Chapter 7
"Seems you left out a very important piece information when we spoke yesterday River." Reagan said as she walked into River's cell.
"I don't believe I shared any important information with you yesterday." River replied.
"Good point, but you don't think it would have been nice to let me know I'm going to be a grandmother?" Reagan asked kindly.
"You aren't my mother, not even my adopted one you bitch." River replied icily.
"Such language. I raised you better than that River."
"You didn't raise me either; Simon and the nannies raised me. You're just the cold hearted witch who spent my entire life preparing to betray me. You know you'll burn in Hell for what you've done." River informed her in a purely conversational tone as if they were talking about nothing more important than the weather.
"That's a matter of opinion. But you being pregnant does interfere with my plans a bit. You see I had planned on reprogramming you to the fullest extent, but my superiors are very interested in your baby and I can't risk the fetus' health. So we'll have to change the plans around a little bit. Not really a big deal I'm very good at adapting." Reagan explained.
"Well I bet you're interested in an update on your family aren't you? Simon came through the surgery with flying colors. He is already displaying reading abilities. And your husband he's being reprogrammed right now. He's been in the white room for five hours and I believe we're already seeing results."
River flinched involuntarily to learn that Mal had been in the white room for five hours. She knew just how much could be done to someone in that room in five hours.
"Anderson get in here." Reagan said into a comm unit.
A few minutes later a young soldier entered the room. He looked terrified and River figured he had been well briefed as to the extent of her powers.
"Lieutenant Anderson will be taking you down to the reprogramming room, the same deal applies as yesterday. If you attack him or try to escape your husband dies immediately. Understand?" Reagan asked River.
River nodded slowly and felt tears fill her eyes. She stood up and held out her wrists obediently so that cuffs could be applied to them. Once her hands were restrained Anderson grabbed her by the upper arm and led her out of the cell. River's feet seemed to grow heavier and heavier as she was led towards the white room that she feared so much.
She knew instantly when they passed the reprogramming room that Mal was being kept in. She could sense his mind clearly enough, although the drugs they had given him made it impossible to read anything specific from him.
It was the same routine that she knew from years ago. She was led into the room, strapped down to the chair, and injected with a sedative. Before long her eyes began to grow heavy and just before she fell asleep she saw the long shining needle that would soon be inserted into her brain. She was thankful for the sedative and slipped into unconsciousness before she could feel anything.
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"You really think there's a chance of this workin?" Jayne asked as he looked over the schematics for the Academy one more time.
"Its chancy but there's a chance if everything goes off without a hitch." Rex replied.
Zoe and Jayne both exchanged smirks and Kaylee had to suppress a giggle.
"You really don't know the crew you're dealing with." Zoe muttered.
"So you sure this nurse'll help us?" Jayne asked for what was probably the hundredth time.
"I trust Rebecca with everything I got. She's the one who helped Simon get River out the first time and she's the one who got me all the info. bout my sis. She only keeps her job with them hun-dans so she can work against em from the inside." Rex replied confidently giving the same answer he'd given a hundred times before.
"If she back stabs us we'll be caught fer sure." Jayne warned as if Rex didn't know this.
"She won't." The large man answered.
"You sure you're up for this Lil' Kaylee?" Jayne asked noticing the dark circles under the mechanic's eyes. He was pretty sure she hadn't slept once since Simon had been taken.
"If it gets em back, I'll be up for anything we gotta do." Kaylee answered once again showing that she might have a soft heart but she had a spine of steel.
"Well let's get goin then." Jayne said impatiently as he finished strapping his weapons on.
The four of them climbed into the Mule and set out for the hospital that served as a front for the Academy.
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River woke up groggily and tried to push away the pounding pain in her head. Things were happening exactly as they had the first time she had been at the Academy. The only difference was this time River knew she had just been imbedded with a mental trigger of some sort. The horror of it was not knowing what she may be triggered to do.
River suddenly sat up and looked around the room hopefully. She could sense the others coming for them. She could feel Kaylee's fear and determination and knew that she, Jayne, and Zoe must be close. The reader was pleased to see that she hadn't been put back into her cell, but was instead lying in a hospital bed with monitors attached to her. Her hands had been restrained, but River was more flexible than they realized and was able to bend enough to undo one of the restraints with her teeth. After that she was untied within seconds. Once she was free she quickly rewired the monitor she was attached to so that it would continue to register a heart beat and brain activity once she pulled the electrodes off of her body.
She slipped off the bed and had to steady herself for a minute as a wave of dizziness overtook her and she was reminded once again of her pregnancy. Looking around the room she quickly determined that her clothes were not in the room and she would have to make her escape in the hospital gown she was currently wearing.
By listening at the door she knew when the hallway was empty and she slipped from her room without being seen. River had only walked a few feet when she sensed Simon behind one of the doors and quickly ducked into his room.
River had known that the procedure had been performed on Simon, but seeing the results were something she was unprepared for. Simon lay curled into a ball on the bed, he rocked back and forth, and she could see him muttering to himself under his breath. She remembered back to the day when they had done the first surgery on her and how painful it had been to wake up and suddenly be able to read everything around her.
"Simon hey it's River. Can you hear me?" River asked as she leaned down so that she was next to his face.
River took a deep breath and forced her mind to be calm and serene, then she focused those thoughts towards Simon, hoping that he would benefit from the feelings she was sending him.
Simon looked at her with unfocused and panicked eyes for a second before they cleared and he was able to focus on his sister.
"River? What are you doing in here? If they catch you…" Simon whispered in a raspy voice.
"Shhh… don't worry. We're getting out of here. The others are on their way for us. Can you walk?" She asked and helped Simon to sit up. She winced when she noticed that the back of his head had been shaved and he had a bandage covering what was obviously a large incision.
Simon nodded and sat up slowly. He swayed a little as he stood up, but remained vertical and with River's help made his way to the door. River again listened at the door until she was sure the coast was clear. Just as she began to pull Simon from the room he grabbed her and pulled her back into the room.
"Wait, Kaylee's here." Simon whispered. He had a far off look in his eyes and had his head cocked to the side.
River had the very creepy sensation of seeing what she must look like while she was reading.
"Go now!" Simon said urgently and pushed River into the hall.
The second both of them had entered the hallway all of the lights suddenly turned off. River smiled at the genius of her sister in law and took off down the hall pulling Simon with her.
Just as they reached the end of the hall River turned the corner and ran straight into a nurse. Her heart sank straight to the floor when she saw the nurse and realized that their escape plan had failed.
"River I'm here to help get you out of here." The nurse whispered to her.
River looked at her suspiciously and tried to read her for any signs of dishonesty.
"We can trust her. I remember her from after the surgery, she wanted to help me then." Simon told River.
Trusting her big brother like always River obediently followed the nurse down the darkened hallway.
River stopped instantly as they reached the hallway that led to the reprogramming rooms. She could feel Mal inside the room to her right. It was his mind she had no doubt of that, but it was so changed she almost didn't recognize her husband.
"Mal is down there." River said nodding towards the room.
Simon nodded and immediately moved down the hall to the reprogramming room.
The nurse and Simon entered the room without hesitation but River stopped at the door dreading what she would see inside. Taking a deep breath she hurried into the room, knowing they didn't have much time.
Mal was strapped into the medical chair that was in the center of the room. He was completely strapped down and had a series of needles stuck into his head. His eyes were glazed over and unfocused from the drugs he'd been given.
"Mal? It's me ai-ren. It's River. We're going to get you out of here." River whispered and began to remove the needles from Mal's head carefully. Mal never flinched or blinked while River removed the needles or un-strapped him from the chair.
She grabbed his upper arm and helped him stand from the chair. He wobbled dangerously once he was on his feet, but the nurse and River took his arms over their shoulders and supported him as they left the room.
Two guards were running down the hall and stopped when they saw their three most important prisoners out in the hall and not tied up. River took them out before they could radio for help and they continued towards the fire exit at the end of the hall.
River stopped suddenly as they passed the last reprogramming room. She pushed the door open even as Simon and the nurse protested behind her. There was a subject in this room as well. She was strapped down in the chair just as Mal had been, but had obviously been there longer judging by the ravaged look she had.
River hurried over and began taking the needles out of the woman and untying her as well.
"River we don't have time for this." Simon whispered.
"Please just help me Simon." River pleaded as she continued to pull needles from the woman's skull.
"Alright." Simon muttered, he knew he would never be able to live with himself if he left someone in this situation when he had the chance to help them.
Simon ignored the pounding pain in his head and picked up the woman, shocked by how light and emaciated she was.
"Oh wuh de ma!" Simon said in horror when he finally recognized the broken woman.
"Inara? Jesus what did they do to you?" Simon asked as he carried the unconscious companion from the room.
