The Tegan Chronicles
Thicker than Blood 1
Jack glanced back at Tegan for the ninth time. She was tired of pretending not to notice by the fifth time. The last three times she made it a point to glare at him. This time she couldn't bite her tongue anymore. "Is there a problem Colonel?"
Everyone stopped and looked at her. She took another step before stopping herself. It put her right in Sam's personal space, but she didn't care even as the blonde took half a step back to give them both breathing room.
"Just making sure everyone's still here." He waved his hand around the group. "It's been quiet."
"Funny because the only person you've been eying is me." She called him on his bluff.
"Yeah well," He shrugged. "You're bringing up the rear, so if your still back there so is everyone else."
"Why don't you just say what you're really doing Colonel?" Sweat broke out on her forehead from the midday sun.
Daniel gazed uneasily between them as Teal'c and Sam waited to step in if necessary.
"And just what is it you think I'm doing?" Jack kept his voice non-confrontational.
"You're checking on the crippled soldier. You're thinking 'it's bad enough I've had to pick up the slack because she's a female but now she's crippled too.'"
"I've never worked with a male soldier that was as capable as you or Major Carter. And the only one here who thinks you're crippled, is you; so the sooner you get over that the better off we'll all be."
"Indeed." Teal'c spoke as Sam and Daniel nodded in agreement.
"Now are we going to finish this mission or do you need some more time to recuperate mentally?"
"This isn't even a real mission." Her prosthetic fist clenched. As much as it was part of her it was still foreign and she looked down at it momentarily. "I read SG7's reports on this planet, dense ground vegetation, no signs of inhabitants aside from the existing stargate. This is just a get Tegan back in the saddle mission and nothing more."
"Fine, then we'll just head back and you can explain to General Hammond why we scrapped the mission."
When Jack put it like that it didn't sound like such a good idea. But before she could answer she got that uneasy feeling she often got when there was a Goa'uld present, or at least several Jaffa. She turned to Teal'c ignoring Jack's expectant expression.
"Teal'c do you feel anything?"
"I-" He paused and raised one eyebrow as he concentrated for a second. "I do not."
"Kiser?" Jack's finger tensed over his trigger.
"It's probably nothing." She shook her head.
"It's never nothing." Daniel had learned his lesson when it came to Tegan's intuition and feelings. It had been an expensive lesson especially for Tegan. He looked uneasily to the tree line where Tegan was concentrating.
"Tegan?" Sam stepped and turned so they were shoulder to shoulder.
Tegan shook her head ready to concede when Teal'c announced; "There is something moving in the tree line."
He powered his staff weapon.
Tegan grabbed her own weapon smoothly swinging it into position.
"Just one time I'd like you to be wrong." Jack grumbled.
"Me too sir."
"Please lower your weapons." The Goa'uld like voice called out from behind a tree. "We mean you no harm. We are Tok'ra."
Tegan was the first to step back through the Stargate. She saw Janet, who'd been standing at the door, quickly slip out as she looked up at General Hammond. Sam and Jack rematerialized after her. Seconds later Daniel and Teal'c came through the event horizon.
"Sir," Jack spoke. "We have intel from the Tok'ra on Nirrti."
"It's good to see you're all in one piece." General Hammond nodded to Jack but kept his eyes on Tegan, who he couldn't quite read. "We'll debrief as soon as your posts are done. Doctors Fraiser and Scully are waiting."
"Yes sir." Jack stepped past Tegan. "You coming Kiser?"
"You know I am sir."
"What's up?" Jack asked as they headed down the hall. "Still mad about the mission?"
"No."
"You're a bad liar."
"I'm not lying, sir." She stopped. "Mission aside, I just wish everyone would stop treating me like I'm different."
"Whaddya mean?"
"Janet was in the embarkation room when I came through."
"She cares Kiser."
"Yeah," Tegan turned and followed Teal'c and Daniel into the infirmary.
"You made it back." Janet smiled.
"Yes, but you already knew that."
Jack just shook his head.
"Grab a bed." Janet ordered the group. "Tegan, I'll be doing your post first."
"I was hoping Dr. Scully could do it."
Janet gave her a puzzled look.
"Kiser, don't give Doc a hard time." Jack warned.
"Yes sir."
Janet held Tegan's chart out to Dana. "I'll take Colonel O'Neill's."
"How was the mission?" Dana pulled the curtain around them.
"Boring, and except for the fact we ran into some Tok'ra these posts would be meaningless."
"So you're taking it out on Janet?" Dana pulled out her penlight and checked Tegan's pupils.
"No, I'm just tired of her smothering me."
"She almost lost you, we almost lost you."
"It's not the first time, won't be the last."
"No, and that's all the more reason." She looked at the prosthetic. "I need you to take it off."
"Why?"
"You need to ask?" Dana gave her an exaggerated look. "It's part of your routine pre and post examine now."
Tegan disengaged it and pulled it off before slipping the protective sleeve off.
"Do you remember when Janet fell off that cliff?"
"Yeah." Tegan stared at Dana's blue eyes as she examined her stump for any signs of tissue breakdown.
Dana cut her eyes up to Tegan's. "Then remember what that felt like and cut her some slack."
Tegan dropped her eyes.
"We're done here. You're free to go."
