To-Do list - justprompts

[a_time_slip]

(After this)

1) debrief admiral
2) Notify the families
3) Submit letter of resignation
4) Return to the hotel room and rest for a few hours

It was well past midnight when Janie arrived at headquarters, interrupting the nap of the night guard, and setting off the many sensors.  She held what was left of an agent in her arms, the legs dangling on one end, and a head on the other.

"Cheray Ashi.  Age 32, rank, Lieutenant.  Mother of three.  She was killed serving for the Alpha Team and should be posthumously decorated for extreme bravery in service.  I've tucked the report in her pocket."

As gently as she could, Janie laid the woman on one of the cots that was always available in headquarters.  "I need to notify the families.  Don't tell me I have to send someone else.  They were my responsibility."

Her uniform dirty, body injured, and her hair a mess, Janie teleported to the location of the first family.  Protocol dictated she be in full uniform, accompanied by several other officers but she knew that would come later.  These families deserved to know before the story leaked out to the press.

She shed no tears, only moved on to the other eleven families, letting them all know someone would come by properly a little later.  All of them were told how brave their relatives were and thankful they were told.  She hugged significant others, comforted parents, and promised to stay in touch.

Janie spent several hours on the task, no sleep or rest, and no food.  The only thing keeping her from collapsing to the ground and losing consciousness was the list she'd written out the moment she realized there were no survivors.

Upon returning to headquarters, she noted it was much busier.

"She's returned!"  someone called.  Ignoring that, Janie walked over to where she laid Ashi.  The body was gone.

The body.  All that was left of her team, and it was gone.  Their last moments would stay in her memories for years.  She realized she was crying.

"I'm turning my resignation in.  Effective today."  Janie's words didn't seem to make it out of her mouth, and a flurry of medics surrounded her.   Some expressed shock at the baby bump, others managed to get her to a bed in medbay.  "I quit."  she repeated, as an injection was shot into her arm. "The m-"

Sleep came quickly, almost like death.

Comments

[a_time_slip]

"I should have waited to notify the families." she lied "Phoenix, don't worry about a thing. Whatever did this won't get the chance again because I'm not running any more missions. Even if I wasn't resigning, The Agency won't let me in the field again in this condition."

Janie plastered a smile on her face.

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

That seems to settle Phoenix a little, he's been wanting Janie to resign for months now.

He forces his own smile and takes her hand, still concerned. "How's the baby? Do you need me to take care of Lynn?"

[a_time_slip]

With the current shortage of trained staff, Janie's retirement was highly unlikely, but for the time being, she was blissfully unaware of the situation.

"The baby is fine. Protocol states that I should have divulged the health condition, I'm not sure if I'll be reprimanded for that or not. Lynn's with my Father right now... I don't want to move her just yet."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

"No.. no, that's good. She's probably better off with Robert. Just let me know if he needs a break, I can handle both kids for a couple of days, she's always great."

He really. REALLY. Wishes Janie would ask for stuff, just occasionally. "How long you gonna be here? Any idea?"

[a_time_slip]

"She misses Sam. We- it's my fault, Phoenix. I told her not to tell anyone what was going on and we stopped talking to our friends. I'm sorry."

It was in Janie's nature to be self-reliant, and she didn't want to appear weak in front of Phoenix. She was 594 years old, not a youngster of eighty-four anymore. "I don't know. Do you think they'll let me go now?"

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

"You can tell me, honey. You can always tell me.. you know I'd never make judgements on you. Your friends and family are your strength." He picks up her hand, and kisses her knuckles. Phoenix knows how hard it is... even when he goes to Drakus, or Ylaia with something he can't handle on his own.

"I dunno, I could ask.. but you're weak, you need the rest." In his own capacity as healer, he'd say she needs several days, at least.

[a_time_slip]

"You're right, Phoenix." And there's that mostly false grin of hers again.

"I'm not that weak... the energy drain wasn't that bad."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

"It was enough to kill a mortal." Is out of his mouth before he can check himself.

"..Sorry. Look, I'll see what I can find on the ICTD database, see what kind of life form can do what he did. There's plenty there to go on."

[a_time_slip]

"If this guy wants to find me, he will." Janie said, beginning to shut Phoenix out again "So don't waste your time on it. I'll take care of it myself..."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

"Honey.." Phoenix can't help a sigh. "If The Agency doesn't have the data, there's other organisations that might. Ain't gonna hurt none to pool our resources."

[a_time_slip]

"It's not as if I can stop you." She was annoyed, but for no good reason. "Why did he leave me there? He could have done anything."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

Phoenix decides on just quietly searching the databases and not arguing the point.

"Guess he couldn't kill you. Not many entities like that would be dumb enough to take an agent away. They'd have several organisations out after their blood."

Many of the Galactic agencies and policing forces affiliated with each other, do tend to look after their own. "Wish Id' fucking been there." Phoenix mutters, irritated himself now.

[a_time_slip]

"I'm not sure it's possible for me to come back if I was burned to a cinder." That had crossed her mind, even though deep down she knew she would survive. She always managed to pull through, no matter what happened.

"No. The mission shouldn't have even been run... the resources are probably a myth. There are more important things going on right now."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

"I was talking about the energy drain." Phoenix frowns at Janie, was that in the report?

"Damn shame. Those resources are fabled. Would have been such a boon to The Agency."

[a_time_slip]

"Right. Right. That wouldn't come close to killing me." It wasn't in the report. The only detail she'd given about the death of the agents and the lack of bodies was that they were 'destroyed'.

"They're fabled, but any team could have run that, barring complications. You shouldn't have been there, I shouldn't have been there."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

"Riiight." Short of interrogating Janie, which she doesn't need right now, all Phoenix can do is accept her word for it. "Can't remember that being mentioned in the report. D'you think he was using tech?"

"No-one should have been there.. Did they have any information on supernatural creatures native to Fasni?" He can't help it, Phoenix is in professional mode, trying to get as much as he can, so he can go away and do the research.

[a_time_slip]

"I forgot." she lied "I'm not sure how he did it... Giovan had most of the information in his files. I think they're still being decrypted."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

"Forgot?" Huh. He's known Janie so long, Phoenix still can't quite tell when she's lying with certainty. But he does get the imrpoession she;'s not telling the exact truth. "Okay... guess it must have messed with your head."

And the more Giovan is mentioned, the more Phoenix is convinced the bastard had something to do with it. "It's my bet he set this up before he was killed. It's be easy for him to hide that kind of information, do a deal. Where are the files now? Disappeared with him? Or here at The Agency?"

[a_time_slip]

"Watching a second team die before your eyes will do that." she said, which was mostly true.

"I think most of his files are here?" Janie suggested "The stuff that was in his pockets is back at the apartment, but we haven't been there since that night. It's a real mess..."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

Phoenix instantly feels like a louse for disbelieving her, and squeezes Janie's hand.

"When you go back." He says gently, dropping the quest for the files.. temporarily. "I can go with you.. or I can go clear up first." If there's one thing he's good at it's getting rid of evidence and clearing up crime scenes. Goes with the job description... But then it does for Janie too. "I mean, I know you're capable. But if it's any easier, it won't take long."

[a_time_slip]

"Can you, please?" she asked "No. I'm moving, not going back there. Not ever... There's too many... I can find a new place. If you go, his things are in a pile by the. Um. Crime scene."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

"Don't give it another thought. I'll sort it out." He slides off his perch on the side of the bed, not before planting a kiss on Janie's cheek.

"Get rested." He orders, good-naturedly enough. "And drink your.. stuff. S'good for you." Phoenix pulls a face at the glucose drink.

[a_time_slip]

"Thank you." she spoke quietly, clearly tiring out. "Can you stay until I pass out again? I don't want to be alone..."

She took another sip of the drink, now in the mood to listen to him. "Don't let me ignore you for that long again. Please."

[ashes-ascended.livejournal.com]

"Sure I can." Phoenix drags a chair over to Janie's bedside and turns it back to front, parking his butt on it, elbows resting on the back.

He can't help a grin, and takes her hand again, it's only just hitting home how thankful he is she's alive and safe.
"Oh-kay. Next time I'll teleport right into your living room, and refuse to budge until you've broken all your plates over my head. Then we'll eat Pangia ice cream and watch crappy DVD's."

[a_time_slip]

"Better watch out for Lynn if you do that." she couldn't help but to smile as she started to relax. "I don't know where she came from."

Janie squeezed Phoenix's hand, and started to drift off.