Chapter 13
River ran down to Tiri's room, skidding to a stop outside of the door. Both Mal and Simon were there, trying to unlock the door and get to the screaming girl inside.
Turning around, Simon noticed River. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Mal.
"Simon," he snapped irritably, "Get your gorram sister away from here. I can't deal with two crazy people at one time." Simon winced and moved towards River.
River frowned and baked away, desperately trying to force out the words that were all tangled in her mind. "Don't land." She managed. "Please, can't leave." She started crying. "Can't make us, please. Please, no doctors, no blue." She shoved past Mal and Simon and into Tiri's room.
Tiri lay on the floor, her eyes wide with terror, screaming. The second she saw River she scrambled to her feet.
"Don't land." She begged Simon. "Canary in the coal mine, boom, pretty red dots." She looked at River for support, and River obliged.
"Pretty red dots, and if you resist, red will flow and paint the wall. They're coming, can't stop the signal." She stumbled forward and grabbed Simon's arm.
"Please." She whispered. Simon wrapped his arms around River ad looked nervously at Mal.
"I don't know what's going on here." He said in an undertone.
"Isn't it obvious?" said Mal in annoyance. "These two just don't want to leave each other. Doc, I am all for sticking it to those gorram Alliance bastards, but I can't have two crazy people running around my boat. Jayne's locked himself in his cabin because he's scared for his life, Inara is all upset about a 'priceless vase,' Zoe is scared, Wash is scared, and Kaylee is scared. I don't know what the Shepherd feels like, he doesn't talk very much."
He moved forward, towards Tiri, who was leaning against the wall, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Are you upset because we're landing and you don't want us to?" he asked kindly. Tiri nodded, looking gratified that someone understood what she was saying.
Mal nodded, satisfied, and turned back to Simon, who was gripping a now thrashing River.
"I suggest giving her a smoother." Mal said, ushering everyone from the room and locking the door.
River shook her head and tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. She didn't resist as Simon gently pulled her back to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed, tucking her in with a blanket.
"No." she managed weakly as Simon gently stuck the smoother into her arm. She tried to fight the darkness, but it grabbed her and pulled her under.
Simon smiled wanly at the sleeping girl and leaned over to kiss her. With a small sigh, he settled himself down next to her, present for when she woke up again.