The Tegan Chronicles

A Hero Falls 3

Purple Heart

By the time they got the door open and Janet made it into the gate room Tegan was standing up and pushing Jack aside as she spotted Shadow lying in a motionless heap by the wall.

"Shadow?" She fell to her knees in front of him. "Come on boy, you're ok!"

She gingerly stroked his head eliciting a quiet whimper. Carefully she slipped her arms under him ignoring the blood from her nose as it trekked over her lips and occasionally dripped off her chin. "It's ok boy. You're going to be ok."

"Tegan," Janet interrupted her soothing mantra to the dog.

"He needs to go to CT." Tegan continued to move towards the exit.

"Major." General Hammond stood in her way.

"He needs to be treated."

"Very well." He turned to Sam and Jack. "I want to know how she is able to dial out."

Tegan looked over the results of Shadow's CT scan. His spinal cord was severed in two places from the impact. Several vertebrae were shattered. It was amazing he was still breathing. She rubbed his ears and he looked sadly into her eyes. "I know boy. I'll take care of you."

Sam and Dana watched from across the infirmary as Janet made her way to the bed Shadow's lying on. "How bad is it?"

"I need a vial of Ketamine from the box." Tegan wiped absently at her nose the bleeding had all but stopped.

Janet nodded and disappeared for a few minutes, when she returned she was carrying the supplies Tegan would need. "If you'll tell me how much, I can do this for you."

"No." Tegan shook her head. "I can do this. I just need to be alone."

"I'll be across the infirmary if you need me." Janet pulled the privacy curtain around them before joining Dana and Sam.

"She needs to be checked over." Dana didn't want to think about what was happening behind the curtain.

"Yes she does." Janet sighed and looked into Sam's tear filled eyes. "But she needs to do this first."

"How's…" Jack stopped short as he saw the forlorn looks on their faces.

"Oh Colonel." Sam couldn't hold the tears at bay. "She's putting him to sleep."

"How did she escape Colonel?" Janet changed the subject as she continued to watch the movement of the curtain surrounding Tegan and Shadow.

"She killed Master Sergeant Penex and used his hand for the palm reader."

If she listened hard she could hear them talking about Nirrti outside as she drew up the amount of Ketamine she would need. "It's not going to hurt I promise."

She smiled sadly as his eyes watched her every move. "You're a hero you know, and I'll make sure you get your purple heart of valor."

She found a vein and effortlessly slid the needle in. "You're going to have so much fun now, you'll be with Corrye where you belong and you two can chase raccoons, and rabbits, and hopper frogs. All of that fun stuff. Everything is going to be ok."

She finished injecting the medication and pulled the needle out. She massaged his ears the way he liked and whispered in one of them; "We made quite a team you and I. Cassie is going to miss you. The whole base will miss you, me included."

She pressed her nose to his head and inhaled his scent. "I love you Shadow, and although I will miss you the most, I want you to run in those fields with Corrye. I love you."

She watched his chest rise and fall one last time, when she listened with her stethoscope there was no heartbeat. No longer afraid of hurting him, she picked him up and cradled him in her arms. Lacking the strength to stand, she slid down the wall until she was seated on the floor and brought her knees up hugging him and wrapping herself as small and as tightly around him as she could.

That's exactly how Janet found her an hour later when she pulled the curtain back. "Tegan, we need to check you out now."

Tegan's lips and nose were pressed into his wide forehead, her blood matting his fur. She didn't move, she just continued to hug him as tightly as she could.

"Can I be of assistance Dr. Fraiser?" Teal'c stepped up beside her.

"We need to get Shadow out of here, I need to examine her."

"We'll take care of it." Jack reassured stepping up to Tegan lining the toes of his boots up to hers. He crouched down. "Kiser, you need to let him go."

Jack turned back and looked at Teal'c. "Let Teal'c take him, he'll take good care of him."

Teal'c bent down and slid his arms under Shadow's limp body and waited a few minutes before Tegan relented and let go.

Janet watched as Jack lifted Tegan from the floor and carried her to another empty bed in the infirmary. She turned her head into Jack's shoulder and whispered. "I'm fine."

Jack nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Wasn't your fault." Her voice was low.

"If I would have listened to you."

She shook her head and suddenly realized he was cradling her in his arms. She cleared her throat with embarrassment. "I can walk."

Jack sat her on the bed. "I know you can Kiser."

"Colonel." She caught his attention as he moved away giving Janet room to do her exam.

"Yeah Kiser?" He turned looking into her eyes, the greens had finally settled into a sad subdued hue.

"Thanks."

"For?" He cocked his head slightly to the side.

"For not letting her take me."

"I just wish I could have aimed a little higher." He'd done the best he could from his vantage point.

"It's ok, we'll get her." Tegan promised, a hint of vengeance in her voice.

"Colonel?"

"I'll leave you to it Doc." He nodded once at Tegan.

Janet sighed and reached up to the large red spot on Tegan's forehead. She didn't have to touch it to feel the heat. She moved her hand to the side and ran her thumb over Tegan's temple. "Head hurt?"

"He's gone… he's really gone."

"I know hun."

Tegan couldn't remember Janet ever calling her that, or really using any sentiment. She wasn't sure she wanted her to start now out of sympathy for her loss.

"Sorry, southern roots." Janet pulled her pen light out and saw Tegan instinctively squint. "Guess that answers that."

She dropped the light back in her lab coat pocket. "I want to give you something to help you rest, keep you here tonight."

"I, I don't want to…" She looked around the infirmary and leaned forward before whispering. "I don't want to be alone."

Janet nodded. "You don't have to be. I can stay."

"Thanks."