The Tegan Chronicles 3
Silent Screams 1
Tiki Torches and Love
"Tiki gets to see Doc Fraiser, for post." Jack announced as he stepped through the gate with his team.
Tegan just glared at him.
"Who?" Janet looked up at Colonel O'Neill.
"Major Kiser." Teal'c answered.
"Yeah, Tiki," Jack smiled soliciting another hostile expression from the red head.
Sam put a placating hand on Tegan's shoulder, silently reminding her that hitting a superior officer was an offense. Although she personally wouldn't have blamed her in the least for belting him, even if she personally liked the nickname.
"What happened?" Janet nodded to Tegan's bandaged hand.
"It's nothing, just a burn." She shrugged.
"Actually," Daniel spoke up. "She was injured while once again saving Jack's ass."
"Quite literally." Jack rubbed his rear to bring the statement home.
"SG1, I want you to report to the infirmary. Debriefing will be in one hour." General Hammond let down his mask of professionalism for a split second. "This should be interesting."
Tegan made a point of rolling her eyes so that the General could see her. She wanted to be sure he knew she was in no way amused by the situation. While she was busy rolling her eyes at Hammond, Janet took advantage of the distraction and reached for the injured hand.
"Ouch!" Tegan turned penetrating green orbs on the smaller doctor. "Don't touch."
"I have to take a look at it," Janet insisted.
"When I get to the infirmary I'll be more than happy to let you have a peek. Until then hands off," Tegan growled before turning to face a snickering Jack. "Just remember Colonel, I walk softly and carry a big needle."
Teal'c tilted his head slightly. "I thought it was, ambulate faintly and possess a massive rod."
"Funny, Teal'c. Real funny," Tegan huffed before trudging out of the embarkation room.
"I thought it was funny big guy." Jack patted him on the shoulder before following Major Kiser down to the infirmary. "Tiki, wait up."
Tegan continued her journey ignoring Jack's pleas.
When Janet pulled back the curtain Tegan was sitting on the foot of the bed with her shirt still on. "How am I supposed to check you if you're still dressed?"
Tegan shrugged, and looked down at the bandage on her hand.
"Who dressed your wound?"
"Sam."
"Ouch?" Janet asked, remembering hearing Jack complain for weeks about the job she'd done splinting his leg.
"It wasn't that bad." Tegan offered.
"So, can I see it?"
"If you're asking, no," Tegan gave her a crafty grin.
"Then I guess I'll have to make it an official order. I'm going to go check out your comrades and when I get back I want you stripped down to your underwear. Do I make myself clear?"
Tegan nodded silently.
"I can't hear you."
"Yes ma'am, perfectly clear, ma'am."
"That's more like it." Janet smiled before walking out.
"Ok, so let's hear it." General Hammond took his seat at the conference table.
Colonel O'Neill shrugged his shoulders. "I think Daniel had the best vantage point."
"Dr. Jackson?"
"Well, we were getting along great with the people of P3G-256, or the Kabloos as they call themselves. Their culture is very much like native Hawaii. Very primitive, no running water, electricity. They live in huts and use Tiki torches for lighting. When they saw Major Kiser they fell in love with her red hair and told us it reminded them of a tiki torch. Then Jack was bending over and someone knocked a tiki torch over. It was heading straight for Jack's…" Daniel cleared his throat. "Backside, and Tegan reached out to catch it."
"Thus the burn and the nickname," Jack finished as the door to the debriefing room abruptly swung up, hitting the back wall.
"Doctor, have you heard of knocking?" General Hammond looked to his CMO who stood glaring at Major Kiser, her hands on her hips.
"Sorry, sir." Janet didn't break eye contact as her nostrils flared.
"Is there a problem, doctor?"
"Major Kiser skipped out on her post mission exam."
"Major Kiser?" General Hammond turned to face her.
"Oh, grow up Colonel." Tegan rolled her eyes in his direction before turning to look at Hammond.
"Major, I'm waiting for an answer."
"Doctor Warner completed my post mission physical, sir."
"Dr. Fraiser?"
Janet ignored him, "I told you to wait for me to return."
"You told me," Tegan corrected. "To strip down to my underwear before you got back. You didn't say another doctor couldn't do my exam."
"Colonel," Janet turned to Jack who was clearly amused by the whole conversation. She had no doubt he was figuring out a way to work Tegan's stripping comment into his next fantasy. "Big, dull needles."
"Whaaaat?" He held his hands up in mock surrender.
"Sir," Janet turned her attention back to General Hammond. "I'd like Major Kiser to report to the infirmary as soon as she is done here."
"You can have her now, Doctor." General Hammond laced his fingers together. "And when you're done, I'd like to see both of you in my office."
"Yes, sir." Janet and Tegan answered in unison.
"Strip." Janet commanded after she pulled the privacy curtain around one of the beds in the infirmary.
"Do you mind?" Tegan glared at her.
"Actually I do. Every time I give you any privacy you disappear on me."
"It wasn't like that Janet, and you know it. Warner came in and offered to do my post. I didn't see any harm in it."
"Well from now on, if I am on duty I will do your post."
"Aye-aye."
"You're not in the Navy, Major."
"Can we just get this over with?" Tegan pulled her shirt over her head.
"You can put your shirt back on." Janet looked down at Tegan's chart to distract her from watching the lithe woman dress.
"Is that all?"
"No, I still need to take a look at your burn." Janet caught her hand in hers. "Warner didn't examine it?"
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of a burn."
"I have no reservations about your ability as a doctor when it comes to others. However, you tend to discount your personal welfare."
"I do not." Tegan pulled her hand back and started removing the dressing. "See, a minor burn."
"Minor?" Janet raised her eyebrows as she looked at Tegan's charred palm.
"Yes, minor. A little Silvadine and it'll be as good as new."
"And what would you do if you were treating this wound in say… Major Carter?"
Tegan clenched her jaw. "You're going to put me on restricted duty, aren't you?"
"Do you think I should?"
"No."
"But if the tables were reversed?"
"The tables aren't reversed." Tegan flexed her fingers while biting on her lower lip. "Full range of motion, no muscle or ligament involvement. It's a superficial burn. Nothing more."
"And nothing less." Janet pulled out a sterile roll of Kling wrap. "If this gets infected…"
"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it." Tegan cut her off.
"Has anyone ever told you, you are hard headed?"
"Never," Tegan smiled.
"You wanted to see us sir?" Janet inquired as she and Tegan stepped into his office.
"Yes." General Hammond waited while Tegan closed the door. "How's the burn, doctor?"
"It's fine sir." Tegan replied a second ahead of Janet.
"I guess I should have been specific. Dr. Fraiser, how is Major Kiser's burn?"
"I've seen worse sir." Janet assured him that it would heal quickly, barring any infection.
"Is there a problem I need to be made aware of?"
"A problem sir?"
"Yes Major, between you and Doctor Fraiser."
"No problem, sir. I just failed to see why Dr. Warner couldn't do my post. But we've cleared that up, sir."
"I'm glad to hear it. I assume there will be no more interruptions like the one that took place today?"
"No sir." Janet replied knowing the question was directed toward her.
"Very well, Majors. You are both dismissed."
"Thank you sir." Tegan was the first one out the door.
"Tegan, wait up." Janet called after her.
"I have nothing more to say to you, doctor."
"Well I need to talk to you." Janet ran up to her. "I don't see why you're mad at me, I'm just trying to do my job."
"Just like Dr. Warner was. If you don't have full confidence in his ability to do post mission physicals than maybe you should have him transferred to the band-aid clinic at Sugar Grove, West Virginia."
"I have confidence in Dr. Warner's abilities, however I am the most capable person to care for you considering your medical intricacies."
"Fine," Tegan huffed the fight and anger leaving her voice.
"Hey," Janet stepped around the curtain after finishing up Jack's post mission physical. Tegan wondered briefly why she always saved her for last. "How was the mission?"
"Fine," Tegan shrugged. "Routine, boring."
"Boring?" Janet hadn't heard Tegan use that word before.
"Yup, dull planet, dry, hot, nothing spectacular. I probably still have sand in my ears."
"Daniel thought it was pretty cool," Janet offered.
"He thinks everything is 'cool,'" She made air quotes around the word.
"So, Cassie asked me to ask you if you got back to earth on schedule if you'd like to come to dinner?"
"Cassie did?"
"Yup," Janet's eyebrows rose.
"Did she invite Sam?"
"No," Janet closed Tegan's chart, and pulled out her stethoscope. "She and Cassie have every other Saturday when you all are on earth. Sam comes over and they do dinner and play chess. Sam was just over last Saturday."
"What am I, adopt a friend?"
"Look, if you don't want to come just say so." Janet shook her head. "Take a deep breath."
Tegan jumped lightly as the cold bell of the stethoscope connected with her back. She waited until Janet pulled the earpieces out, "I didn't mean that."
"Didn't you?"
"No," She looked at her boots remorsefully. "I'm tired, I've got sand everywhere."
Janet stepped back as Tegan tousled her hair to prove her point. "You're getting sand on my clean infirmary floors."
"Are we done?" Tegan checked her watch.
"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told every other member of SG1, you're off for the rest of the day. I think you all had too much exposure to the heat." Even Sam was grumpy, Janet thought. "Drink plenty of fluids and get some quality rest."
"Fine," Tegan pulled her shirt back down and swung herself off the bed. "What time's dinner?"
"1800 hrs," Janet smiled.
"I'll bring desert."
"No, you'll bring a rested Tegan and nothing else. I mean it, you need to rest."
"Cassie you want to let Tegan in?" Janet called from the kitchen when the doorbell rang at 5:45.
"Hey!" Cassie opened the door and ran back into the living room to resume her game.
"I thought you wanted me to come to dinner?" Tegan asked as she passed through the living room, looking to the screen where Cassie was playing some kind of street racer game on her xbox.
"I did," Cassie stayed glued to the tv.
"Kids these days," Tegan mumbled as she entered the kitchen.
"Tell me about it." Janet dried her hands on a dishtowel.
"Can I help you?" Tegan asked under the scrutiny of Janet's gaze.
"Nope, it's almost done."
"Smells good."
"Does that mean you'll actually eat?"
It was said lightly, but Tegan knew exactly what she meant, rather than start an argument she shrugged.
Janet took the cue, "You look better than you did earlier today."
Tegan held up a half empty bottle of water, "Third one and I took a two hour nap."
"I'm impressed."
"You should be."
Janet turned down Tegan's offer to help with dishes and instead shooed both her and Cassie out to the backyard. When she joined them fifteen minutes later they were kicking a soccer ball around the yard. "I didn't know you played?"
"Yeah, in fact I was offered a partial soccer scholarship to Stanford which was ranked 11th at the time," Tegan saw the ball flying towards her and head butted it back across the yard; "But UVA offered me a full scholarship for premed, and they were ranked 9th."
"Not a bad call," Janet mused.
"Where'd you do your premed?"
"UC Berkley."
"Hippie," Tegan ran after Cassie and tackled the ball away from her quickly kicking it away and yelling out: "GOAL!"
Janet watched them continue to play until it started to get too dark, "Cassie, it's time to call it a night. You need to get a shower and get to bed."
"Mom," The girl whined.
"You have school tomorrow."
"Will you sing to me tonight?"
"You've worn her out Cassie."
"I don't mind," Tegan threw her arm around Cassie as they walked inside. "As long as you don't sass your mom and do what she asks."
"Fine," Cassie smiled and ran upstairs.
"Any requests?" Tegan sat her water bottle on a coaster when Cassie reappeared in the living room showered and ready for bed.
"No," Cassie looked at Janet. "Mom?"
Janet shrugged, as Tegan started to tap her foot to the beat in her head. "'In the town where I was born, there lived a man who sailed to sea, and he told us of his life, in the land of submarines.'"
When she got to the chorus she started conducting, "Everybody, 'We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine, We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine.'"
"Bed time Cass," Janet announced when they'd finished the final chorus and Tegan had slumped back onto the couch.
"Do I have to?"
"It's nine thirty," Janet double-checked her watch.
Tegan grinned at the interaction.
"What's so funny?" Cassie grumbled. "She's liable to send you to bed next."
The statement earned a chuckle from Tegan and a stern look from Janet.
"What? I'm going already."
"I go through this every night," Janet sighed when she heard Cassie's door shut.
"The joys of parenthood," Tegan surmised.
"I guess," Janet rested her head back on the couch.
"You look like you could use some rest yourself."
"No," Janet shook her head. "Some quite time with a good friend is all I need."
The silence that followed felt awkward to Tegan. She opened her mouth to speak, but there was nothing she could think of.
"I love you," Janet's voice softly broke into the stillness.
"No," Tegan immediately tensed and Janet's head popped up from its resting place.
"I don't mean," She reached out for Tegan's arm before she could stand.
"No, you can't say that." She hadn't registered anything after 'I love you.' She looked at the door, glanced at Janet for a second, before her eyes darted back to the door.
"I only mean…"
"It doesn't matter what you mean," Tegan pushed to her feet ignoring the grip of Janet's hand persuading her to stay. "You can't."
"I didn't mean…" Janet stuttered. The whole 'don't ask, don't tell' policy wasn't only in place to help military personnel but also to punish them. If this was misconstrued there would be no questions asked, she wouldn't be able to plead her case. "I'm not…"
It was too late; the resounding thud of the front door settling into its frame stopped any further explanation. Janet started to run after her, but something stopped her when she heard the revving of Tegan's motorcycle.
"Hey," Janet stood nervously in the doorway to Tegan's lab as she peered up over the microscope at her. "We need to talk."
"There's nothing to talk about," Tegan switched the microscope off and stretched her back out. She picked up the slide she'd been examining and moved to her desk.
"I'm not," Janet checked the position of the security camera.
"I never thought you were," Tegan kept her from having to say it aloud. "Like I said, there's nothing to talk about."
"I care about you."
"You're a doctor; they pay you to care about people." There was something sardonic in her tone.
"This goes deeper than that," Janet wished she would let her in. "I…"
"Don't say it," Tegan jumped out of her chair and brushed past her as she exited the lab.