Tegan Chronicles
Origins 7
Janet was awoken by a cold wet nose pushing on her hand followed by a cross between a yawn and a whine. She sighed, "I thought Cassie took you out before you went to bed."
He pushed on her hand again before moving to the doorway and waiting for her to get up.
She looked at the red digital readout on her clock, it was only one in the morning. "Fine let's go."
She followed him down stairs and into the living room where he stopped by the couch.
"Tegan?" Janet reached for the lamp.
"Please don't turn the light on."
"Your head?"
"Yeah."
"How bad is it?"
"I don't know."
"Bad enough to wake you up." It was more of a declaration than a question.
"It comes and goes."
"What's it feel like?"
"Same as last night, just not as severe." She laid her head on the back of the couch. "I just came down and took some more ibuprofen."
"Did you send him to come get me?" Janet referred to Shadow.
"No, I assumed he was still sleeping with Cassie."
Janet moved around Tegan and sat on the other end of the couch, turning so she was facing her. Her eyes had adjusted to the illumination of the streetlamp. "Do you need…"
"No."
"You didn't let me finish," Janet sighed quietly.
"I don't need anything else for pain."
"Good because I don't have anything stronger than what you've already taken, so we'd have to go in to get something."
Tegan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Why don't you go back to bed?"
"I'm not tired." Janet changed the subject. "How's the hip?"
Tegan shrugged, "it's a hip."
"Smartass."
Tegan lifted her head and picked up the pillow lying on the cushion between them. She hugged it against her stomach and stared off in the darkness.
Janet watched time pass on the stereo readout and after twenty minutes of silence she spoke again. "Any better?"
"Yeah." Tegan whispered.
Janet reached over and plucked the pillow from between Tegan's arms and placed it in her lap before patting it.
Tegan looked at the pillow cradled by the leg Janet had on the couch, her other leg hug over the edge. She moved over and laid her head down folding her legs up on the sofa.
Janet gently ran her fingers through Tegan's hair hoping it would help. If nothing else it seemed to at least calm her. It was something Janet could remember her mother dong when she would lay her head in her lap as a child. An hour later she stopped and listened to Tegan's breathing which had slowed, but Janet thought she was still awake. "Hey?"
"Hmm?"
"I was just checking to see if you were still with me."
Tegan moved her arm to push herself up, but felt Janet's hand settle on her shoulder acting as a counter force.
"Don't move."
"You shouldn't let me keep you up."
"I'm not, I'm perfectly fine here." She felt Tegan relax.
At four-thirty Tegan pushed herself up and off the couch.
"You okay?"
"Just going to the bathroom." She moved quickly through the darkened house, managing to catch the first few drops of blood in her hand before she made it into the bathroom where she took a handful of toilet paper and held it to her nose. She reached up with her other hand and turned on the light, squinting against its abrasiveness.
Five minutes later her nose had stopped bleeding and she cleaned up any traces of it before flushing the evidence down the commode and washing her hands. She shut off the light and made her way back into the living room.
"I think you should call in today." Janet didn't wait for her to sit before speaking.
"Why?" Tegan found the corner of the couch and settled back on the end.
"Because you're sick."
"Major Kiser doesn't get sick."
"Ok." Janet thought for a second. "Technically you're injured."
"Minor injury."
"You haven't slept all night."
"I slept from ten 'til a little after twelve." She stated as a matter of fact.
"A whole two hours."
"How long did you sleep?"
"Two and a half."
"And you're going to work?"
Janet thought about playing the CMO card. She had every right to, but she also knew that'd probably just irritate Tegan. "I'll make a deal with you. You call in and I'll do the same."
"Calling in on a Friday is like playing hooky." Tegan argued although she knew most military personnel who worked office jobs left at noon every Friday.
"Besides it'll look fishy if we both call in."
"Considering you were attacked by Nirrti the night before last, I'll call in for both of us. Paige can handle the infirmary."
"Fine."
Janet reached up and touched her cheek. "I think I need to go in and get you something for pain."
"No, it's better." She took Janet's hand in hers and moved it to her lap. "Honest."
In that moment, she knew Tegan was being one hundred percent truthful.
"I think I'm gong to try and go back to sleep." She let go of Janet's hand. "At least for a couple hours before I need to call Colonel O'Neill."
"I can call him for you."
"I know, but I'm a big girl."