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When Jane woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and gasping for air, she knew it was going to be one of those nights. The nightmares weren’t as frequent as they once were, but Jane lost sleep at least once or twice a month. Tonight would be different because she intended to just roll with the punches and not lay there for hours, struggling to fall back to sleep before the sun finally started to rise
After Jane’s breathing calmed down some, she threw the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She eyed the cane resting against the wall just beside the bed and wondered if it was a good idea to say screw it and get up without it. Since leaving the hospital, Jane’s walking had improved, but she still required frequent use of a mobility aide— much to her dismay.
Jane spent a minute mulling it over until realizing she’d never hear the end of it from Garrus if she left it sitting there. She begrudgingly grabbed it, slowly walking onto the balcony that overlooked the beach.
It had been both their idea to move here once Jane was deemed well enough to not be under the constant survey of doctors. They joked about it back in London, but all Jane could think about while laying in that hospital bed was leaving the Alliance for good and spending the rest of her days with Garrus somewhere quiet.
When Jane left Garrus and Ashley behind to finally end things with the Reapers once and for all, she knew she might not survive. She didn’t want to die, but Jane accepted that one person could only cheat death so many times before their luck ran out. It was a damned miracle she survived the Citadel collapsing, let alone being able to walk again with only the help of a cane.
“Are you having nightmares again?” Garrus asked, suddenly appearing by Jane’s side and wrapping an arm about her waist he found so supportive, a comment that still made her chuckle to this day.
Jane sighed and leaned against Garrus. “Yeah, but what else is new?”
“Anything I can do, Jane?”
“Just… stay out here with me for a while,” she said, hating how weak her voice sounded, but if anyone were to see that side of her then Jane wanted it to be Garrus. He was the one she felt most comfortable around— probably always had.
Garrus nodded, mandibles fluttering in amusement. “Can do, Shepard.”
He rarely called her Shepard anymore and when Garrus did, it made Jane remember all that time they spent together on the Normandy. It wasn’t all bad. Most of it was pretty good, give or take a few incidents. Like the one that ended with her being spaced.
They stood out there until Jane felt satisfied she had chased the nightmares away. She walked back inside, Jane’s free hand entwined with Garrus’s.
Finally Jane felt like she could get some sleep.