The Unknown: Book 1

Cerberus HQ: Part 1.

It had been a few hours since Lynn arrived on the ship, Chakwas insisted on her going straight to the med-bay to get more tests done. Gemma promised she would join her soon enough, but she needed a moment with her dad, most of the crew left when Shepard shooed them out from the cargo bay.

Gemma didn't approach the body bag at first, she stood right where she was, staring at the body. Kaidan was behind her crutches still in hand, her leg was still in the biotic field, the pain, she couldn't feel anymore, her biotics depleted the pain and the body bag was all she could see and feel right now with the ache in her heart.

It had been ten minutes and Gemma still hadn't moved, Kaidan slowly placed his hand on her shoulder. "Gem?" She turned her head to look at him, her eyes looked straight through him, her pupils were severely dilated. Kaidan waved his hand in front of her face, she didn't even blink. "Babe? You're scaring me?"

Gemma looked back at the body bag, she started to walk, but her leg buckled, her biotics grew stronger on their own, supporting her. She wished at that moment she could talk to them, she would say thank you for not letting her fall. Kaidan placed his arm under her bicep. "Come on, take your crutches now, your biotics can only do so much." She looked down at her crutches, she wanted to throw them across the room, but her leg was about to buckle again.

"Alright," she replied in a small squeaky voice. Kaidan held the crutches out for each of her arms to hook inside, she turned back around to look at the shuttle, she didn't know if she wanted to look or not. "I...I don't know if I should look or not."

Kaidan placed his hand on her shoulders, standing behind her, "you don't have to. Shepard is going to arrange a proper funeral for him, we can just leave it at this if you like." Gemma knew she had to see him, she needed to see what Cerberus did to her dad, he died alone and afraid, she wanted to look at the monster they tried to turn him into.

Gemma started to walk closer to the shuttle doors, Kaidan followed behind, she walked slower than before, her brain telling her she needed to sit down, her leg would not last much longer even with the crutches, he could see the strain in her spine as she walked. The shuttle had a small step to get into it. "Could you bring him closer to me, please?"

Gemma sat on the step as Kaidan walked around her. He carefully scooped the body bag in his arms, it was too disrespectful for him to drag the bag towards Gemma, he placed it down in front of her, head facing up from her. "Are you sure about this?"

Gemma looked back up at him, tears welled up in her eyes, "I need to see him." Kaidan nodded and sat behind her, legs spread out. He was still in his armour and it was getting uncomfortable, but Gemma was more important than anything else at that moment.

She looked at Kaidan one last time and he gave her a small smile, she turned back to look down at the body bag, she slowly placed her hand down on the bag. She could feel it was her dad's forehead, half his hair she could not feel. She looked for the zip, it ended just by the chest, she brushed her hand over it. "I need to know," she said quietly, Kaidan placed a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her.

Gemma placed her thumb and index finger on the zip and gently started to pull, the bag started to open, she pulled it around her dad's right shoulder, then face, then back around to the other side of his chest. The bag was loose on his body, all she needed to do was pull it away and look underneath, but something told her not to do it and just zip the bag back up.

Kaidan saw the hesitation when she paused her hand over the flap of the bag to pull it, he pulled her hand back. "I'll do it." Gemma scooted back a little to let him get more space. Gemma gave him a small nod as he knelt beside her, placing his hand slowly on the flap, he started to pull.