Curious Jealousy- a F!Shenko Fic

Chapter Sixty-Two: Tests

She woke to murmurs from the other side of her quarters. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she propped herself up enough to see Kaidan and Chakwas at her door. How she had managed to sleep longer than Kaidan was beyond her.

That never happened.

Now, at that point, she knew that she had two options- she could either lower herself back to the bed, or she could go see what they were talking about.

She, of course, chose the second option.

However, she got no further than maneuvering to the side of her bed when Chakwas spotted her and she and Kaidan came to her.

"Commander-" Chakwas began, pulling out implements from her bag.

"I am fine," she informed the doctor clutching a thin blanket to her chest.

Kaidan started gathering her casual clothes as Chakwas ignored Shepard's proclamation and began taking her vitals.

"How did you sleep?" the doctor asked, putting the information in a datapad.

She glanced between Kaidan and Chakwas. "Naked." After a duo of stern looks, she shrugged. "Best sleep that I've had in a while, honestly."

Chakwas made a note before poking and prodding a bit more. "Well, we're about thirty minutes out," Chakwas informed her. "Get dressed and stay in bed until we dock." She turned to Kaidan. "Make sure she stays in bed." She leveled them both with a stern look before taking her exit.

Kaidan sat her clothes down next to her. "How are you really doing?"

She let her blanket drop as she grabbed her bra. "I really did sleep well. I, clearly, slept a few hours. What'd you do- field all calls and messages?" she joked.

"Yes," he shrugged. "Your parents and Hackett understand."

She almost dropped her shirt. "Are you serious? My parents and Hackett tried to get ahold of me?"

Kaidan smiled softly as she put her shirt on. "You needed the sleep, Hope."

"How did you get out of bed without waking me up?"

He shrugged. "I just rolled out of bed."

Kaidan helped her pull her underwear and pants on before kneeling in front of her to help with her socks and boots.

"Actually, I need you to do something for me, Hope," he said, after, clearing, trying to work up the courage to do so.

"Okay?"

He smiled as he laced her boots up. "It's about when we get to the Citadel."

"What is it?"

"You are being taken immediately to Huerta. They've requested that you use the provided transportation."

She narrowed her eyes as she tried to decipher exactly what that meant. "And that would be...?"

"A wheelchair."

"No," was her immediate response. "I am Commander Shepard; I will not be shown to the masses in a wheelchair. I will allow someone to walk beside of me for support- which, I promise you, I won't need-, but I will not be seen in a wheelchair. Do you have any idea how bad that would be for morale?"

"I figured that that would be your response. I negotiated with them and told them that they could have a shuttle brought to the Normandy and you would take that to Huerta under medical and military supervision. The first for obvious reasons, and the second because I know you...and Hackett pretty much told me that that would have to be a stipulation for that option."

"Of course he did," she murmured.

There were times when Shepard had the patience of a saint. She could wait out an angry Krogan or the Council. She never felt the need to rush through anything- she just wanted things done right, not necessarily fast. There were, however, a few exceptions.

And her being stuck in a hospital room was definitely an exception.

"This is not necessary," she insisted, removing the thermometer from her mouth for the fifth time- making sure that it wasn't within reach for the nurses to grab and put back in. The nurse tsked her, pulled out another thermometer and replaced it.

Someone must have warned the nurses to be well prepared...she was guessing Hackett.

Kaidan attempted to conceal his laugh with a cough, while James didn't bother. She really hated the both of them at that moment.

Shepard frowned, her hand already moving up to remove the new thermometer. The thermometer, however, was saved when the door slid open. Within seconds, the thermometer beeped and the nurse snatched it away, making a note on the datapad in her hand.

Hope was pretty sure that the nurse had never felt or looked so triumphant from getting a temperature in her entire career.

"Commander Shepard," Doctor Michel greeted her as she took the datapad from the nurse and glanced over all the data. "How are you feeling?"

Narrowing her eyes, Shepard said (hopefully for the last time), "I'm fine. This is completely unnecessary. Just sign off on the documents that will let me resume active duty, and I'll just get out of your hair."

The doctor just shook her head with a smile. "You know this isn't how it works. I am under strict instructions from three different Admirals and another doctor that I do this thoroughly."

Her head fell back in exasperation. "Their opinion is completely biased. Two are my parents and one is my godfather. They're just being ridiculous."

"And Chakwas?"

"Revenge," she informed the doctor without any hesitance. "You break into her secret stash once and she holds a grudge like no other."

The doctor ignored her.

After taking several vials of blood, taking a cat scan, an MRI, a sample of urine, and doing a general check-up, Dr. Michel finally gave her a nod.

"The scans are all coming back clean. So, no permanent damage in that respect. However, it will take a little while before we have the results from your fluids. However, given what I've seen, I'll let Admiral Hackett know that you are cleared for active duty."

"Thank you."

"However," the doctors voice stopped her from hopping off of the exam table, "I have to strongly advise that you increase your food and fluid consumption as well as staying out of freezing conditions for extended amounts of time."

Shepard gave the doctor a smile as she nodded. "I can promise to try with the first two."

"And the freezing conditions?"

"I have no control over the conditions I am put into on a mission." Kaidan cleared his throat loud enough that she through him a look of amused exasperation. "But, I will try."

"Thank you."

"Now, if that's all, I have a meeting with an old colleague." Hopping down from the table, she looked to the two men leaning against the wall. "Dismissed, gents."