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“That singularity you threw - “ Kaidan was talking in quick excited tones, his smile wide as he pulled off his helmet- hair still perfect. He had been striding ahead, his long legs carrying him forward as adrenaline still pumped through his veins. He stepped out of the shuttle with a little hop, and turned.
“You are… That was awesome! Shepard, I’ve never seen- Rys?!“ Kaidan’s sentence was cut short by a strangled little gurgle, in the back of his throat as he caught sight of Rys, limping out of the shuttle, nearly doubled over. Her face was pale, she had already pulled off her helmet, and her hair was a mess. Kaidan hadn’t seen her take a hit- but she must have, her custom blue-green N7 armor was blackened and a bit charred across her front. Rys’ gold eyes looked distant and she teetered as she walked, her hands clutching at her abdomen.
She’d been the last one into the shuttle, and had been uncharacteristically silent the short journey back, leaning against the storage compartment. He’d just figured she had something on her mind.
Kaidan stepped forward quickly, catching Rys’s elbow to steady her. His practiced hands flew across her armor, popping the hard suit seals as Rys leaned into him. He knew her armor by memory, and could have pulled it off of her in the dark, with his eyes closed - he had on several occasions. But this was different. This wasn’t fueled by heat or desire, but by something deeper- a pull in his gut. You can’t lose her again. You wouldn’t survive it. Please be ok. Please.
Rys’ eyelashes fluttered against her freckled cheeks as she winced in pain, a gasp tearing itself loose from her lungs. Kaidan found himself murmuring comforting noises against her hair, his hands miraculously steady as panic sparked through him. Rys hummed in pain, her eyebrows knitting together as Kaidan unzipped her black soft-suit in one fluid motion, medi-gel already at the ready. A shooting pain in her lungs had been making it hard to breathe. Her ribs…well, she was pretty certain she’d broken a few of them. She coughed and pain ran screaming through her, her vision going dark for a few moments from the sheer agony. Wait, was that blood she had coughed up?
The medi-gel was cool against her skin, tingling as the sharp, antiseptic smell overwhelmed her. There were voices shouting in alarm, and she heard her name. Rys felt her knees give; things had gotten blurry, and she knew she was about to pass out. But it was ok - the blue blur that held on to her was Kaidan-shaped, and he would look after her.