Chapter Text
“Ow,” Regan Shepard groaned, shifting amid the rubble piled on top of and around her. Everything hurt. Things she didn’t know could hurt, did. But she was alive, wasn’t she? She wouldn’t be feeling pain if she weren’t alive … right? She’d just saved the world … several worlds, hadn’t she? So this couldn’t be hell, and heaven wouldn’t be filled with nothing but pain.
“Captain, we’ve got another survivor!”
“She looks pretty bad. Can we get her out?”
“Wait, is that …? Could it really be her?”
“Commander Shepard?! It is her! Quick, get her free!”
Regan could hear strange voices … could make out silhouettes amid the dust and debris floating around her field of vision. Some of the voices seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place them. What was going on? Were the Reapers gone? Did they win? Why couldn’t she feel … well, a lot of bits. “Who … who are you?” she mouthed while trying to reach her gun. Was she even speaking? Could they hear her? They apparently knew her, but did that mean they were on her side? Why couldn’t she find her gun? Was she actually moving?
“It’s alright, Commander,” a feminine voice said. It was familiar, comforting. She knew that voice, had shared many an evening just sitting … chatting about men and battles and life and … well, everything. She wasn’t quite used to that particular voice being quite so soothing. “We’re going to get you out of here and patched up.”
“Ka – Kasumi?” Regan whispered, willing herself to focus. If Kasumi was here, that had to mean they won, didn’t it? She wouldn’t be … wherever … if the Reapers had won. “Did we win? Where … where’s Kaidan?” Once she realized that she was alive and could think straight, she knew she had to find him. He had to know she was OK. He couldn’t be dead; he had to be somewhere, waiting for her. She couldn’t … wouldn’t let him think she was dead … again.
“We … we don’t know where he is,” the young woman admitted sadly. She watched as medics worked to unearth Shepard as quickly and safely as possible and loaded her onto a stretcher. She didn’t look to be as badly injured as feared, but it would still take a great deal of time to heal. Thankfully, some of the council’s best doctors were still on earth, and Miranda was still around. She had access to the equipment they’d need and lots of money that used to belong to Cerberus. “We … we lost contact with the ship when the Citadel exploded. We don’t know where they are. But the Reapers are gone!”
“What?!” Regan tried to sit up. This was more than she could handle. Her ship was … gone? Her ship and … and … all her friends? And Kaidan? They were just … gone? No, no, no, no no. She had to find a way to get back to him; had to get going. But she couldn’t move. She could feel her body trying to react, but it just … wouldn’t. “What do you mean you don’t know where they are? And why can’t I move? I have to get to Kaidan.” At least the Reapers wouldn’t be back, though that was small consolation.
“You can’t move because you’re strapped to a gurney,” Zaeed growled, appearing out of nowhere. The mercenary strode over the two women, fighting the urge to crack a smile. Shepard was the only person in a long time who’d managed to crack his tough exterior and the news she was alive was an astounding relief. And Kasumi wasn’t half bad, as long as she wasn’t trying to sneak something out of his pockets.
“I … I have to find Kaidan,” Regan groaned, willing her limbs to fight against her restraints … and whatever else was keeping them still. She knew it couldn’t just be the straps holding her down; she couldn’t even feel the fabric. “I … I promised.” She needed to see him, needed to know he was alive and alright. She needed him to see she was alive – broken, but alive.
“You have to heal, first.” Zaeed pointed out the obvious, shaking his head. He had to give her credit; she was a fighter. A normal person would have just laid there, whining about being in pain or not being able to feel their limbs. But not Shepard; she was trying to get moving, trying to do things she felt she needed to. “Besides, it will take time to find the Normandy.” He glanced over at Kasumi and sighed. “If we can find the Normandy.” He took over for Kasumi, maneuvering the gurney through the crumbling building serving as the hospital. It was in better shape than most of London, and the medics had been assured that it would not collapse on them.
“We will,” a new voice assured them. It was another feminine voice, full of confidence and swagger. Regan knew that voice too. It was the same voice she’d heard the last time she was waking up from what she tried to think of as simply a prolonged sleep. Though, the last time had been much more of a shock, and might have been a much longer sleep.
“We … we have to stop … meeting like this,” Regan forced out, again trying to sit up. She hated being stuck like this. She needed to be up, moving … finding a way to track the Normandy. She needed to find a way back to him. Why couldn’t she move? “Miranda, I need to ….”
Miranda shook her head and fought back a smile. Even after all this time, Shepard hadn’t changed a bit. She refused to believe she needed to rest, needed to heal. “You need to just lay there and rest for a blasted minute,” the former Cerberus agent instructed. “We can fix you, and … if you did what we discussed, finding the Normandy will be a thousand times easier.” She’d been surprised at Shepard’s request, originally. It seemed like such a frivolous thing - creating pieces of jewelry that could double as a sort of tracking device and a sort of mental link. But smuggled Cerberus funds and equipment in a base hidden on Earth had made the project surprisingly easy. And it should work, even without the relays.
“He has it,” Regan replied, trying to nod. “As long as … he was … on the Normandy … we should be good.” She’d almost forgotten to give Kaidan the pendant. All their work … her planning … would have been for nothing if that’d happened. But she’d given it to him; put it around his neck and tucked it into his armor herself. She knew he’d keep it safe. “And I’ve still got my medallion.” The medallion she wore was her way of making sure she had a connection to that pendant. She didn’t understand all the details; that had been a Miranda & EDI thing. But she knew enough, and she knew she needed that medallion to make the thing work.
“Good. I’ll have someone get to work on setting up the link,” Miranda nodded, motioning for several medics to come over. “Now, let’s get you patched up.” She pointed them in the direction of a well-sealed room and went to find Padok Wiks. The Salarians may be an excitable bunch, but they were smart, and he was one of their best, and right now, Shepard needed the best. It was going to be tough to bring her back from this, but if anyone could pull through, it was Regan Shepard.