"Would you just let us in?" Shepard sighed in annoyance; the turian standing guard was arguing with another human. The male human was obviously drunk and wanted to go home, but the turian wasn't allowing him to get inside. This agitated the drunk and Shepard’s presence was only causing more drama, creating the need for her to step aside, again. 

"The last time you got in here Shepard, I about lost my damn job." 

The drunk muttered and paced behind Thane and Garrus. Thane was about to pull out his pistol on the drunk human while Shepard felt like she was at her wit's end. Aria had told her about the Blue Suns disappearing in this ward and she needed to get inside. She would knock the guard out if she had to but she had no desire to; she didn't want any more drama than the drama she was getting right now. She had a mission to uphold and Garrus needs to know what is happening to his people; she feels like she has to do this for him. The guard was arguing with Shepard, causing her blood to boil. Garrus witnessed something different about Shepard: she was quick to pull out her pistol and put the barrel under the turian’s chin. Garrus smirked, loving this new side of Shepard. 

"Let us go, right fucking now." She growled. The turian in turn growled back.

"Get out of my face, human." He spat. Shepard removed the pistol from his chin and placed it back on her right hip. Garrus and Thane walked behind her; Garrus kept eye contact with the guard while they did so. All the while, the drunken man could be heard shouting profanities behind them. The guard, being pissed off already, took out his gun and shot the man between the eyes. The door shuts behind Garrus, leaving the three of them in the odd-smelling quarantine area. They walked through the slums of the quarantine zone; the smell of burning bodies made their stomachs churn in disgust. Shepard put her helmet on in hopes of being able to filter out the smell. It helped but she could still smell hints of it through the filters. The drell  ran to a nearby alley to vomit while Garrus was starting to get used to the smell. As they turned the corner, they noticed a few Blue Suns in the distance guarding a door.

Shepard held up her hand, causing her teammates to stop; they drew out their weapons. Garrus was eager to fire; he wanted these idiots to pay for what they have done and they were probably working for the doctor, too. What Garrus didn't understand was how he could still be alive as Dr. Hart died two years ago by his own hand. Garrus and Shepard found him in an underground bunker where he shot him. Why is he back? How is he back? 

"I need you to focus, Garrus," Shepard’s voice whispered into his earpiece.

"I am focused. Just give me the word and I'll kill every last one of them." 

"We need information from them first. After that, I’ll be happy and you can do as you please."

Garrus nods as Thane proceeds to hide in the shadows. Shepard had given him specific orders to find any information he could on the doctor and what he was doing with turian children.

As Thane made his way to the room, he noticed unpleasant photographs of turian and human bodies. The lights were bright in the examining room; it seemed like they were drawing all the power from the quarantine area to here and it would cause the local medical facility to be without or with very little power. There were guards surrounding the makeshift medical facility. It wasn't a big room, only just big enough for a bed, lights, and a heart monitor. On the wall to the left of the heavily guarded door were the photographs they had taken. 

"This is not looking good, Shepard," Thane whispered. 

"What's going on Thane?" She replied back. 

"Multiple guards at the door. Only one exit. There is a window, but it’s being guarded by sensors. I can try the vents if you wish." 

"Do what you can Thane. I’ve got a pissed-off turian here." 

Thane went to find the opening of the vents while Garrus and Shepard got into position. They snuck behind two barriers that had been placed there to keep the healthy away from the sick. There would be several at the medical clinic but the illness still got out. It was a turian disease but humans were immune to it. Shepard knew that Garrus would be alright; he was fine the last time they were here which made her think that this was not an airborne sickness. Possibly bacterial. 

"I'm sorry for this, Garrus." Shepard whispered, “I watch you kill that sick bastard, and now this..." Her voice trailed off. 

"Whatever is happening it's happening to your people, too, Shepard. Something tells me this isn’t about the plague." Garrus switched off the safety of his weapon and aimed it at the Blue Sun standing by the door. 

Shepard wasn't sure what else to say. They were both rightfully upset about the situation but Shepard was more focused on the task at hand. She waited for Thane to give them an update on the situation. She was still yet to hear from him and she worried that something had happened to the drell. 

"I am inside the room, Shepard," Thane whispered. 

"Get the files and get out. We’ll cause a distraction." 

Shepard gave Garrus the OK to fire his weapon. One by one Garrus started to take out the Blue Sun guards. He took out the ones at the door first. With the silencer on his gun, it made it easier for them to stay hidden. Shepard was thankful for that. After the men at the door, Shepard had aimed toward the corridor to her right. Further on down the corridor, she saw two men talking to each other. She killed those two quickly before reloading her weapon. Garrus turned and hid behind the barrier to do the same. 

"How many more?" Shepard asked. Garrus whirled around, turning his attention towards her. 

"Looks like three but I am not too sure." 

Thane came in on the comlink: "I’ve downloaded the data pad information from inside the medical facility. I also took several photographs of the wall inside." 

"Good. Now get out of there in one piece. We will meet you outside the terminal." Shepard went over the barrier and took out another Blue Sun. Garrus had done the same, firing his weapon at the last two standing Blue Suns. When they were down, they both examined the area. Shepard clicked her weapon behind her back and stood. Shepherd walked back to the terminal to meet with Thane. Once they got to the door that led out of the quarantine zone, Garrus stopped. 

"We’re being followed." He whispered. 

Shepard quickly drew out her pistol and spun around. Thane stood there with his hands behind his back. Shepard sighed with relief, letting down her guard. 

"I could have killed you," She muttered. 

"Not likely," Thane said. He walked towards the Commander who had her mouth slightly gaped; the look on her face amused Garrus. The three of them walked out of the quarantine zone with the information they needed. Thane walked behind them, examining the area as Garrus and Shepard walked together. Thane could tell by their body language and the way that they conversed that he liked her and that she liked him back. Thane wasn't sure why they didn't just admit it to each other yet. He also noticed how tense Garrus was and he knew it was because of the information he found at the abandoned medical clinic. He thought back to the pictures he had found: it was the work of an evil man. Not that Thane could judge; there are other people who would think he too was an evil man. 

He muttered a prayer under his breath. 

The insides of both turians and humans. Surely this wasn't because of the illness. This had to be a cover-up for something else, something more sinister. As Commander Shepard and Garrus walked in front of Thane, Thane decided it was best to look at the downloaded content he had transferred to the datapad. With a few strokes of the keys, he was able to view countless emails from the doctor. 

He was emailing someone by the name of Dr. Eren Scott. 

Sunday, June 11th. 23:01 

It worked Scott! The prototype worked! I am sending you the results now. The turian has taken the human organ! This will change everything. This disease... the whole galaxy. 

I'll send the video files later. 

--Dr. Hart, II 

Photographs. Charts. It made Thane sick looking at it. He never noticed that he had stopped just before the door that led them back into Afterlife.  Garrus and Shepard turned around to look at their friend; Shepard had never seen a drell so pale before. She frowned, walking closer to her friend to see if he was alright. Before she reached him, Thane looked up from the datapad, trying to smile at them. He tried hard to hide his emotions, but Shepard looked right through him. 

"Thane, what's wrong?"

"Commander. It's best we get to the Normandy." Thane put the datapad into his jacket. Garrus had never seen him act this way. He brushed passed the Commander and moved past Garrus.  He quickened his pace with Shepard and Garrus in tow. Shepard’s mind was whirling at this point. She thought back to when both her  Garrus were behind the barriers. She had seen the abandoned medical facility but she didn't notice anything different from any other facility. She was wondering if she should have been the one to go in. Ever since she sent Thane in, something has been off. 

Shepard swore under her breath. 

"Prepare the shuttle, '' she said through the comlink. They were past Afterlife and were closing in on the shuttle car. They quickly got inside with Shepard removing her helmet once she stepped in. She took a few calming breaths; she didn't want to yell at Thane or freak out on Garrus. Shepard’s body was starting to shake uncontrollably and she had no way to stop it. She muttered to the pilot to get to Normandy before she sat down next to Garrus. She set her elbows on her knees and held her helmet in her hands. She could see her own reflection staring back at her. 

I am just a clone. That is all I am. I am not real. None of this is real. 

"Shepard?" Garrus said her name in a low tone. His voice sounded like a purr to her, always calming her. She didn't look at him, keeping her gaze on her visor. She wasn't sure what was happening to her. Her hands were shaking now and her heart felt like it was going to slam out of her chest. Her breathing was becoming irregular, prompting her to close her eyes and take deep breaths. She was the Commander. She needed to be strong for her people and weakness will show the enemy that they have won. Garrus put his three-fingered hand on Shepard’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. 

"You’re stronger than this," He said close to her ear, "you got me. Remember?" 

Thane watched the interaction between the two of them; he knew that the news he had wasn't going to be good for his Commander or fellow comrade. Thane muttered a prayer under his breath, closing his eyes, and bowing his head. 

Forgive me, for I have sinned.