Tegan Chronicles Sanctuary Style:
Step Through the Looking Glass 10
"I was right." Will exclaimed when he saw Helen in the hall right after her meeting. She had changed into a black pant suit with a burgundy blouse and black stilettos. "She came through the mirror."
"She told you that?"
"No. But when I asked her if her arriving her had something to do with a mirror, the look she gave me, however brief, confirmed it."
"I know you're good at reading people and all, but traveling through a mirror? Seriously Will." She glanced sideways at him as he fell into step with her.
"Ask her."
"I plan to." Helen walked into her office and put her file down. "Did she eat?"
"No." He thought for a second. "One bite, that hardly counts."
"No it doesn't." She shook her head.
"Do you think she's an abnormal?"
"I'm still trying to determine that." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I want answers just as much as you do Will; Maybe even more so."
"I know." He looked down at the oriental carpet then back up. "I don't think she's a threat, do you?"
"Right this minute? No." She paused and pursed her lips. "But once she heals, I'm not so certain."
"But you took the restraints off."
"A gesture of goodwill; I'm trying to gain her trust and I'm hoping my gut isn't just feeling sorry for her in her current state."
"The Big Guy doesn't trust her." Will pointed out as if she hadn't noticed.
"He never trusts anyone from the start."
"True." Will smiled lightly.
"I should go check on her."
"Yeah." He stepped back letting her out of the room.
"Dr. Zimmerman tells me you didn't eat." Helen spoke as soon as she opened the door.
Tegan had seen her coming in and just shrugged with her lips.
"You need to eat, regain your strength so your body can heal properly."
She'd heard similar lectures without the accent and they had done little good. Now what she wouldn't give for that to be her very own Janet, in all her Napoleonic power mongering glory, standing there telling her why she needed to eat. She sighed.
Helen caught the sadness flash in her eyes before shifting to something cold and hard, but nothing she could give voice to. She pulled her eyes away and located her stethoscope. She had exchanged her suit jacket for a lab coat before coming in. "I need to take a listen to your lungs. Think you can sit up for me?"
Tegan grabbed the side rail with her left hand and pulled herself up with an inward groan.
Helen's eyes drifted to the monitor.
"It's fine, give it a second."
Sure enough, a few seconds later her heart rate came back down.
"You should let me give you something for pain."
"No." Tegan grunted.
"Something that won't knock you out?" She offered again.
"No." Tegan repeated.
Helen pressed the bell of the stethoscope on Tegan's back after putting the ear pieces in. "Deep breath."
She was so close her hot breath tickled the back of Tegan's neck.
"Again." Her voice was soft. She repeated the process listening to the four quadrants of Tegan's chest. She put her hand on Tegan's left shoulder and helped her back.
Tegan felt the front of her gown being pulled down and her eyes dropped to Helen's hand holding the thin cotton fabric. She took a deep breath, her lungs protesting the sudden expansion. She closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again she could see the large red bull's eye on her chest. "What the…"
"You don't know what caused it?" Helen frowned.
"I was hit with some kind of an energy blast." She responded without thinking.
"From?" Helen pulled the gown back up tying it securely.
"I don't know." Tegan shook her head. "A weapon of some sort."
"I need to take a look at your knee." She put her hand on the covers and waited for Tegan to give her permission.
Tegan thought it was odd since she hadn't asked permission to pul her gown down. She moved her head up slightly and Helen pulled the sheets back.
"Dr. Zimmerman told me I should ask you about a mirror." Her head was bent down but she looked up at Tegan with her eyes as her hair fell like a waterfall around her face.
"You asked earlier how I got here."
"I did." Helen let her eyes fall back to Tegan's still swollen knee.
"Well." She hissed as Helen touched her sore knee.
"Sorry." Helen gave her an apologetic smile and pulled the sheets back up to Tegan's waist. She pulled up a chair and took a seat. "I'm done."
"Good." Tegan studied her face for a moment weighing just what she should tell her.
"I'm not going to torture you for information."
"Trust me, being here is torture enough." She watched hurt and confusion dance in blue eyes. "I didn't mean – no offense to your skills as a doctor or to your hospitality."
Helen nodded.
Tegan let the silence between them expand for several minutes listening to the steady beep of the monitor. Finally she took a slow even breath. "'I know why the caged bird sings.'"
"What?" Helen looked at her confused.
"I said –"
"I heard you. I guess the more appropriate question would be why?"
"Stockholm syndrome." Being military Tegan had been trained to withstand brainwashing by the enemy to an extent, and to endure various torture techniques. Her personal experience had expanded her ability to withstand even more brutal techniques of torture. So with all her experience why did she feel so compelled to answer this woman's questions? She didn't give Helen a chance to second guess her response. "Do you have a mirror that's about your height and it's rather thick and heavy."
Something sparked in Helen's eye. "In a strange rock formation?"
"Damn it." She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. I am not going to cry. Shit!
"Why?" Helen asked when Tegan opened her eyes again."
"It was right around where you found me?" She grasped onto that tiny thread of hope that it wasn't what she thought, but it snapped as Helen confirmed her suspicions.
"I don't understand what my mirror has to do with how you got here."
"It's a quantum mirror."
"I told you!" Will smacked Henry in the shoulder as they eavesdropped via the closed circuit camera in the security room.