Survivor

Chapter Six

Shepard
  I clenched my jaw. "I'm not getting up. I can't see."
  "You have to get up and know the room, Miss Shepard. You have to use the bathroom."
  "I'll hold it," I ground out.
  I almost felt bad for the patient nurse who'd been trying to coax me out of bed all morning after Garrus left. She had been talking to me as she tidied up the room and checked on me, but I was less than sociable today after Garrus informed me that he had a meeting he couldn't tell me about.
  "I have to change the sheets too," the nurse gently informed me.
  "They're fine."
  "Please Miss-"
  "Oh for the love- just get out of the damn bed, Shepard." Miranda snapped irritably with her heels clicking as she walked into the room.
  I frowned at her as the nurse came and took my hand to guide me up. I shook my head at the nurse and was met by a firm grip that was surely not the nurse's.
  "Get up, Shepard."
  Miranda pulled me upright and out of bed, with a hand on my shoulder that steadied me while I found my footing.
  I shrugged her off with a huff and took a step forward only to lose my balance and begin a graceless fall.
  Miranda grunted as she caught me and pulled me back upright. "Yeah, you may want to be more careful. Let's get you to the bathroom and ready for a bath."
  I let Miranda guide me with an inward admittance that a bath sounded good right about now. It would let the nurse work without me in the way, too.
  Miranda ran the bath as I relieved myself and then got undressed, used to the lack of privacy from my military training, especially under the N7 program and being aboard a ship all the time.
  "It's ready," Miranda announced and took my hand to guide it to the edge of the bathtub.
  I stepped in timidly at first, then drew my other leg in quickly and kneeled before I eased myself down. I winced when my back hit the faucet and Miranda grunted her displeasure.
  "Do you need help?"
  I shook my head. "Just leave the soaps where I can get them."
  I heard them placed next to me one at a time.
  "Round is the shampoo, it's a body wash too. Oval is the conditioner."
  I nodded and listened as her heels showed her progress out the bathroom- one, two, three, four steps before the door slid open- and then the door shut.
  I slid down into the water and let myself relax. I tilted my head back into  the water and let it soak my scalp before I completely submerged myself.
  I stayed underwater while I took in the sensation of the water that moved around me, the gentle tickle when it slid between the hairs on my head. Of the burn that was building in my lungs and the pressure in my ears and at my nose.
  I sat up and took a deep breath before I rubbed my face and the water out of my eyes. Apparently, even when you can't see, water in your eyes is uncomfortable.
  I reached carefully for the bottle and found the round one, then squeezed soap into my hand.
  I slowly reached up and found my shoulder first, then began to lather the soap into my neck and shoulders.
  I worked the soap into my arms, chest, and stomach before I grabbed more and worked on my legs and feet. I took the time to memorize every scar that had formed on my skin and every scab that was still healing.
  I was missing a toenail on my left foot, big toe. My right hand, middle finger was missing a nail, and my left hand, ring and index finger were both missing their nails.
  I ran my fingers over the tender skin there and felt the new nail poking out from the cuticle.
  I lifted my head at the sound of the door as it slid open and then slid shut. I tensed, ready for danger while my eyes searched for the danger, though they couldn't see anything.
  "It's just me, Shepard," Garrus said from  somewhere in the bathroom.
  I relaxed and listened for his footsteps while they showed him moving toward me.
  I reached out for him and he took my hand and set it in his lap as he sat on the edge beside me.
  "I see they got you out of bed," he commented gently.
  I imagined him tilting his head at me and watching my reaction.
  I gave a hesitant smile. "Miranda didn't give me much of a choice."
  He grunted. "Maybe it's a good thing though."
  He brushed his hand gently across my bare head and gently caressed my head with his thumb. "Did you wash your hair?"
  I snorted. "What hair?"
  He made a disapproving sound and I heard him squirt some soap before his hand returned to my head and gently lathered the soap into my scalp and the base of my skull.
  "Why were you gone this morning?"
  Garrus chuckled. "I was here when you woke."
  I smiled. "That you were."
  "I was meeting with the Councilors... It's still getting arranged, but hopefully by the time the doctors clear you, we'll have an apartment here on the Citadel."
  I frowned a little. "Why not Earth?"
  Garrus' rhythmic massage faltered for a moment before he finished up.
  "There's a lot to clean up. It's a work in progress. Best to stay here until it's cleared up enough."
  "We could be down there and helping."
  Garrus gently gripped my shoulders. "Samantha, you're in no position to be doing anything but making a full recovery, and I intend to stay here to help you see it through."
  My heart seemed to skip a beat at his words and I felt my face flush. I nodded and leaned my head against his arm and he chuckled.
  "I didn't need soap, Samanth!"
  I laughed before I lifted my head from his arm and I heard him run the faucet and fill something.
  "Close your eyes."
  I obeyed and shut my eyes, and he gently poured a cup of water over my head, which effectively rinsed of the shampoo.
  "Can you hand me a towel?" I asked after he finished and he grunted his reply.
  He took my hand when he came back and guided it to the towel in his other hand. I took it and began to unfold it, but Garrus caught my hands and lifted them.
  "You're going to soak your towel. Let me help you stand."
  I nodded and he pulled me up to my feet before he wrapped the towel around me.
  "The edge of the tub is a half step in front of you now," he said as he turned me. "It's your knee height and five inches wide."
  I nodded and lifted my leg over and found solid ground, then eased my other leg over.
  Garrus wrapped his arms around my toweled body and pulled me close to him and rested his chin on my head.
  We both stood like that, content with the other's presence and uncaring of anything else.