Second Chances(A Mass Effect Fan fiction)

Copeing

"What'll you have?" The Turian bartender at Darkstar lounge on the Citadel asked as Shelby walked up to the counter.

"I want the strongest thing you have." She requested.

"Easy enough." The bartender stated and grabbed a bottle, hardly looking at it as he poured a glass for Shelby.

Shelby's eyebrows raised as she looked at the drink. "This is...it's green?"

"And guaranteed to knock you on your ass. Unless you're dextro-DNA like me. If you are, it'll kill you." The bartender said and chuckled.

Shelby shrugged a bit and downed the drink, barely flinching at the alcohol content.

"Anything else?"

"Let's have another one." Shelby requested.

He complied and poured Shelby another green drink. "Here you are. Anything else?" He asked as Shelby's drink disappeared just as fast and smoothly as the first one.

"Not done yet!" She said with a cocky smile.

The Turian scoffed in surprise. "I'm impressed. I've never seen anyone drink three of these." He said as he poured another glass and slid it to Shelby. "Anything else?"

Shelby drank the whole glass and set it back down on the counter. "Hit me again." She requested, clearly starting to feel the alcohol.

"How about we mix it up? This is genuine Batarian ale. Uncut. Don't ask how I got it. I've been serving here 8 years; I've never seen anyone have this and stay on their feet." The bartender warned and slid Shelby the glass of blue liquid he'd poured. "Anything else?" He asked as she downed it too.

"Shelby, I'm not sure if..." Garrus started in concern, but Shelby ignored him.

"Do it!"

Garrus raised his hands in defeat.

"Does she normally do this?" Kasumi asked Garrus as she kept a watchful eye on her new Commander.

"I served with her for years, and never once saw her touch alcohol..." Garrus explained.

"Hmm." Was all Kasumi could say.

"Okay -- for you, something special. This is Krogan liquor, Ryncol. You'll set off radiological alarms after you drink it. Should I pour you a quad?"

"Hell yeah! Put more of the stuff in the... in the thing more stuff goes in."

"Your funeral, sister." The bartender chuckled and started shaking up the drink with some fancy bartender tosses.

"Shel, are you ..." Garrus started but sighed in defeat as he put a knuckle on the bridge area of his nose. He knew she wouldn't listen at this point.

"Should we stop her?" Kasumi asked with a raised eyebrow as Shelby took the glass.

Garrus tossed his hand back to his side. "I don't think we can. She's just going to have to learn the hard way."

Shelby downed the drink like all the others, and set the glass down, but missed the flat part of the glass, letting it roll off of the counter. Kasumi caught the glass and properly set it down as a very wobbly Shelby tried to take a step back, but just fell backwards, unconscious.

Garrus immediately got to the floor with her, scooped her up, and took her to the bathroom to let her sober up in relative peace.

After about 20 minutes of Shelby just lying on the ground, and Garrus monitoring her vitals, Shelby's eyes hesitantly opened, and she slowly peeled herself off of the floor to roll over onto her knees. "Ohhh. Ah, shit. No, no more Ryncol." Shelby groaned as she slowly stood up off of the Dark Star bathroom floor.