Title: We all have our battles
Part Seven: Awake
Author: Fire Fairy
Disclaimer: Why would I be writing a fanfic?
Spoilers: Duh.
Summary: Okay, everyone is effectively (almost) paired off, or will be soon. It is now officially known that Jayne has a sister and abusive father whom happens to be trigger-happy. And people wonder why Jayne seems so screwed up.
A/N: She's alive, she's ALIVE! *lightening flashes, a mad scientists cackles in the background, scene resembles Frankenstein* Okay, peeps, Tara's awake. Yay! I hope I've gained a loyal group of followers and that it continues to grow. Please read and tell me what you think of my story. Did everyone see yesterday's episode? That was a weird conversation between Jayne and Shepherd. I also ain't sure how to spell the bounty hunter's name so I'm guessin' at it. Well, here goes nothin'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" What's goin' on?" Mal asked walking into the infirmary.
" She's still unconscious."
" Thought ya said she'd wake up by now? It's been a week."
" I thought she'd wake up by now too."
" Well, keep it up doc." The ship jerked violently to the side all of a sudden, sending everyone sprawling.
" WASH! What the hell is goin' on?!" Mal yelled at the com link, trying to get clear of medical supplies and Simon.
" Sorry Cap'n, we were gonna run into an Alliance cruiser if we'd stayed on the path we were on."
" Couldn't you have turned smoother?"
" Probably. But do you really want the Alliance anywhere near us when we have that cargo?" Wash asked, referring to the crates of explosives they'd picked up a week after Tara.
" No, but next time, a little warning might be nice." Simon was struggling to get Tara's limp form back up on the bed. What he needed to do, was lift with his legs and lay her out flat on the floor before trying to lift her.
" Need some help doc?" Mal asked, waiting for Simon to collapse from exertion.
" Yeah. Sure. Why not?" Mal picked up the girl and laid her out on the bed. " Thanks."
" Any time. I'm gonna go check on the crates." Mal ambled out of sickbay, headed towards cargo when a very loud shout sounded out behind him.
Turning around and running back, he saw Simon trying to get at someone in the corner. A quick look at Tara's bed and he knew she was awake.
" Jayne, your sisters awake. Hurry it up and get down here."
" Comin'." Jayne's voice crackled over the system as Mal walked towards where Simon was trying to inch his way near Tara.
" Shh. No one's gonna hurt you." A bedpan was flung at his head.
" Hey." If Mal hadn't ducked it would've hit him.
" Shh. We aren't gonna hurt ya. We're friends of Jayne." Simon had his hands out, and was taking half-inch steps towards the girl. Instead of calming down, she threw tray.
" Get away from me." The words grated out of her mouth, full anger and fear.
" We aren't gonna hurt you."
" I said get away from me!" She threw a second tray. Her hands were still full of ammo when Jayne and River came running in.
" Tara Elizabeth Cobb! You stop that nonsense right now!"
Jayne roared as a pill bottle hit Simon in the head. Tara dropped everything in her hands and tried to burrow further in the wall. They faintly heard her chanting, " I'm sorry" over and over.
" It's okay. No one was hurt." Simon was still trying to get the girl to come away from the corner when Jayne stepped in and forcibly picked her up. She just went limp, didn't even try to fight.
" Now what's the matter? These people are trying to help and you start throwin' things at 'em? What are you daft?" Jayne had set her back down on the bed.
" I'm sorry." She whispered through hands and hair.
" It's okay." Jayne pulled the trembling girl into a hug. " Just let them help." He started whispering, too low for anyone to catch.
" Dad... What happened to dad?" She swallowed, trying not to panic.
" Dad shot you and ran just as I got there."
" I know. I was awake for that. Positive he didn't follow?" Tara's voice was little more than a whisper.
" Positive sweetie." Jayne pulled away and nodded at Simon. " You can help her now." He sat down in a chair next to the bed as Simon tried to get her to lie down. " Lie down." She complied as Jayne spoke up.
" Thanks." Simon started the evaluation of her wounds when Mal slipped out.
~~~~~
" What's goin' on Cap'n?" Kaylee asked when he stepped into the mess hall.
" Girl's awake."
" She's gonna be okay, right Mal?" Inara sat forward concerned.
" Doc says she's gonna be fine. Preacher, I'd like to have a word with you."
Simon had told Mal what the bounty hunter had said about Book, this was the first time he'd be able to address the issue and he didn't want to do it in front of the rest of the crew.
" Yes?" He asked, standing up to go out the door.
" Simon told me what the bounty hunter said 'bout ya. Is it true?" Mal had waited 'til they stepped out the door before he quietly spoke that last sentence.
" Earley?"
" That would be the one." They were progressing farther from the door and Book was raising his voice a bit more.
" What exactly did he say?"
" That you weren't no shepherd." Mal turned to face the accused man, not going another step.
" Why would he say a thing like that?" Book tried to ask the question innocently and just about pulled it off.
" Because you aren't." The two men turned to look at River. Mal raised his eyebrows at Book and pointed towards River.
" I am so." /I need a little more time./
" I don't much care what ya are Shepherd, just don't do a thing to harm my crew, got it?" Mal leaned in and whispered. " Don't even think about it."
" I wouldn't do anything to hurt this crew."
" Even unintentionally. If you got any secrets that put this crew at risk, I need to know. Not right now, but soon." Mal took River's hand as she started spouting off about Tara's condition.
" Sorry. It might already be too late."
~~~~~
" She opened her shoulder wound. I'll need to re-stitch it."
" Okay." Tara spoke up for the first time in half an hour.
" Just let me get some anesthetics." Tara reached up, practically screaming.
" NO! No drugs."
" You might want-"
" She said no drugs, doc."
" Okay, it'll be painful." With a shudder, Tara pulled up her sleeve, showing new and old puncture marks.
" No drugs." Grabbing Jayne's hand, she gritted her teeth, setting herself up for the pain.
" Here goes nothin'."
Part Seven: Awake
Author: Fire Fairy
Disclaimer: Why would I be writing a fanfic?
Spoilers: Duh.
Summary: Okay, everyone is effectively (almost) paired off, or will be soon. It is now officially known that Jayne has a sister and abusive father whom happens to be trigger-happy. And people wonder why Jayne seems so screwed up.
A/N: She's alive, she's ALIVE! *lightening flashes, a mad scientists cackles in the background, scene resembles Frankenstein* Okay, peeps, Tara's awake. Yay! I hope I've gained a loyal group of followers and that it continues to grow. Please read and tell me what you think of my story. Did everyone see yesterday's episode? That was a weird conversation between Jayne and Shepherd. I also ain't sure how to spell the bounty hunter's name so I'm guessin' at it. Well, here goes nothin'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" What's goin' on?" Mal asked walking into the infirmary.
" She's still unconscious."
" Thought ya said she'd wake up by now? It's been a week."
" I thought she'd wake up by now too."
" Well, keep it up doc." The ship jerked violently to the side all of a sudden, sending everyone sprawling.
" WASH! What the hell is goin' on?!" Mal yelled at the com link, trying to get clear of medical supplies and Simon.
" Sorry Cap'n, we were gonna run into an Alliance cruiser if we'd stayed on the path we were on."
" Couldn't you have turned smoother?"
" Probably. But do you really want the Alliance anywhere near us when we have that cargo?" Wash asked, referring to the crates of explosives they'd picked up a week after Tara.
" No, but next time, a little warning might be nice." Simon was struggling to get Tara's limp form back up on the bed. What he needed to do, was lift with his legs and lay her out flat on the floor before trying to lift her.
" Need some help doc?" Mal asked, waiting for Simon to collapse from exertion.
" Yeah. Sure. Why not?" Mal picked up the girl and laid her out on the bed. " Thanks."
" Any time. I'm gonna go check on the crates." Mal ambled out of sickbay, headed towards cargo when a very loud shout sounded out behind him.
Turning around and running back, he saw Simon trying to get at someone in the corner. A quick look at Tara's bed and he knew she was awake.
" Jayne, your sisters awake. Hurry it up and get down here."
" Comin'." Jayne's voice crackled over the system as Mal walked towards where Simon was trying to inch his way near Tara.
" Shh. No one's gonna hurt you." A bedpan was flung at his head.
" Hey." If Mal hadn't ducked it would've hit him.
" Shh. We aren't gonna hurt ya. We're friends of Jayne." Simon had his hands out, and was taking half-inch steps towards the girl. Instead of calming down, she threw tray.
" Get away from me." The words grated out of her mouth, full anger and fear.
" We aren't gonna hurt you."
" I said get away from me!" She threw a second tray. Her hands were still full of ammo when Jayne and River came running in.
" Tara Elizabeth Cobb! You stop that nonsense right now!"
Jayne roared as a pill bottle hit Simon in the head. Tara dropped everything in her hands and tried to burrow further in the wall. They faintly heard her chanting, " I'm sorry" over and over.
" It's okay. No one was hurt." Simon was still trying to get the girl to come away from the corner when Jayne stepped in and forcibly picked her up. She just went limp, didn't even try to fight.
" Now what's the matter? These people are trying to help and you start throwin' things at 'em? What are you daft?" Jayne had set her back down on the bed.
" I'm sorry." She whispered through hands and hair.
" It's okay." Jayne pulled the trembling girl into a hug. " Just let them help." He started whispering, too low for anyone to catch.
" Dad... What happened to dad?" She swallowed, trying not to panic.
" Dad shot you and ran just as I got there."
" I know. I was awake for that. Positive he didn't follow?" Tara's voice was little more than a whisper.
" Positive sweetie." Jayne pulled away and nodded at Simon. " You can help her now." He sat down in a chair next to the bed as Simon tried to get her to lie down. " Lie down." She complied as Jayne spoke up.
" Thanks." Simon started the evaluation of her wounds when Mal slipped out.
~~~~~
" What's goin' on Cap'n?" Kaylee asked when he stepped into the mess hall.
" Girl's awake."
" She's gonna be okay, right Mal?" Inara sat forward concerned.
" Doc says she's gonna be fine. Preacher, I'd like to have a word with you."
Simon had told Mal what the bounty hunter had said about Book, this was the first time he'd be able to address the issue and he didn't want to do it in front of the rest of the crew.
" Yes?" He asked, standing up to go out the door.
" Simon told me what the bounty hunter said 'bout ya. Is it true?" Mal had waited 'til they stepped out the door before he quietly spoke that last sentence.
" Earley?"
" That would be the one." They were progressing farther from the door and Book was raising his voice a bit more.
" What exactly did he say?"
" That you weren't no shepherd." Mal turned to face the accused man, not going another step.
" Why would he say a thing like that?" Book tried to ask the question innocently and just about pulled it off.
" Because you aren't." The two men turned to look at River. Mal raised his eyebrows at Book and pointed towards River.
" I am so." /I need a little more time./
" I don't much care what ya are Shepherd, just don't do a thing to harm my crew, got it?" Mal leaned in and whispered. " Don't even think about it."
" I wouldn't do anything to hurt this crew."
" Even unintentionally. If you got any secrets that put this crew at risk, I need to know. Not right now, but soon." Mal took River's hand as she started spouting off about Tara's condition.
" Sorry. It might already be too late."
~~~~~
" She opened her shoulder wound. I'll need to re-stitch it."
" Okay." Tara spoke up for the first time in half an hour.
" Just let me get some anesthetics." Tara reached up, practically screaming.
" NO! No drugs."
" You might want-"
" She said no drugs, doc."
" Okay, it'll be painful." With a shudder, Tara pulled up her sleeve, showing new and old puncture marks.
" No drugs." Grabbing Jayne's hand, she gritted her teeth, setting herself up for the pain.
" Here goes nothin'."