“Commander,” Anderson’s voice was deep, gravelly.
Shepard made his way over, body weak.
“We did it,” His own voice was shaky.
The other man gave a rough, pained side smile.
“Yes, we did.,” There was a moment's pause as neither man spoke. A cough came from the older man. “It’s quite a view,”
Shepard had to smile himself, he could feel his hand grow wet, warm. “Ha, best seats in the house,”
Silence stretched for a few seconds.
“God,” Anderson’s voice was tired, so very tired. “Feels like years since I just sat down,”
“I think you earned a rest…” Shepard answered, looking over to the other man when there was no response, no sound. “Anderson?”
A very weak hum was the older man’s response.
Panic weakly gnawed at the Commander, he wanted to reach out to Anderson but his arms were just too weak so he settled on his words. “Stay with me; we’re almost through this,” He tried to reassure.
There was another silent pause.
“You did good son, you did good,” The older man’s words weakened, grew quiet with every syllable. Yet another pause came from the man.
Shepard couldn’t even grin. “Thank you, sir…” He tried through a closed throat. He turned to look at the other soldier. Weak, wained anxiety gripped his lungs. “Anderson?...” He choked out, though he already knew there would be no response.
A fresh wave of panic shot through him, energy suddenly pounding in his ears.
“No… Hey, no, c’mon Anderson,” His tongue felt fat as he tried to talk, his words slowed and slurred. “You can’t… you can’t…”
Shepard swallowed slowly. Metal bit against his throat. “You were here with me from the start; you’ve been by my side since the beginning. Saren, Cerberus, Earth…” His vision blurred; maybe blood loss, maybe tears. “Don’t… Don’t leave me alone. Not now, not when we’re so close… Please, sir, please don’t…”
His begs fell on silent ears.
Lighting went off behind the Commander; the sound felt comforting.
“God, how long has this all been? How long have we been fighting?” He asked out loud, hoping Anderson could still hear him. Hoping someone was listening. “It feels like forever; it feels like this is all we’ve been doing, trying to stop this. I…” His throat closed, and tears, he knew it was tears this time, welled in his eyes. “I’m sorry, sir,” He said quietly. “I should have tried harder, been stronger, worked sooner. We could have… I could have…” The words were lost on his tongue.
The Commander looked over to his friend, stone still. He weakly reached a hand over, gripping the older man’s shoulder.
“You deserved better,” His voice shook, and tears slipped down his face into his scars. “You always deserved better. Better than Udina, better than the Alliance, better than… me,” He gritted his teeth. “I’m sorry, Anderson, I’m so sorry. I… I’m glad I made you proud; I did that, at least,” Shepard took in a shaky, weak breath. “You were… you were like…”
The man’s arm fell away, too weak to even grip Anderson’s still shoulder. For a moment, everything was silent, stone-cold silent. It hurt the Commander’s ears. Then, he tilted his head down, looking at the hand he had covering his wound. Shepard pulled away, he couldn’t help but frown at the blood he saw. When had it become so much? When had all of this become so much?
All those years ago, when everything had started… He would have never guessed what it would have become. He would have never guessed this. The Commander looked back towards Adnerson, or he tried to.
The man still didn’t move.
“I… I want this to be over, Anderson,” He whispered, just in case anyone else could hear him. “I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m tired, so damn tired,” He let more tears form, more of them fall. A sob passed his lips. “There were times where I wished that beacon on Eden Prime would have…” He trailed off. He didn’t want to say that out loud. Not in front of Anderson. “I need it to be over; I can’t do it anymore. It’s… It’s gotta be over…”
Shepard forced himself to look fully at Anderson, to place a hand on the man’s arm.
“Be there for me when it is all over. Please, just…”
The Commander squeezed the older man’s arm, letting one last tear fall.
“I don’t want to be alone.”
Anderson's death scene always makes me cry like a baby and I wanted to use that sadness and write angst. Please and thanks.
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