a roof on. It's not ready to move into, but it'll keep the rain out. Sparks was worried that the solar panel might not produce enough energy to heat water, cook food, and keep the freezers going."
"Oh, so Tali and EDI got them working?"
James nodded as he moved aside as someone darted inside. People seemed to be gathering in the hall, preferring to be together to endure the coming storm. The sky was now so dark that Kaidan could barely see the last house just fifty meters from the hall. The wind had picked up and was blowing leaf litter and dust in swirls around the edges of the buildings.
Kaidan heard a house door slam and saw Garrus loping up the path towards them. He was within only strides of the door when the rain started. One second it wasn't raining, then Kaidan blinked and a torrential downpour had obscured everything.
Garrus fell through the door, water pouring off the armor he still insisted on wearing.
"Crap," was all he said as he wiped the water off his face.
Kaidan laughed and slapped him on the back. The hall was filled with people and their voices combined with the pounding of the rain on the metal roof made the space almost deafening. Someone had brought out the emergency lights and scattered them about the space, filling it with a soft yellow glow.
Several people were helping load the supplies into the freezer units and storage cupboard against the shaded west wall, while a few were already starting the evening meal. Having a fresh salad for the first time in months was going to be a real treat.
Kaidan could see Gabby and Ken on one of the couches in the lounge area. Her arms were moving wildly and though Kaidan couldn't hear her words, she was clearly telling him about the weird green monkeys.
Cortez was sitting at one of table across from his love interest, Avery, not saying much, but clearly glad to see him if the way their hand touched was any indication.
Ivan was nowhere to be seen, but neither was Diana, so Kaidan could guess what they were up to. He suspected the pair would miss dinner, but doubted they would care much.
Kaidan wandered through the busy room, joining conversations here and there, answering questions about the voyage to the coast, and commending people on their hard work preparing for the rains. He eventually found EDI and Joker together in the labs, tinkering with circuit panels and other electronics.
"Jeff, I don't believe your video collection can be salvaged," EDI was saying. "Your naughty movies are gone."
"Hey, they're not all naughty," he told her loudly, then finished more quietly, almost under his breath. "And don't say that."
Kaidan decided to stay out of that particular argument. Instead he slid onto a stool next to EDI and picked up a circuit board from the pile she was cleaning. The insulation in the ceiling muffled the noise of the rain and it was almost possible to speak in a normal voice.
"Good call on the weather EDI," he said in praise.
"I was happy to be of service, Kaidan," Her eyes sparkled through her iridescent blue visor. The pupils and brown irises had become much more pronounced over the winter as she evolved to a more organic state. "I see your trip to the coast was productive."
"Yeah, you guys brought back a shit load of food," Joker said happily. "I'd give my left nut to have that lobster dinner in front of me right now."
"Jeff, don't be disgusting," EDI chided.
"Tonight is going to be a bit of a feast," Kaidan said as he scraped away a patch of rust. "We owe a lot of that to Catherine. Where is she anyway?"
EDI and Joker exchanged a glance and a worried look fell across Joker's usually smiling features.
"Uh, she's not in the hall?"
"Not that I saw." Kaidan stood and went to the door, scanning the room for Catherine. Her distinctive curly hair didn't jump out at him from anywhere. "I don't see her. Should I be worried?"
"She carried a bundle of greens into the hall and said she had to go check her tree before the rain began," EDI said. "Perhaps she went to her cabin, or to the showers before coming to the hall."
"I'd better go find her," Kaidan said with worry and left before EDI or Joker could say another word.
He wove he way through the crowd to the front door. James grabbed his arm before he could get outside.
"Whoa whoa, where are you going?"
"Apparently Cat went down to the garden just after we landed. She's not back yet."
"She's probably in her cabin," James shrugged. "Don't worry about it."
Kaidan remembered the fear he'd seen in the shuttle after the first peel of thunder and wasn't convinced. He turned aimlessly on the spot, trying to decide what to do. Was he overreacting? Would he seem silly and over protective if he found her safe and warm in her cabin? On the other hand, what if she was out there in this wicked downpour?
"Better safe than sorry," he said to James, and ignoring the protest ran out into the rain.
He was drenched in an instant and it wasn't a warm rain either. It chilled him to the core in seconds. His heavy boots splashed in puddles as he sprinted down the path to Catherine's cabin. It was one of the last in the row, closest to the tree line at the south edge of the clearing.
Kaidan didn't bother to knock. If she was there she probably wouldn't have heard it over the rain anyway. But the cabin was dark and empty. Catherine had dumped her pack unceremoniously on her bed and left.
He didn't stay to look around, but ran back out into the storm and for the gardens. The path was muddy and the canopy did little to slow the downpour. He might as well have been wading though a creek. Halfway down he lost his footing and slid the rest of the way down on his backside. Covered in mud and angry at his clumsiness, he arrived at the gardens and looked out at the sodden fields.
It was so dark he almost didn't spot Catherine on her knees behind the cold frame. His feet sticking tightly in the mud, he moved as fast as he could to reach her. As he neared he could hear her crying.
"Cat," he yelled as he got closer. "What are you doing? You're going to kill yourself."
"I'm not leaving until the saplings are safe." She was trying desperately to build a dam behind the frame. Water was flowing swiftly out of the forest and around the structure, eroding the soil from the base, threatening to wash the little trees away.
"We can plant more trees, Cat," Kaidan said as he tugged at her arm. "We can't get another you."
She turned on him, her eyes pleading, and swatted his hand away. "I'm not losing these trees, Kaidan. Either help me or go away."
Her hair clung in clumps to her forehead and neck and her arms were covered in mud up to her shoulders. Kaidan certainly wasn't going to leave her here and he couldn't bodily carry her away in these conditions. He turned away and went to the forest edge and picked up a large rock from that pile they had cleared from the fields.
When she realized what he was doing she joined him and they carried rock after rock until they created a berm large enough to divert the water around the frame. Kaidan's hands were so cold her could barely feel them and Catherine's lips had turned blue and she was shivering violently.
Satisfied their work would hold he put his arm around Catherine's waist and took her weight as she sagged into him. Once again, the canopy offered no respite when they reached it, and the climb up the path was exhausting. They slipped and slid back down several times and eventually they had to abandon the path and move into the undergrowth for better footing.
Catherine seemed ready to pass out by the time they reached the edge of the settlement, and Kaidan had to all but carry her. Through the darkness, Kaidan could just make out the open door of the hall and several shapes standing within. As he got closer James and Garrus rushed out to meet them.
James picked Catherine up in his arms as if she weighed nothing, and Kaidan wouldn't have fallen to his knees if Garrus hadn't caught him.
"Let's get you warm and dry," he heard Garrus say as they stumbled through the door and out of the rain at last.
Kaidan was barely aware of what was happening and found himself minutes later in the med bay with someone stripping his sopping clothes off and wrapping a heated blanket around his shoulders. Someone pushed him down to sit on the edge of the bed and tugged at his boots.
With relief he rolled onto his back and more blankets were piled on top of him. As the heat began to seep back into his bones he heard Doctor Chakwas voice nearby.
"Get some hot water, James. She's nearly frozen."
There was commotion and panic all around and Kaidan felt the pull to get up and help, but every time he tried someone held him back down. Finally he gave in and just lay there, soaking in the warmth from the blankets.
Eventually he passed out, but not before he heard the word 'death' come from James' mouth.