Tegan Chronicles 4
Corrye
"Kiser," Jack called as he jogged down the hall to catch up with her. "I just wanted you to know General Hammond knows about…"
"I've read the reports sir, and I passed my psych eval."
"Of course," He smiled. "I should have known. I also let him know you opened up to us."
"You mean I broke down."
"You trusted your team Kiser, that's a good thing."
"Yeah well," She looked sternly at him. "Don't expect me to change sir."
"You mean you're still going to say you're fine as long as you're not dead?"
"Precisely," She smiled before walking into the conference room.
"I assume you read the reports Major Kiser, was there anything you wanted to add?" General Hammond folded his hands over the folder in front of him.
"Yes sir, I just want you to know this doesn't change anything."
"I think it does," He disagreed.
"Sir?"
"Well, it actually explains a lot."
"Like?" She looked at him as if he'd just grown another head.
"Like how you've withstood Nirrti's torture tactics for one."
"And," Jack tapped the table in front of him drawing her attention. "Why you're so hard headed."
"Funny Colonel," She smirked in his direction.
"Right now I don't have SG1 on the mission roster to jump for another week, but Dr. Fraiser has requested your assistance in the infirmary. It seems we're short staffed again."
"Yes sir."
"Unless any one wants to add anything, you're dismissed. And Major Kiser," He waited for her to turn back to him, "It's good to have you back."
"Thank you sir."
Tegan was the last one to enter the briefing room. "Sorry I'm late sir."
"That's fine Major." General Hammond knew she'd been busy helping Janet tend to an overwhelming morning in the infirmary. "Have a seat."
Tegan looked around at her comrades as she settled into the only open seat beside Major Carter. She nodded her silent hello to Jacob Carter, having already felt his presence.
"I'll let you fill her in Jacob." General Hammond opened the floor for him to proceed.
"The Tok'ra were looking into information about a possible rise in a new system Lord from the planet Mysa, I believe it is planet PX4-254 on your charts." He made it a point to look at his daughter. "While there we discovered an illness among the male children of the Mysains. Currently all the males under the age of 12 have either contracted the illness, or have already died from it. They have had a total of eight deaths from it, and currently there are eleven children showing symptoms. At this rate the Mysains will eventually die out. They've asked for our help, but the Tok'ra council is unable to send anyone who might be able to help at this time. I know that your medical personnel resources are limited, but I was hoping you would be able to offer some assistance."
"Major Kiser," General Hammond addressed her. "I'm willing to send SG1 if you feel you could be of assistance with out having to take additional medical staff away from the SGC."
Idon'tdokids.Ican'tdokids."Sir?"
"Assuming that Dr. Frasier can clear you all, you would be able to gate out tomorrow, so you can at least assess the situation."
Itdoesn'tsoundlikeyou'reasking. Tegan looked to Jacob. "What kind of symptoms are they having?"
"I'm no doctor, as you're aware." Jacob smiled lightly. It was one of the few things Selmac wasn't trained in. "But from what I've gathered it sounds like these kids are dying from multiple system failure."
Idon'tdokids.Ireallydon'tdodyingkids.
"Major?" General Hammond interrupted her thoughts.
"I guess we could go assess the situation, sir."
"Fine, I'll talk with Dr. Frasier about getting you all in for your pre-mission physicals, and you can plan on jumping at 1100 hrs."
"Thank you, sir." Jack looked curiously at the young doctor.
"That's all, you're dismissed."
"What was that about?" Jack asked when he caught up with Tegan in the hall.
"Sir?"
"I guess." He made air quotes with his fingers.
"Nothing, sir."
"Is there some reason you don't want to do this mission?"
Tegan stopped walking and turned around almost causing Jack to collide with her. "What did I miss in the debriefing?"
"Just some boring stuff about some snakehead who calls himself Oogie Boogie or something like that, Daniel can fill you in over lunch." Jack rubbed his stomach. "I'm starved."
"Actually, it'll have to wait. I told Dr. Frasier I would check in with her after the meeting. Sir."
"Fine. But you still didn't answer my question." He turned to Sam as Tegan walked away. "She didn't answer it right?"
"No sir, she didn't."
"What's up with that?"
"Maybe she doesn't like kids."
"She gets along great with Cassie." He pointed out.
"True." Sam shrugged.
"Hey," Janet stepped around the curtain to find Tegan waiting for her pre mission physical. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Tegan rubbed at the three quarter inch hair growth covering her head. She was tempted to shave it all off again. At this stage it had a mind of it's own and was itchy under the drab do rags she wore with her BDUs. "We've got a mission tomorrow."
"Are you sure you're ready to jump?"
"I've been cleared."
"That's not what I asked."
"It's not the jump I'm worried about. I'll be fine."
"What are you worried about," Janet rested her hand on Tegan's knee.
"It's nothing," She shook her head, "Just trying to get back in the grove."
"I'm sure you'll find it pretty quick, but if you're not ready to jump just say the word."
"I'm ready." She just wished it was a different mission.
Daniel talked to Tegan the next morning while they were waiting for the rest of SG1 to arrive in the gate room. "Until the Tok'ra arrived on the planet a week ago the Mysains have had no 'travelers' since Ogbunabali arrived on the planet over eight decades ago. Most of the people who were alive during his arrival have since died."
"When did the boys start getting sick?" Tegan hadn't thought to ask Jacob the day before.
"About five days before the Tok'ra arrived. The people of Mysa refer to the Goa'uld symbiotes as snakes."
"I bet O'Neill likes them already," Tegan rolled her eyes.
Daniel nodded before continuing. "There was a tank of these 'snakes' and what Jacob believes to have been approximately 10 mature symbiotes. From accounts of the townspeople a dog somehow got into the chamber where the tank was housed and killed all the symbiotes. Enraged . Ogbunabali slaughtered all the dogs on the planet in retribution for his loss. It was after the killing of the dogs that the first boy started to get sick."
"What do you know about this - Ogbunabali?"
"Nothing." Daniel shrugged. "Except he shares the name of the Igbo God of death. Ogbunabali's basically means 'one who kills in the night.' I was kind of hoping you would have some memory of him through Kalma-Kiptu?"
"No," Tegan shook her head, and she wanted to keep it that way. "Igbo?"
"An ancient civilization that has survived in Nigeria."
Camp was set up about 2 miles away from the Stargate in an area that hadn't been patrolled by Ogbunabali's Jaffa for quiet sometime according to the Villagers. Ogbunabali had become lax in guarding the gate, and from what Jacob and Daniel were able to ascertain there had been no outsiders in at least a decade.
It had been four days since Tegan set up a makeshift field clinic, and currently she had one patient, a ten year old boy name Corrye. Over the last twenty-four hours his condition had deteriorated, and Tegan sent a blood sample back with Sam for Janet to run a more thorough analysis on. Corrye was the was the ninth boy to become ill in the last two months from the town, so far he was the only one to live this long since contracting the disease. Reports came from the town that ten more boys were presenting with symptoms of the illness, almost double what had been noted when they arrived.
Tegan was sitting beside his bed, looking over her notes when she felt soft blue eyes on her. She looked over to see he was awake. "Hey Corrye, how are you feeling?"
"Better," His lips were pale and somehow Tegan knew he was trying to be brave.
"You know you don't have to tell me you feel better because you think you have to be strong. In fact it takes a lot more bravery to admit when you are hurting or sick."
"Really?"
"Yup," Tegan pushed his golden brown hair off his forehead and felt the heat radiating off him.
"I really don't feel better," he admitted.
"Can I tell you a secret?" She asked in a conspiratorial whisper. When Corrye nodded she leaned close to his ear, "You're much braver than I am."
"No way," He shook his head in disbelief.
"Yes, you are. You know my friend Janet, the one Sam took your blood to?" Tegan paused while he nodded. "She's also my doctor, and if she were here she'd tell you I'm not very brave when I'm sick."
Corrye smiled, "Can I be your friend too?"
"You already are my friend Corrye."
"Hey," Jack spoke from the entrance to the tent. "Just wanted to let you know Sam made it safely back to the SGC about two hours ago without any problems."
"Thanks," She turned back to Corrye and adjusted his IV.
"Think I can sit with you for a while big guy?" Jack moved behind Tegan and looked at the pale boy lying on the military cot. "Major Kiser here needs to get some sleep."
"I don't think I could sleep right now, sir."
"Well you can at least go rest for a couple of hours. I'll get you if anything changes." He looked back at Corrye who appeared to be sleeping again. "Looks like I've already bored him."
"Major Kiser," Teal'c stepped into the medical tent. "I am asked by Dr. Fraiser to give you this."
Tegan looked over the report, and Jack thought he saw tears glistening in her eyes. Her fear had been confirmed, he was in end stage renal failure. "Sir, I need to talk to his parents. I need to get them to agree to let me take him back through the gate. We can put him on dialysis, try and clear the heavy metal out of his blood stream. It's not too late."
But Jack knew it was, it was too late because Tegan was already attached to the little boy in her care.
"You can't do that," Daniel spoke from behind Teal'c.
"Why not," Tegan demanded.
"Because his parents are already grieving his death, and because his religion forbids it."
Tegan couldn't comprehend how anyone could send someone; let lone a child, off to die alone or with strangers only to have the body returned later for funeral purposes. "I don't understand; why aren't they doing everything possible to save him? He's a child, a ten year old boy. We can't just let him die."
"No one is asking you to understand," Daniel's voice was clam.
"Sir," She turned to Colonel O'Neill. "We can take him through the Stargate dialyze and bring him back. No harm, no foul."
"Wrong," Daniel clenched his teeth for a second before going off on a tirade. "You take him through that gate, heal him, bring him back and his entire community bans him; Not just his family Tegan, everyone."
"Damn it," She didn't care that everyone's mouth was currently agape. "I'm not just going to let him die."
"You don't have a choice," Jack tried to sound like the commanding officer he was. When that didn't work he continued. "You're in a no win situation Kiser. You treat him and he lives a little longer, but he's still going to die."
"I don't like it either," Daniel adjusted his glasses, "but we can't come here and push our values on them."
From behind her she heard Corrye's soft voice. "We all have to be brave in our own way."
She moved back to his side and sat on the edge of the cot, brushing his hair back she forced a smile and wondered why life had to be so cruel sometimes.
"You need to rest, I'll be alright."
"No, I want to stay with you." Tegan couldn't leave him when his time left was so sparse.
"I need to write a letter to a friend I didn't get to say goodbye to. You go lay down and if I need you I'll send Colonel Jack to get you." He thought for a minute, "You haven't slept in two days."
"I've slept." She argued, "When you sleep, I sleep."
"When I sleep, you worry."
"He's got you nailed." Daniel ducked away from her glare.
"The kid's right," Jack added, "At least an hour."
"One hour."
In exactly an hour and not a minute later Tegan returned to Corrye's side. She looked a little better but Jack was sure it was a combination of the field shower she'd grabbed and the coffee she'd downed. Despite hating the stuff, he'd seen her drink it to get through a few sleepless missions.
He wasn't sure how long the rejuvenation would last.
Corrye's condition was the same it had been when she left, but over the next twelve hours it took a nose dive. Tegan was giving him Morphine for the pain, but there was little she could do about the raspy breathing and congestion in his lungs. Furosemide would put too much of a strain on his already failing kidneys. Just before losing consciousness he told her she was ready to die, it took everything she had to hold herself together.
She sat with him, holding his hand, and watched as he took his final labored breath. She waited a full sixty seconds, not sure whether to hope he would take another before she pulled her stethoscope from around her neck.
Jack stood behind a stack of medical and biohazard boxes watching as she removed the stethoscope from her ears. When she turned to look at him, her mask was set. "He's dead."
"I'm sorry," Jack said the only thing he could think of. Inside he wished she would cry.
After a few moments of silence Daniel dared to speak, "Do you want to go with us to take him to his parents? To take part in his right of passage?"
Tegan grunted, "No."
"Is there anything you would like us to relay?" Teal'c's question was innocent.
"Yeah, you can tell them I hope they rot in hell."
"I don't think so," Daniel raised his eyebrows but kept his cool.
Jack stepped out from behind the boxes and started moving toward Tegan. "It's ok to be upset."
"Son of a…" She growled and looked away from him. "This is why I don't do kids!"
She slung her stethoscope across the tent and it landed in the corner Jack had just vacated with a soft thud followed by a yelp.
"What the?" Jack spun around to see a black dog peeking cautiously around the boxes. "How'd he get there?"
"He wasn't there a minute ago?" Tegan knew Jack would've mentioned it, but she also knew the dog didn't just materialize out of thin air.
"No, and there's no way he could've come in without one of us seeing him."
Teal'c stepped closer to get a look at the black dog with one white ear that looked like a cross between a Great Dane and a Doberman in physique, but favored a Labrador in height. As soon as Teal'c stepped forward he began snarling and growling.
"Hey, it's ok." Tegan drew his attention. "He's not going to hurt you."
He looked from Teal'c to Tegan and back again before letting out a final warning growl and trotting over to sit at Tegan's feet.
"I think he likes you." Daniel pointed out.
"Whatever," Tegan picked up Corrye's chart. "I'm going to my tent; I've got a report to write."
They stood there and watched as the dog followed Tegan out of the tent pausing for a second to give Teal'c a wary look. When Jack checked on her an hour later she was sitting at a makeshift desk made from medical boxes with the mystery dog curled up at her feet. He lifted his head when Jack entered, but found him to be harmless and went back to his napping.
"New friend?"
She looked down at him before looking up at Jack. "I've tired to make him leave, but he won't."
"Daniel and Teal'c are returning Corrye's body to his parents." Jack looked down fiddling with something in his hand before offering the sealed envelope to Tegan. "I found this under his pillow."
On the outside of the letter was 'Major Tegan' written in a child's hand. She hesitated for a second before accepting the envelope. Opening Corrye's chart she tucked it safely inside.
Jack frowned on the action, "You need to get some sleep."
"After I finish up here."
"Now, Major Kiser, it's not a request, it's an order."
"Yes sir." She tried not to sigh.
When Sam checked in on Tegan upon returning the next morning she saw a black lump of fur curled up on the sleeping bag. Colonel O'Neill had already brought her up to speed on the events since she'd been gone. An hour and a half later Tegan emerged from her tent with her new friend tagging along behind.
"I'm sorry about Corrye," She handed her a container of orange juice. "I brought it back from the SGC this morning."
"Thanks, it's still cold."
"It was frozen when I left," Sam tapped her forehead the way Jack did when he did something ingenious.
Tegan looked around the empty camp. "Where is everyone?"
"SG4 packed up and they're on their way back to the gate as we speak. Jack and Dad went to get samples from the town water source for Janet; And Daniel and Teal'c stayed in town to observe Corrye's transition ceremony." Sam explained as the dog disappeared into the woods.
"Transition ceremony," She scoffed. "What's the point?"
Sam shrugged knowing there was nothing she could say.
"I guess I should pack up my tent."
"I'll help."
"I've got it, but thanks. I need to work off some negative energy before the guys come back."
Half way through packing her gear she looked up to see the oddly marked dog a few feet away watching her with curiosity filled eyes. "Yes, I'm packing up and going home, and you're staying here. Maybe you should go home too, you know to your own home. Great now I'm talking to a dog, and not just any dog, I'm talking to an alien dog."
After finishing up Tegan sat on the ground with her back against a tree. An hour later the dog who'd been dozing at her feet jumped up and started growling. Both Tegan and Sam readied their weapons only to see Jack and Jacob round the bend.
"What is it with you and men?" Tegan asked the dog that continued to growl. "It's okay."
As soon as ok was out of her mouth he quieted, but continued to watch as Jacob handed the water samples to Tegan.
"He's staying here, right?" Jack pointed to the dog.
"Of course," Tegan answered. "You didn't think I was going to ask to take him home did you?"
"Well, he is kind of cute and he does like you." Jack reasoned. "Not to mention you did try to take home the first living symbiote you saw."
"Ha ha, funny." She pushed to her feet. "Point taken sir, but no, I have no intentions of taking him home. He's staying here."
"Are we ready?" Jack looked around before picking up Tegan's gear.
"I can carry my own gear."
"No one said you couldn't." Jack refused to hand it over.
"I thought we were waiting for Teal'c and Daniel?" Sam looked from her dad to Jack.
"They should be gating home as we speak." Jack did a quick once over to make sure they weren't leaving anything behind.
"You," Tegan looked at the dog, "stay here."
As they started toward the gate the dog followed. Tegan turned back and shook her head. "I said to go home, to your home. Go on… Get!"
"Jack," Jacob put his hand up while steadying his zat gun with the other. "I don't think we're alone."
"Carter, see if you can run ahead and dial up the gate, we'll try and keep them distracted."
"Over there!" They heard someone yell before they saw the small patrol of Jaffa.
"They don't want us Jack," Jacob looked back as they started retreating to the gate.
The dog just sat there looking at Tegan who had suddenly stopped, "Run Damn it!"
"Kiser, let's get the hell out of here."
"Sir, they're going to kill it." She heard a staff blast, followed by a yelp.
Before Jack could stop her she was running back in the direction of the dog.
"Close the iris!" Jack yelled when they had all made it through the event horizon.
Teal'c and Daniel were still in the gate room, "What's going on?"
"We were under fire." Jack looked over as General Hammond walked in his eyes immediately spotting the dog in Tegan's arms.
"What's the meaning of this?"
"They were trying to kill him, sir." She knelt down to place him on the ramp as he started to slip from her grasp. "He was hit by a staff blast."
"Was he?" Daniel looked at the unscathed dog lying there.
"You saw it sir?" She looked up at Jack. "Jacob?"
"I thought he was hit," Jack nodded.
Jacob just shrugged as the dog started wagging his tail.
Tegan jumped back to her feet, "You bastard!"
"Major?"
"Sorry sir," She looked apologetically at General Hammond. "He yelped, and I thought he was hit."
"He's a dog," General Hammond shook his head. "Security place him in a holding cell."
"A holding cell sir?"
"Do you have a problem with that Major?" He was beginning to think she'd spent too much time around Dr. Fraiser. It was rare that anyone besides Janet openly butted heads with him.
"No sir," the muscles in her jaw tightened to keep her from speaking further.
"We need to find something to…" One of the airmen started toward the dog.
"Sir," Tegan interrupted. "With your permission I will take him."
"Security will escort you," He sighed. "Sg1 you need to report to the infirmary and we'll debrief in two hours."
Janet had already finished Sam's post mission physical when Tegan entered the infirmary. It had been pretty routine since Sam had been on base less than eight hours ago. It didn't take long for her to finish up with Jack and step around the curtain where Tegan sat on the edge of a stretcher. "Colonel O'Neill tells me you put your life on the line for a dog?"
"Not exactly," Tegan wasn't sure what had happened. Instinct took over, and she didn't even notice she was running into enemy fire to grab a stupid dog.
Janet rested her hand on Tegan's knee, "I'm sorry."
"This has nothing to do with him," Tegan took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it."
"I think you need to."
"Would you please just do my exam so I'm not late for the debriefing?" She knew she had plenty of time.
Janet was surprised at the softness in Tegan's voice and stood there for a second. "Anything I need to know about?"
"I slept for ten hours last night," which she never did off world.
"I think you were just playing catch up. Colonel O'Neill tells me you stayed by Corrye's side and wouldn't sleep." Janet checked Tegan's neck for any signs of Goa'uld infiltration.
"Why do you do that?" Tegan changed the subject. "You know a symbiote can't survive in my body, and if one did try to slither in I'd probably be laying here half dead."
"Habit," Janet offered with a shrug. "I want to get a set of electrolytes, and then you're free to go."
"As you were," General Hammond spoke before any of the officers could stand. He sat down not really sure where to start. "I'm already aware of just about everything up to the point of this 'dog' being brought back through the Stargate."
"Major Kiser had no intentions of bringing him back through the Stargate." Jack stated in her defense.
"Well," General Hammond's gaze narrowed on her. "He's not staying."
"Sir, if I may?"
"What is it?"
"As far as we know he's the last dog on that planet, the Jaffa killed all the dogs they could find when…"
"I'm well aware of this Major," General Hammond didn't let her continue. "We aren't even sure that he isn't a Goa'uld."
"I do not believe he is."
"Well I guess that just settles it Teal'c."
"Sarcasm," Jack looked at Teal'c.
"I'd like to be given the chance to rule that out, and to do some studies to compare him to the dogs we have here. See if there are any evolutionary or physical differences."
"If you can be certain he doesn't have a symbiote living in him, I'll give you forty-eight hours starting now; and that doesn't give you permission to work around the clock. You'll do any scans and get what ever samples you need before we send him back where he came from."
"We can't send him back there, sir."
"Forty-eight hours Major. And you're responsible for him while he's here. He's not to leave the base."
"Yes sir."
"Hey," Janet came up behind Tegan in the hall. "Ready to talk about it?"
"There's nothing to talk about," Tegan stopped. "A ten year old boy is dead; one that I could've saved, but no we had to respect their stupid beliefs, and now he's dead. Now I've got this dumb dog, that fakes getting hit by a staff blast so I'll save it's sorry ass, and the General is pissed at me and wants to send the dog back to a planet where he'll be killed."
She took a deep breath and locked eyes with Janet. "That's it, there's nothing to talk about."
"If you change your mind…"
"I won't," She looked up as Daniel rounded the corner. "I've got to go."
"Tegan," Daniel called after her.
"I'm busy."
"I just need a minute."
Tegan shook her head no and continued her withdraw.
"What was that all about?" Janet looked at Daniel as he stopped his pursuit.
"I think she blames me because I stood up for their beliefs."
"How's it going?" Jack slipped into Tegan's lab to find her behind her desk trying to make a list of everything she was going to need to do in the next forty odd hours.
"He doesn't have a symbiote in him." She looked over at the dog who sat with a perfect posture as dogs go, and watched them intently as if he understood every word.
"He needs a name."
"I'm not getting attached," She looked back at Jack. "I don't get attached."
He looked over at Corrye's file laying on the edge of the desk, the still sealed envelope peeking out. "Of course not, I came to tell you its quitting time."
"I'm just getting started."
"Yeah, well, Hammond meant what he said. And seeing as I'm your CO…"
"It's your hide if he finds out I worked through the night." She glanced back at the dog, "So we just won't get caught."
"Not the point Kiser."
"Is General Hammond still here?"
"I think so."
She nodded and turned to her computer. "Give me five minutes."
Jack crouched down and called the dog over he scratched his neck and ears while she pulled up a file she'd worked on earlier and hit print. "Do you mind hanging with him for a few minutes sir, I need to see General Hammond?"
"Sure," Jack shrugged as she pulled the paper from the printer and secured her computer console.
"Tegan," Daniel stood outside her lab.
"I'm busy Daniel." She looked to the paper in her hand. "Catch me tomorrow."
"Five minutes?"
"I don't have time." She headed toward the elevator bay.
General Hammond glanced up when there was a knock on his open door. "Major?"
"Sorry, your uh, Sgt Ford wasn't at his desk."
"I was just leaving."
"I only need a minute of your time sir."
"Very well," He waved her in. "Have a seat."
"That won't be necessary sir," She held out the paper in her hand.
"What's this?" He eyed the paper but didn't reach for it.
"It's my official request to resign my commission, sir."
"Does this have anything to do with that dog?"
"No sir," She continued to hold the paper out. "I would appreciate you signing off on it and sending it on to headquarters."
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
"Excuse me?"
"I won't sign it, and I don't think you really want me to. If you didn't want to resign your commission after your first encounter with a symbiote, or after the last two times Nirrti has tortured you, then I don't believe you really want to resign over this."
"It's not about the dog." She dropped the paper onto the desk.
"People die Major, it happens everyday."
"I'm well aware of that."
"Why are you really doing this?"
"I just can't do it anymore."
"The Major Kiser I know doesn't quit."
Tegan turned to see Jack standing in the doorway with the dog at his side. "Sir?"
"You left the door open," He shrugged.
"How'd you know? I secured my computer."
"I just knew." Jack glanced at General Hammond before continuing. "They pulled me out of retirement for this post, what makes you think they are going to let you just walk away? You're entirely too great an asset, it's just not going to happen."
"Major," General Hammond drew her attention as he lifted the paper offering it back to her and tilting his head toward the dog. "I want you to finish your current project, and then I want you to take three weeks leave, come back for a week, and if you still want to resign your commission I'll reassess my recommendation."
They both knew nothing in the military moved fast and for that very reason it wasn't an invitation for her go out job hunting. Even if he put the paperwork through now, it could be six months to a year before she heard back from the review board. She took the paper and crumpled it in her hand before tossing it in the wastebasket.
"As far as I'm concerned this never happened."
"Yes sir."
"Colonel?"
"What happened?" He smiled.
"Now, if that was all Major, I'm going home."
"Yes sir." She turned to leave. "Come on boy."
Jack followed behind her and the dog. "You know, if you wanted a raise you could just ask for one."
"Oh, because the military just hands those out all the time." She shook her head, "It's not about the money."
"Look, if you want I'll stay on base and keep the dog until it's time to send him back."
"He's fine Colonel, I'm fine." She looked up as the dog started to growl, Teal'c was coming towards them. "Would you stop it, he's a friend."
The dog stopped and looked at Tegan for a second then back at Teal'c and wagged his tail slowly.
"There is something strange about this dog."
"Tell me about it," Tegan rubbed her stomach. "Go home sir, I'm going to grab dinner in the mess and head to bed early."
"I'd better not check the security tapes tomorrow and find you've been working." Jack warned.
Tegan just gave him an incredulous look before walking away.
"That dog thinks he's her shadow."
"Indeed." Teal'c agreed.
"Do you have everything you need?" Jack walked into the lab where the dog was curled up on a pile of blankets Tegan had tossed in the corner.
"Is it time already?"
"It is."
"Yeah," She scanned her list. "I'm pretty sure I've got it all."
"You don't have to do this."
"No sir," She glanced at Corrye's chart that was still lying neatly on the edge of her desk, the letter unread. "I have to do this."
"Alright, Sam and Daniel said they would meet us there."
"They don't have to…"
"They want to."
"SG8 is running a little behind schedule after they gate in we'll dial him home," General Hammond spoke from the control room.
"I'm sorry," Daniel stood beside Tegan, thankful for a few minutes when she couldn't run off with an excuse of being busy.
"For what?"
"Corrye, I didn't mean to…"
"No," She stopped him. "It's not your fault. We can't go around pushing our beliefs on anyone else."
"I just…"
"Daniel, I'm not mad at you, I've just been really busy since we got back. I actually tried to find you after I finished with General Hammond the other night, but security said you'd already left base."
He nodded, as the gate activated.
"You ok?" Sam whispered.
"It's a dog," Tegan spoke under her breath. "I'm fine."
As soon as Captain Saunders stepped through the event horizon the dog started to growl. "Quiet boy."
"Major?" Jack looked at Tegan as he continued to growl.
"It's okay," She stated louder as the gate deactivated. "I don't know sir."
She was beginning to wish she'd put a leash on him. The thought had barely entered her mind when he charged up the gate and lunged for Captain Saunders, in the same instant Saunder's eyes lit up as he pulled his handgun out aiming it for Tegan. He pulled the trigger as the dog's massive jaw clamped onto his arm. Tegan realized the bullet barely missed her as the black ball of fur was sent flying into a side wall.
By now SG8 and security were ready to open fire, but Saunders' had managed to grab his CO, Colonel Bradshaw to use as a shield. When he again lifted his weapon to take aim at Tegan, Lieutenant Webb stunned him with zat fire, which allowed Colonel Bradshaw to roll free. Several shots were fired with at least one managing to slice through Saunders' neck before he fell onto the ramp.
Tegan ran up and felt for a radial pulse. "He's dead sir, but I think Colonel Bradshaw could use a medical team."
"I'm ok," He waved his hand in the air, still clutching his head with the other. "Those zat blasts don't ever get any better do they?"
Tegan turned to see the dog favoring his front right leg as he moved toward her, she met him half way. She looked up as General Hammond entered, "I can't send him back injured.
"Sir," she added as an afterthought.
"No Major you can't."
"Permission to…"
"Just take care of him, Major."
"Thank you sir," She carefully lifted the seventy-five pound dog and headed for the infirmary.
"What happened?" Janet asked when she saw Tegan come through the double doors.
"You're needed in the gate room, there's been a casualty."
"Who?"
"Captain Saunders, SG8. He was a Goa'uld. Security took him down."
"Are you sure he's…"
"He is." She nodded as her furry companion licked her face.
"How is he?" General Hammond inquired from the open doorway.
"It's most likely a bruised shoulder sir, I'm not seeing any fractures." She looked past him to see both Sam and Jack standing nearby.
"Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are going to take him to see a vet in town just to be sure."
"I can take care of him, sir." She didn't want to remind him she had the training.
"You need to see Dr. Fraiser."
"Why?"
"You need more than just my order Major?"
"No sir, sorry, I didn't realize it was an order."
"Well, one of those bullets came a little too close for comfort."
"It missed me by a mile."
"I think you need to recheck your calculations," Jack pointed to the laceration.
Tegan looked down at the blood that had run down her arm from the cut just above her elbow. "Well, I'll be."
She'd been too caught up in everything else to notice, but now that it was pointed out, it did sting just a little. She looked over at Jack as he picked up the makeshift leash they'd been using to take him on relief walks topside. "We'll take good care of him Kiser."
"I don't doubt that sir."
"You just get yourself taken care of."
"Yes sir."
"Any idea why he was trying to shoot you?" Janet cleaned the laceration before starting to suture it.
"Saunders knew about my ability, whatever you want to call it, to kill symbiotes. I assume when the symbiote blended with him it acquired that knowledge and thought it could take me out."
"From what I hear," Janet focused on her stitching. "You were lucky the dog was there."
"Yeah," Her brow wrinkled in thought. "Could you give me a minute?"
"I'm almost done," Janet shook her head no. "Why?"
"I want to know how he knows who has a symbiote in them. I originally thought he just didn't like men, but every time he's growled at someone it's been someone who had a symbiote in them."
"I'm finished." Janet announced a Tegan jumped up and disappeared before she could tell her she wanted to keep an eye on it.
"Kiser," Jack slipped quietly into the lab. "General Hammond wants to see you."
"Yes sir," She cut the microscope off. "Where's…"
His look told her not to ask any questions as she followed him down the hall. When she entered General Hammond's office, Sam was standing to the side and refused to make eye contact. Jack closed the door behind them.
"Have a seat Major," General Hammond waited while she made her way into the office and sat in front of his desk. "How's your arm?"
"It's ok sir, Dr. Fraiser put in a couple sutures and I should be good as new."
"That's good to hear." He nodded, "How's your research going?"
She wished they'd just get it over with, and tell her the vet found nothing wrong with the dog so they'd sent him back through the gate. She'd almost rather hear they had him put down, it would have been more humane. "I'm just getting started sir, so far I've found that he has moderate naquada levels in his blood stream."
"Would that explain how he knew Captain Saunders was a Goa'uld?"
"I believe so, sir."
"Well," General Hammond opened his desk drawer and pulled out an olive green leash, "how would you like a new dog?"
"A new dog sir?"
"He checked out fine at the vet's office, aside from some soft tissue damage in his shoulder. Considering he did save your life, and possible the demise of the SGC, short of giving him a medal, I thought we could at least offer him a new home." He nodded to Jack who opened the door allowing the dog to come in. He immediately sat beside Tegan and rested his chin on her thigh. "Seeing how he's already so fond of you, I couldn't think of anyone better to pair him with."
"I don't know what to say," She looked at the leash General Hammond was offering her and then down at the dog's head. He was as Jack put it 'kind of cute.'
"You could start by saying thank you." Jack prompted.
"Thank you, sirs." She made sure to include them both as she reached for the leash. "General, I don't think it's necessarily safe for him to go off world with us."
"We've already discussed that, Dr. Fraiser has agreed to keep him with her at home or in the infirmary when you're off world."
"Thank you sir," She looked over at Sam who was grinning from ear to ear.
"I hope you don't mind, but Jack and I named him."
"Did you?"
"Yup," Jack piped up. Even from behind her she knew he was rocking back on his heels with that smug look of his.
Tegan scratched his neck and heard his dog tags rattle, she carefully rotated the green nylon collar until she could read it, "Shadow."
"Yeah, because he's pretty much been your shadow since he appeared."
"We should let Hammond get back to work." Jack opened backed out the door as Tegan stood up and followed. Shadow did the same, just as he'd always done.
"The vet say's he's about eighteen months old, and thank goodness he's full grown." Jack informed her as they walked back toward her lab.
"Thanks Colonel."
"You know that thing the other evening?"
"What thing?" She wrinkled her brow, "That thing where I take 3 weeks leave?"
"Yeah that one."
"I'm taking the leave," she smiled.
"And the other thing?"
"I really don't know sir."
"So this doesn't change it?"
"I told you, it wasn't about the dog."
"But you're happy he's staying, right?"
She looked at him for a second, "I never asked for a dog, but… yeah I'm happy."
"Good."
Both Shadow and Tegan looked up as Janet walked into the lab. She smiled at the duo. "How are you?"
"He's staying." Tegan referred to the dog.
"I heard."
"I get stuck with him."
Janet knew Tegan didn't want it any other way, she also knew she was intentionally avoiding the question. "Did you ever stop to think, he's stuck with you?"
"I didn't choose him, he chose me." Tegan tossed her pen on the workstation she was standing behind, and rubbed her right flank.
"You ok?" Janet watched the pain dance across Tegan's eyes.
"Yeah," Tegan stretched slightly. "I just think I spent a little too much time bending over that microscope."
"I want you to keep an eye on that wound and make sure it doesn't get infected." Janet followed Tegan's glance to a sealed envelope that was now lying out on her desk. From where she stood she could make out 'Major Tegan' written in a child's hand. "And I'm not going to bug you about it, but if you want to talk, you know where to find me."
"I do, and I'll let you know."
"Alright," She patted her leg and Shadow eagerly ran over for an ear rub. "So when are you going to bring him over to meet Cassie?"
"When are you inviting me to dinner?"
"Tonight, if you want to come, but I'm ordering out."
"Come in." Tegan responded to the knock without moving from her spot.
Colonel O'Neill opened the door to her lab and stuck his head in. He smiled lightly when he saw Shadow curled up on the dog bed he'd bought him, even if it had been moved to right beside Tegan's desk. "Just wanted to see how things were going?"
"Fine sir." Tegan didn't look up from what she was working on and Jack thought she looked a little flushed.
"Hot?"
"Excuse me?" She questioned, pretending to continue her work, despite the fact the numbers were beginning to look like ants crawling around on the page.
"Are you hot?"
"No." She shook her head, in fact she was freezing despite the long sleeve military issue t-shirt and lab coat she was wearing.
"You look hot to me."
Tegan smiled lightly. "I guess that's better than you thinking Daniel or Teal'c look hot, sir."
"You know what I mean, Major."
"I do sir, and I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine."
"Alright." He gave a slight nod. "I was just making my rounds."
Tegan smiled and buried her head back in her work until the door was closed. Finding it difficult to concentrate she looked over at the envelope. She felt a cold wet nose nuzzle her hand, and glanced down to see Shadow trying to slide his head between her leg and hand. "What?"
She scratched his ears for a minute wondering what was so special about this dog. Why had he picked her? Surely Jack would've been a better choice, at least Jack didn't care when he chewed up his toys. She looked at the shredded teddy bear Sam brought in that morning. It had lasted two minutes, if that. The odd thing was he'd found Fraggle the night before and insisted on bringing him back to the SGC, the stuffed frog was lying beside the bear remains unscathed minus a little drool. She patted his head and reached for the envelope, leaning back in her chair she let out a sigh. Maybe she'd go track down Janet after she read the letter, something was off in her body she just wasn't sure what.
She carefully tore the end of the envelope open and blew into it, turning it carefully on its side she let the single sheet of paper fall into her hand. Carefully as if trying to catch a fragile butterfly she unfolded it.
ToMydearFriendTegan,
I know if you are reading this letter, you are probably sad because you couldn't save me. But it's ok, I appreciate you wanting to take me back to earth even against the wishes of my parents, but please understand it wouldn't have been what I wanted either. You are the bravest person I know, and I am better for having known you. I'm happy where I am, when we die we believe we get to go to this beautiful place where we don't have to worry about anything. I'll get to run around and play with the boys and dogs who have gone before me. I don't have to worry about making Ogbunabali mad. We don't believe he is a god, but our ancestors believe he protects us, and I guess so do most of the adults. I think he made us sick as revenge for what the dogs did, well it was really for what my dog did.
They think all the dogs are dead, but not mine. If you find him before you leave would you take him to earth? He'd be much happier with you, and I doubt you'd want him dead. He's black with one white ear, you really can't miss him. I'd be so happy if you would do that. You can tell him when he dies he can see me again, and we'll play fetch in wide open fields. Please don't be sad for me Major Tegan, I'm going to be just fine after my transition ceremony. Thanks for taking caring of me and even more for being my friend.
Corrye
"So that's where you came from, you little shit." She rubbed Shadow's ears as he began a low whine. "What? If you needed to go to the bathroom you could've asked Jack to take you."
Jack was leaving the infirmary, Tegan had been his last stop on his rounds and he'd stopped in to pick on Janet and find a Band-Aid for a small cut on his thumb. He thought he'd gotten it recapping his razor that morning. As he entered the hallway he heard the muffled sounds of a dog barking, and it wasn't a playful bark. He ran down to Tegan's lab and slid his security badge through, when the door opened he saw Shadow run from his post at the door to a prone Tegan. She looked like a rag baby somebody had just discarded around the edge of her desk. "Tegan?"
She moaned as he approached.
"I'm calling for a medical team," He pulled the phone to his ear and dialed the operator while bending over her. Shadow sat quietly out of the way watching. "I need a medical team to the medical research lab level 21 corridor C."
"What happened?" Janet rounded the doorway with two medics and a stretcher close behind.
"I found her like this," Jack moved back as Janet knelt beside her.
"Tegan?"
"Right – flank – pain," She managed through ragged breaths.
"Let's get her to CT," Janet glanced up at the medics waiting for her orders.
"Hey, how you feeling?" Janet looked up over Tegan's chart when she realized she was awake.
Tegan moved her leg kicking the warm lump at the foot of her bed. "Better."
"He wouldn't leave your side, but hopefully now he'll let someone take him out for a bathroom break."
"Go on boy," Tegan nudged him with her toes.
"Copley, do you mind?" Janet glanced at Shadow.
"Not at all," Julie put his leash on him and headed out.
Tegan glanced up at the antibiotic piggybacking into her IV line, and then glanced at the tubing snaking out from underneath the sheets and connected to a collection bag.
Janet watched her observation, "Kidney stone and a pretty advanced bladder infection."
"Morphine?"
"Yeah, is your stomach ok?"
"It's ok, my head's a little foggy."
"I hear you're heading home," Jack came in to see Tegan before she left her lab.
"Yeah, Janet's given me oral antibiotics, and I passed the stone. General Hammond told me my leave starts tomorrow."
"It's amazing something the size of a grain of sand can knock you down after all you've been though." He watched as she nodded, and then he canted his head toward Shadow. "It's a good thing he was here, there's no telling how long you would've been here before we found you."
"Yeah, he's a good guy to have around." Tegan folded up the letter from Corrye and slid it back in the envelope.
"Are you gonna be ok?"
"I'm going surfing sir, I'm going to be great."
"Well, have fun, it won't be the same without you."
A/N I should be posting TC 5 Just Like a Kid in the next day or two.