Both girls had been sitting together, hardly aware of the others who wandered around them. The communal area was full of noise; stemming from children's mutters and the screen in the corner 'entertaining' the inhabitants. The room was dark save for the blue glow emulating from it. River was sitting on a small table, the elevation enabling her to see the screen clearly even though she was hardly paying attention. Madeline had her head resting on River's shoulder, her even breathing sounds told River that she was asleep. River put her arm protectively around the young girl's shoulder. Madeline stirred but continued to rest contentedly. The room was hardly disturbed as three figures entered, standing in the doorway and speaking in hushed tones. River continued to stare at the screen. None of the other children reacted either. It was as though in their eyes the room had been unchanged. One of the men called two more figures into the room and pointed at River's back.
"Just the older one," he muttered. The two nodded and moved toward River, stepping over various children as they went. River was not aware of their presence until a hand grasped her shoulder and began to pull her away from Madeline. Madeline woke up and found herself moving away from River. She began to cry and reached out for her older sister. River was fighting off her captor and grabbed her hand, holding on with all her strength. With one fluid movement she pulled Madeline to her, breaking the nurse's grip. The nurse fell backward. Her partner called for backup.
More pairs of hands pulled at River, and she felt Madeline begin to cry louder. Her legs were wrapped around River's waist, making it hard for the nurses to disentangle her. The two men who had stood in the doorway now moved, carefully placing their briefcases down as they moved in unison toward the girls. One man locked his hands around Rivers waist, the other around Madeline's. River saw blue hands in the mediocre light. With astounding strength the men pulled the two girls, yelling and crying, from one another. River was hauled to her feet by the nurses and dragged backwards out of the room. Madeline was still struggling, her arms outstretched and her face shining with tears as she called desperately for River.
"Mei-mei! Mei-mei!" River called back, beginning to cry herself now. "Ai-yah, tyen ah, Mei-mei!"
One of the nurses ran over to River, pulling out her arm and injecting her with something. She immediately became silent and her body relaxed. A doctor lifted her onto a gurney and pushed it out of the room.
"Quiet now, bao-bay," the nurse whispered to Madeline, "she'll be back soon, it'll be fine."
"No!" Madeline yelled, lashing out at the nurse. She ran toward the door and fell heavily against it, pounding it with her fists and tearfully calling for River. The men with blue hands picked up their suitcases, and watched as the nurse, now with her lip bleeding, pulled Madeline away and settled her in a corner. She rose, exhausted, looking shaken. One of the men walked over to her.
"They'll be fine," he said gently. "Don't forget, we are doing good work here." The other nodded his agreence. They opened the door and held it open for the nurse. Just before he closed it, one of the men took one final glance at Madeline. As if she had felt his scrutiny she looked up. The man held her gaze, and for the first time his expressionless face twitched slightly. He shut the door, and blinked a coupe of times to try to rid himself of Madeline's fierce gaze.
Madeline had cried herself to sleep buy the time the door opened again. The noise jolted her awake; she had been waiting for it. River was led in, her steps unsteady. Madeline rose timidly. A nurse gave River some medication to swallow before leaving. Madeline approached River as soon as the door shut. River did not react to her, until Madeline tugged timidly on her sleeve. River jerked violently, her head snapping round to face Madeline, and Madeline saw a fresh pinprick scar on her forehead between her eyes, glistening red in the light. She whimpered as River's eyes bored into hers.
"Storyteller?" She sobbed quietly. River blinked and turned away, walking slightly lopsidedly down the hallway to a side room. Madeline followed, feeling her eyes stinging and threatening to tear over. River curled herself on a small bed and shut her eyes. Madeline climbed in beside her. She sat looking as River's face for a long time before lying down and snuggling close to her. River's eyes opened again.
"Mei mei?" She asked. Madeline sniffed and huddled closer. River slid her arm protectively around her shoulder.
Mal stuck his head through the sickbay doorway. Simon was busily re-organising the small room, which had still not recovered from Mal's gunshot wound. On the small bed against the wall River lay sleeping, still fully clothed. Mal watched her for a while before turning his attention to Simon.
"How's she doing?" He asked Simon. Simon turned sharply.
"Well enough," he sighed, "I don't know what set it off but… she really wore herself out."
"I can imagine she did," Mal walked over, "she was hollerin' for at least fifteen minutes before you showed up." Simon looked concernedly over at River.
"Anyways," Mal said casually, "you might want to think about getting your little prodigy there up and about within the next few days. I'm sure you'll want her ready when we hit Osiris."
Simon blinked.
"We should arrive sometime on Tuesday," Mal continued, "and I'm planning on doin' my very best to make sure you two aren't killed during our little jaunt."
"You're going to help us?" Simon said slowly, looking thoroughly confused. "Why?"
Mal rolled his eyes. "Make sure you're ready," he said, and turned out of the room.
"We're doing what!?" Jayne asked incredulously. Mal did his best to ignore him.
"Inara, I'm recommending you withhold searchin' for clients this time; we may be in need of your help, if you're willing."
"Of course," Inara said. Mal nodded his acknowledgement. Everyone was sitting around the kitchen as Mal explained. River was sitting on the arm of a couch, staring down at her toes.
"Yeah but, you do realise…" Jayne began.
"Can I ask exactly how we're going to sneak the two most wanted into a secure alliance facility?" Wash cut across him, "in fact I'd like to know how we're going to get any of us in!"
"Good point," Mal looked around, "anybody got any ideas?"
The kitchen was silent, with everyone looking around the room for inspiration. It was Kaylee who broke the silence first.
"Underground," She said apprehensively. Everyone looked at her.
"Care to elaborate?" Mal said
"I'd just like to point out…"
"Every city on the central planets has a really complex sewerage network," Kaylee said slowly. "Only way to manage all the… unseemly stuff. Each building is connected."
"Yes but… this is a secret facility," Zoe pointed out.
"No, she has a point," Simon leaned forward, looking closely at Kaylee. "Even if they want it off the radar, I'm guessing they'd have a lot of waste."
"Good, then." Mal stood up. "Kaylee, Jayne, if you'd like to get to work on getting' some sort of directions to these sewers, Wash, can you figure out some way of setting down Serenity where we're not likely to run into inquisitive folk. Rest of you, any way you see fit to prepare, now's the time to do it. We'll be arriving in about three days."
"So you really want to do this?" Jayne burst out. Mal turned.
"You got a complaint?"
"I'm just thinkin' out lives are colourful enough with one gorram crazy girl, and here you're wantin' to take on another?"
The room had gone silent. Wash leaned over and whispered something to Zoe, who nodded and glared at Jayne.
"He wanted the lamp, get his three wishes," River muttered. Simon hushed her.
"Everyone excludin' Jayne, I'd like you elsewhere," Mal said calmly. The room was filled with chairs scraping the floor as everyone exited the room. Simon pulled River up and guided her out.
"I liked the rubies," She said happily to Simon as they went.
Mal faced Jayne. Jayne settled himself further in his chair and put his feet up, sighing and looking carefully at Mal.
"What do you expect me to do?" Mal asked him quietly.
"Do the job, get paid," Jayne responded.
"And what? Forget that some child's sufferin' at the hands of the government?"
"It ain't out business," Jayne said vehemently.
"It is now!"
"What, so that girl says the word and we jump to get ourselves killed?"
"Do you not think I've considered the dangers?" Mal yelled. Jayne glared.
"If you do this, you can count me out," Jayne said stoutly.
"Shuh muh, tsai boo shr, do you have no sense of loyalty at all?" Mal laughed slightly.
"I do, I'm loyal to my life, and that thing they call breathing." Jayne rose and began to walk out of the room.
"You have a little brother, don't you?" Mal asked. Jayne stopped and turned.
"Gorramit Mal, you leave Matty out of this!" he waved his knife threateningly.
"How old is he?" Mal walked forward.
"Nine," Jayne said reluctantly.
"And you've been 'round River long enough to see the damage done to kids and the like at this place," Mal was now face to face with Jayne, who looked away. "So I want you to image Matthew as broken as young River. How would you feel, hearin' him spout nonsense? Sometimes goin' days without talking?" Mal stopped. Jayne was looking down at the floor, beside his shoes a small wet patch from a fallen tear.
"I wouldn't let that happen," Jayne's voice cracked. Mal nodded.
"But you're willin' to let that happen to other kids and just turn a blind eye?"
"t'ain't the same."
"That's where you're wrong," Mal grabbed the knife out of Jayne's hand. "Because it's still a life. A life that's bein' tampered with, and that life means something to someone. Like this girl means to River." Mal began to walk away.
"Don't be a fool in thinkin' your brother's life is more important than any other. Coz it ain't." he pulled himself up the stairs, saying more to himself than Jayne, "all life's equal."