Hoshiko wanted to see the Citadel one day and Aaron promised her.
But he didn’t mean it like this…
The Normandy made its way to dock at the Citadel. It was a thing of beauty, passed down by their Protheans predecessors. The Citadel was expansive…
“-a big place,” he said to her, “There are millions of people living there, and many different races too!” Her eyes gleamed with awe.
“I wanna see it too!” Proclaimed his daughter. Aaron chuckled at her enthusiasm.
“One day. I’ll bring you there myself. You’ll love it. I think you’ll like the biodome the most. They show nature from different planets there.” Hoshiko looked absolutely enthralled by what she was hearing. She jumped up-and-down excitedly.
“And you’ll really take me there? Really?” Aaron nodded. He held out his pinky.
“I pinky promise.” Hoshiko was radiant with glee. She quickly interlocked their pinkies together to seal their promise. Hoshiko pecked her dad on the cheek. He ruffled her hair and placed a kiss on the crown of her head.
“And can mom come too?”
“Of course!”
The Normandy docked and medics were already there waiting anxiously.
Aaron rigidly stood there at the docking bay watching wordlessly as the paramedics ushered his daughter quickly into the ambulance.
“Commander Shepard, aren’t you going with her?!” cried Kaidan incredulously. Aaron turned away from him and her. She’s long gone now. Again.
Dr. Chakwas has done all she could to stabilize her, but her life is now in the hands of these medics rushing Hoshiko to Huerta Memorial for surgery.
“It all depends on the doctors on the Citadel, now.”
Behind Aaron, Captain Anderson sighed deeply. The older gentleman placed a hand on Aaron’s shoulder and patted it.
“C’mon, let’s get you out of here, son,” an understanding bleeding into his voice. Aaron numbly followed him back into the ship. “Alenko.” Anderson jerked his head towards the ambulance. Kaidan looked between the shuttle and his two commanding officers. He huffed and then went over to follow his Commander’s daughter.
This isn’t over.
Day after | Comm Room
“Shepard, how could you leave your daughter like that? I’m a stranger to her, and yet I had to go accompany her -- you’re her father! Where the hell were you?” Kaidan confronted his officer. He was beside himself, hands busying themselves with a piece of thread from his pants as his fingertips sparked with biotic energy begging to be released.
“Ease up, lieutenant. The Commander is having a tough time,” intervened Anderson. Kaidan deflated.
“Sorry, Captain.” He nodded at Anderson and then a terse one at Aaron. “Commander.”
They were in the meeting room along with Anderson and Jenkins, and a few others. They were to debrief about what had occurred on Mindoir, now that the major crises have been dealt with. However, the room was fraught with tension after the outcry from the Staff Lieutenant.
The Lieutenant did bring up a good point that had been a topic of conversation. Glances and whispers were being thrown about the Normandy crew, wondering ‘Why didn’t Commander Shepard go with his daughter?’ It contradicted his earlier vigor of wanting to rescue her; nothing added up and everyone wanted to know why.
The door opened, dispelling any lingering tension in the air. Everybody turned to look at Dr. Chakwas entering the room except for Aaron. His gaze was casted upon his feet.
“Commander... could you please come with me? I would like to speak with you in private.” Aaron laboriously got up and followed her to the medbay.
“I just received a report back from the hospital...” she gestured for Aaron to take the datapad. He made no motion to take it. Chakwas sighed. She put the datapad down, slightly wringing her hands together. “Commander... your daughter...” she exhaled deeply, “your daughter, her brain has suffered a great amount of trauma.”
Aaron drew in a sharp inhale of breath.
“While she has pulled through the operation… The slavers, they… she...“ she pauses and a heavy sigh leaves her. “I’m sorry... the doctors have done everything they could...” she laid a comforting hand on his arm and squeezed it gently. The Commander remained stagnant. “Commander?” She repeated his title more times. She sighed. She squeezed his arm one more time before leaving. “I’ll tell the Captain that you need some rest.”
2 days ago | Med Bay
Aaron for the first time in his existence prayed. He prayed to any deity out there in the universe willing to listen to this unholy man,
Please save my daughter. I don’t care about the price. Just...
Aaron took a shaky breath. He looked down at his hands, wringing them together. He was beyond tense.
Just please... save her... I failed once, and god if you’re listening don’t let me fail twice. Don’t let her pay for my mistakes. Please...
Aaron sobbed into his hands that were propped up on the table she laid unmoving on. His breaths no longer had any semblance of rhythm. His frame shook with each sob. He looked up at her. His face was warm with tears that just kept flowing. He shielded his gaze again, not so quietly crying in the medbay. Aaron dared not look behind him. He dare not look at the other faces of children younger than his daughter who he also failed.
Please don’t take her from me too…
Aaron reached out for his daughter’s hand. To hold it, like he used to when she was scared... but how the roles have reversed... he quickly retracted his hand. Both of them now lay in his lap.
He wrung his hands together tightly. The sounds they made were unpleasant. He gazed downwards at his hands. They were still sheathed in his N7 armour, and on top of that, upon closer inspection he saw that the nooks and crannies were still caked with Batarian blood.
He enclosed his hands into tight fists before releasing them. He repeated the movements several times. He removed the armour of his hands. He really looked at his hands again for the first time in a long time. The palm side of his hands were rough and beaten up. He could see some tiny scars scattered about he gained through the years. He flipped his hands to look at the other side. His nails were stuffed with dirt; short but unkempt. More minuscule scars littered his hands. The skin of his knuckles flaking off slightly from those intense training sessions.
He wrung his hands together again, a new fresh wave of tears streaming down his face. His breath jagged again as well.
I’m sorry... I don’t deserve you... I’m sorry... I didn’t deserve either of you... I can’t... I can’t face you anymore... I can’t... I’m so sorry…
Note: Dalila Voss belongs to @gaysparkler and Prim Song belongs to @rennybu
The room is cold but no draft entered the insulated room. Windows lined one whole wall, and not even the artificial sunlight could warm her skin.
People had gathered around the bedside, all familiar faces, in an unfamiliar environment. Unsteady sobs are heard in between the low sounds of a monitor, her heart monitor.
She couldn’t see any of them, not sure if she wanted to. Her breathing grew slower, barely noticeable, but her grip on Dalila was still true.
A soft melody was heard coming from beside her. Dalila was singing an old lullaby. Her mind stirred, recalling her dad once sang the same song to her. He would sing to her underneath the brambles of the tree of their backyard as birds sang their own tune, or when she couldn’t sleep at night. She remembered the vague sensation of her head in his lap as the warmth of Mindoir’s sun kissed her skin, how his fingers brushed through her hair gently and lulled her to sleep.
Ah… Hoshiko realized, she was singing her to sleep...
It was a broken melody from Dalila, hitched sobs interwoven with her song, but she persevered. Dalila squeezed her friend’s hand tighter, her forehead pressed against the back of Hoshiko’s hand. The lyrics were whispered softly into the room, but hardly audible past the bedside where Dalila sat faithfully by.
“And if the sky falls, mark my words,” she drew out, “We'll catch mockingbirds...”
The song faded, and Dalila couldn’t stifle her wail as the heart monitor slowed further.
“Please stay awake. One more song, just-” Dalila choked on her own words. “None of the others are as good as you, please don't go,” she begged furiously.
Dalila closed her eyes, willing away the incessant beeping and the people in the room. Tears cascaded down her cheeks and onto the bed sheets. Hoshiko’s hand was caught in between hers in a prayer’s clasp. Her fingers were firm against Dalila’s forehead.
”Who will play with me..?"
From behind, Frieder put a hand on her back, trying to soothe her. He couldn’t see her face, but the pitter patter of tears hitting the bed was unmistakable. He gripped her shoulder firmly, a lump in his throat.
“Dalila,” approached Frieder gently. She remained still in her seat.
“No,” she whimpered. Frieder’s heart broke for her.
“Dalila-”
“No!”
“Dalila, she-”
“No! No! NO!” she screeched, her skin crackling with biotic energy, causing Frieder to flinch back.
“Dalila, she’s dead!” cried Frieder, “She has been for over a minute…”
Dalila froze, her brain and implant burning, the ringing in the room clear now. Her heart stopped.
“You have to let go, Dalila,” pleaded Frieder. Dalila held onto Hoshiko tighter and shook her head.
“No! I won’t leave her alone! She’ll be so scared if I leave her alone! Her dad won’t even come see her!” Dalila whipped her head around to look at Frieder, her eyes drowning in tears. “Frieder, please! She needs me!”
Frieder looked at his sister, his heart bleeding for Dalila. He looked to the others for assistance, feeling helpless in the eyes of his sister.
Prim nodded meaningfully at Frieder and approached Dalila. He kneeled down so he was eye level with her, hoping to not agitate her further.
“Mr. Prim, please don’t make me leave her,” begged Dalila. Prim gave her a forlorn smile.
“Dalila, I know you want the best for Hoshiko, we all do,” began Prim, trying to keep his voice even and gentle despite the hoarse quality to it. “And Hoshiko won’t be alone, I promise. Her mom and aunt are waiting for her.”
“They can wait longer!” reasoned Dalila. Prim’s smile faltered. He stared into her eyes, and confirmed with a heavy heart the truth.
“You love her, don’t you?” asked Prim. Dalila’s posture slackened, taken aback by his question. She had even set down Hoshiko’s hand, Prim noted.
A second passed and a minute flew by. Love? Of course she loved her, they’re friends! Why would he ask her that? Unless…
Dalila looked to where their hands met, her hand on top of Hoshiko’s, and then at her. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought Hoshiko was asleep. Her face was serene, not even the baby hair on her head disturbed her. Dalila’s gaze focused a second longer on how her eyelashes kissed her cheekbones, and Dalila’s lips prickled momentarily and then her lips pursed tight. But she was far too pale to be asleep...
An ache gnawed at her heart and festered like an infected wound. She did… She did love her…
She looked back at Prim, her eyes a new sense of helpless cried in them. She nodded her head resolutely.
“I never…” Her hand slipped from Hoshiko’s, and Dalila slowly rose from her seat, her back aching along with her joints. Static had filled her legs when she put weight on them.
How long had she been hunched over sitting like that?
Dalila took a small, hesitant step towards Prim. She held his gaze.
“I never even got to…” Dalila bit her lip hard, stifling the sounds bubbling within her. Her eyes welled with tears again. Prim opened his arms for her and Dalila quickly jumped into them. She clung onto him and bawled her eyes out into the fabric of his shirt, her wails filling the room alongside the monitor’s droning.
Prim petted her head gently, letting her breathing even out before he jerked his head for Frieder to come over. Prim gingerly handed her off to her brother for him to soothe. Frieder mouthed his thanks to the man.
Frieder hugged his sister tight, his cheek nuzzling into the crown of her head. He rubbed circles onto her back, letting her cry her heart out.
“I’m sorry you had to find out like this,” said Frieder. Dalila sobbed harder into Frieder’s chest, not even looking when the doctors came in to turn off that blasted monitor and finally, whisk Hoshiko away. She only managed to catch a glimpse of Hoshiko’s blanketed body pass through the doorway before she hid her eyes away again.
