***Author's Note***

Hey everyone :)

I really struggled writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy it and any response would be great!

Thank you to Gamer072196 for helping me. Check out their stuff!

Again, please review, it helps me out a lot!

-Sophus xx

Chapter 5 - Marie

"Touch my hair, Ryan, and I'll break your nose." Is what she tried to say but it came out in hr usual wake up voice.

Ugh, weird dream.

She heard a rustle on the other side of her room but she wasn't ready to wake up yet. Thinking about it, she couldn't remember getting home. She remembered leaving work and then...nothing.

Better get up.

She tried to sit up but her body just seemed to not feel like it. Another rustle, footsteps and a soft whooshing sound.

"Whoosh?" She opened her eyes and quickly shut them again. Too bright. Why is it so bright?

She opened her mouth to ask someone to switch the lights off but she was struck with the sudden need for water. Her mouth felt like paper. dry and cracking.

Another soft whooshing was followed by many footsteps. A ruddy light glared through her eyelids, making her flinch. It went out after a light tap to her right and a, "Oh, put that away, Mordin!" A mans voice. Deep and jovial. A voice she didn't know. Who is Mordin? Where am I?

"Commander," A woman. "She's waking up." Commander?

"Thanks for the update, Chakwas."

"Garrus and I should leave." A deep, gravelly oddly soothing voice.

"Yeah, come on." That voice was strange. Dual toned, accompanied by heavy footsteps.

"Nonsense!" The first voice declared. "We're all here for a reason. Mordin and Chakwas are the medical professionals," The ruddy light was on again.

"Yes. Must get vital readings. May need to stabilise." A light fast voice. Like a hamster on caffeine.

"Yeah...I'm commanding officer, so she needs to meet me. Garrus! You're first officer, she needs to know you. And Thane is her bunkmate. So that's obvious." There were a few hums of agreement. Bunkmate?

I need to get up...now. Marie willed her arms and legs to move, rolling gently to the edge of her bed. Just a bit more... The voices were still deciding on the best way to get her to wake up fully, she decided to do it herself. The edge of the bed was closer than what she thought however and she proceeded to roll off it. A sharp cry left her as she felt her support fall out beneath her as gravity took effect.

Thane listened to the commander discuss the best way of getting their guest to come around. He was pleasantly surprised when Shepard had decided that he would be needed to help provide comfort to the girl. Surely someone more...gentle, would be better at this assignment. Tali or Samara or- He stopped thinking as movement from the bed caught his eye. Marie was moving ever so slowly to the edge of the cot.

She fell and his reflexes kicked in as he swooped to catch her. She landed with a soft thump in his arms, her vertebrae dug into his bicep and his fingers could feel the shift of her ribs as she breathed erratically. Shepard and his group turned as they realised what had happened.

"Did she just-"

"Fall? Yes." He hefted her up a bit higher as he stood straight. Thin arms reached up to her face and she rubbed at her eyes, scrunching her face as she concentrated on opening them. It seemed everyone held their breath as they waited for her to look at them.

It seemed to take a long time before she finally dropped her arms. Thane watched as the small hairs on her eyelids fluttered against the skin on her cheeks. Mordin moved nearer as did Garrus, and suddenly it felt very crowded.

Her eyes began to open, slowly and with great caution. She looked up at him through those tiny hairs. Bleary and half glazed from sleep, they slowly cleared and Thane could get a good look at their colour. A mixture of brown and green, they flickered to blue as the drive core pulsated. The hazel eyes widened as she got a good look at him. He furrowed his brow as he read the pure fear in them. Her mouth opened and she screamed. It wasn't very loud and it cracked. She wiggled and bolted out of his grasp.

A green man! She spun away from him. He isn't a man! She collided with someone very tall, and very hard. She tilted her head up and tried to scream again but nothing came out. She tried to push past and run but her legs gave out. Why can't I run? Her head whipped around at the people standing over her.

An orange and white thing with large eyes had a needle in his hands. She threw her arms out to defend herself. "Please! Don't!" She cried.

"Hey, hey!" A soft voice, the woman. "We aren't here to hurt you, dear." The woman knelt down in front of her. Her grey hair and warm eyes gave her a motherly impression and Marie felt herself relaxing at her words.

A man knelt beside her, long blonde hair and honey brown eyes smiled at her. "It's okay. We're going to help you."

A deep flanging voice filled the room. The big hard thing. "We have a lot to tell you."

"Indeed. Many things. Time span, cultures, physics, species-"

"Yes, Mordin. But let's not overwhelm her, hmm?" The orange thing was Mordin.

The green guy remained silent.

"Where am I?"

Shepard could hardly believe it. He had never seen someone so weak move so fast! She jumped out of Krios' arms before he could do anything!

"Where am I?"

Now everyone was looking at him, judging on how he would handle this now. What could he tell her? She had been asleep for so long, missed so much. The progression of technology alone would probably astonish her, couple that with people living in space, colonising planets, hell even the people Shepard called friends would make her faint. Best to start small I think.

"Well, you're with us." He gestured to those around him. "And a few others...on my ship...in space...and you're-" He was stopped with an elbow to the gut from Chakwas. "Ouch! Ummm sorry, I guess it's just difficult to explain." He looked at her and saw that her face had gone deathly pale. "You okay?" Her eyes darted to him after looking at Garrus. Shit, she doesn't even know what Garrus is...

"I'm...umm. Water?" Her hands were shaking as she gestured to her throat. Shepard moved his head to the side and saw Mordin follow his orders. Her big eyes watched him go. "What is that?" Garrus chuckled and earned her gaze. "What is THAT!?" She pointed at him and then at Thane. "And that?" Shepard rested his forehead in his palm. In hindsight I should've just had Chakwas for this. "I don't understand..." Her voice cracked a bit and Shepard looked up at her. A lone tear fell down her cheek, her eyes glossy as they filled with water.

Chakwas clucked her tongue beside him. "Oh dear," He hand brushed the tear away and Marie flinched a bit at the contact. "It is a lot to take in. We should probably start at the beginning, hmm?" Marie nodded.

"Where are my brothers and sister?" Damn.

So yeah, like I said I'm sure about this chapter.

But with luck I can make up for it next chapter :)

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