Time was distorted on the Normandy with how often they travelled about, but what remained constant was the 'night time' crew switching shifts to relieve marines and allow them proper sleep. It was proof that Liara survived all of today. Her arms had been decimated. She felt as though she was part Hanar instead. It was her turn, however, to get back at Shepard, and the archaeologist had a marvellous topic for their informational session tonight.

Goddess, but there was no lifting her arms to draw, write or point on her board. She was just going to read the paper she'd written on the datapad, for she had no energy left to even flip pages. She sighed wearily as she tumbled into the rec room, a tired smile pulled from her upon seeing the back of the red head already waiting on her - despite this not being scheduled at all. It was... Endearing, in a way, that they'd just sort of fell into this routine at some point, somehow. What was most invigorating was that Liara took this as evidence that she was turning around the one very person she was absolutely certain would otherwise not be intrigued by knowledge or archaeology, and she was certain that this growing bond between them was not the cause of it.

At least, she hoped that was the case. Everybody deserved to have something that compelled and captivated the mind beyond instinct or desire.

"Good evening, Commander," she hummed as she came around the corner of the couch, nervous upon seeing such bright eyes. "I see you're still full of energy, as always."

"Today's workout session was a blast, am I right? Nothin' gets the blood pumping better than slinging weights."

One might potentially debate that nothing got the blood pumping better than watching someone sling weights.

"Mm," Liara chuckled throatily. She helped herself to what space was left on the couch and fell with a content sigh upon sinking into the plushy cushion. She didn't dare bring attention to the mischievous smile lying in wait, just across from her. She laughed and blocked her face with her datapad. "I'm not enabling this."

"Not enabling nothin'," Shepard agreed quickly. Too quickly. She cocked her head far out to the side to be back in view, holding onto the couch's arm rest so she wouldn't fall off. "That you're too tired to be usin' your fancy pointer must mean it was a pretty good workout for y'too, huh?"

"You could say that, though I fear it may be a secret plan of yours all along. Please don't take anything I do tonight as cause or evidence to compel you to make those drills even harder. I'm positive I had a near-death experience today."

Laughter danced in the air. Shepard bounced up on her feet and came around the couch, crossing her arms to lean on the armrest just behind Liara's head. She shied and retreated a little in her shell over the proximity, soldering onto the datapad for comfort as she lit up the screen, swiftly beginning the session as her escape.

"Today's topic is going to be about pyramid construction, though this arguably predates even the Protheans, and I've come to learn that humans had an era where they too built similar tomb-like structures. I am not yet keen on human history, but my findings on analyzing ancient pollen samples - taken from earthen cores on one of the planets I had taken some leave on - had suggested that the species that predated the Protheans had utilized rivers that had enough space and high river levels for the former waterscapes to provide accommodation for boats to carry such heavy blocks of stone." She gulped a deep breath from such an exciting mouthful, racing to share her knowledge. "It's difficult to determine exactly when individual rivers on these planets went extinct, but it's exciting to see geo-archaeology yield evidence of how climate change affected architecture and evolution among various species. And-"

Shepard's chuckle stopped her in her tracks, and she looked up out of curiosity as to why, blushing a little when she'd realized how close that upside-down face was to hers.

"You... Find climate change funny?"

"No. You made a discovery even when you were taking a break from making discoveries. I dunno why I find that funny," Shepard shrugged, though her eyes softened and her lips pulled in a warm smile. "It's just so... I can really see that, plain as day - you doin' that, I mean. Remind me to never take ya sightseein' so y'can actually relax without tearing the ground up and solve whatever mystery you're sightseeing. You always work so hard at everything you do. It's a sight t'see, makes others want to pour their heart in just like you. Saw it in the gym today." She leaned back a tiny bit, offering significant reprieve with the slight inch of distance. "So... Pollen, huh? Why's pollen important?"

"Well, several cores were drilled into the suspected floodplains and I measured the amount of pollen found in different parts of those cores to determine how they changed over time - similar to how I cut into a tree and study it's rings to estimate an age of an artifact buried near it. Time periods when water was plentiful would have more pollen than time periods that were arid, and by cutting into trees as well as analyzing soil compositions, I was able to have a rough estimate as to how old each individual pyramid was. It lined up with the pollen levels that suggested when there was an abundance of water, and there were marks in the stone as well. By studying decay and erosion, I could deduce..."

Liara trailed off. Her brow scrunched in confusion when Shepard's smile seemed to change over time. It was... Warmer? Comfort to the soul, like sitting by the hearth of a fire in the midst of a chilly morning. It wasn't long before that smile shifted again, leaning towards mischief that danced in the emerald orbs.

"Lost your thought, Dr. T'Soni?" Shepard husked lowly, a gravel to her tone that made the archaeologist think of the seawater that slammed against the cliffs she'd seen from her 'tour guide'. The vanguard pushed off the arm rest and came over to sit on the other end of the couch. "Let's do this again at the end of the week. Y'look real knackered, yeah? Should get some sleep. We got a big day and mission ahead of us, tomorrow. From what intel we've got so far, we'll be boots on the ground for a couple'uv days."

"What's tomorrow?" Liara turned off her datapad and set it aside, the promise of sleep compelling her eyelids to droop on her already. She shimmied back as her rump scooted forwards, prompting the Commander to get back off it so that she could fully lay down, tucking her knees in. She mumbled an apology as her head hit the cushion - or she thought she did, anyways.

"Zhu's Hope," swum the answer, distantly.

Other things did too, drifting in and out of thought - she couldn't remember what she thought of them, other than more horrible news.

But also a promise that they were going to make things better.

Warmth pressed against the side of her face, and she was half-aware that she was collected to be carried. She was almost certain she sleepily blurted something about insanity, that no one should be able to utilize their arms after the drill they just survived. Deep chuckles reverberated against her cheek, a hum in the vanguard's chest lulled her some more.

"I like being carried like this more," Liara mumbled, "It's better than over the shoulder."

Another deep chuckle, another hum. She tried to reel back some awareness and peeked with her eye when doors hissed around her. She remembered seeing her cot. She didn't remember being put in it.

Later, upon waking from what felt like a nap that spanned centuries...

She wracked her brain to try to remember when she was put in Shepard's bed instead.

Decimate Liara's arms before a big mission, Shepard thought.

"Good idea, I bet she thought. What part of exhausting me to this degree was a good idea to her?"

Often, Liara shot sullen looks over at the Commander, begrudgingly moving along with orders. She tried to find solace in the others, but Tali had lied her way out of the drill by saying quarians were too fragile for weights and had body structures akin to flight pilot Lieutenant Moreau's brittle-bone disease. Had that helmet visor been transparent, Liara was sure she would see a victorious smirk that the Commander bought such a lie. The others didn't seem perturbed the slightest bit. She felt so overwhelmingly incompetent that she had so much trouble keeping up - only finding comfort in make-believe scenarios that she was sure Tali would be just as broken as her, if the quarian didn't sleaze out.

"We've got reports that geth have taken over and are patrolling the bridge leading up to ExoGeni's headquarters," Shepard stated as she checked around a half-demolished wall to ascertain they were all still in the clear. "Garrus spotted a few armatures down the scope. What we'll do is split up into two groups, one in the mako, the other on foot accompanying the mako. Garrus, you've got the best aim with the cannon so you take point on that in the mako. Tali, I want you on board to make repairs as needed."

Tali made a tiny little noise beside Liara, and she was certain it was the quarian dying a little inside.

"Liara, you'll be driving the mako."

Uh huh.

"Wrex, Williams and Alenko, you're on foot with me. Wrex with me on the left. Williams and Alenko, you take the right."

"Aye aye, ma'am," the humans complied.

The turian complied. The crazy krogan laughed up his compliance, eagerly checking his arsenal as he waited for the go-ahead to head off. Tali and Liara were probably the only ones in the squad that weren't so eager, and when they split up in their respective groups, the realization finally sank in for Liara upon boarding the vehicle. She froze and shared a look with Tali, whom groaned pitifully.

"Please tell me you're a better driver than Shepard?"

"I... I have experience manning the ET3 research vehicle..." Liara reluctantly sat at the cockpit, gulping nervously at the array of buttons, switches and screens. "Surely this can't be too different or difficult?"

Tali bravely stood beside her instead of belting up at the nearest seat. "We'll have to go slow anyways, while they clear the way for us and Garrus provides cover with the cannon."

"Are there gears?" Liara glanced about for a handle that she could use to shift speeds. "It'll make things easier to temper my speed if I stay in the first gear."

Tali seemed to stare at her, for some reason. Dread fell upon them both with a simple quiet question.

"You don't have any clue at all how to drive the mako? Haven't you watched the Commander?"

"Have you?"

At that Tali nodded resolutely. "Good point. Alright, well, let me bring up the schematics. I'll have to figure out how to repair it on the go, maybe there's something in the blueprint to help us."

Goddess, what a nightmare.

"Yet another good idea, the Commander thought," Liara inwardly sighed. It took all of her to lift up her arms - but she preferred the safety of this vehicle than to trust walking beside it. Now she just had to prove to the team that they could trust walking beside it with her as the driver. "Lieutenant Alenko or Chief Williams would've been the better options, but I suppose my biotics won't prove to be as useful as firepower - especially at range."

Communication static erupted to life in the private feed of her helmet.

≤Establishing a private channel, doc. We're almost done organizing ourselves out here, then I'll walk you through operating the mako.≥

Oh, thank the Goddess there's some kind of guidance! Liara waited patiently, gesturing to Tali that there was no need to study the schematics to learn how to drive. She eagerly waited and let out a breath of relief - of one she didn't know she held - when she heard Shepard's reassuring voice on the comms again. She already proved and renowned herself to be an excellent shooting instructor, and there was no doubt in Liara's mind that she was going to master the mako with such a fantastic teacher.

≤So, uh, pull on the doo-hickey until it clicks all the way down, push the thingamajig in, then pedal to the metal until I say stop.≥

...Uh huh.

Bruises were added to the roster, apart from muscle soreness. She was certain the entire side of her ribs would be painted with a pretty purple, after the crash she took when part of the bridge began to cave in beneath the mako. The adrenaline then - and the rushing flood of it leaving - had completely sapped her energy away, apart from the gruelling horrors they'd later learned when they encountered the Thorian and it's minions. Liara slogged along to the lockers and began the weary process of dismantling her armour, though didn't bother to take off her suit yet. She didn't trust herself not to pass out from exhaustion without donning her regular attire.

"Great work today, doc!" Commander Shepard shouted from down the hangar bay. "Tali, you too! That tire repair was the fastest I'd ever seen!"

Well, yeah, because it was literally life or death if they couldn't drive off the crumbling bridge in time. That the vanguard seemed immune to the fact that there were near-death experiences threatening them all at some point in the mission was not a promising indication that things were going to get less scary during this pursuit on Saren.

But, as always, the rest of the team - apart from Tali this time, at least - seemed to be unperturbed by the way that mission went, that they were just used to danger. What a life she lived differently from such stalwart soldiers. Nobody even seemed surprised about the nature of the Thorian. Liara kept it to herself that she thought it was a shame for such a specimen to be eradicated. Of course she understood the necessity, to save the colonists of Zhu's Hope and prevent further malicious unethical research again; it was equally a shame that such a specimen was so violent and violating, but to have been able to study the profound effects of the spores in depth... To understand the connection of such an ability that might've yielded valuable information in her research on the Protheans. And-

And she wasn't going to sleep tonight, was she?

"I hope I do. I'm exhausted..."

A warm shower was in order first. She left the hangar bay, catching on far too late that she never replied or even looked over at the Commander - but at least neither did the quarian, who boarded the elevator with her in silence. They went their separate ways and she lumbered over to the communal showers, thankful that it was mostly quiet with the night crew shift in effect. Her forehead collided and rested against her locker as she slovenly worked off her thermal suit.

Curiosity drew her gaze down to her ribs, where she palmed her breast and winced at the sharp ache from the stretch of skin alone. She sighed at the sight of the deep burgundy bruise swallowing a nice chunk of her torso.

A firm clear of the throat announced a presence that entered the locker room, but the footsteps sounded like they raced around to be out of sight. Liara immediately tore her locker apart for the fresh towel she prepared from last time, in the event she would ever get caught off guard in times like now. She wrapped it around her with such vigour that it made even her wonder where she still had strength hiding in such wobbly arms. She mustered the courage to look around the barren locker room, her face flushed hot over the knowledge that Shepard was in here at all. There was rummaging in one of the lockers - but the Commander's locker was in this aisle. Liara delved back into her locker when the doors hissed open, and Chief Williams was the next to enter.

Never before had the asari moved as quickly as she did now, putting to shame all her records in the drills she'd survived. She prayed with all her might that Shepard would have enough courtesy to wait and stall in the locker room, and shed her towel in her race to the closest shower. She clenched her teeth and suffered through the chattering as ice-cold water blasted her down - at least it felt refreshing against the throbbing heat of her fresh bruise.

Courage was nonexistent and she couldn't bring herself to look behind her when the doors hissed open again, nor check if the body in her peripheral vision was Chief Williams or Commander Shepard. She tilted her head ever so slightly and melted with relief when she couldn't spot vividly red hair.

"Hey thanks for saving our asses today, T'Soni," Williams yawned. "Pulled in clutch with the mako when you rammed into that armature for us." Her head seemed to turn, and she whistled. "Woo-ee, that's a big bruise. Should get Dr. Chakwas to check you out and make sure you didn't fracture anything, get some ice on that too."

"F-fracture?" Liara glanced over, then palmed her breast to look down again. She turned off her shower and hissed at the sharp ache again. "I've never broken a bone before."

"Does it hurt to breathe?"

"A little..."

"Well, hurts a lot when you break a rib. Can't speak for asari though. I'd get checked out if I were you, better safe than sorry." Williams turned her shower off and brazenly came over, comfortable in nudity - what a peculiar behaviour for these humans. Or military in general. She gave a reassuring pat on the shoulder and raked her soaked hair out her face, grinning. "You're pretty badass for an egg-head. Too bad it's not a scar. Wear it with pride, then."

At that, Liara's eyes nearly bulged. "Are humans like krogan, in that regard? I've never understood the emphasis or appeal for-"

Ashley's laughter cut her off, and the soldier sauntered off with a shake of her head. "Don't ask me. Everybody's got different opinions about it. Anyways, get checked. Later T'Soni."

Liara stood awkwardly, looking down to check her bruise again. She mused on all the times she's seen Shepard's skin - not that she was spying, but sometimes the Commander wore the bare minimum for her most intense workouts - and how there were scars mapping a lot of her body as if it was an art canvas. She wondered if Shepard held any importance in her scars, or if she'd appreciate one on Liara.

"What a strange thought... It's almost as though they suggest to sustain injuries intentionally, in order to showcase scars as their trophies. I would not want to get hurt any more than this."

Concern and anxiety brewed quickly at the mention of fractures. She tried to temper her breathing rather than antagonize herself on purpose in some meagre attempt to self-diagnose. She retrieved and wrapped her towel around her before she went back in the locker room, catching the tuft of red hair that waited around one of the corners. She blushed when she caught a side-view of the human's rump and raced to her locker to get her spare clothes.

With no certainty as to whether or not Chief Williams was still in here, other than it being dead silent in here, Liara took a chance and cleared her throat to ascertain a steady voice - one she did not have as it cracked and faded in embarrassment. "Th-thank you for waiting, Commander."

"Yep." An awkward cough. "No problem. Ash told me about how serious your bruise looks - are you going to Dr. Chakwas now?"

"Y-yes. I'm sure it's not too serious, I was under the impression that I would be in more debillitating pain, from how Chief Williams explained it."

"Likely. But that's what Chakwas is there for, it's good for peace of mind and see the extent of what's going on. Will be helpful for me to know too whether I can take you on missions or not for the next week or however long you need to recover."

"Oh. Right." Liara checked often to make sure there was no spying, working her clothes on with haste. "Um... I'm going now." She put her towel in the chute, went through the closets to pack a fresh one in her locker, and stiffly made her way for the exit. She didn't hear Shepard moving and glanced behind her shoulder out of concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yep." Another awkward cough. "All good."

There was a significant lack of 'love' being thrown about, or any of the other strange idioms that the Commander enjoyed to employ. Shepard sounded strained as if in pain. Liara braved a few steps over to check the aisle the vanguard was in, her eyes widening in panic. She rushed over upon seeing Shepard doubled over on the bench, clutching her stomach. There was no thought for modesty as the asari grabbed at elbows, but biotics pushed her off with a strong pulse that smelled wretched. She looked up at the Commander's eyes, and she knew then what she had to do. She engaged her omni-tool and sent a message for Dr. Chakwas to come here as soon as she could, then sifted through a random locker until she found a sweater to help cover Shepard.

"I'm fine," Shepard growled, but she clawed at her stomach - then her head. Her eyes were bloodshot.

"Don't be stubborn. You've clearly been compromised by something," Liara hissed, kneeling and shoving her fingers under the jawline to find a pulse to measure. "Did something penetrate your armour? Malfunctioning filters? Maybe you inhaled spores, a concentrated dose from the Thorian-"

Veins gradually popped and Shepard groaned, curling over as she clutched her head and sleuthed curses under her breath. She heaved gasps and her condition seemed to be rapidly deteriorating. "Helmet. Visor cracked when I charged at one of the primes."

"You what?!"

"Can't say fuck all to me, love," Shepard strained a laugh, but it sounded wounded and slick. "You rammed an armature. Inspired me."

"You're not a mako, Commander," Liara sighed. She grew incredibly antsy, then melted with relief when Dr. Chakwas entered the locker room with a medical kit in tow. She wore a mask and handed spare ones to both the asari and Shepard.

"Chief Williams has been informed. I'll be closing this locker room and ordering a thorough decontamination in the event the Commander is contagious, you'll need a thorough check after, Dr. T'Soni. Please put your masks on before we transfer you to the med-bay; are you able to walk, Commander?"

"I can try," Shepard grumbled, her every move lacking the lively energy she almost always had, no matter what.

It was shattering to see her become so frail, so quickly.

As they walked - or tried to - they had stayed close to the Commander's side as she wobbled along. She would clutch at her head and groan, cussing under her breath. Liara took it upon herself and utilized her biotics to lift Shepard, ignoring the curses and the weak pulses of biotics against hers in an effort for the vanguard to be put down. She never had such a vile smell to her biotics before, and that was deeply concerning.

"Whatever is affecting her is influencing her nervous system," Liara informed Dr. Chakwas, "It's jeopardizing her biotics."

"Understood."

Upon reaching the infirmary, Dr. Chakwas went into her supplies and returned with a needle, expertly threading it into Shepard's inner elbow even as she floated about in the air. The vanguard was growing abnormally agitated, though whatever was injected had soon sedated her. Liara followed Dr. Chakwas' lead and carefully lowered the Commander on one of the plinths, looking over in concern when she saw Ashley curled over her plinth, grabbing at her head as well.

It wasn't long before Liara began to feel nauseous, a headache that started in the back of her skull. Next came the strong putrid taste of phlegm, where each inhale felt slimier and slimier until her nose was completely stuffed. She tried to stay calm and aware so that she could still keep helping Dr. Chakwas. Every harsh suck of breath flared up the bruised ache burrowed in her ribs. She gritted her teeth and grabbed at her head when there was a skull-pounding headache that surged down from her eyes to her spine. A strong wave of dizziness took her and she vaguely registered hands guiding her to fall in a chair.

The last thing she heard before passing out was Dr. Chakwas announcing a ship-wide alert on the system comms.

"Everybody that was just on the ground party in Zhu's Hope, isolate immediately. You've been compromised by a viral infection and will spread it to the crew."

This was not what Liara had in mind in order to study the profound effects of the spores in depth.