Originally by indianajones393
Tali laid wide awake in her bed in the Med-Bay late at night. The rest of the crew was asleep, except for the night shift personnel. The day had gone by so quickly. It was almost dizzying.
As she and Shepard walked through the Normandy's hull, the N7 Spectre relayed all of the events that had occurred since the accident. It had been only a day, but it felt like a lifetime ago.
Being out of her suit was like being born again, although certainly less painful. The female engineer was bombarded by the vast array of feelings and smells. Sure she'd spent a brief moment or two outside her containment vessel on her nights with Shepard, but those nights were filled with love and sensuous desires, and even though they were more than worth it she had to risk her body to do so. But this...this was different. She could feel with her hands, hands that had not felt more than the cool machinery of her suit for years on end. She could hear sounds not transmitted through a head piece. She could smell aromas that would have sent her previous self into anaphalactic shock. It was wonderful! She couldn't wait to taste food that didn't have to be thoroughly sanitized and sterilized.
Refitting Tali with a new wardrobe had not taken too long. There were plenty of spare uniforms in the storage lockers and the cargo bay. She'd still have to wear the suit as armor for tactical excursions, but the helmet would only be needed for vacuums.
While walking to and fro on the Normandy's various levels, Shepard had taken the time to explain the majority if what happened to Tali. The explosion, rebuilding Tali's body, all of the quarian's questions were answered. Still, hunger pangs sent the couple to the Mess Hall, Shepard curious to just how much the dysfunctional nervous system would affect her.
The two took a seat on opposite sides of the large table in the crew quarters. Chakwas had spied them leaving the elevator, and after relaying a few more test results requested that Tali spend one more night in the Med-Bay. The quarian was visibly disappointed; she had planned the perfect ending to her first day out of freedom, a night with Shepard, but that would have to wait. There was always tomorrow...
Tali placed a tray full of food down on the table. Mess Sargent Gardner had prepared a meal a little better than his usual fair specially for her first meal using some of those special ingredients Shepard had bought on the Citadel.
"Shepard, it just feels so wonderful being out of that suit. I can't thank you enough for saving my life."
"I love you. You know I'd do anything to save you Tali." Shepard's words made the Quarian's face flush pink.
"Regardless, life has a whole new perspective now." She gestured to the world with her arms. "Everything has new value. I can't wait to experience everything, starting with this." Tali gripped a fork and stuck it into the pile of food on her plate, eagerly returning it to her mouth.
Shepard saw the smile of ecstasy that washed over her face. He was unsure of whether it was the fact that she had never had unprocessed, fresh food before, her remodeled digestive track, or a mixture of both, but it was clear she was in heaven.
"Mmmmmmmmmmm! This is delicious!"
"Thank you miss." Gardener called over from the kitchen. "It's about time someone appreciated my work!" he said, glaring at nearby deckhands.
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The memory of that meal was still fresh in her mind. She had torn through it with reckless abandon, but yet was able to savor every little bite just the same. It had been wonderful, every bit more delicious than she ever could have imagined.
It seemed to have gone by so quickly. She had limited herself to seconds, taking heed of Shepard's warning about her modifications, despite the fact that she felt like she was hungry enough to eat triple what she had. The taste seemed to linger on her lips, tantilizingly out of reach.
She felt her stomach rumble again. The hunger pangs had lasted for the last hour or two, not painful, but certainly there. Glancing at the nearby clock, she could tell it was far enough into the night that most of the crew would be asleep. Maybe she could sneak over to the kitchen for just a nibble...  | Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
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