AN: I had to make some changes to the story, but it's still the same gist. This takes place about a month after the ending of Mass Effect 3 with the "Destroy the Reapers" ending. If you haven't seen the ending of the game, I suggest you do because there will be spoilers!

R&R Please! 3

No Shepard without Vakarian

Garrus runs as fast as he can into the medical ward on Sur'Kesh. Tali attempts to keep up behind him and keep him from doing anything hasty. The other members of the Normandy crew follow them, some slower than others, all wanting the same thing…to see her

"They're not going to let you just barge in there, Garrus! They have protocol, you know. Who knows what condition she's in?" Tali says breathlessly.

"I don't care." Garrus replied, "I want to see her…"

"We all do, Garrus, but that doesn't mean any of us will get to see her this soon." Liara tells him calmly. She is slightly behind Tali in the group following the Turian Rebel.

"But I…I need to see her…" He slows a bit, letting Liara and Tali catch up to him. The asari Shadow Broker puts her hand on Garrus's shoulder comfortingly. It was due to her connections that they knew Shepard was here. Since the Citadel was destroyed and had not been fully repaired yet, once Shepard's body was found in the rubble the decision was made to take her to the Salarian homeworld of Sur'Kesh, due to their medical and scientific prowess. The hospital and council had been trying to keep it under wraps just in case something went wrong recovering her body and putting her in ICU. After Shepard had disappeared, most of the galaxy had thought she was dead. There were some riots after the Reapers were destroyed, blaming the Council for not coming to Shepard's aid and not believing her initial warnings of the Reaper Invasion. The galaxy had already suffered enough loss during the war; they didn't need to lose the woman who risked her life to protect the people she knew and those she didn't know. The Council didn't need people flocking to see Shepard so soon after she was assumed to be dead and crowding her in such a vulnerable state. They also didn't need anyone trying to put her in a worse condition.

"If I knew you would attempt to force your way into the hospital, perhaps I shouldn't have told you Shepard's whereabouts." Liara showed humor in her voice as she spoke.

"It was good that you did, Liara…I had seen the bar too much these past few weeks…" Garrus sighed. He had been from bar to bar in the past weeks since Shepard went MIA. Her face haunted his dreams and he could hear her voice in his head. Drinking seemed to be the only thing that shut out the memories, the voices. Not even the shooting gallery was enough to satiate his need for her. He often returned to Shepard's room on the Normandy. He had been sleeping there since the war came to an end, and in a drunken stupor would call out for her to dance with him. The Turian was a wreck, but that would all change now, he hoped.

"We should see, at least, if they'll let us in. Even if it's for a moment, it's something…" he said hoping, praying the doctors would. Liara nodded as they waited for Ashley, James, and Joker. He was still slow, but he was pushing himself to move as fast as his body would allow. This was important to him, so it took everything to ignore his breaking bones as much as he could without doing too much damage to himself. Once they all caught up, they entered an elevator leading to the hospital floor.

The six crewmembers entered the hospital cautiously. Liara approached a Salarian receptionist at a desk to enquire about their Commander being able to have visitors. Garrus had walked to the doors leading into the hospital rooms and began to pace. A familiar voice rings from his side.

"You don't want to go in there." It says at which time Kasumi Goto materializes next to him, "She's in pretty bad shape."

"You had clearance?" Garrus asked, surprised to see the hooded girl next to him. Kasumi laughs,

"Of course not," she says, "But when did that ever stop me?"

"How is she…?" Garrus asks after a pause.

"I couldn't get a great look with all the doctors around her, but from what I did see, she's not looking great. I know she'll pull through. She's gone on how many suicide missions now that a few little scratches won't keep her down."

Garrus looks through a glass door trying to pinpoint Shepard's location based on the description Kasumi gave him. The individual rooms he couldn't see into, but he could look into the hallway. There were a handful of doctors outside one of the rooms and suddenly the door opened and a crowd of doctors and nurses surrounded a gurney. Most were Salarain, some Asari, and a few were Human. They seemed a bit panicked as they wheeled the gurney out of the room and down the hall. Garrus attempted to walk forward and to follow them, but was stopped by Kasumi who put a hand to the chest of his armor. Frustrated, Garrus growls slightly and fists his hand. After a few seconds, he calms down enough to release his hand from the fist.

"Kasumi, can't you hack into the system and give me access into the O.R?" He puts a hand against the glass and Kasumi can hear his breath quicken with anxiety. Cautiously placing a hand on his arm, Kasumi shakes her head when Garrus looks to her.

"Please, Kasumi…" Garrus pleads.

"Sit down, Garrus." Kasumi's voice is quiet and gentle. A bit taken aback by her tone, he steps away from the glass and sits down in a chair nearby. He puts his head in his hand as he slumps down. His mandibles quiver as he waits for Kasumi to speak.

"I'm not saying it will happen because I believe Shepard will pull through, but if anything goes…wrong..." she pauses slightly to find the right words, "Don't you want to remember her as the strong, healthy woman you saw before? I wouldn't want you to only think of her as a broken body lying on a gurney. I would want you to see her as the strong woman she was before; the beautiful woman she was before. Don't you think she would want that…? I certainly don't think Shepard would want you to see her like this…she knows how you worry." Garrus looks up from his hands and sighs, nodding his head.

"As much as it pains me to agree, you're right…she wouldn't."

Liara approaches Garrus and Kasumi slowly as not to interrupt. Once she sees they have finished their conversation, she speaks.

"I've spoken with the receptionist. The doctors are doing what they can, but we are not able to see her at this time. I gave her your information so your omni-tool will receive a message when Shepard is ready for visitors. They do not know how long that will be, however."

Garrus sighs.

"So there's nothing else we can do?"

Liara shakes her head,

"All we can do is be patient."

The Turian stands and looks to Kasumi.

"Watch over her. Make sure she stays safe." He says, his mandibles twitching nervously. Kasumi nods, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"You know it." The smuggler then disappears. Garrus turns his attention back to Liara. She takes his hand in hers and pats the top of it with her other hand.

"She will be just fine, Garrus. Shepard is the strongest woman I know. Trust in her." Her velvet voice calms Garrus ever so slightly. She was right; he had to trust in the woman he loved to pull through. She was strong; that was one of the many reasons why he loved Shepard. He had to trust that she was strong enough to make it through and come back to him.

"Yeah. Let's just go, I don't want to be here anymore." Garrus said. Liara releases his hand and lets him walk in front of her, passing by Tali, then Joker, Ashley, and James. Once Garrus is out of earshot, Joker speaks under his breath.

"And my bones just got back into place."

The group now follows Garrus into the elevator and returns to the Normandy. It would be quite some time until they heard of Shepard again…