We need an anchor
"So, what are we supposed to do? Take turns in holding her hand and talk to her?" Liara sounded hesitant while looking down at Dani's still form in the med bay bed.
"Yep," Shepard nodded at her. "And see who she responds to. That person will be her anchor and Dani will be their charge for when she goes in a state of hyper-awareness again. If what Dr. Torque says is true and this is more likely to happen when she feels . . . excluded . . . We'll have to make sure she doesn't feel excluded again."
"She is a bit odd, but really . . . all you humans are. She seems nice enough, I have no objection. But, what if no one on board the Normandy can bring her back?" Tali asked with her metallic thrumming voice.
"She'll listen," Shepard said with conviction. "She has to!"
"Okay, so who on this ship is she most likely to respond to? I vote you Shepard," Garrus said while settling his gaze on his commander, mentor and friend.
"I agree. Shepard, you are the most obvious choice. You should go first."
"Liara, I'm not . . . I don't think . . . Tali is the first person she smiled to. And you were the first to give her a hug. Though that might have traumatized her for life!"
Liara scoffed, but smiled when the rest started to snicker.
"Well, I think it's safe to assume my soft pleading voice will only have an opposite effect. So, if you don't need me for anything else, I have some work to do."
"Fine, Ashley. You can go for the moment. Kaidan, I assume you'll want to go as well. I do want to make it clear, should the necessity arise, you are expected to try!"
At least Kaidan had the decency to look mildly ashamed. "Aye aye, Commander," he said and left the med bay, following Ashley on her heels.
"Garrus, you want to leave as well?" Shepard turned to look at him. "Not much you can do either, unless you want to scare her even deeper into a coma."
He said it as a joke, but his serious posture was all revealing. He was disappointed in the lack of compassion shown by his human crew mates. Though Shepard was right and he would be of very little use, he didn't want to disappoint his friend. Plus, he found he actually wanted to stick around. For Shepard, but also for the young woman.
"If it's all the same to you, Commander. I'd like to stay. Be here."
Shepard nodded in acknowledgment. Garrus nodded back.
It was just the six of them. The only two humans present were Shepard and Dr. Chakwas. The other four were as alien as alien could get in human perspective. A quarian, an asari and a turian were there in the room, ready to support and help a little human they didn't even know all that well.
Hell, even Wrex, a krogan, was there. He too was offering as much support as he could. Which granted, was not much, but it was the idea that counted.
"Garrus could always threaten to try and kiss her awake. If that threat is not enough to make her snap out of this, I don't know what else can!"
They all nervously laughed at Tali's joke. Even Garrus wasn't offended. Finally Shepard took a seat next to the bed. He awkwardly took Dani's hand in his own. "Dani, I don't do comfort and soothing very well. So, please . . . save me further embarrassment and come back to us, okay? That's an order by the way.
So . . ."
There was no reaction of any kind coming from Dani. They all waited a few moments. Still nothing. Shepard closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
Then turned his attention to his friends with an apologetic look before he quickly got up from the seat.
"Sorry, I suck at this. Military pep talks are so much easier. Tali?"
"Keelah! What do I say?"
"Just say what comes up. Look at it this way. You can't suck any more than I did."
"Well, at least that's true," Tali agreed nervously before sitting down. Instead of taking Dani's hand in her own, she placed both her hands on top of it. "Dani," she started. "I know we haven't talked much, not as much as I would have liked anyway. I understand you find it hard, to talk, to anyone. I just hope . . .
I want you to know. Keelah, there's so much I would like to tell you. For now, all I can say is, come back to us Dani. Keelah se'lai. Come back, and I'll explain what that means."
Again they waited, anxiously searching for a sign that heralded her return. But nothing happened. Tali sighed, got up and offered the seat to Liara.
"I, I don't think I'm the right person for this," Liara said, her eyes big and bright with uncertainty.
"If anyone should have been able to – It's you two. But she didn't. And she won't. Not with me."
"Liara please, just try," Shepard implored.
"Yes, of course."
She sat down and took Dani's hand in both of hers, squeezing gently. "Dani, I'm not sure I'm the right person for this. I wanted you to feel welcome so bad, I messed up. I just wanted to give you a hug but all you saw was someone violating your personal space. But we talked, a couple times. I'd like to think we got passed that. I'd like to think that, no matter how much you distance yourself, you consider me a friend. Because I consider you a friend. "
No response.
"I'm sorry Shepard," Liara sighed in defeat.
"Liara, you tried. You did your best."
That left Karin, Garrus and Wrex.
"Dr. Chakwas?"
"Sorry Commander, one step ahead of you. I already tried. Several times," she said sadly.
"Don't look at me," Wrex started. "Let skull face try first. If she doesn't die of fright I can give a holler. Maybe roar a bit. But I don't hold hands."
"Isn't there anyone else on the crew we could ask? Maybe bring Dani in the comm room so Alex can give it go? She might not need touch,"
Garrus knew he was the last person on the ship Dani would respond to, so why bother trying? He was already trying to figure out a different approach.
"You're right, of course. But, you're here now anyway so why don't you at least give it a shot while I go and make an announcement? Wrex, that goes for you too!" Shepard gave a curt nod, then turned around and left the med bay.
"Garrus, even if she won't respond, at least you know you gave it a try. That's got to be worth something, right? " Liara prodded.
"Fine, just don't blame me if she goes into sudden heart arrest or spontaneously combusts."
As the others before him, Garrus awkwardly seated himself down in the chair that wasn't exactly built for turian anatomy. He looked down at her still form, her eyes still wide open, staring off into space. He reached out tentatively, intent on carefully taking her hand in his long three-fingered hand and suddenly stopped. They had all tried the same thing, took turns in holding her hand, implored her to snap out of it. How did Dr. Torque put it again? She's lost in her own thought process. Lost . . . Acting on impulse he gently grasped Dani by her shoulders and pulled her upright, causing her head to loll back.
"Garrus, what are you doing?" Karin gasped in surprise.
"Just trying a different approach doctor. In case you hadn't noticed, holding hands and asking her to come back isn't doing a whole lot."
He slipped an arm around her back for support and wrapped the fingers of his free hand around her head, gently raising it up and turning it slightly so he could look into her unseeing eyes. It was a weird sensation, holding this human so intimately in his embrace. His talons were tangled in her long pale hair which hardly held any color at all. Except maybe when the sun brushed the thick tresses, then an iridescent glow would emit through the soft looking locks, making them sparkle like a running stream. He now concluded her hair actually felt as silky and soft as it looked. Even better in fact.
In his mind, human faces all pretty much looked alike. Or maybe that was just him because he never paid that much attention to their features anyway. But hair had always fascinated him. And the hair on this particular individual had captured his attention from the very start.
He felt uncomfortable noticing the soft curves of her body. Such stark contrast with the athletic slimness of Ashley. He was used to humans who could hold their own in a fight. But this little human was soft in every single way. Useless really. And he couldn't help but wondering, if that mind of hers was so extraordinary, shouldn't it have been protected in a sturdier package?
"There we go," he muttered softly to no one in particular. "Now Dani, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see up close and personal . . . Hell, nothing probable about it, it's a given! But, we're running out of options so unless you want the sweet voice of Wrex ringing in your ears, you better start paying attention! Spirits, I'm rambling now."
In the background noise Garrus heard Shepard making the announcement. He even heard Joker shout for his crutches.
"Dani, if you can hear me, just concentrate on my voice. That pressure you feel in your back? Yeah that's me holding you. Concentrate on that too. I'm right in front of you so if you can, concentrate on using your eyes. You'll find me here, looking right back at you. Now, if that makes you feel like you want to flee in the opposite direction, I can understand but advise you not to. Unless Wrex shouting in your ears, shattering your ear drums actually sounds appealing to you."
He kept talking to her, his voice steady and calm, hoping some of his words would find a way through, helping her to find her way back.
