A/N:

Alright guys, next chapter out already. We left Thomas bleeding out and fainting due to major wounds and trauma, and we will now continue and end Feros. I have to say, I took an almost disturbing pleasure writing this chapter. You'll get the 'disturbing' part later on. Now, I won't spoil too much, so I'll just say the usual;

"Enjoy"

Back from Hell.

Feros, Theseus system

Zhu's hope

20:15

The most alien screaming Nicolai had ever heard was coming from the passageway where the other team had just gone down not even half an hour ago. He had never heard anything like it before, and it sounded big, and it sounded pissed as hell. He didn't have time to wonder what the hell made the sounds as another geth appeared from around the corner.

Fuck, they just keep coming! He thought as he brought the synthetic down, overheating his Lancer due to the spray of slugs. The loud beeping, combined with the emergence of two new troopers only served to further piss him off, as well as almost making him piss himself. Blowing into the gun, in a somewhat weak attempt to cool it down faster, he noticed a few bloodstains on his thighs. Leaning behind cover, he looked around for the wound and moved a hand to his head. His helmet had been shot off by some kind of geth sharpshooter, a high-powered round that had torn through the protective metal.t seen any geth that could just zoom in on his head like that. The only thing that actually had saved his life was his own, stupidity, as some would call it. When the shot had come, and it would have taken off his head, had it been there, he tripped over his own rifle, falling an inch below the shot. The helmet had been cracked in two, shields completely vaporized as if they weren't even there. When he had gotten up from the ground, his helmet had fallen off his head, and was lying on the ground in two neat pieces.

That's it. Next time, I'm getting some fucking heavy armor! This light crap can't do shit!

Looking back up from his cover, Nicolai suddenly found himself greeting the wrong end of a geth trooper's rifle. Oh...

As the synthetic started squeezing the trigger, its upper torso, along with the head, simply disappeared in a shower of fluids, metal and sparks. Looking up from shielding his eyes, he saw Tali standing above him, shotgun cocked in hands as she sent another geth into the wall with a large piece of its left side missing. Shotguns... gotta learn to use one of 'em...

"Man Tali, how did you go from scared girl to this in less than two weeks?" He exclaimed, eying the rest of the field in front of him and around him. John and Wrex were further inside the colony, protecting the other side. He could constantly hear gunshots from their direction, and the occasional roar from the huge krogan. At least they were holding their side, so he would do the same here. Tequila ran from a nearby crate before it got hit by a rocket, blowing it into shrapnel. She dove behind a low concrete wall, taking cover from a volley of plasma-bolts. Nicolai sighed with relief, as the corporal was behind some more solid cover. He caught himself wondering though.

How is it… I mean, why do I feel so strange around her? Sure, she is a girl and all that, but I didn't feel like this with the girls back home… and she is just supposed to be in a game… hell, all of this is. I sometimes envy Thomas. He had a much easier time settling in here. Always was the weird one… He couldn't help a small smile at this thought, but was brought back to reality when a volley of plasma shots impacted on his cover, eating holes into the rock the size of golf-balls. He bent even deeper behind cover, seeking refuge from the thermal death. When the firing stopped, he leaned over his cover and spotted a geth trooper looking around the corner of one of the buildings. Firing his own rifle, he managed to overheat the gun completely, and only do what amounted to scraping its shoulder with one of the slugs. Waiting for his rifle to cool down he spotted two additional troopers coming around the corner. Sliding down his cover again, he looked around for anything to use. He was down to one grenade, and Tali had spent all of hers already. He couldn't contact John, Ashley or Wrex over the radio, as the geth were somehow jamming their comm.

Looking down again, he grabbed the last grenade and primed it, waiting a few seconds before leaning over the cover and letting the ball fly. When it landed, it made a few bumps before rolling to the feet of one of the geth.

Yes, finally! He thought with glee as the ball stopped moving. The geth immediately recognized what the object was and picked it up to throw it back. The grenade exploded in its hand, erasing the machine and severely damaging the nearby robots. He sighed with relief, wiping his forehead. There weren't any more geth on his, Tali's and Tequila's side, but firefights were still going on at Wrex and John's side. Thinking to himself as he slid down the cover, breathing heavily. That isn't my fight… let Wrex help him there, he's the goddamn Krogan here...

They had been at this shit for almost two days now, only stopping right after the zombies had been squashed in the colony, and then gone back to it a few minutes after the second group had disappeared under ground. He hadn't seen any sign of Ashley yet, but she could handle herself. She was, after all, Ashley Williams. She should be immortal until Virmire. Man, am I jumping on this shit as well? We could all be killed in an instant, I should know that. There is no getting up from a headshot or from being blown to shit by a rocket. Well, there was for Thomas, but he almost lost his feet in the process.

Slapping his own face, he stared out from cover, overlooking the colony from the first window in the tower. Tequila had been put in charge of his group, while John, Wrex and Ashley were under the commander's leadership. While Tequila and himself were covering the colony from the window, relying on their rifles to be sufficient for the fifty meters spanning between the window and the closest building, while Tali and her drone were guarding their rear, especially keeping an eye on the area from where the geth had been deployed at first, where they had met the Delta-squad guys. The shooting down below was ebbing out, leaving only the occasional gunshot to be heard, until the scream of a geth being hurled off the skyway made things quiet again.

Leaning back against the wall again, with his rifle lying on his thighs, he closed his eyes, trying to calm down for a few seconds. The adrenalin surged through his body, still making his limps twitchy as if he should be ready to run for his life. Man… this is definitely something else than Baboon City… I was almost killed, yet no one is panicking. And I feel just fine about that. Am I wrong in the head?

Shouting from the colony caught his attention, as it wasn't the sound of panic or the usual 'enemies upon us!' shouting. Looking back over the cover, down into the colony, he could see that people had begun coming out of the tunnel where the squad went down. From his position, he could see that some were being carried, some walking with a slight limp. He could see two turians, meaning that the group found Nihlus. Both of them were looking fine, aside from one supporting the other. Three of the clones were supporting the fourth, meaning one of them had been injured. For some reason, an Asari was walking out with them, but he didn't recognize her. Liara should be somewhere near the heart of the colony, as a last line of defense, should the geth break through. He could see the two only 'real' humans, but something was wrong. One of the humans was carrying the other on his or her back. He couldn't see who was on the back, but he prayed it was Jane. Come on Thomas, don't be the person on the back! Don't die on us now...please.

"You are back. How did…" Ashley started as she rushed out to greet the other team. Jane's team had been in charge of killing the Thorian, whatever that actually was, and she had been a little anxious ever since they left. Damn that Thomas, she thought to herself as she neared them. Why did he have to make her nervous for him every time he went on some suicide mission?

She didn't like Jane, or at least she didn't trust her as her own other version had apparently done. That had cost me… her, her life. I'm not making the same mistake...

Garrus and Nihlus were the first one up from the hole, with Nihlus walking as if he had been swallowed hole and forced to eat shit. He was visibly pale, and his hands were shaking. Garrus was walking right next to him, no worse for wear, and supported him from time to time. The clones, and by God, it sounded strange calling them that, were carrying one of their squad mates, the guy in red armor, on the shoulders of the one with the yellow armor. He looked like he was just passed out, seeing as he wasn't carried like a corpse would be. Even though she could not see the faces of the clones, she could tell by the way they all walked, that something had gone wrong. It was the last two people that made her stop speaking completely. When the only two, to her, real humans emerged from the entrance, Ashley's blood froze. Jane was walking, burdened by a heavy weight, and heaving for breath.

The burden was Thomas.

Her vision zoomed in on the body on Jane's shoulders, the cracks in his armor, the missing glass in his visor… and the blood.

Blood...

There was so much blood...

Thomas was practically leaving a trail of blood behind the two of them. His armor looked like it had been tossed into a bonfire, scorched all over and melted at points. The gauze on his left arm was burned away, and the skin was littered with blisters and burns, in one place, just at the wrist, boiled away to reveal bone.

Ashley froze, staring wide-eyed and trembling at the scene. No... No, no no! Not him! Not another one! Not Thomas, please God, not Thomas!

As Jane speeded past her, carrying Thomas in the direction of the Normandy, everything became muffled, blurred and distant to Ashley. She just stood there, looking at where the group had come out from the tunnels. Thomas… n-no… Tho- you…. You can't…

Her legs failed her, gave away. She fell to her knees, bending over and felling the tears press on, a lump in her throat forcing its way up.

Tearing off her helmet, she proceeded to throw up on the ground, letting the tears run down her face. She couldn't take this, not again. She had lost everyone but him and Hillary on Eden Prime, and now he was dead too? No, no no no... Please... Please...

What the fuck is going on down here? Nicolai thought as he entered the colony from the tower's stairs. He had watched as Ashley sunk to her knees upon meeting the group, then throwing up on the ground. It couldn't be because… no, he thought to himself. It can't be… he had to ask her, to ask Ashley why she was… what had happened.

Walking to the woman, currently supporting herself on the ground as she had finished throwing up, he felt it as if the blood froze in his veins. His walk became odd and like that of a drunken person. He could feel the cold sweat, running down his neck and face. He stopped a few meters from her, not sure what to do. Finally, after halfway hearing Tequila and Tali approaching from behind, he moved closer, slowly getting on level with the woman.

"A-Ashley…?" He whispered, kneeling beside her. Waves of shakings constantly wash over the woman, causing even her armor to rattle. She didn't answer him.

"Ashley… what…?" He finally managed to stammer, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. He was scared now.

"Ash…" He whispered, barely able to get his own voice over his lips.

"...Thomas… he… he…"She managed to get out between the sobs. Although she didn't speak coherently, the few words were enough to freeze his body to ice. He went completely and utterly numb and cold, falling down on his back. No… No! This can't be ha- happening! There is no way! There is… no… way. He breathed in, almost choking on his own tears.

"NOOO! NO! FOR FUCK'S SAKE! YOU PIECE OF FUKING SHIT UNIVERSE! NO YOU - FUCKING - CAN'T DO THAT YOU - FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" He cried, smashing his fists against the ground. His breath came faster and faster, with shorter and shorter intervals. He almost fainted from hyperventilation, but continued to yell.

"THOMAS, YOU FUCKTARD! WHY THE HELL DID - YOU HAVE TO GO - DOWN THERE!? WHY THE FUCK- WASN'T I - THERE!? I SWEAR I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING SADIST UNIVERSE!"

Tequila had stopped walking by the time Tengberg had reached the Chief, a woman the corporal had come to like, and almost admire from a professional point of view. She had always seemed like the kind of person who could have a staredown with Death and come out as the winner.

Now, this woman was lying on the ground, tears dripping from her chin as she sobbed with an intensity that wrenched Tequila's heart.

When Tengberg, or Nicolai as he had insisted she called him, had reached Williams, and got some words from her, he fell on his back and started screaming. He seemed, and had proven himself, to be a reliable person, a guy with a somewhat quick wit and a good sense of humor. He would lose a leg before he let his friends down, and seeing them die, or hearing about it would more than likely cause him to lose it. He had never struck her as the kind of person who was cut out for the military life, seeing as he went from near-panic to a rage and almost bloodlust that was close to getting him killed when he was too stupid to get behind cover. Now, that person was lying on the ground, screaming out his rage at the universe and all that was in existence.

She had seen people die before. Soldiers, civilians, even her own sister when she had seen the vids from the Acheron-drop. Vasquez, as she wanted everyone to call her, had always been the tougher one of the two. There had been some fallout, some arguing and even a small amount of punches, followed with a hug, when her big sister joined the USCM. Now, she could imagine just how Nicolai must be feeling, having lost the only person he really knew in this place.

She herself had liked the private, not on that kind of basis, but had come to respect him in the short time she had been on the Normandy. He had shown a character full of a weird sense of humor, shown to be a good friend to those he knew well enough to call himself such, and he had helped save her own person back on the xeno-planet. He had even trusted her with his secret, her along with Williams, and tried comforting her about Rookie's fate. He could have become a great soldier, maybe even a leader, she thought, if fate just hadn't wanted it another way.

Poor guy… ripped from his old life, he was just about to start a new one here… then this… fucking shit… happens… She thought, then looked back at Ashley Williams.

And her as well… losing all you know, every friend you've had in how many years she was stationed on Eden… then she meets him, and all just seems so good… that of course, it just couldn't last.

Next to her, she could hear the heavy sighing from one of the alien girls she had met on the planet she thought was BG-386. Tali, as she was called, had proven to be an affectionate character, possessing emotions and traits Teresa found to be very much to her liking. Teresa had, of course, heard the story from Vakarian, the birdlike alien called a Turian, of how Fisher had been helping saving Tali's life along with someone named Michel. After that, Tali had pretty much saved him in a firefight that followed right after, and they had been on friendly terms.

So far, the crew on the ship, the Normandy, had acted like a family, a tight knit group of individuals, bound together by a single purpose, but beginning to become bound by blood, sweat and tears. Now, tears were probably especially going to be the major part. Each of the people on the ship, even the flight lieutenant who normally spent all his time in the cockpit because of some nasty disease had seemed to be a part of the group. He, as well, cared about all the members of the crew, and would probably take it bad when Jane came in, carrying the body of someone fallen in combat. At first, when she met Jane in the cave, the red-haired woman had seemed like a fortress, both physically and mentally. She hadn't said much, besides the usual situations-check, before she was quiet until the point where the rock knocked her out. later, in the med-bay on the ship, Tequila had been given the chance to realize that there was a person behind the steel helmet. A person who experienced joy, sadness, anger… and regret. The corporal didn't know what a 'Batarian' was, although she assumed it was another sentient species of alien life, but she had recognized the word 'children' when it was said. Tequila could imagine Jane as being many things, ruthless, brutal perhaps even arrogant and non-caring, but not a kid-killer. Now, the steel-woman probably looked and was, just as destroyed as the rest of them.

"Dammit!" Tali cursed. Tequila didn't take her eyes off Nicolai, but put a hand on the girl's shoulder instead. The two stood there, watching the scene as the woman and man closest to the private were showing their sorrow, their agony and in Tengberg's case, their rage.

First Vasquez, then Santos, Olivia, Rookie and now Thomas… why… why do people die around me like this? She thought, as she felt Tali lean against her for support. The girl was, Tequila could feel, actually trembling.

"This is Commander John'Shepard. We have finished mopping up the geth in our end. Status report." The comm. had apparently deemed it fit to interrupt the scene, and Tequila didn't know whether she should answer the man, or simply ignore it. Looking back at the pair on the ground, one of them now propped against a crate with an empty stare in her eyes, the other having fainted from exhaustion and grief, she decided to answer it, since none of the others could or would. Trembling, knowing what message she was about to convey, she moved her hand to the headpiece.

"This… this is Corporal Teresa Aquila. We have… we have finished here as well." Her voice almost broke, but she kept it together. There was no use in having the commander rush back to something he couldn't do anything about anyway.

"Understood Corporal. Why is Chief Williams not answering her comm.? Has the second team returned?" Now she would have to tell him, pray that he, as their commanding officer, would handle it better than the two people closest to Thomas.

"To… to answer that sir. The Chief is… not in a state to talk right now. The second team has… returned. We have…a casualty" She said, shutting of the comm. before the man could respond. It didn't help though, as just about every colonist not inside anymore could hear the shouting and cursing.

"WHAT!?" John's shout could be heard all over the colony. Tequila winced at the sound of rage, confusion and fear in the voice.

When the Quarian made his way back to the group, he found Ashley still sitting against the wall, and Tengberg still lying unconscious on the ground. His first thought was that one of these two was the casualty, but he could not see any blood, save from a few small marks on the ground, leading from the entrance to the deep to the colony's main entrance. Looking around, he found Tali sitting on the ground, next to the Corporal who didn't look like she hadn't moved from the spot since she arrived there. With a building anxiousness and fear in his stomach, he approached Tequila, who was looking at him with an almost empty stare, as if she wasn't aware of his presence, or what she would say. Standing in front of her for a few moments, he realized that she wouldn't speak if not spoken to fist. Resigning, he looked at Tali, and found her averting his gaze for the first time he could remember.

At least it wasn't her. He thought to himself. Looking around, half expecting to see a corpse on the ground, he found none and returned to the corporal. Behind John, Wrex had finally caught up with him and was looking around as well. Snorting he sat down on a crate. John turned his attention from the Krogan back to Tequila.

"Corporal Tequila. Who has been killed? You said there was a casualty, but I do not see anyone dead or wounded. Talk to me here." His voice seemed to snap her out of whatever trance she was in, as she turned her eyes to meet his.

"We… we lost Fisher…"

The Citadel, Serpent Nebula

Huerta Memorial Hospital, Presidium

Time unknown

Muffled sounds, sharp, yet like listening through cotton. There is some sort of prickly and annoying sensation in my nose, and my throat burns. My eyes won't obey me, and I cannot open them. My entire body feels as if it was made from stone, and I can't even make my brain think the command to lift my arms. Not that I really want to. My entire body, aside from being numb and heavy, is hurting. My nose feels like someone is sticking two matches into it, and it both tickles and hurts at the same time. Although, for some reason I feel that breathing through the nose is significantly easier than through the mouth. Actually, I can't even open my mouth. It is somehow locked in an almost closed position, held together with something that feels a little like plastic.

I can hear my own breathing coming from somewhere nearby, like a tube or a pipe. My left arm feels like plastic, like it isn't even there. I can feel the air, rather comfortable to the skin actually. The temperature isn't too hot, neither does it feel like I'm lying outside. Guess Jane carried me back to the Normandy. It was Jane, right?

"Right?" the voice I have grown used to over the weeks, Roku's old, yet very thick accented voice, doesn't greet me with a good morning.

"Roku?"

"Hello? Are you there?" there is a slight buzzing inside my head, but it is very weak. It can't be him, as his buzzing always was much stronger.

"Remind me… never… to take… control of… a pretty much dead man… again…" suddenly, his voice returns to me, and I don't think I've ever been this glad to hear it. Though…

"What did you mean by that?"

"Slow… down… I am not… really feeling at… my peak… don't… many questions… now…"

"Roku? What the hell is up with you?" There is no response, and the buzzing disappears again. What was up with him? I wonder and ponder over this, as I am in a lying position. My body feels even worse than it did when I woke up after being zapped through the universes and definitely worse than after the rocket on Eden Prime. Even the simply task of moving my eyes around inside the eyelids is difficult. Especially the left one. For some reason, it feels a little… heavier, than the right one, and it is also a bit colder, to describe it. Almost, like it was made from ice, and not whatever it is that eyes are made from. I wonder… how long-

"Has there been any change doctor?" A voice suddenly sounds through the colorless darkness behind my eyelids. It is muffled, like everything else, yet it also has a certain sharpness that allows me to hear the words, and understand them. I cannot immediately recognize the voice asking the question, but I am sure Chakwas will say the name in a moment. After all, she is the ship's medicinal officer.

"A little. The patient has responded to primitive neural tests, showing that the brain is still online and has some control over the most primal functions. There has been an increase in his rapid eye-movements, what we often recognize as a sign that the patient has been unconsciously aware for at least an hour now, but we do not yet know for certain whether or not this is because of the new medication, or simply a God-sent miracle. Frankly I'm more inclined to believe the latter." That was a male voice… wait, a male voice? Who is it? It didn't sound like Kaidan, and definitely not Garrus or any of the clones. Nic I know has no medical education, so I don't even bother trying to see if it could be his voice.

"Should we alert his closest? You know they have been trying to spend the nights in here. Especially that woman." The voice from before is back, now even more muffled. I can barely make out the words. She talks about a woman. Could it be Ash? I would like it to be her. That would be nice. Somehow, I am sure I can hear music. It's just a faint tune, but I am sure I have heard it before. It accompanies me when the light and dark from behind the eyelids returns, turning into a more deep black, but at the same time bright fade. The Fade… hmmpf, I'm fading… fading… that is a funny word… fading… what is a 'fade' really? Is it a place or a thing?

"How is he?" the sudden voice wakes me up, though I have no intention of opening the eyes just yet. They are still too heavy for my comfort, and it is nice and cozy under the eyelids. A bit strange, now that I think about it…

There is something familiar about the voice, as if I have heard it before. No, I know I have heard it before. It belongs to a woman, that much I can hear. The tone is a little more high-pitched than with a guy, and I don't know anyone, well any guys, with a high-pitched voice like that. Still, it really sounds familiar. There is something pleasant about the memory, about the voice, but what is it?

"So far we are keeping him in a half-way comatose. It is purely to ensure that he doesn't suffer from any side effects, should he wake up before time." The male voice says. He sounds… old, yet not Hacket-old. More like a guy in his fifties…

"So… he could wake up at any time?" The female voice sounds hopeful, and I now know that I have heard that voice before, that it means something to me.

"In theory… yes. But we have already received the miracle that the blasts and the hive-like mind control he has endured didn't melt him down or damage his brain. We have been able to restore the main part of his lost memories, though we are not sure if he remembers anything more than two years ago, and then about ten years ago. There could be gaps of up to five and ten years where he will remember nothing. From what we have been able to gather from the colony on Feros, and from the ExoGeni workers, it is a known, to them at least, occurrence that those infected with the Thorian spores were under a risk of losing all their memories. We have, on that background, and with the help of our Asari neurologists, been able to dive in, so to speak, and restore the 'engines' of his mind. We… I, make no promises, but should he awake-"

"Should?"

"When he awakes, he should very much be the same person as before, though he will most likely be a little… different…"

"Make up your mind man, is he gonna be alright, and I mean completely alright?" Aggressive… that sounds like Ash. I just wish I could open my eyes, but the lids still will not bulge.

"If you want my personal opinion… then I wouldn't get my hopes up. We were able to give him back what we call complete viability, but the damages were very severe. Honestly, I'm amazed he is even alive."

"He… always had a thing for surviving shit that would kill others." The female voice says, and I can almost catch a slight hint of a smile in the voice. Just like with Ash. Come on eyelids, I want… I have to see her, to see if it is really her. But as much as I struggle, I can't open my eyes. I can hear, through the chatter, the sound of the heart-monitoring device, and the beeps that repeats faster and faster with my struggle. Finally, I just give up, and sink back into the void. Well this sucks… but at least I'm alive…

A loud buzzing brings me back to what I guess is consciousness, and the same feeling and taste of plastic, as well as the poking sensation of the thing in my nose, is back. God, it itches! I move my right hand up to scratch it, but I can only make some of the fingers move. Wait a… I can move my hand!

"My lord… look, he's moving!" a voice suddenly sounds from somewhere nearby. Hmm, guess I'm under constant surveillance…

"Should we call for help?" another voice sounds, slightly more high-pitched, but also male. Kind of sounds like a Salarian, but I'm not sure. I continue wriggling my fingers, making my entire hand jump up and down on what feels like sheets. I can feel that the fabric I'm lying on is woven, possibly linen or something. So I'm lying in a regular bed, or at least on a mattress of some sort. I can smell a little, "reaching" behind the things in my nose. The place smells very sterile, or like Mordin would say 'like hints of antiseptics and flesh'. Okay, so I can remember Mordin. The doctor mentioned something about loss of memory, so I'd better check.

Alright, I can remember the crew, Ash, Hillary, Delta-squad, Nic and Tali. Jane and John, remember Joker, Kaidan and Garrus, and Wrex. Eh, anyone else? Wasn't there… oh, yeah. Liara T'soni. Alright, so I remember everyone on the ship, plus that other turian… what was his name? Nima? Nah, that sounds like a girl's name. What was it then? Something with 'N'… Nihlo? No, but it sounds more right… I'll figure it out later, point is I remember him. Alright, next one, my earlier life; I remember my parents, they were smashed, as far as Roku told me. I remember my boss, that asshole. I remember Nic and Magnus. Man, poor guy lost two good friends in a few weeks. Alright, anything else I should remember?

"There is… the moments with… Ash… you told me… to lock out of…them."

"Roku? Seriously man, what is wrong with your voice?"

"Don't worry… I am… alright. It just took a toll on me… to keep your body alive for as long as it took them to…"

"To what?"

"I… sorry, but my… strength is… really not at… its peak… as I said… before…"

"Are you weakening?" It could be a bad thing, if my guide and eternal protector suddenly lost himself because of me.

"I… no, but I… need to recuperate… to regain my strength…"

"Alright, just take care mate. Would suck to lose you already."

"Yeah, being un…employed always… was my biggest… fear… dying never… crossed my mind…" And the buzzing stops, leaving me alone in the darkness.

"So… should we tell them he is ready for awakening, or should we let him wake up on his own? I mean, is he even awake? Could that just be a nerve pinging off?"

"From a medicinal point of view, if all was just another case… then I would just say a nerve…"

"But?"

"Well, there seems to be… something different about his brain. Like there is an extra set of what we call a 'mental firewall'. Whatever damage his nervous system suffered, it healed remarkably fast. Areas we normally consider beyond repair were… fixed, so to say."

"So, we are dealing with a medicinal miracle here?"

"Possibly. Having seen what I've seen from the patient, I wouldn't deem it impossible that he could be awake as we speak."

"But… isn't that impossible? So short after a trauma that severe?"

"Should be, yet… he has, as the soldier said, 'a thing for surviving shit'. It is entirely possible that he has regenerated tissue and neurological damage much faster than we expected, and the synthetic repairs would have played a role as well. Take the burns for example."

"They disappeared days ago... What about… oh…"

"Yes, his body has an amazing rate of regeneration coupled with our improvements. I have taken some blood samples, but they have proved… inconclusive."

"How so?"

"Well, besides the amusing fact that he suffered from insomnia and post traumatic stress often linked to a traumatic experience at either young age or perhaps witnessing multiple people die, his DNA didn't give off any specific details. Hell, we even had to rely on his colleagues for basic info such as his age. It was like… I don't know. His DNA looked like what you would experience from someone subjected to enormous amounts of raw element zero, yet he is not suffering from any type of cancer, showing signs or symptoms of having tumors or even developing biotic abilities. It… I do not really know how to put it better."

"Well I'm certainly confused… should we ask his relatives?"

"Actually, they are not his family. We haven't been able to track them down, and despite we found out that he originates from the nation-state of Denmark, back on our home world, we haven't been able to zero it in more than that. We sent a picture of him, but I doubt it will get us anything."

"So, should we ask his friends?"

"I think so. Before you go, remember to give him a new dose of painkillers. The charts show he is starting to feel the effect again." I only just hear the last word, before the void takes me again. Sigh… I hope that it is my friends out there, and that they are not just going to spill my secrets to two doctors.

"Can I at least stay here a bit?" a voice wakes me up, but the light in the room must be off, as the darkness behind my eyelids is complete, and not the usual half dark, half bright color. There is a scent in the room, a scent of something pleasant. Almost like flowers, but more in the shampoo-style. I just lie there for some time, inhaling the scent.

"You sure you are gonna be alright? All alone?" a female voice asks the first.

"I'm not alone." I suddenly feel something soft and smooth on my right hand; "No-where near it." Now I recognize the voice, and have I been longing for that. The aggressive tone from earlier almost gave her away, but it took the scent of her hair, and the touch of her skin, for me to recognize her voice. Ash… have I missed you…

I try to open my mouth, but it will not obey me. I try harder, desperately wanting to tell her that I'm alright, to ask her where I am, and what happened. I try to open my eyes, but only one succeeds a bit. Instead of looking at a ceiling, or perhaps even blue sky, I'm looking at white fabric and cloth. I have no idea why I can't open my left eye, but the right eye seems to be working just fine.

I can feel a hand, soft skin and touch, brushing against my own hand, the right one. I still cannot feel or move the left hand or arm. I have no real idea where I am, but with Ash here, I think I'm pretty well off anyway. Her breath is the only other sound in the room, besides the machines apparently monitoring me. Her breath is only interrupted by the occasional 'ping' from the heartbeats in the machine, and just listening to it makes me feel better.

"Huuuhhhh…. Thomas… why did you have to play with death down there?" her voice sounds tired, yet happy. It is her voice though, and I'm glad to hear it, no matter what.

"It's funny, I have been here every day since we got you here, and your buddy Nicolai has as well. And I… I just imagine that you can hear me, maybe even answer me… but I know that is just a… well, a hope." A hope? I'm perfectly capable of hearing her, I just can't tell her.

"I don't know, you know, what I would have done if you had died back there… when Jane came out of the tunnels, dragging, or carrying you, I thought you were dead, and she just looked so sad, like she knew you were dead... You and Hill really are all that's left, all I have left from Eden, and I... I just can't..." There is a long pause where she doesn't say anything, just breathing and touching my hand. For some reason, this triggers a nerve in my fingers, some of them twitching, causing her to stop for a moment, holding her breath. After a suspended moment, she continues stroking my hand, causing some of the hairs on it to stand.

"Then the voice started shouting about you being all but dead, and how it… he, was keeping you alive, forcing your organs to function, and how we had to get you to a proper hospital… he saved your life, Thomas."

I know, he told me… Ash continues to stroke my hand till I slip away again, this time in a much better mood.

"Alright Mister Fisher, I am Doctor Emhart. We are gonna perform some tests today, and you will just lie still and let us do our jobs. Well... not that you can actually move, but we like to use a bit of humor in the line of work we do, alright?"

I have been conscious for what I can guess is almost a day now, and have yet to be able to move more than just my hand. My face is still obstructed from view, or at least my eyes are. Ash has been in here several times, but so far it has just been the same one-way conversation, where she talks, and I just listen. I have learned that I'm at some hospital called the Huerta Memorial Hospital, on the Presidium, and that I was pretty fucked up when I was carried out of the tunnels.

What Ash and Nic, he has been in here a few times as well, and John has visited once, giving me the 'get well. It is an order' speech. What Ash and Nic haven't mentioned, is how long I have been here. I am really anxious to know, as I may have slept through the entire mission, with some of the crewmembers being dead, and Kaidan or Ash having lost it. Now, as I know that Ash is safe, I worry that Kaidan may have ended his days in a nuclear fireball. Come on man, like Roku once said; "don't bother with what you cannot change, or what lies far in the future." He could really be a hardass at times.

"Alright, this may sting a bit." The voice that I have recognized as being the human doctor says. a few seconds later, I feel the needle penetrating my skin. Mind you, I would have done something stupid if I could move my arms, but the only thing I can do is to flip my fingers at the man. Even though they are pointing into the sheets, not even remotely in his direction. Soon after the needle has left my arm, I begin feeling this really odd sensation in my entire body. My right arm and legs go into some sort of spasms, and it really just feels weird. My heart-rate skyrockets, and the doctor gets a nervous tone in his speech;

"Now calm down, calm down. Easy there… thát's better. Breathe… good, now exhale… good. Do that for a minute, get used to the sensation." The man says, and I can't really do anything but comply. As the feeling slowly eases down, I can feel every single hair on my body, even the chest hairs stand up. I can feel every muscle in my body tense as the whatever-it-was-fluid runs through it. Then the doctor returns. Or, I think it's him, the footsteps sound very much the same.

"Alright, I hope you did those breathings, else this is gonna hurt a lot." He says, a somewhat grim tone in his voice. I can hear a door being closed, and some kind of seal being shut. I don't like this.

"Relax my friend; you are sweating like a pig. This is just to check your if you will have full control of your limps again. The fluid was what we in layman's terms call a 'channel opener'. It makes motion and more simple movements easier and less painful." There is a short pause in his speech, where I can hear something being opened. Sounds like a box or a crate.

"Alright, we will start with something simple. Move your fingers, one after the other. Start with the thump on the right hand." I wriggle with the finger, and hear a slight sigh from his direction.

"Good. Frankly I didn't know if that shot would have killed you or at least damaged your brain. We are running a proto-type medicine on you, hence all the tests." That guy's humor… is just wrong…

"Now, move the next finger, and then the next one. You should catch on pretty quick." And I roll all my fingers, doing that penny-thing, just without the actual penny.;

"Alright, now move on to the toes…. Yes, good. Can you wring them all at the same time?... yes, very good. But they do smell." And there is a short break where I can hear a faucet being turned on, and water splashing down into a sink. Kind of amazing really, the stuff you notice when you can only smell and hear.

"Alright, we move on to the bigger stuff; moving your arm. Just, do something with your fingers when you are ready."I find this mildly entertaining, and I want to be able to move again, so I just instantly make a fist and the penny-roll. I hear a faint chuckle from him.

Emhart seems to be enjoying his job. Which is a good thing, as a smile can spread like a disease. It is what the he says next, that disturbs me a little. Or, actually, a lot;

"Alrighty then, seems like you are eager to get underway. That's good spirit right there. Funny that you haven't complained about pains yet… oh, I'm stupid, I know. Trust me, I had actually forgotten about the whole reconstruction-thing. Now we just- whoa, your heart-rate is going nuts. Calm down man, you are in safe hands here." what the shit did he mean about the "reconstruction-thing"? I wanna fucking know if they have turned me into a goddamn cyborg!

"Now calm down Fisher, or I will have to sedate you again. I can assume the reason for the sudden excitement was the word reconstruction? We had to do some… repairs, after we had made a complete list of the damages to your body. Now, you will, if nothing insane happens, be able to walk again in about three or four days. That is thanks to the synthetic enhancements and the new… well, suffice to say, you will not look like a geth, or Avina in human form or anything like that. There will be small marks, but all in all, you shouldn't be able to see it in a mirror, lest you pull of the shirt. But we can talk about that later. Right now you still have to move your right arm, so let us begin with that, shall we?"

Man, this is really messed up. I have been rebuilt?! That should not even be possible for… I mean, that is what is supposed to happen to Shepard, either John or Jane. I can't go around with that kind of scars, I mean, I'll look downright evil! And what if I got those red eyes? I saw the renegade vids from the game, the evil Shep always had red eyes and looked like a Sith! I will NOT look like a Sith.

"Alright, try moving your right arm a bit. Just try to turn it around so that your palm will be in the bed, instead of the back of your hand… easy… easy, not too fast… 'dere we go. Alright, now turn it back again. Take your time… alright. We will take a short break, and then we will be doing this again. I suggest you focus on, what is it called? Mindfulness? Control and watch your breath, focus and relax. I will be right here next to you, in case something happens." That was… weird. I mean, I'm used to being tired out by running in full armor, or spending more than twenty-four hours straight out of bed. But now? I just got tired out by moving my limbs. Man… I wonder how bad I look, with tha 'reconstruction' as he called it… was Ash actually repulsed by my look? I hope I can still have her at least look at me. I have seen war injuries before, and those that demanded 'reconstruction'… were not pretty.

"Try… not to worry. She will… still love you… regardless." Roku really sounds strained. Wonder what actually happened before, I mean, what he actually did to keep me alive.

"Alright mate. Just try to ease up a bit. You really sound like shit."

"Sure… but it is not… that bad… I don't have the strength to lock myself out of anything… for the time being… so I can at… least… watch you and… Ashley together…"

"You never change, do you?" A faint but strained chuckle is heard as an answer, but he the buzzes away.

Ash is sitting in the chair next to my bed, I could hear that much from the scraping of metal against metal that came when she move it to be next to me. I'm still wrapped up on the head, though my mouth has been freed, and I haven't been able to move my left arm. Nor can I feel it. I have just been told not to try and touch it. And being the willing patient that I am, I haven't tried. I'm just really weird out over the fact that I can't even feel it. But as the Doc said, don't worry about it. So I just try to ignore the fact that I can't feel my entire left arm, elbow or hand. This is where Nic would probably say something a la "well, at least it wasn't the right hand, if you know what I mean". Always was a pervy bastard...

When he was in to see me, still wrapped up in gauze and with no movement of any kind, he told me about how he had been a little scared, having to comfort Ash and all that. I could hear the tone in his voice though. He was relieved. And happy. I'm guessing, and Mara forgive me, hoping that he took my supposed death nearly as hard as Ash, but I don't know, and I'm not gonna ask him when I get out of here.

I have no idea what time it is, as my eyes are still blocked from sight by that annoying gauze. I really don't understand why my right eye has to be wrapped up as well, as it did seem to work well enough when I looked around inside my eyelids. It is the left eye that causes me to worry. I hope I'm not going blind on it, ending up looking like Zaed, minus the scarring. As I said, I don't know what time it is, though judging by the sound of Ash's heavy breathing, and the lack of major activity in the hall, or where ever the other side of the door leads, is a sign that it is night on the Presidium, which is actually a funny feature up here. Seeing as there is no actual sun or moon in the Serpent Nebular, or whatever the giant purple gas cloud is called, they have artificial days and nights on the Presidium. I do not know how they do it on the Wards, or if they even do it at all, but people get by, right?

I can hear just about where Ash is sitting, sleeping. And, might I add, snoring. It is funny, as you would normally think that would make a girl unattractive, as snoring isn't a very… feminine thing to do in most people's eyes. A louder snore than the rest causes her to cough a bit, before continuing to play her music. Me? I find it borderline damned cute. I mean, how can you not find a snoring and vulnerable Ashley just absolutely adorable? I just wish I could see her. But I can hear her, and I can smell her. The scent from her hair effectively overpowers the smell of hospital. Thinking about these things, I can't help a smile. Even though it hurts my jaw when the curve spreads on my lips. To think… a month ago, I was dealing with the problems of a civilian twenty-first century guy. Caring about not getting fired, not being late for work, bothered about the financial situation, hating our government… those things… now, I am lying here, shot up, burned and banged in a hospital on a giant space station ruled by aliens, with the love of my life sleeping on a chair next to me. With the exception of the wounds and injuries, this is the best development my life has ever taken.

I smile again, moving my hand up in front of my face, imagining looking at it, turning and using it. Scratching my chest, I notice that I'm clad in some sort of hospital gown. Probably to cover up some sort of injury or big wound. Sighing, I let the hand hover for a while, before letting it fall back down on the bed. A long snore from Ash, sounding more like the growling of some animal, or the sound of the engine of a car. I just smile. Usually, I hate insomnia, seeing as I always imagined the worst possible scenarios when the house was all quiet, but right now, I'm just enjoying the sound of her sleeping.

Cautiously, I lift my hand again, letting it hover for a bit, before moving it again. Slowly, I let it search for where Ash is, going for the sound. Suddenly, it impacts on something soft. Spreading my fingers, I try to find out just where I have touched her, silently praying that I didn't just grab her breasts. She might get the wrong idea about me, thinking that this was my first thought when awake. Moving my hand around a little, I find out that it landed on her thigh. Lifting the hand again, I move it up through the air a little, looking for something else. I lower the hand again, this time finding the leather-padded arms of the chair. Ash is still snoring, though my last touch caused her to stir in her sleep.

Stretching my body, I move the hand inwards towards the back of the chair, finding one of her arms. She is out of her armor, dressed in soft clothing I'm guessing is her navy blues. I move my hand down alongside it, finding her hand, and letting my own gently rest upon it. She moves a few of her fingers, probably connecting the touch with some dream she is having. I halfway hope that she will start mumbling stuff like "come on you stud." Or "Oh, that's… nice..." but, I take it back. I wouldn't know how the hell to respond to it anyway.

So I simply let my hand rest on hers, caressing it with the softest possible touches I can muster. Her skin feels both smooth to the touch, but at the same time it has the ruggedness of a lifetime carrier-soldier. Her knuckles in particular are rough, the skin filled with the tiniest cracks and small cuts. Letting my fingers run over them, I get a pleasant sensation running down my spine.

Each of my fingers then travel down hers, careful not to press down, but simply travel over them. Small shudders can be felt through her hand, as she moves it bit by bit, as if hit by small bolts of electricity. A happy sigh escapes my lips, echoing in the otherwise quiet room. My fingers reach her fingers tips and then returns to the back of her hand, repeating the motion. This continues for some time, with me just stroking her hand, her having the occasional shudder or mumbling, but otherwise she just continues snoring.

After some time, I lay my hand on hers, just letting it rest there. When some seconds have passed, she starts moving her hand, perhaps because of the added weight. I'm about to retract my hand, not wanting to disturb her sleep, when a sudden sharp inhale of breath causes me to freeze. Her hand has stopped moving away. Instead it turns and tries to lock its fingers between mine. Slowly, the fingers intertwine, gently locking each other fast. After a moment of complete silence, with not even our breaths to disturb the peace, Ash breaks the silence.

"Thomas?..." She whispers, almost as if she expected someone else, or was afraid I had been moved during her sleep. I smile, and even though I know this will hurt, I respond with a smile;

"Told you… I've survived… worse…"

Yeah, you thought I had killed him off, didn't you? I know you did. Ah, way too early for that... muahahaha!

I chose to give Feros an alternate ending, instead of just leaving the planet in glory, we left it with a near-death main character. I hope I gave you guys a jumbscare, but not cause you to ban and hate me.

Oh well, all in a days work. pumped this bastard out in two, actually. Even spend half the night writing, as I just could not stop.

Alright, hit that review button and give me your thoughts.