Shepard had paused long enough to put on a spare pair of BDUs (that she kept in the Spectre office) before she went to the hospital. She would shower when she was back on the Normandy…she just needed to be at the hospital for Thane.

Problem was, like when Kaidan had been brought to Huerta, all she could so was stare at the door. She couldn't stand it- the death, the pain…the loss of her friends.

It never seemed to stop.

"Can I help you?" a doctor asked, looking like he had been working for forty-eight hours in a row and was ready to collapse.

"The drell in that room," she gestured to the room in front of her, "how's he doing?"

The doctor stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head. "I don't know if-"

Sighing, she revealed, "I'm Commander Shepard."

"His son," he began again with no hesitation, "Kolyat is in there saying his last goodbyes. You might want to say yours."

Squaring her shoulders, she marched into the room and then stumbled to a stop at what she saw. Thane was laying on the bed, his labored breaths echoed through the room, and Kolyat stood at the foot of his bed with his head bowed in prayer.

"Thane," she whispered in a broken voice.

Kolyat raised his head and hurried over to her. "Commander Shepard."

"Kolyat…why isn't your father wearing an oxygen mask?"

"He…asked me to take it off so he could be more comfortable." Kolyat blinked both sets of eyelids before whispering, "I don't think that it'll be very long."

She pursed her lips before composing herself enough to say, "I'd like to be here…he was a good friend."

Kolyat nodded. "I think he'd like that."

"Shepard," Thane gasped. "It seems that I won't be joining you again…I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to apologize," she assured him. "You've done more than enough."

Thane struggled between a laugh and a cough. "If that was the…only qualification…-" he broke off into another cough before continuing, "then you would no longer be in this fight."

"Thane-"

"That assassin should be embarrassed," Thane interrupted. "A terminally ill drell managed to stop him from reaching his target."

"I'll pass the word along," she promised, wiping tears from her eyes.

Thane shook his head. "Do not mourn me, Shepard…I was dead long before I met you. It wasn't until I met you that I was able…to cherish what little life I had left. This isn't your fault."

"You didn't have to do it, Thane!" she all but sobbed. "We could have handled it!"

"Your life- and that of the Salarian Councilor- is worth much more than mine,"

"No," she choke out, trying to contain her anger. "No one's life is worth more than another."

Thane simply shook his head. "There is something…I must do before…before I am no longer able. I must-"Thane coughed, breaking off his words, causing Kolyat to bow his head once more.

Kaidan stood in the doorway and wished that he had a little more courage. He wanted to stand beside of Shepard and comfort her as she dealt with the loss of another friend. This time was almost worse because she was watching him die. Her barely trembling shoulders told him just how much pain she was in.

It wasn't like he came to Huerta for her- at least, that's what he told himself. Kaidan had come to check up on Adria. She wasn't a fighter- she was much too delicate for that.

However, he had caught sight of Hope's flame-red hair disappearing into a hospital room.

He had known that she would see Thane before he died, but never had he thought that she would be so open with her emotions. No one behind her (Kaidan aside) would have been able to tell, but both drell would be able to tell.

"Kalahira, mistress of inscrutable depth," Thane wheezed, "I ask forgiveness. Kalahira, whose waves wear down stone and sand-."

When Thane's coughing forced him to break off, Kaidan saw Hopes entire body flinch with each exhalation of Thane's breath as though she feared it to be the last.

"Kalahira," Kolyat said suddenly, "was the sins from this one and set him on the distant shore of infinite spirit." Through Kolyat's words, Thane coughed- desperately gasping for breath.

Thane gasped for breath, fighting for any iota of oxygen. "Kolyat….you speak as the priests do. You have been spending time with them," he stated proudly with a weak smile.

"I brought a prayer book, Commander," Kolyat said quietly as he walked over to her. "Would you join me?"

There was a few moments of silence as she stared painfully at Thane- Kaidan didn't have to see her face to know her expression…the way that she was standing said it all. Finally, she nodded jerkily.

"Kalahira," Kolyat began, holding the book open for Shepard, "this one's heart is pure, but beset by wickedness and contention.

She took a stuttering breath before reading, "Guide this one to where the traveler never tires, the lover never leave," she paused long enough to swipe angrily at her tears and Thane looked beyond her and straight into Kaidan's eyes. That line was for him- Thane wanted him to feel it. After another moment, she continued, "and the hungry never starve. Guide this one, Kalahira, and she will be a companion to you…as she was to me." When Kaidan nodded solemnly, Thane blinked once before looking back to his son and Shepard before rolling over so that his back was to everyone.

Shepard brought her hands to her face and stood silently beside of Kolyat as they mourned. When she moved up to close Thane's eyes, Kaidan made sure to stay out of her sight.

"Kolyat, will you answer a question?"

"Of course Commander."

"Why did the last very say she?"

They stared at each other before he said, "The prayer was not for him. He has already asked forgiveness for the lives he has taken." Kolyat bowed his head once more. "His wish was for you."

With a noise that sounded like she was choking, Shepard brought her hands to her face once more and stood there in silence for a few minutes. Finally, she walked forward and laid her forehead on Thane's still arm.

Kaidan almost missed it, but she murmured, "I'm sorry that I wasn't better- wasn't quicker…wasn't deadlier…." She lifted her head enough so that Kaidan could see her grief. "You won't be alone long…I promise."

Kaidan walked quickly to the room that Adria was supposed to be in and he kept repeating those words that Shepard had promised Thane.

You won't be alone long.

It was a hundred times worse than her saying that it might be goodbye between the two of them. That way, she would still be alive somewhere- it didn't matter if she was with him or another…at least she would still be alive. But those grief-stricken words meant that she expected to die.

That was unacceptable.

"Damn it," he cursed, lighting up biotically as he slammed a fist into the nearest wall.

A doctor eyed him nervously but didn't say anything. Kaidan was pretty glad- he might have lashed out accidentally (Temper, temper, Hope's voice scolded him playfully in his mind). C-Sec would probably have been called and he would have been forced to pull out his Spectre card.

Sighing, Kaidan walked through a door and smiled gently at Adria- who was clearly distressed. The front of her uniform and her hair was splattered with blood and she was getting a gunshot wound on her arm treated.

Despite the tears leaving marks on her face, she looked good.

That was when he realized that he didn't love her- probably never would…even if he and Shepard never got back together. Any day of the week, Adria was pretty. She always had a bright smile and cheerful words. Problem was, Kaidan hadn't thought that she looked beautiful until she was covered in blood and had a gunshot wound leaking blood from her arm.

Of course, Hope was beyond beautiful when she looked like that- she was stunning and hypnotic. She never looked freaked out when she got shot (the proof laying in the fact that she hadn't even let her pain show when convincing Kaidan to believe her…even while she was leaving a puddle on the ground).

Damn.

"Adria," he said gently, "how'd you get shot?"

She looked up at him with large, watery eyes and sniffled. "We were brought people who had been shot…and one of them turned out to be a Cerberus soldier who'd been living on the Citadel for months!" She flinched as the other doctor applied medi-gel. "She shot me!"

Kaidan gave her a crooked smile. "It'll leave a nice scar."

The look of pure horror sealed the deal for Kaidan. "No!" she gasped.

"Adria, I'm going to be leaving the Citadel soon," he told her.

She looked even more distressed. "You're going to go join the fleet aren't you?"

"No," he assured her. "I'm not going to take Hackett up on his offer."

She wiped her eyes and gave a grateful smile to the other doctor. "Where're you going then?"

He straightened his posture. "I'm going to request a position on the Normandy. Commander Shepard needs all the help she can get."

"You're going to get killed!" she all but wailed.

Kaidan shook his head and walked over to her and cupped her face in his hand and wiped her tears with his thumb. "No. Shepard never leaves anyone behind. I'm probably safest with her than I am anywhere else in this galaxy."

She turned her head and kissed his palm before settling her hand over top of his. "Be safe," she whispered.

Nodding, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I promise."

Author's Note: This one's a little short because all of my college teachers decided to make ALL my tests THIS week, plus the new DLC (which I highly recommend- it's the funniest DLC I have ever experienced and has a few cute Shenko moments). Please Review! (Oh, and have no fears, there is still more Adria to come- I have a few more things in store for her.)