496 words.

Rodney watched as they brought the body of Lieutenant Radcliffe through the shimmering event horizon. He'd never met the young American officer, but from everything he'd heard in the last half an hour he was a fine young man: bright, caring, energetic and brave, everything you needed to be to willfully travel to other planets and be willing to give your life to save others.

And that's what he'd done. He and his team had stopped the massacre of a people on a far off planet. The only cost had been his life.

Rodney looked to his left where the woman who'd managed to fall in love with him watched the scene in the gate room. She hadn't known Radcliffe either, at least not outside the realm of doctor and patient, yet her brown eyes held a sadness in them that he'd seen far too often.

The gate shut down and Jennifer turned to give Rodney a quick kiss on his left cheek. Nothing needed to be said as she left. She had to go and do the exam, write the report and supervise the preparation of the body for transport back to Earth. They were all things she shouldn't have to do, but as the CMO of an international expedition it was her duty… her job.

"What happens now, sir?"

Rodney's eyes flickered to his right to catch a glimpse of one of the newer gate techs looking eagerly to Chuck. She didn't even look old enough to drive let alone be in another galaxy.

Chuck sighed, and when he spoke his voice held none of its usual cheerfulness. "They take the body out of the gate room, down the corridor and into the transporter. They exit the transporter and head for the Infirmary, where they go in through the secondary entrance and not the main one."

The tech looked confused. "There's another way into the Infirmary."

Chuck nodded, though he kept looking at the gate. "It goes directly to the morgue. Dr. Keller and her people do an autopsy and then the body is placed in a casket until we dial Earth. Pallbearers carry the casket back along the same route and through the gate." Chuck sighed again and glanced to Rodney. "Our own little Highway of Heroes."

"What's that, sir?"

Chuck smiled. It was the type of smile that showed you were proud of something that came from something terrible. "It's a section of highway fallen Canadian soldiers are carried along after arriving back in the country. They come into CFB Trenton and travel to the coroner's office in Toronto in a motorcade. People line the highway and bridges with flags and signs to show their appreciation for their sacrifice and their support for their families."

"That's amazing."

"Yes it is," said Chuck softly.

Rodney nodded to Chuck and then walked towards the exit. He needed to be ready to be there for Jennifer. She always took the death of a hero hard.

A/N: "Highway of Heroes" was written and released by the group The Trews in February of 2011. Watch the video on YouTube. Worth it.