Finding a Way: Mass Effect 1

Chapter 25

He opened his eyes and tried to get to his feet, noting a searing pain in his right leg as he did. He looked and found a long gash down the thigh from all the shrapnel and debris that had crashed into the room. He got medi-gel on it and managed to get up. Garrus was doing the same not far from him, but seemed to have come through without any injuries.

"Aubrey?!" he called out, eyes searching frantically around the room.

Wrex and Ashley were already pushing their way through some of the piles of rubble calling for her, as well, and Garrus joined them. He wasn't sure where Liara had gotten to and part of his mind realized he should be worried about her, too.

"Aubrey?!" he called again.

"Over here!" Wrex finally called, drawing their attention to an area where the soft blue glow of biotics could be seen from under the rubble.

Garrus and Wrex were already moving pieces of debris as he limped over. He tried to stay calm as he helped them lift. If she was using her biotics it meant she was alive. They were finally able to look down into the hole left by the moved rubble and saw Aubrey laying at the bottom of a collapsed section of the floor. The left side of her face was bloody from a gash across her head, but she looked up at them and finally let the barrier that had kept the debris off her fall. Her left arm was bent at an unnatural angle and a piece of rebar had impaled her right shoulder. Despite all her injuries she smiled when she saw them.

Wrex jumped down next to her and examined the right shoulder and rebar.

"Thanks for sticking around, Wrex," she groaned as she tried to shift her weight.

"Warriors of Clan Urdnot stick together, "he said with a grin. At her look of surprise, he elaborated, "Between a Thorian and a Reaper, I figure you're covered in proving yourself to join the Clan."

She smiled through the pain and said, "Thanks, Wrex."

He nodded at her. "This is gonna hurt," he informed her as he cut the bar close to her skin with his omni-blade and prepared to lift her off it.

"Everything else does," she said jokingly, but quickly lost the wry grin as he lifted her and she clenched her jaw and cried out in pain as her shoulder slid off the rebar.

Wrex carried her up to them and set her on one of the benches nearby, making room so he could sit next to her.

"I thought we said no more throwing?" he scolded her, even as she leaned against his side and he wrapped his arm around her, resting his cheek on her head.

"We said you wouldn't throw me," she clarified, "Never said I couldn't throw you."

He huffed a small laugh before kissing her forehead. He was too happy to have her alive and next to him to continue arguing, or to care about the blatant displays of affection in front of the rest of the team.

All of a sudden, Liara's voice rang out across the room, "I found help!"

Wrex slid to the side to briefly hide them from the view of Captain Anderson and the Alliance medics following Liara, giving them time to put a more appropriate distance between them on the bench. He winked at them as he stepped back to let the medics through.

"Captain," Shepard tried to salute, but couldn't quite get her right hand to her temple.

"Relax, Commander. It's damn good to see you in one piece."

"You, too, sir," she said, but her words were slurred and mumbled.

"Shepard?" he said with concern, as her head rolled to the side and she lost consciousness. The medics jumped into action, lifted her onto a gurney and whisked her away before he could ask any questions, but he heard them talking about a brain bleed and surgery and felt the color drain from his face.

"Kaidan, you need medical attention, too," Liara said, helping him stand and leading him in the same direction. She had found the perfect excuse for him to be in the best place to know how Aubrey was doing without giving away anything about their relationship. He had found some damn good friends, he thought to himself as he limped along beside her.