Shepard!

The word echoed somewhere amidst the mixture of throbbing pain that coursed through what felt like every inch of his body. His head was swimming through a mixture of swirling memories and blurred crimson vision. Shepard could feel the blood running down his face, the taste of metal from the red liquid pooling down to his mouth. His lungs strained to breathe against the heavy N7 chest plate and the rubble that had him half buried. Something flew by overhead, but it was impossible to make out what the shadow was. A rush of air washed over him and his blurred vision was replaced by a bright light that caused him to flinch in response.

He's down there. Shepard!

He heard his name ring out again, though every sound around him was still exploding like a bomb denoting in every direction. The familiar voice however cut through the resounding chaos like an arrow straight to his ears. Jack? But that…wasn't possible was it?. The explosions, the mass relays, the Citadel.

One of you get that end of the beam over there, I've got this side.

There was the noise of boot steps around him before Shepard could feel a sudden relief of weight from one of his legs. Pain quickly replaced the broken appendage as some sort of feeling returned. If he had the sense of mind to talk right now he almost considered asking them to drop the beam back down.

God damn it. Don't you dare die on me you fucking boy scout. Where the hell is the medic? Get him out here.

Shepard gasped for air again as his lungs strained from the broken ribs. It felt like one of them might have been pierced internally. He'd died once already, doing this a second time wasn't any better. Another piece of debris was removed and he could hear more voices amid Jack's. Vision however was nearly non-existent outside of bright lights. Things had stopped swirling enough for him to comprehend the source of the illumination coming from a nearby shuttle. Then he was lifted up onto a stretcher. He felt his right arm slump lifeless off to the side, the muscles refusing to respond to his mental commands. As they started to move someone caught it and placed it back by his side.

So much pain. There was an unconformable shift as the stretcher was slide into the waiting shuttle. The soft feeling of lips on his forehead, followed by a wet droplet of a tear falling down against his cheek from above. Jack's voice was almost trembling from moments earlier when it was so fierce barking orders to the others that had been with her.

Comon' Shepard stay with me. You aren't allow to die on me… not now…bastard.

Blackness enveloped Shepard's mind once again. The darkness was a double edged sword. The lonely hollow sense of being surrounded by empty nothingness fighting against the lack of physical feeling it brought as a relief from the burning pain that wracked his being. Jack was alive though. She had survived everything despite all odds. The strong determined woman he'd come to love was to stubborn to die. He was filled for a moment with a true content feeling in that knowledge. Knowing that he felt if these were his final moments he had succeeded to protecting not only humanity but the most important person that made it all worth fighting for.

What had happened though? He thought he had been in space just moments before. Hadn't he? Talking to some strange…being… was the only word he could come up to describe it. It had looked strangely like the young boy that he had tried to help back when the Reaper invasion had struck Earth. He could have sworn he'd somehow seen the Normandy crash on a distance planet. All the Mass Relays exploding and sending shockwaves like toppling dominos across the far reaches all the way out to dark space. Was it all just a dream? A vision? Were the Reapers really defeated? Shepard felt himself buck like a bolt of electricity shot through him. He couldn't die yet without a solid answer. He wouldn't die. He straight up refused to go out if there was even the slightest chance that he hadn't succeeded in the mission he'd set out to accomplish. Shepard felt another bolt again crackle through his sub-consciousness. Lashing out mentally at the blackness he felt like a man buried alive tried to claw to the surface.

Shepard shot up on the medical bay table with a violent thrust. An incredible gasp of air exploded from his lungs as the heart monitor next to him bleeped to life. The pain in turn slammed back into him like a freight train and sent him back down on his back was a resounding thud. A slight moan escaped his lips as he looked up at the bright lights of the hospital room. This sight had a sudden feeling of déjà vu of a certain Cerberus facility. Hopefully this one didn't result in having to crawl out and grab a pistol as soon. He didn't think he could hold up his arm enough to aim let alone fire. The doctors hurried around him and the room as they went about checking on his vital signs and rattling off medical terms he'd long forgotten since basic medical training in boot camp. One of the doctors leaned over him is a light smile. His voice seemed to be distant and somewhat warped. A ruptured eardrum probably amid the other injuries was the likely cause.

Please lay back and relax Commander. We weren't sure if you were going to stay with us there for a couple minutes. You're modifications from Cerberus gave us a few complications before we could figure them out fully.

The large double doors of the operating rooms swung open loudly with the wobbling sound of air being disrupted by the use of biotics. Jack's voice somehow despite his injuries was clear as day. The arguing of security was ignored behind her as she stormed up beside him in the bed. Leaning down she kissed him fiercely, pressing herself down on him causing pressure on his broken ribs. It hurt like hell, but it was worth it at the moment. She pulled back up wiping around her eyes. The eyeliner was smeared all around and it was obvious she'd been crying for awhile.

I told those assholes you weren't going to croak on them that easy.

The security guard started for her arm but thought better at the last moment. He coughed lightly before speaking.

Chief Nought…. I'm sorry I can't have you in here until the Commander is in a better condition.

Shepard felt himself about to arch an eyebrow. At least he could control a muscle somewhere without major pain.A single word escaping his lips in a bit of confusion.

Chief?

Jack looked down at Shepard with a bit of a smirk.

Crazy shit isnt it? Alliance offered me a field commission with everything going on and running the support team of biotics. Get yourself some more rest. We actually did it Shepard. We took out the Reapers.

She squeezed his hand lightly before finally agreeing to leave and let the doctors get back to work.

Shepard slowly drifted back to sleep as the doctors inserted a needle and started a line of sedatives. The pain numbing once more as his body gave way to the medication as it dripped through the IV. For the first time in months Shepard actually slept peacefully. Earth was safe, humanity was still alive, and the Reaper threat had been eliminated. Vague memories of the last few minutes of the attack had started to trickle back to him as well. The child had been a illusion the whole time. Part of Reaper indoctrination attempting to seep into his mind, praying on his fears and his weaknesses. It certainly explained the dreams and the voices. Harbinger outside making one last desperate grasp at Shepard's resolve and get him to alter the use of the Crucible's energy weapon. The indoctrination clashed with his sub-consciousness spurning the image of the child's phantasmal being to coerce his decision. The threat of destroying the mass relays, the idea of the Geth or EDI being lost forever, it made his head spin considering what might have happened if he hadn't held to his initial plan. The relay exploding would have slaughtered everyone in the Sol system, never mind all the others as it chain reacted across them.

Hey, dumbass you going to sleep the rest of your life away?

Jack's voice cut through the cloud of sleep once more, causing him to stir once again. It'd been three days now since the attack. He was still badly battered and broken but he opened his eyes clearly now, as his vision was returning. Jack was sitting in a chair beside his hospital bed with a smug expression on her face. Curling the corner of his mouth in a bit of a grin Shepard managed to cough out a bit of banter in return.

You might have to wait a bit longer on that getting laid request.

She rolled her eyes a bit as she shook her head.

Don't worry Shepard I only need one part of you to work for that. Hell you don't even need to be awake if it was that bad.

Jack leaned forward with a smile and lifted the sheets at his lower half. She made a few questionable sounds as she clicked her tongue.

Well it looks like they managed to at least save the important parts. You can barely handle me when you're at one hundred percent anways. I rape you now like this I might finish something even the reapers couldn't do.

Shepard tried not to laugh. It still made his ribs hurt if he breathed too hard.

Well, there are certainly worse ways to go.

Jack stood up and moved over to sit on the edge of the bed next to him. She smiled lightly down at him as she laid her hand against his.

You better believe it.

Shepard pushed himself up on the soft mattress . His muscles were stiff and speed in any attempt of movement was going to be hard to come by.

So Chief Nought was it now? Why don't you get me up to speed on whats happened.