A/N: Just another bit of headcanon for y'all. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Mass Effect: Andromeda is the property of Bioware and its affiliates. I own only my Ryders. That said, enjoy.

Moment II

Or, Descry

Descry: verb (used with object) - (1) to see (something unclear or distant) by looking carefully; discern; espy - (2) to discover; perceive; detect.

Heleus had not turned out to be the paradise the Hyperion's colonists had thought. They had had no doubt that there would be challenges, but the training and orientation had mostly covered contingencies associated with colonization, first contact, and basic survival, to name a few. But the possibility of failing? The mere thought that everything they'd signed up for disappearing in smoke or having never existed in the first place? It was a laughable concept.

The bizarre energy cloud that the ark ran into was their first taste of just how far down the rabbit hole they really were. Nothing could have prepared the skeleton medical, engineering, and command crew for near-catastrophic failure of their spacefaring home mere hours into Andromeda. Hope scattered to ash in the wake of that incident.

Then the Pathfinder went down to Habitat 7, and another one came back. They almost lost the junior Ryder in the process, too.

It was enough to make Harry Carlyle feel old beyond his years.

He was sat in his tiny cubicle adjacent to Cryo, the closet darkened in favor of the light of his console. A few datapads cluttered the desktop, mostly notes concerning the various patients he'd had since arrival. The data scrolling along his terminal was of far greater importance, though.

It was everything on file regarding Alec Ryder.

Cora and Liam had been the ones to find Scott passed out, unconscious despite the replacement bucket on his head and a helmet-less Pathfinder nearby. Harry's obligations as a man of medicine had compelled him to care for Alec's son. But he would never be able to get the image of his best friend lying motionless in eternal sleep.

Few knew of the decades-long association between the former N7 and the good doctor. Ellen had introduced them, barely a doctor herself and very new in her dalliance. Truthfully, the gruffness had initially put Harry as off as everyone else. But he'd stuck around long enough to be shown that that was just how Alec was: as unbending as bedrock and set in his ways.

That same sense of solidity had formed the cornerstone of their relationship, and in time Harry had come to see Alec in that treasured way so few were allowed. First as acquaintances, then friends, and then best friends. Alec, by his very nature, hated asking for any sort of help. The day that Harry had found him coming to him regarding Ellen had been when he realized just how much trust the latter placed in both his abilities as a doctor and their friendship.

The thought made him smile a bit. Life as an honorary member of the Ryder clan had had its benefits. Ellen had a standing consultation contract with him for her research, so they were daily in touch. This, in turn, had allowed for the growth between himself and Alec. And he had gotten invited to most of the family events, even helped raise the twins. "Uncle Harry" they called him, not as much nowadays but never any less fondly. The smile widened, then turned caliginous.

Things had been so hectic, they hadn't even had time for anything approaching a funeral. "Dig a pit and throw my corpse in. I won't need anything else," had been Alec's advice when Harry witnessed the drawing up of his will. The bastard had even had the foresight to know that he'd go down swinging. He took a moment to massage his temples. God, he didn't want to follow that line of thought. Especially not while both of the twins were out.

Stars... What would he even tell them?

Scott was still sleeping after the incident planetside. SAM had assured all involved that he would survive, but the data that the medical staff was getting, the implications all pointed to Scott being irrevocably tied to the AI. They still didn't know how or the extent to which it had been done, but SAM advised against reversing the process. Doing otherwise would mean his death. And Sara; fierce, devoted, brilliant Sara. Still out cold, still drifting.

Still unaware.

The Ryder twins, despite their dizygotic nature, could not be more alike. Best friends their whole lives, incredibly intelligent, friendly, always pushing the boundaries without crossing them. Sara had always been the first to snuggle up to Harry when he'd been babysitting for Ellen and Alec. And now his honorary niece was in a coma.

Hab 7 had brought things into glaring perspective for Harry. He was not a young man anymore, gliding down the far side of his prime. And Alec's death and what had happened with both twins had shaken him far more than he liked to admit. The last few hours reviewing old data and visiting fond memories were proof enough of that. As much as he'd like to be there for Scott while he was off pathfinding, he didn't really think he had that in him. The knowledge was not as devastating as he would have thought. So there was only one thing he could really do: Look after Sara. It would be both something off the other Ryder's mind and redemption for failing Alec. And by all that was sacred, he would not dishonor his friend's memory.

But that left Scott out a medic. The answer was so unbelievably simple he could have smacked himself. Harry keyed up his omni and selected the appropriate frequency. A familiar face answered after a moment.

"Hello, Harry. What can I do for you?" He gave her a little smile.

"Hey Lexi. Do you have a few minutes? I need to talk with you."