Tegan Chronicles
Intuition and Lies 26
After Janet had put the groceries away and Maggie had left she joined Tegan in the living room. "Maggie told me you got sick?"
"Yeah."
"Pain?"
Tegan shrugged.
"You know I've got Demerol and Phenergan if you need it."
"I don't."
"Alright." Janet sighed as Cassie came in the front door.
"Hey." Cassie dropped her book bag at the bottom of the stairs and plopped into the empty chair.
"How was school?"
"It was school." She answered while looking at Galahad who was sleeping in Tegan's lap.
"What do you want for dinner?"
"Pizza." Cassie smiled.
"I wasn't asking you." Janet gave her an exasperated look.
"Pizza's fine."
"And you'll eat pizza if I order it?"
"No." At least Tegan was being honest.
"You have got to eat. It's probably why you got sick earlier, too much acid in your stomach. Not to mention how weak you are."
"I'm weak because of all the shit my body's been through."
Cassie stood up, in the last year since they'd moved in together she hadn't heard her mom and Tegan argue once. That's not to say they didn't argue, she just hadn't been witness to any arguments and she didn't really like being there for this one. With Tegan cussing it didn't seem like it was going to be a nice argument, so she headed for her bedroom. Galahad got down and followed her up the stairs before he could get injured by becoming a possible projectile.
"Yes, but you've got to eat to get your strength back."
"I'm not hungry."
"No you never are." Janet was tired and didn't want to go down this road right now, but the gate had been opened and it was too late to make a u-turn. "I bought you ensure when I was out."
"That stuff is nasty."
"Yeah, well you've got three options; You can eat like a normal person, you can supplement with Ensure by mouth, or I can drop an NG tube."
"Screw you."
"That's not an option. And I've got back up to help me get it down, all I've got to do is place a phone call."
"Dana?" Tegan growled.
"Her or Julie, both agreed to help."
"Fix whatever you want for dinner."
"Are you going to eat?" Janet waited for a response.
They sat there in silence for the next hour before Janet got up and started banging pots and pans around.
Cassie heard the noise and knew she was better off to just stay in her room until she was called to dinner. She also knew she'd better suck it up and eat whatever it was her mother had decided to fix, whether she liked it or not.
"Cassandra it's time to eat."
"I'll be right down."
"Tegan." Janet walked into the living room and sat a tray on the center cushion of the couch.
Tegan was reclining on the end and opened one eye. There was a small mug of Lipton Noodle soup, a grilled cheese sandwich, a glass of something clear and bubbly, Tegan guessed it was Sprite. Beside the Sprite sat an empty glass, a can of ensure and to bring the point home an NG tube still in it's sterile packaging.
"It's your choice."
"Some choice." Tegan grunted.
"Cassandra you can eat in here or at the dinning room table."
"Ok." She chose the living room although she'd wished her mom had given her the option of eating in her room.
Janet ate alone in the dinning room
Cassie ate in silence while Tegan sat there with her eyes closed. When she went to pick up Tegan's tray, Tegan put her hand on the edge.
"It's cold." Cassie pointed out.
Tegan shook her head.
"Oh well."
After helping Cassie with what few dishes there were Janet walked around and looked at the tray of food. There were two bites taken out of the grilled cheese sandwich and maybe a third of the soup was missing.
"Are you done?"
"Does it look like I'm done?" Tegan answered with a question.
"Yes."
"Well I'm not." She snarled, reached for the bowl and gulped down the contents which only made her stomach hurt.
Janet stared at the tray.
"Now I'm done."
"Fine." She reached for the tray as the phone rang. "Cassandra can you get that?"
Cassie came down with the cordless phone in her hand and held it out to Tegan. "It's Sam."
"Hello?" Tegan pushed the receiver to her ear.
"We drew straws." Sam greeted.
"And you got stuck with the short straw."
"I wouldn't put it that way." Sam reassured. "How's the arm?"
"Which one, the one formerly known as an arm, the one that's fine, or the..." She kept from saying clunky robot arm. "Bio mechanical one?"
"Well I'd rephrase the question, but I have a feeling that's not going to change anything."
"Nope."
Sam was starting to wish she hadn't volunteered to call Tegan and left it to Jack. "Ok. Have you used the prosthetic since going home?"
Tegan looked at the black metal arm on the table. It was made out of alien metals and really didn't weight anymore then what she guessed her biological arm had weighed. It was a scientific wonder. She wasn't too far off from being the 'Six million dollar' woman when she wore it, or would be once she got it to function correctly. "No, not today."
"Is your stump hurting?"
She wanted to thank Sam for calling it what it was, but she didn't. "Yeah, some."
Sam imagined it was more than some. She also was certain Tegan hadn't taken anything for pain recently. "Can I do anything for you? Is there anything you need?"
"Yeah, I need Janet to go back to work and get off my case."
Sam smiled. "Can't help you there."
"No, and some how I don't think General Hammond would respect my wishes on the matter."
"Probably not."
"She's no happier to be taking care of me than I am to have to have her do it."
"She loves, she doesn't mind one bit." Sam offered.
"If you could only be a fly on the wall." Tegan spoke without thinking.
"I think I'll pass. Look, if you need anything give me or one of the guys a call. We'll even come by for a little bit if you need to get Janet out of your hair."
"Thanks."
"I don't mind." Janet spoke when Tegan laid the phone down.
"What?"
"You told Sam I was no happier taking care of you than you are to have to have me take care of you."
"You know what I meant."
"I know that you don't ever want anyone to take care of you, I understand that. But if you think for one minute that I don't want to take care of you, you're sadly mistaken."
"I don't want to argue." Tegan closed her eyes.