Mass Effect: Alive

Filler 2: Garrus and Joker have a chat

"So, Shepard, what are we doing back on Omega, exactly?" Garrus asked, a little wary.

"We need to find Mordin Solus, a salarian doctor. He may have the capabilities to make a countermeasure to the seeker swarms." Hazel, Garrus, and Miranda made their way to the quarantine zone, noticing an argument between a security guard and a human civilian.

"I told you to get lost, lady! The plague has the whole zone quarantined! Nobody gets in!" the guard shouted, annoyed with the persistent civilian.

"I'm human, you ass! Humans can't get the plague! Now let me get my stuff before looters get it!" she argued back.

"This thing affects every other race out there! We're not taking chances. Nobody gets in until the plague has run its course." Hazel finally made herself known.

"So you're saying the slums are completely sealed off?"

"Finally, a human that can hear," the guard said, relieved. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"You can't keep me out!" the civilian continued. "I'm going to lose all my stuff!"

"I'm doing you a favor, human. Anybody in the quarantine zone will be dead from the plague or the gangs in a few weeks."

"There's a salarian named Mordin Solus in the slums," Hazel stated calmly. "I've got to get in there to find him."

"The doctor?" the guard questioned. "Crazy bastard opened a clinic in the district a few months ago. The Blue Suns weren't too happy when he moved in." He looked at Hazel. "I hear Mordin's trying to deal with the plague. I wish him luck, but the area is still locked down."

"Of course it is," Miranda muttered, getting annoyed.

"Our orders are to wait until either the plague or the Blue Suns kill everyone, then go in and clean up." Now Hazel was annoyed by this crap.

"Take a good long look at me. Do I look like a looter?"

"Uh, no," the guard said, slightly nervous.

"That's right," Hazel told him. "Now, I'm going in. If I find looters, I'll kill them. Anybody gets in my way, I'll kill them too."

The guard sighed. "I'll call the guards. They'll let you in with no trouble." That pissed off the civilian.

"Wait, you're stopping me but not them? You son of a bitch!"

"You don't have a grenade launcher, lady. Get lost." Hazel walked away and let them argue as she walked back to Miranda and Garrus.

"A quarantine zone for a plague that kills turians. Why don't we ever go anywhere nice?" Garrus asked.

"It's safer to stick with a squad who's immune to the plague," Hazel reassured him. She didn't want him dying on her, especially after last time.

"It's your call, Shepard. If you need me, I'm not going to let a cough keep me back." He wanted to go. He wanted to be with her. But she shook her head.

"Head back to the Normandy and have Zaeed join us," she ordered. He nodded his head, turning and heading back to the ship. Spirits, he hopes she'll be okay.

~~~

"So, Shepard told you to come back because of a plague?" Joker asked Garrus, who sat in one of the co-pilot chairs and turned to him.

"Yeah. A cough wouldn't have slowed me down, she knows that."

"Well, maybe she's worried because you, oh I don't know, got hit in the face with a rocket?" Joker raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. Garrus glared at him, earning a laugh from Jeff.

"Laugh it up, flight lieutenant. I hope a rib breaks from your laughing."

"Okay, that was cold," Joker whined. He leaned against the leather seat and sighed. "Do you think Shepard seems... different?" Garrus cocked his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Like..." Jeff looked over at him. "Like before we came here and got you, she seemed so pissed to be here without anyone she knew. Well, besides me, obviously, but I don't go out and get shot at, do I?"

"Well, you could and you could let me fly..." Garrus smirked as Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha, smartass. Anyways, when they brought you in after you had gotten hit... I've never seen Shepard look like the way she did except for..."

"Except for what, Joker?"

Jeff sighed softly, looking down for a moment. "She had the same look on her face that she had when Ashley died back on Virmire." That made Garrus's heart skip a beat. Hazel was that worried about him?

"Huh..." He looked down at his hands.

"I can't tell if you're surprised or not," Joker admitted. "Can turians even display emotion?" At that moment, EDI popped up.

"Turians can typically use the mandibles on their face to display certain types of emotion, Mr. Moreau-"

"This is a man's conversation, not a man, man, and thing conversation." Joker muted EDI and groaned. "God, I still don't like that thing."

Garrus had tuned him out. He couldn't help but focus on Hazel having actually worried about him. He still remembered the day of Virmire. The day Ashley died. Hazel may have seemed calm on the outside. A little disappointment at a death, sure. But Garrus could see in her eyes that she was devastated.

"-rus? Hey, Garrus!" Joker yelled, finally grabbing his attention.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, just... thinking." Garrus sighed. "Do... do you think we'll run into Kaidan anytime soon?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly.

Jeff cocked his head curiously. "I dunno. That guy's sometimes as bad as you when it comes to having a pole up an ass. Why?"

"It uh... it's nothing. Thanks for talking with me, Joker." Garrus stood up and began to leave before stopping and turning to face Joker. "And next remark I hear about a pole up my ass, it'll be banging against your head, got it?"

Joker quickly nodded his head. "Yep, got it." Garrus smirked a little as he went to the main battery, sighing.

He really didn't want Kaidan back around. But he wanted Hazel happy more than anything. He could deal with his puppy love for her...

...right?

(//y'all, it's late as hell here and I'm tired and my fiancé wants to wake up at like 4 in the morning for the new Destiny DLC, help me)