//------------------------------// // Shuttle // Story: Mass Effect: Element of Kindness // by CommanderApplejack //------------------------------// Chapter 33 Shuttle [Snuggle up to Garrus] 60% Tali will probably be fine and we'll report to Shepard when we get back to the Normandy. Fluttershy, having made her decision on what to do, sat down next to the turian and gently brushed him with the largest primary of her right wing. “Hey, how are you holding up?” she asked with concern, Garrus just continued fiddling with his hands as he answered. “I’m fine… I think,” he responded, Fluttershy just waited patiently for Garrus to continue while simultaneously scooting closer and leaning against him. Garrus, probably without even thinking about it, wrapped his arm around Fluttershy. “I mean, I’ve been hunting that guy for almost two years now. I thought I’d be elated about the fact that he’s now gone after all the suffering he caused but I just feel empty.” “Killing is not something that should make you feel gratified, Garrus. One animal killing another for food is just the cycle of life. I know because I have plenty of predatory animal friends, but none get pleasure from doing it. When they do, they become a danger to everyone and everything in their vicinity,” Fluttershy explained. “I’d be much more concerned if you’d felt pleasure in taking anyone’s life.” “You, once again, have a good point,” Garrus sighed. “Is it common for your species to be so wise?” he added with a chuckle. Fluttershy giggled as she snuggled up closer to the turian. “I have a friend back home that’s a bit like you. She’s brash and a bit impulsive but she has a good heart. She’s also loyal to a fault and will do almost anything for you if she considers you a friend,” Fluttershy told Garrus, a smile creeping onto her face but was quickly replaced by a sad frown. “She must be devastated after I disappeared from right in front of her.” “You miss them a lot, don’t you?” Garrus said softly. Fluttershy nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks. In response, Garrus pulled the pegasus closer, his armor was cold but this didn’t matter to Fluttershy as the act sent a wave of warmth through her body. “Well, if your description of that friend is right then I’m sure she’s going to go after you the moment she gets the chance,” Garrus said while stroking Fluttershy’s mane. They stayed like that for a while until Garrus spoke up again. “That friend of yours, how did the two of you become friends?” Garrus asked, not knowing the sensitivity of that subject. Fluttershy winced for a moment but proceeded to tell Garrus about how Dash had repeatedly protected her from bullies at the cost of her own popularity, even going so far as to tell him about the evening the three bullies had cornered her and mutilated her wings. It felt good to be able to talk someone about it, Liara had found out by accident but with Garrus it was her choice to tell him. “I’ve been living in Ponyville ever since and eventually became the local wildlife manager,” Fluttershy Told Garrus, finishing her story and noticed that the turian was much tenser now than when she had started her story. “They. Did. WHAT?!” Garrus said with barely controlled rage. “And they got away with it as well?!” “I know Dash did something that got her expelled from flight school, even if I don’t know what,” Fluttershy said, trying to get Garrus to cool back down a bit. Maybe if he’s that riled up because of my story her really does care about me. Maybe I have a chance if I asked him? A small sliver of hope formed within Fluttershy, not that it was enough for the pegasus to gain the courage and ask straight up but maybe in the future she would find it in her to ask him. The sound of the door to the cockpit opening drew the attention of both Garrus and Fluttershy who turned to look at Tali who was standing in the doorway. “I’ve set the shuttle to automatically take us to the RV point where the Normandy can pick us up,” She told them. Does Fluttershy notice something wrong with Tali? Critical Yes Fluttershy closely studied Tali who was already trying to turn back into the cockpit but was having trouble as she was using the doorframe as a support to stop herself from falling over. “You’re not going anywhere,” Fluttershy said resolutely as she hopped off Garrus’ lap and managed to reach her just in time to catch her from falling. Thinking quickly, Fluttershy immediately connected her omni-tool to Tali’s and looked at the quarian’s medical feed. The data revealing that there were various infections in her system. Looking at the offending area the pegasus found a couple of large tears in Tali’s body-suit that had been patched up with omni-gel. “What the hay were you thinking, Tali?! You need medication!” "It's just an infection, I've had worse." Tali weakly said, her rate of breathing started to increase rapidly and she slightly shivered. Fluttershy immediately went into action and pulled antibiotics from her own suit. With her work in the medbay Fluttershy had taken more specialized medical supplies with her than Tali would have. Another reason for the quarian not having that kind of medication was that the more powerful antibiotics were also highly addictive. The pegasus carefully added the substance to Tali's own reserve, the effect was immediate as Tali's shiver stopped and breathing slowed down again to a more acceptable level. "That should be enough to get you back on your feet though it might take a couple of days. Now why in Celestia's name didn't you immediately tell me something was wrong?" Fluttershy scolded, Tali cringed at the harsh edge in Fluttershy's voice. "It wasn't as bad at first, I thought my dose of antibiotics would be enough to stop it but it seems like more compartments of my suit were compromised than I initially had anticipated," Tali answered regretfully while Garrus lifted her onto one of the seats and strapped her in. Fluttershy sighed and shook her head. "Next time you tell me right away, if I didn't have those antibiotics you'd have ended up in a much worse shape." Tali didn't respond to that and Fluttershy hopped into her own chair, strapping in for a long few hours as the shuttle flew to the rendezvous point with the Normandy.