Tegan Chronicles
Origins of Truth 1
"Welcome back SG1." General Hammond entered the gate room as the wormhole disengaged.
"It's good to be back, sir." Colonel O'Neill removed his P-90.
"How'd the mission go?"
"It was an ambush, sir . We were set up by a corrupt Tok'ra operative." He pulled at his uniform. "We'll be sure to give you all the details during debriefing sir."
Tegan glanced over as the door to the gate room whooshed open. "What's she doing here?"
General Hammond turned to see doctors Fraiser and Scully entering. "She's the new doctor on base."
"Oh." There was a hint of anger in her voice.
"Is that alright with you Major?"
It was a sarcastic question meant to put her in her place. "Of course sir; It's just we didn't call for a medical team."
"We were on the floor and heard you'd made it back." Janet referred to all of SG1 with her sweeping glance.
Jack leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Jealous?"
"No." Her voice fluctuated on the single syllable.
"Major Kiser needs to see you anyway." Jack nodded to Janet.
"I'm fine." Tegan clenched her jaw.
"You're grumpy," Daniel pointed out.
"And suddenly that means I need to – "
"Protocol," Sam interrupted putting her hand on Tegan's shoulder.
"Major Carter's right." General Hammond looked at his watch. "We'll debrief at fourteen-hundred hours."
"Yes sir." Jack extended his arm towards the exit. "After you Major Kiser."
Tegan rolled her eyes before marching down the ramp and past both Janet and Scully.
"I don't believe we've met." Jack stopped when he reached the two women. "I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill."
"Dr. Dana Scully," She introduced herself coolly.
"And I'll be doing your post Colonel." Janet drew his attention.
"Of course you will," He grumbled.
"You must be Major Carter." Scully turned to the tall blonde.
"Sam." She smiled brightly and blushed.
"I'll be doing you're post." Scully tried not to grin as she turned to Daniel. "And Dr. Jackson's."
"Daniel please." He adjusted his glasses and shook her hand.
"And this is Teal'c," Janet introduced the Jaffa.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Teal'c bowed slightly.
"Likewise." Dana looked curiously at the golden tattoo embedded in his forehead.
"I thought we were going to follow protocol." Annoyed Tegan stuck her head back into the embarkation room.
Jack looked at both Janet and Scully. "Don't take it personally."
"How long has she been like this?"
"Since she woke up this morning?" Daniel looked at Sam.
"I don't know, she was a little cranky last night." Sam shrugged.
"Glowy eyes and then she got bitchy." Jack reminded.
"Damn it, I'm not bitchy."
Janet's head swung to look at Tegan. "Colonel I'm afraid you and Teal'c will have to wait for your posts."
"Of course." Jack was thankful he wasn't Tegan as he watched Janet escort her down the corridor.
"Great," Tegan complained as she saw Janet walking toward her with IV supplies.
"You're potassium is low." They'd both seen it coming.
"I've got a debriefing to go to, and I can't miss it."
"If I say you can you will," Janet disagreed. "But… if you promise to stop biting everyone's head off, I'll let you go with the IV in."
"Fine." She tried desperately not to growl.
"Dr. Scully?" Tegan found her in the infirmary after the debriefing.
"Yes?" Dana turned and smiled. "I told you before, it's Dana."
"Right." Tegan blushed. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier."
"For?"
"Look, I don't apologize often."
"I see you're still grumpy." Janet walked up behind her.
"Whatever."
"Thanks for coming back." She'd thought Tegan might pull one of her vanishing tricks.
"You told me to."
"I did." Janet nodded and turned to Dana. "You shouldn't let it get around that she apologized it might ruin her rep."
"Can I go to my lab?" Tegan asked Janet.
"No." The answer came in stereo.
"Let me guess," Tegan turned on Scully, "You wouldn't have let me go to my meeting?"
"Probably not." Scully pressed her lips together in a thin line and lifted an eyebrow.
Tegan sighed.
"You might as well pick a bed." Janet gave her the option.
"You're not keeping me over night." When she realized how much it sounded like a demand she added, "Are you?"
"I'm going home before your potassium drip will be finished, but I'll leave specific instructions for the next shift."
"Who's coming in?"
"Jenkins."
Tegan smiled.
"Don't get any ideas," Janet warned. "I did say specific instructions."
"What?"
"Don't act innocent."
"So, what are the 'instructions'?" Tegan made air quotes around the word.
"You're not to be released unless your potassium is back within normal limits." Janet glanced at Scully.
"That's a no brainer." Tegan grinned.
"And you won't be discharged if you've still got this attitude." She looked across the infirmary at Julie. "Sergeant Copley is pulling a twelve, and she's not going to let you get away with anything."
"Whatever." Tegan turned as shadow came running up. "Hey boy!"
"Sorry ma'am, he got away from me." The airman returning him apologized.
"Where've you been?" She knelt and gave him a healthy ear rub as it occurred to her she hadn't seen him since they'd returned to base.
"He was limping last night and this morning," Janet explained. "I asked Airman Fields to take him to the vet this morning to check it out."
"What did the vet say?" Tegan looked up.
"Minor sprain, he gave him a shot of cortisone to help with the inflammation ma'am."
"How much?"
"I took care of it." Janet addressed Airman Fields, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, ma'am." He took his cue to leave.
"He's my dog." Tegan stood up.
"And he was injured while in my care." Janet pointed out.
"That's beside the point."
"No it isn't. Besides it's already on my credit card."
"Another reason you should let me pay you back."
"You know I put it on my card to get points, and no end of discussion."
"Fine." Tegan turned around and headed for the door with IV pole in tow.
Janet cleared her throat. "Where do you think you're going?"
Tegan looked back with a sheepish look on her face. "I guess a shower's out of the question?"
"You don't want to pass out in the shower." Janet nodded.
"It's not that low."
"I don't think we've established just how low you're potassium has to be for your body to react, have we?"
Tegan rolled her eyes.
Dana pointed to the closet empty bed. "I really don't want to have to catch you."
Tegan looked at her for a second. "Too bad you two are almost the same height or I'd have to call you Janet's mini me."
"Don't be cruel." Janet admonished.
"Actually, I take it as a compliment." Dana let them both know she could hold her own.
Janet waited for Tegan to settle on the bed. "When you are discharged I'm sending you home on a potassium supplement."
Tegan opened her mouth but then thought better of it.
"You're young enough and your kidneys are healthy enough to filter out the excess, and I'd rather see you bordering on high."
Tegan nodded and turned her attention to Scully. "So what do you think of our facility?"
"It's a little overwhelming." She looked around. "And I think maybe my partner wasn't just paranoid."
"Yeah, maybe we'll find him."
"Unless there's a body there's always hope." Dana tucked her hair behind her ear.
"True." Tegan licked her lower lip and looked past her.
Janet turned to see the area she was staring at void of people. She turned back to see a mix of emotion swirling in lost green irises. She rested her hand gently on Tegan's knee. "Tegan?"
"Yeah," she responded softly.
Dana watched the interaction curiously.
"It's almost shift change; you know how to get me if you need anything."
"I do." Tegan never broke her gaze into the emptiness.
Tegan walked into the infirmary the next morning carrying a mug filled with assorted packets of hot chocolate and a card sealed in an indigo envelope.
"You shouldn't have," Janet commented as she approached.
"Good, because I didn't." Tegan smiled and handed the paraphernalia to Scully.
Dana pursed her lips together and wrinkled her brow before sitting the mug on an unoccupied bed. She slipped her index finger into a small opening and tore the side open in much the same way Tegan opened her letters.
On the front of the card was a brown cartoon style bear standing with his hands clasped, a toe kicking at the ground and his eyes down cast. Inside the card was "I'm sorry" printed in a child like font. Below was a note in Tegan's hand.
Dana,
Sorry I was rude to you upon seeing you again yesterday. It really wasn't personal. Welcome to the mountain. I look forward to working with you and getting to know you better.
Warmly,
Tegan
Warmly? Dana turned the word over in her head as she slipped the card back into the envelope. She looked up and smiled. "Apology accepted."
"Where's mine?"
Tegan turned to Janet, "You're the one who kept me here half the night."
"Dr. Scully would've done the same."
"Actually," Dana disagreed, "I would have kept her here all night."
"Well…" Tegan held her arm out. "If I let you draw my blood like a good little girl will you forgive me?"
"I'll think about it." Janet grinned.
Dana knocked on the slightly ajar door to Tegan's lab.
Tegan looked up. "Doc – Dana, what can I do for you?"
"Janet asked me to let you know you're potassium level is four point two."
"You could've called and saved yourself the trip."
"It's not that far to walk, and I needed to stretch my legs and give my eyes a rest." Scully looked over at Shadow who was listening with one ear while pretending to sleep.
"Give your eyes a rest? Reading up on Stargate Command?"
"A little bit of everything."
"Well thanks for letting me know." Tegan reached for her pen while still looking at Scully, when she felt the sharp ten blade breach the skin on her thumb she jerked back. "Ouch."
"Are you ok?"
Tegan grabbed some rough paper towels from above the sink and wrapped them around her entire thumb squeezing it tightly. "Yeah."
"You sure?"
Tegan turned her back and peeked at the wound. "Yup."
"Can I take a look at it?"
"It's minor. It doesn't need sutured."
Scully continued to hold her hand out in anticipation.
"It's no worse than a paper cut."
"Is it still bleeding?"
"I doubt it." Tegan let her remove the stiff paper they passed off for paper towels.
"Do you have any Band-Aids?"
Tegan pointed to the first aid kit.
"Even better." She paused as she started toward the kit on the wall. "Was that blade sterile?"
Tegan looked at the scalpel lying on the counter. She'd laid it out to prepare some samples to look at under the microscope, but she couldn't remember if she'd actually used it or not. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't remember."
"It's your call, I can put antibiotic ointment on it, but I think it'd be safer to…"
"Four grams Rocephin IM."
Dana looked at her curiously for a second.
"I'm allergic to Penicillin." Tegan removed the ten blade from her scalpel and dropped it in the sharps guard. She turned to shadow. "I'm going to the infirmary, I'll be right back"
He lifted his head and listened before settling it back on his front paws.
"I still can't get over how well behaved he is."
"He came that way." Tegan glanced sideways at Dana. "How much do you know?"
"I've read your medical record since you've been stationed here, Major Carter's and Teal'c's. I'm also aware of Cassie's origin. There's still quite a bit I don't know."
"Shadow came from another planet, and he can sense Gou'ald symbiotes, so he's a pretty special mutt."
Dana held the infirmary door open for Tegan.
"What's wrong?" Janet looked up from a report she was reviewing when they came in.
"Minor cut, we're just being cautious." Scully answered as she went to find the Rocephin.
"I wasn't paying attention, reached for my pen and grabbed the blade of my scalpel instead. And I may have used it to prepare specimens earlier today."
"May have?" Janet's forehead wrinkled.
"I can't imagine I would have gotten it out if I didn't use it." She shrugged.
"Hey Kiser." Jack caught her in the hallway as she left the infirmary. "I was just in your lab."
"What can I do for you sir?" She turned to face him.
He gestured for her to continue walking. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm no longer biting off people's heads sir." She smiled lightly.
"That's good to know. Look we're doing a cookout at Fraiser's place Saturday to welcome the new doc."
"She's just a doctor."
"Ok." He approached it differently. "So we're getting together at Doc's place Saturday to celebrate getting out of another tight spot, and Dr. Scully will be there."
"I'm not jealous." Tegan pointed out self-consciously.
Jack gave her his patented 'I don't believe you for a second' nod. "So you're coming then?"
"What do you want me to bring?"
"Something sweet." He smiled.
"I thought I was sweet." She watched as he blushed. "Any requests?"
"Anything you want, I'm sure whatever it is it'll be a hit." He'd yet to meet one of her desserts he didn't like.