Work Text:
Shepard was dead. Garrus didn't cry over her death yet. He was drowning in pain meds. It was a never ending numbness that made him feel weightless and free, and he desperately wanted it to last.
His mind was filled with fuzz and his eyesight wouldn't clear, but he still tried to take in his surroundings anyway. The walls of sterile metal gleamed so brightly it gave him a migraine. He squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to lift his hand to his eyes.
"You're awake."
Garrus turned his head as fast as the drugs would let him towards the voice. He slowly removed his hand from his eyes and prepared for the pain of sunlight. He opened his eyes and blinked until his vision was clear enough to see Tali standing in the doorway. She meandered over to a chair by his bed and sat. She leaned towards him, resting her elbows on her knees and threading her fingers together.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, making sure her voice was soft enough to not hurt Garrus' head.
"I'm not feeling all that much. Pain meds are amazing and wonderful, don't let anyone tell you different."
Tali huffed out a laugh, turning her head down. The laugh was weak, more like a sigh than a laugh.
They sat in silence for what felt like hours. Tali kept her head turned down, twiddling her fingers and fidgeting while staring at the floor. Or, at least Garrus thought she was staring at the floor. She needed a more transparent helmet, he was becoming paranoid about not seeing where her eyes were. He wasn't sure why he felt paranoid but he had a suspicion it-
"Shepard is dead."
Garrus felt a sharp stab at the back of his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block the tears from spilling.
"I know. I know..."
He could hear her sobbing quietly. She was curled into a ball and was shaking. She was trying so hard to be silent, trying to choke back all of her noises.
It was one of the most heartbreaking things he had ever heard, and he started to sob with her. He felt agony inside and out, the pain meds of no use.
He wished he had never woken up.
He rubbed his eyes with his left hand, wiping incoming tears endlessly, and he jumped when he felt a weight on his right hand. He removed his hand and turned to stare at Tali. He could sense her looking at their hands, her hand rubbing and squeezing his hand soothingly.
"Come home with me. After you're done better. Please," her voice started to crack, "Please. I don't want to be alone, and I don't want you to be alone either."
Her head lifted and Garrus was met with the impenetrable glass of her helmet. He dropped his gaze down to their hands. Her hand was constantly moving and squeezing, as if staying still would cause her even more agony.
Garrus squeezed her hand back, stilling her, and rubbed one of his talons over her gloved hand over and over. He looked back at her, staring at the opaque glass, and murmured, "Okay."