The Tegan Chronicles

Thicker than Blood 8

"We've been invited to Maggie's tomorrow for dinner." Janet announced when she came out of her office Sunday afternoon.

"You declined, right?" Tegan didn't look up from her book.

"No, I didn't. I told her we'd be there with bells on, all three of us."

She sighed. She hadn't really talked to Maggie much at all since losing her arm, it was easier to just hide inside her own little cave.

Tegan could feel eight eyes on her as she pushed her mashed potatoes around on her plate. It would have been ten, but Sam's baby blues weren't there. She'd opted to spend the evening with her dad who was visiting earth on some Tok'ra related matter.

Tegan sat her fork down and looked up.

Maggie smiled softly, her concern evident.

"Excuse me." Tegan spoke as she stood and quickly exited out the back door.

"Let her be." Maggie spoke over the scrapping of Janet's chair on the hardwood floor.

Dana looked from her mom to Janet and gave a small nod.

"I'm sorry." Janet apologized.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Maggie looked from Janet to Cassie and back. "She just needs a little space is all."

Tegan turned her head as the back door slid open. She picked her prosthetic up off the bench.

"You don't have to put that back on, on my account."

"Thanks."

Maggie sat next to her. "I made a plate for you to take home. If you don't want it I'm sure Cassie will take care of it for you."

"The food was good, I just..."

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Tegan. If you're not in the mood to eat, you're not in the mood to eat." She reached over and took Tegan's hand in hers. "But I want you to know my offer to listen, it never goes away."

"I know, and you can't possibly know how much that means."

"If you want to talk tonight I can send them home and you can either crash here or I can take you home after." Maggie let go of her hand.

"No, I'm alright."

She and Janet were barely speaking again, or still; Tegan wasn't sure which. Of course her not wanting to eat dinner that night hadn't helped matters and rather than argue she just sat in the passenger's seat and listened to Janet rant about her not eating. When they got home Cassie went up to her room and Tegan crashed on the couch. Despite everything, it still seemed routine to spend the evening together in the living room reading before bedtime and that's exactly what Janet did.

Tegan watched Janet closed her book as she pretended to change the music going from her palm sized media player into her ears. Janet didn't even glance over as she stood placing the book on the end table at Tegan's feet. Without so much as a 'goodnight' Janet headed upstairs.

Is this what old married couples do? Tegan wondered silently, the music soft in her ears.

Tegan yawned, her eyes were dry and she blinked several times before checking her watch. Janet had gone to bed forty-five minutes ago and it was almost midnight. She sat up and cut the lamp out plunging herself into darkness. It only took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the blue white glow the street light cast. She stood and trudged to the stairs, a familiar song played from the mp3 player.

Take this sinking boat and point it home. We still have time...

She reached the top step and frowned into the night. The bedroom door was closed. Janet never closed the bedroom door.

Falling slowly, I'll sing your melody –

She pulled where the cord Y'ed, the ear buds falling free and dangling near the floor.

She heard a muffled sob and stepped closer, silently pressing the palm of her right hand against the door. Another sob and her chest ached. She could see Janet, just as sure as if the door were open, curled up on the bed crying quietly into a pillow. There was no question as to the cause of the tears.

Tegan jumped lightly as she felt the cool brass knob in her hand, unaware she'd moved it. She wrapped her hand tightly around it, and took a deep breath; She was halfway down the stairs before she let it out.

"Hey."

She felt the couch shake as she heard the teen's voice.

"You're going to be late."

She squinted at her watch, she'd barely slept an hour and a half. She sat up willing the fog to leave. "Where's your mom?"

"Kitchen making coffee."

"How's her mood?"

"Don't know, I don't talk to her before her first cup of coffee if I can help it."

Tegan nodded. "Is she running late too?"

The door leading to the garage slammed shut. "Does that answer your questions?"

"Which one?"

"All of them." Cassie grinned.

"I'm late." Tegan excused herself and ran to grab a shower.

She was still in her civies, a pair of jeans and a blue flowered button down, when she walked into the infirmary.

"You're late." Dana looked up at her, a quizzical expression danced on her face.

"Overslept."

"Slept?" She questioned taking in the dark circles under Tegan's eyes. She wasn't sure if she had strung together more than a few hours of sleep since she was discharged after loosing her arm.

Tegan nodded. "Where's Janet?"

"Doing a pre-mission exam, you're with me."

"Really?"

"Yes. She scheduled you with me when the mission schedule came out."

"Oh." Tegan had gotten the schedule but there was no mention her exams would be done by anyone else. "Doesn't that go against her own policy?"

"Guess she amended it so I could not only do your exams when she's off duty, but when you two aren't getting along."

"We're getting along fine."

"Mm hmm, like oil and water."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means what it means. Come on, you're holding me up."

"Heard you were late this morning." Jack spoke as they surveyed the lifeless planet.

Tegan shrugged. "I fell asleep on the couch and over slept."

"Dog house huh?"

"Not really."

He nodded. "Let's pack it up, there's nothing here."

("Falling Slowly" written by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová)