Tegan Chronicles

Origins 4

Her vision blurred by the onslaught to her senses, Tegan managed to pull herself to the end table and find the phone. She pressed redial blindly, hoping her last call was to someone from base and not Dominos.

"Hey!" Cassie's energetic voice came over the phone. She'd checked caller id before picking up.

"Ja…" Tegan struggled to find her voice. She was shaken up more than she thought possible. "Jan… Janet?"

"Tegan what's wrong?" Cassie's concern was almost palpable even over the phone.

"Nirrti." Tegan struggled to keep her thoughts focused, afraid she would lose consciousness if she didn't. The pain was still so intense her stomach revolted.

"Sam!" Cassie called out as she bounded down the stairs with the cordless pressed to her ear. "Mom!"

"Someone… needs…" Tegan closed her eyes against the fear. She didn't know where Nirrti was. "To stay… with you."

"What's going on?" Both Janet and Sam met Cassie in the hallway.

"It's Tegan, she doesn't sound right. Something about Nirrti." Cassie handed the phone over to Sam, while Janet went for her mobile phone.

"Tegan it's Sam, are you at home?"

"Yes."

"Janet's calling the base and I'm going to give Colonel O'Neill a call." Sam watched as Janet spoke to security on base. "Then we'll be over."

"No… Nirrti… don't know… where… Stay with… Cass."

"We'll make sure she's safe. What happened?"

"I…" Lightening branched out through Tegan's head and she audibly gasped over the phone.

"Tegan?" Sam waited a few seconds for a response. "Major Kiser?"

"Yeah?" Came the weak reply.

"I'm giving you back to Cassie, Janet and I are on our way." Sam handed the phone back. "Keep her talking."

Cassie nodded as her mom and Sam disappeared out the front door.

Tegan was sitting on the edge of the couch when Sam and Janet came rushing in the front door. Her coffee table was left as nothing more than a pile of toothpicks from the altercation. "They're here Cassie. Thanks."

"You're sounding better." Sam went to turn on the light immediately realizing there was no power.

Tegan's eyes had adjusted and she saw Janet take a step toward her. "Don't. I… uh… I don't know what she did to me. I could be compromised."

"I need to check you over." Janet insisted.

"You can check me over once security transports me."

Janet continued to move forward.

"Don't." Tegan pleaded. "I could never forgive myself if…"

"They're here." Sam pointed to the truck that was pulling up in front of the house.

"Good." Tegan jumped up placing her right hand protectively over her left iliac crest and made her way to the door artfully avoiding Janet.

"Ma'am, where is Nirrti now?" One of the Airmen asked.

"Hell if I know." Tegan shrugged.

"Ma'am?"

"She could be standing right beside you for all I know." Tegan glanced back at Sam. "She was cloaked even while she attacked me."

Janet managed to procure a flashlight from one of the SO's. She shone it in Tegan's face. "You've got a burn on your forehead."

"It's nothing." Tegan shielded her eyes from the light with her left hand and turned back to face the security officers. "You'll need to cuff me."

"Ma'am, I doubt you're a threat."

"I've been compromised Airman, you shouldn't take any chances."

"She's right." It was Jack's voice.

"Colonel, I thought you were going to keep an eye on Cassie." Sam had called him on the way.

"Teal'c's got it under control." Jack watched as the security officer cuffed Tegan and moved her to the van for transport. "What happened Major?"

Tegan stopped and turned to face him. "She was cloaked sir."

He shone his own light in her face. "Ribbon device?"

Tegan started to nod but a new wave of pain interrupted her. Her face contorted and a steady stream of blood began to flow from her left nostril.

Janet stepped up, her right hand reaching out before the pain receded enough for Tegan to realize what was happening. She jerked away, sending a spatter of blood onto the sidewalk. "No!"

"Major, you're bleeding." It was Janet's doctor voice.

"You're not wearing gloves." Tegan protested, and then turned back toward the van. "Let's go."

"I'm riding along." Janet called out.

"Fine," Tegan huffed. "But you're not touching me until we get to the infirmary."

"Somebody's got to stop the bleeding." Janet motioned to Tegan's cuffed hands.

"I've got it." Tegan climbed into the back of the van and sat with her knee pressing into the side of her nose. She ignored Janet's questions as they headed back to Cheyenne Mountain.

"I'll need a head CT, and at least two security officers with me until we know what's going on."

General Hammond watched Tegan walk into the infirmary rattling off orders. He was surprised she was walking from the amount of blood on her pajama bottoms.

"You're in my infirmary now, I call the shots." Janet pulled on a pair of latex gloves.

"She's right about security." General Hammond voiced his presence, taking in the entourage of his personnel in their civvies. "Major, how are you?"
"Aside from possibly being compromised, I'm fine sir."

"And your leg?" He pointed to the still wet area of blood over her knee.

Tegan glanced down as another shock of pain shot through her head. Several large drops of blood hit the floor before she could answer.

"Let's get you on a gurney." Janet led her over to an empty bed and motioned for her to sit. She held a stack of gauze four by fours to Tegan's nose. "Can we get rid of these handcuffs?"

"I don't think that's wise." Tegan's voice sounded stuffy.

"I'll take my chances." Janet directed toward one of the airmen. "I don't know why you're so afraid of hurting me."

"Because every single Goa'uld who knows about earth is hell bent on destroying Stargate command. And Nirrti's just a little more twisted than… Ugh!" Tegan reached up with a free hand and pressed it just above her left eye. The second she made contact with the burn she pulled back in even more pain. "Bad move."

Janet pulled the gauze away surprised to find the bleeding had already subsided.