Home: Chapter 6 - Part 1

The throbbing came first, like fingers anxiously tapping a tattoo on his skull. Each thrum pulled him a little farther out of the murky shadows clouding his mind.  Breaching from the darkness, his lungs swallowed a ragged breath. The smell of antiseptic, stinging and biting his nose, greeted him to the world of the conscious. Throbbing morphed into razors slicing the back of his brain. His skull felt like it would shatter into a million pieces if he moved the wrong way. He groaned against the agony, willing to dive back into the darkness and away from the pain.

"Seems like my patient is finally awake," an accented female voice announced, drawing closer with every quiet footstep. "I need to check your reactions. Open your eyes for me please."

Nerves firing, they begged his lids to open. Pain convinced his lids otherwise and remained closed.  Heaviness welded them shut to any attempt. Too weak to even open my eyes. Pathetic, Vakarian. His bedside presence heavily sighed away any remaining patience. Firm fingers peeled open his eyes.

White seared through the black of his vision and mind. The light stabbed his skull with fiery fingers. Soon it faded, leaving dark red splotches. Splotches turned to dark silhouettes, slowly adjusting into clearer detail. Doctor Chakwas stood by his bed in what he could only assume was the Normandy's medical bay. Her fingers twiddled with the thin flashlight that had caused him so much suffering.

"I am pleased to say that you have suffered nothing more than a minor concussion, Officer Vakarian," Chakwas smiled, wrinkles creasing at the corners of her bright green eyes. "Just don't make a habit of hitting your head against hard objects; next time you might not be as lucky."

"Thanks, Doc. I'll keep it in mind next time I have the urge to bang my head on something," Garrus coughed. Words scratched at his unused, dry throat.

Garrus rubbed the bandages crowning his head desperately trying to get at the irritated skin underneath. He hated having on bandages, especially on his face. They always itched and caused unsightly rashes. Thankfully he would not have to wear one for any length of time. Doctor Chakwas shook her head at his scratching, white mane of hair swishing about in a disapproving manner.

A swoosh of a door opening distracted Garrus from his clawing. "Dr. Chakwas, I heard voices. Does that mean – " Liara T'Soni bounded into the medical bay. Her large eyes quickly shifted from Chakwas in her chair to Garrus sitting upright in his bed. A tiny grin flicked at her full lips, adding a child-like brightness to her round face. "You are awake. Thank the Goddess you're alright."

Liara approached his bed, smoothing out her tight uniform before perching on the edge of the mattress next to him. Her smile crept further across her face as she met his eyes for a moment.  Hesitation and anxiety quivered her pupils until she broke her gaze, looking instead at her clenched hands.

"I… How are you feeling?" she stumbled over her words.

"I'm as fine as can be, Dr. T'Soni," Garrus reassured her, leaning back against the angled bed. "Dr. Chakwas gave me a relatively clean bill of health."

"Please, call me Liara," she lifted her eyes to his. Her hand crept over to his own, resting it on top of his scales, encircling them in her cool flesh. "I wanted to thank you for rescuing me down in the Prothean mines. Being locked away in that security measure had sapped much of my strength. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't carried me out of there."

"Well you wouldn't be here and I wouldn't have a concussion. But I think it's a fair trade off."

"Yes, well, I am glad that you think that it was worth it. Let me know what I can do for you. I am in your debt, Garrus."

She gripped his hand tighter for a second as if trying to relay her strength into him. As suddenly as she let go of his hand, her lips brushed against his cheekbone. Blood rushed to meet and warm the spot her lips had touched, tingling his skin. Liara scampered away, purple flushing into her freckled face, as Garrus smiled at the asari's actions. She's older than me and yet she acts like some nervous adolescent. Garrus wondered how long she'd remain enamored with him just because he had picked her up in a crisis. A small part of him hoped it would remain for a while – imagining wrapping her in his arms to protect her small body.