Tegan Chronicles

Intuition and Lies 16

Tegan felt a gentle breeze caress her skin like a lover's whisper, the sun warmed her face. Light and shadow of wind tousled leaves danced across her closed eyelids. The air she inhaled was clean and crisp.

She opened her eyes, the sky was azure with too perfect fluffy clouds. She was sitting under the shade of a large oak tree dressed in a white blouse with a white eyelet skirt. Uncut grass grew in green abundance for miles in every direction until it met purple-blue mountains that jutted to greet the sky.

Unsure if it was a dream or reality she looked down, her left arm was gone but she felt no pain. Off in the distance she heard a bark and cut her eyes in the general direction. "Shadow?"

Full of energy and with tail wagging he bounded toward her.

Sam pulled Janet out of the room when Cassie arrived.

"You look like crap."

"Cassandra!"

"Well you do, you need to get some sleep."

Janet looked at her watch. "I will. Dana has been staying with Tegan at night so I can rest. What's in the back pack?"

"It's a surprise."

Janet raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Just trust me mom."

Janet shook her head slightly before letting Cassie know what to expect.

"I think I can handle it mom, I mean I did see you all half dead and on a ventilator."

Janet nodded, Cassie had seen far more than anyone her age should ever see. Considering what happened on her home planet she'd seen more than anyone should ever see.

Cassie stopped for a second and took a deep breath as she entered the room where Tegan was lying motionless except for the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. She was more of a bluish gray than Cassie was expecting. Thinner, pastier, and Cassie took another deep breath swallowing against her gag reflex as she saw the empty spot where Tegan's left arm should have been.

"Hey Tegan." Her voice cracked and she licked her lips. "Are you in there? Can you hear me?"

She looked at her mom who nodded encouragement.

"You know you really need to wake up, I understand there's this really hot doctor taking care of you and as long as you stay like you are you're missing out on those steamy sponge baths." Cassie shifted the bag on her back. "Seriously though, you've got a lot of worried people waiting for you to wake up. Even Mrs. Scully is all worried about you. I wasn't eaves dropping or anything, I got up to go to the bathroom the other night and her door was open. She's staying with me while mom stays here with you. Any way, she was all on her knees and everything praying for you. Ok, so I eaves dropped a little, but I really was on my way to the bathroom.

"Mom says I can't stay long." Cassie reached forward and touched Tegan's right hand. It was cold, like her real mother's had been after she died. Tears stung her eyes at the unwanted thought. "I – uh, I just wanted to tell you I love you, and I want you to get better. I miss you, and even though Mrs. Scully is a great cook I miss your food too."

Cassie looked around the room before moving to an empty table and pointed to it. "Can I use this?"

"For what?"

"You'll see." Cassie promised. "Just trust me."

"Fine." Janet watched with curiosity as Cassie pulled out a small set of speakers followed by Tegan's MP3 player. She smiled as Cassie plugged it in and turned it on making sure the volume was just loud enough so it could be heard if you knew it was there, the way she remembered it being in Tegan's apartment before they moved in together.

"I have to go now, it's a school night and all. Get better." Cassie said the last part as if she were saying see you tomorrow.

"Janet, I think we need to talk." Dana motioned to Tegan with her eyes. "I think it's time to consider..."

"No, no it's not." Janet interrupted. She didn't want to think about it, let alone talk about it.

"Janet." It was Dr. Scully talking now. "You need to get some rest, and we'll talk when you get up."

"Nana?"

"Yes." The older woman smiled. She looked exactly like Tegan remembered, she hadn't aged a second since the last time she'd seen her.

"Am I?" She looked around them. "Dead?"

"No."

"Dying?"

Her grandmother, Irene, laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh how I have missed you."

"I don't understand." Tegan spoke when she was released.

"I'm so proud of you."

"If I'm not dead or dying then I must be hallucinating."

"No." Irene shook her head. "'If you immediately know the fire is candlelight...'"

"'The dinner was finished a long time ago.'" Tegan finished the quote she'd learned from Daniel. "I am dying, and you're here to help me ascend."

"No. I am however trying to bend the rules without breaking them."

"I –" She closed her mouth. "Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"Music? Do you hear the music?"

"No." It was almost a question.

"'Welcome, Inch'Allah, Inch'Allah. Enter one amazing grace is pouring down.'" Tegan closed her eyes feeling the music as it moved through her. "'Fear not this light;We are of this light divine. So come, we move as one. Amazing grace is pouring down. Fear not this light, we are on this light divine. Welcome, enter one.

"'After a storm, I wanna let go of the things that I've done without any worry. I wanna come home, into the light, into the unknown. I want to be shameless, like the sun moving into you. Enter light

"'Welcome, Inch'Allah, Inch'Allah. Enter one amazing grace is pouring down. Fear not this light;We are of this light divine. So come, we move as one. Amazing grace is pouring down. Fear not this light, we are on this light divine. Welcome, enter one.'"

(Lyrics from Enter One by Sol Seppy)