The Tegan Chronicles 3

Silent Screams 4:

Bullfrogs and Pool Parties

"Was a good friend of mine."

Teal'c threw his hand in the air effectively silencing the group.

"Never understood a single thing he said…"

"Do you hear that?" Sam looked to Daniel knowing the Jaffa had heard the muffled sounds.

"I believe it is Colonel O'Neill, singing."

"If you can call that singing," Daniel quipped.

"Sir!" Sam yelled. "Sir, Can you hear me?"

"Carter!" Jack felt Tegan's body flinch.

"Sir, where are you?"
"Hell if I know." He unceremoniously pushed Tegan off his shoulder and stood, there was no time for pleasantries if they were going to get her off the planet alive.

"Keep talking sir, I think we're getting closer to you."

"What do you want me to say?"
"Why don't you finish your song?" Daniel shrugged at Sam with his eyebrows. "But I helped him drink his wine."

Jack smiled. "Joy to the world, all the boys and girls now…"

He repeated the chorus a third time before he heard Sam's voice, "Sir you can stop now."

"Carter, what took you so long?"

She ignored his question and looked to the pale familiar figure slumped against the wall. "How is she?"

"Not good Carter, not good."

"If you will step back I will attempt to free you." Teal's pointed his staff weapon at the door's lock, and fired. The door instantaneously swung inward hitting Jack's boot.

"Way to go Teal'c." Jack turned back to Tegan. "Kiser?"

Her eyelids fluttered and she grunted her response.

"The team's all here, we're going to get you home."

"Cassie," The word struck a cord deep in Jack's core. "Fund."

"What's she talking about sir?"

"Nothing Carter," He knelt beside Tegan grabbed her shoulders and shook her relentlessly.

"Hurts," Her eyelids flew open in pain.

"Good." Jack bit out. "Now listen to me, you're not going to die on me. Do you hear me?"

"Sorry."

"You're damn right you're sorry, now get to your feet!"

"Colonel?" Sam stepped forward pretty sure he'd lost his junk food loving mind.

"I said get up!" He stood and watched as Tegan struggled to her feet. The makeshift dressing he'd applied earlier was jarred loose by her clumsy movements, a trail of blood began to seep out from underneath it.

"Jack?" This time it was Daniel who questioned him.

"She's going to walk out of here on her own." Jack's eyes never left hers. "Aren't you Kiser?"

"Yes, sir." There was no hesitation, only a resolute force behind her answer.

"Good," He turned back to Sam ignoring her inquisitive gaze. "Let's get out of here."

"Yes, sir." She handed him her P-90 while Daniel relinquished the much lighter zat gun to Tegan.

They made it to the middle of the dusty town, dark ominous clouds gathered overhead casting errie shadows on the group of angry towns people who were assembling in the streets. Teal'c fired his staff weapon a few feet in front of the small crowd. "Do not attempt to encroach further."

"We don't mean you any harm." It was the gangly bald man who'd offered them Tea.

"Like hell you don't." Jack brandished his weapon.

"Let them go," A younger version of the man put his hand up to the crowd. "They are of no use to us."

The team continued out of town, and finally Sam spoke. "Sir, that was just a little too easy?"

"You think Carter?" His eyes shifted around him.

"We are not being pursued." Teal'c announced as Major Kiser stumbled slightly.

""Kiser?"

"Sir?"

"We're almost there." His voice held a compassion it hadn't earlier. He watched her carefully as the Stargate grew larger on the horizon. "Only another hundred yards and we'll be home."

Sam watched as she stumbled again, this time her body was unable to compensate as her legs gave out. To her surprise Jack caught the young major before she hit the ground, letting out a quiet grunt himself as the sky tore open drenching them.


Janet had run to the gate room when she'd heard the Klaxon's announcing an unscheduled off world activation. Silently she hoped her services wouldn't be needed but she'd grabbed several medics on the way knowing her gut was never wrong.

General Hammond had beaten her there by a few seconds, and they were both relieved to hear Sgt. Adams voice declaring it was SG1. "Open the Iris."

Daniel stepped through the gate first turning back to wait for the rest of his team. Jack was next with Tegan cradled in his arms. They were dripping wet and the pain in his chest was growing by the second. "Daniel a hand."

Sam and Teal'c stepped through last as Jack laid the unconscious Tegan on the ramp. "She's got a laceration to her side, and I think she's got a fever doc."

He stepped back as Janet pulled the bloodied shirt back.

"I didn't have much to work with and it came loose."

"You did fine sir." Skilled fingers quickly found a pulse point on the slender ivory neck. As she suspected it was weak and thready. She stood back up as the medics rolled a gurney up the ramp. "Get her to the infirmary, I want a bag of five percent dextrose started. She should still have a couple units of autologous blood in the bank. Get OR1 ready, I need to get a better look at that wound, but she may need surgery.

"Colonel?" Janet turned to face him.

Jack watched the whirlwind of activity. "Yeah doc?"

"Were you injured?"

He started to shake his head no. "My ribs, nothing major. I think I hit them on a chair or something when I was drugged."

"Drugged?" Janet sighed. "Major Kiser?"

"She wasn't drugged," He thought for a second. "I don't think."

"I want a full toxicology panel run on both of them." Janet turned to the medic who was approaching Jack. "And wake Dr. Monroe, I'm going to need her assistance."

"Yes ma'am."


"You're free to go."

"Thanks." Jack smiled at the medic who'd been tending him as Janet and Paige wheeled Tegan into the infirmary.

"How's she doing Doc?" He gestured to Tegan with his head.

"We cleaned the wound as best we could, the blade didn't breach the peritoneum."

"In other words, she's pretty lucky." Paige put it in simple terms for him, as he registered who she was.

"She did lose a lot of blood, and has a nasty infection, and I'm afraid it's already gotten into her blood stream." Janet sighed. "We can't identify the bacterium, so I've started her on a broad spectrum antibiotic, and we're hoping for the best."

"We all are." General Hammond spoke from behind her. "Colonel O'Neill?"

"Just a cracked rib General."

"I'd like to debrief when you're discharged."

"I'll be right there sir."

"Ja…" She heard the familiar beeping of medical equipment and before she could finish the word she felt someone squeeze her hand.

"I'm right here," Janet affirmed as she released her fingers from her grasp and reached for her radial pulse.

Tegan glanced up at the blood hanging from the IV pole, "First unit?"

"Second," She watched Tegan's features cloud with concern. "What?"

"Colonel O'Neill, he was drugged."

"He told us," She nodded. "But whatever it was, it had cleared his system already. His tox screen was normal, as was yours."

"How'd I," Tegan lifted her head and took in the infirmary. "Get here?"

"Sam, Daniel and Teal'c found you and Colonel O'Neill, but you'd have to get the full story from one of them." Janet flipped open Tegan's chart. "Colonel O'Neill did say you walked back to the gate before collapsing, you don't remember?"

"No."

"What's the last thing you do remember?" Janet looked at her.

"Jeremiah was a bullfrog."

Janet's brow wrinkled in confusion that melted into a half smile as she heard Jack, "was a good friend of mine."

"Colonel, patients are trying to rest," She turned and playfully admonished him despite Tegan being the only patient.

"How's she doing Doc?"

"I'm fine," She gave him a tired smile.

"She's going to be here for a couple days minimum."

"Days?"

"Do you know how lucky you are to be alive at this point?" Janet turned back to face her.

"Actually," Tegan thought for a second before closing her eyes. "I do."

"How is she?"

Tegan opened her eyes sometime later to find Paige standing at the foot of her bed inquiring about her. "Paige? What are you doing here?"

Janet smiled, "Dr. Monroe is the newest edition to our medical staff."

"Is that why my sutures look like someone was sewing up a corpse?" Tegan pointed to her wound that was hidden by gauze, her gown and a sheet.

"It's a good thing you're in that bed," Paige didn't miss a beat.


Janet rounded the curtain as Tegan finished pulling her shirt over her head. "I'd like for you to stay with…"

"No," Tegan interrupted. "My hemoglobin is back to normal, my lab work looks great and I can take care of myself."

"I didn't say you couldn't," She tossed Tegan's chart on the foot of the bed. "You're on medical leave until the sutures come out."

"You already told me."

"Are you sure you don't need anything for pain?"

"I've got Tylenol, Advil, and Aspirin at home."

"It was a deep wound you know."

"Are you also going to remind me how I almost bled to death?"

"Well you did."

"I was there, and I was doing my job. I didn't ask to be stabbed or hit over the head anymore than Jac…" She stuttered, "Colonel O'Neill asked to be given spiked tea."

"I didn't say anything," Janet threw her hands up in surrender.

"I just wanted to clarify so you wouldn't beat me over the head with it in six months time."

"Is it so bad that someone cares about you?"

"Are we done here?"

"You're free to go," Janet jerked the chart up.

"Cookout, my place, noon tomorrow," Jack was waiting for Tegan outside the infirmary after she'd had her sutures removed. "Sam's bringing drinks and you can bring dessert. Don't forget your bathing suit."

"What are we celebrating?" Tegan asked while giving Sam a strange look.

"Being alive Kiser, being alive," It was also Memorial Day weekend and warm enough to get in the pool.

"I second that one." Sam grinned.

"So I can count you both in?"

"I guess so." Tegan called back.


She stood on the deck surrounding Jack's in ground pool wearing an olive t-shirt and a pair of black Umbro shorts. They were covering an olive green one piece speedo she had no intention of showing. Sam was in the deep end, sporting a sleek blue one piece. She had just shown Teal'c how to do a cannon ball, and now he was following suit, all the while Tegan hoped he managed to keep his board shorts around his waist. Daniel was in the shallow end hoping he could stay on his float and not lose his beer as Teal'c made his big splash. It was a combination belly flop cannon ball.

Jack chucked at the kids having fun from his spot behind the grill. He'd shed his shirt and stood there with shades and a pair of red 'I'm the lifeguard' trunks. "Tegan why don't you hop in, it's hotter than hell out here."

"I'm good." She called back over her shoulder wiping the sweat from her upper lip, she looked up to see Janet stepping through the glass patio door to join them. The brunette was wearing a bikini top with tropical flowers and light green shorts covered the bottoms.

"You look hot to me." His voice sounded oddly closer than it had seconds ago, and before Tegan had a chance to react she was air born.

Hands and legs splayed in the air for a split second before she thought enough to pull them in on herself. Her feet touched the bottom of the deep end as the refreshing water forced the air from her lungs. She propelled herself to the surface and realized she'd lost the shirt on the way down.

Red hair emerged to reveal an almost equally red face. Janet knew immediately the blush wasn't entirely an angry one. "Colonel."

"What?" He held his hands up apologetically. "You can't have a pool party without throwing someone in."

"Next time, throw me in." Janet watched Tegan pull herself out of the pool and quickly disappear into the house.

"I thought she'd be a good sport about it." Jack defended himself, still not seeing what the big deal was.

"I'll go check on her." Sam clung to the edge of the pool.

"No, you're all wet. I'll do it." Janet sat her Coke on the table and headed back inside.

"Tell her I'm sorry, and the steaks are done." Jack yelled after her.


"Tegan?" Janet knocked on the bathroom door, after following the trail of wet footprints down the hall.

Tegan sniffed and looked up to make sure she'd locked the door. "Yeah?"

"Can I come in?"

"No, I'm fine." Her voice cracked and she kicked herself for being so upset over a childish stunt. Normally she would have laughed it off, and she thought logically it really shouldn't be a big deal.

"Please?"

Tegan fished keys out of a wet pocket and walked to the door. She pulled the door open and looked at the shorter woman. "Tell Jack no hard feelings, but my stomach's upset and I'm going home."

"Are you sure you're ok?" Janet asked.

"Yeah, just don't feel much like eating." Tegan slid past Janet's diminutive frame and exited through the front door. Janet was really the last person she wanted to talk to about anything personal at the moment.

Janet stood there for several minutes until the sound of Tegan's Ducati could no longer be heard. When she started to head back outside, Jack came in. "She left?"

"Yeah." Janet looked up at him. "She said to tell you she's not mad. Her stomach was upset so she headed home."

"I really didn't mean to upset her."

"I know," Janet nodded. "I think she knows too."

"Well, your steak is getting cold." He led the way back out to the patio.

"Tegan leave?" Sam asked already knowing the answer.

Janet nodded, and noticed her wet shirt hanging on the back of a chair with her helmet and shoes beside it. "She wasn't feeling too good."

"She should not ride her motorcycle with out her protective gear." Teal'c pointed out.

"I'll take it by on my way home." Sam offered.