Injury...

Watching her like this was hard.

He had seen her harmed before, seen how both the Turian and the James-soldier had brought her to the infirmary before, but never had she been unconscious or this close to death.

She was healing, he knew that. The medical expert had assured them all that she would live, but it would take time for her. His mind had been eased by the news. He had not shown any emotions towards the rest of the crew, his mind and thoughts was his own, after all. But in here, watching her sleep, seeing the many injuries, he was reminded how and why she ended up like this.

His fingers curled in a tight fist as he remembered.

She had been on mission with the Commander and the human biotic. They had encountered Reaper forces in large waves, and she had moved to a better position. The biotic had been responsible to keep her covered while she moved, but he had failed and she had been spotted by a Brute, which had taken the chance to charge the unprotected woman.

Javik could only imagine what pain she must have felt when it charged at her, hammering her to the ground and tossed her around like a rag doll. If she had not been this strong, she would have been killed…

His teeth barred in a low growl. A fellow soldier, a comrade, one she called a friend, had failed to protect her when she had been most vulnerable. If the Commander had not been in the same room when Javik had learned the story, the human biotic would have been nothing more than a spot on the wall now.

Good soldiers were hard to find and despite he had had trouble seeing it at first, Javik had come to see the asset in her. She was strong, fought with a fearlessness he had only seen with the Commander and himself, and she protected everyone in the squad. Nearly every target she lined up fell for her sniper rifle, and those who did not was not spared the mercy of a quick death.

Javik lightly touched her cheek with the back of his hand.

She was warm, soft, despite the many bandages. He placed his hand on top of hers and watched their joined hands rise and fall in the slow steady rhythm from her breathing. She was alive, but this had shown him how easily the lives of those he had come to value could be thrown around, how close they always were to death and how time could suddenly be lost to them.

He leaned down, watching her, and then planted a kiss on her cheek. As his lips left her skin, her breathing deepened and she released a deep sigh, turning her head slightly. He should leave before she woke up…

Made this on a impulse. Don't really know where it came from, but I'm quite satisfied with it Actually used an image from 's comic "Avatar of Hope" as reference for Javik. He is hard for me to get right, but she makes all the good poses for that guy.

The woman is my OC. Un-named, though.

And no, this won't be colored. At least not by me. If others wants to, feel free to, but I'd like to see it.

Javik, Mass Effect (c) Bioware

Art (c) me