Ties that bind Chapter 9, a firefly fanfic

Chapter 9: In which Kaylee gets sick and River explains everything to everybody

"Cap'n Reynolds, Cap'n Reynolds!" Jack called loudly, running through the Frye's yard. The mass of people assembled, chatting, at the long tables turned and looked at him, some amused, some confused, and some alarmed. Mal stood up, a sick feeling starting to settle in his gut. The boy went off with Kaylee, Simon and River. He came back alone, screaming. This did not bode well for Mal's youngest crewmembers.

"What is it, boy?" Mal called, climbing over the bench he was sitting on, untangling himself from the many people and working his way towards the near-hysteric Jack. "Where's the others?"

"I'm so sorry Cap'n, but I didn't know . . ." he was practically sobbing.

By the time Mal reached the boy, Jack was surrounded by his father, mother, and one of his sisters, Mal didn't know which one. "I'm really sorry, I just, I didn't know what ta do."

"What?" Mal said. He could feel Zoë come up behind him. "Tell us what happened."

"The Governors guard's," Jack gasped. "They came and they took Simon and River, they hit Kaylee."

"The Governor," Mal said, his voice was more strained than he'd of liked it to be. "The Alliance appointed governor?"

"'Couldn't a been the Governor's guards," Jack's mom said, with a sort of nervous laugh. "Gov'ner Comworth's a good man."

"Where's Kaylee?" Zoë asked.

"I couldn't wake her up," Jack said. "She's breathin', I made sure she was breathin', but I couldn't wake her up."

"Show us," Mal said. "Can you do that?"

Jack nodded and, after glancing at his father, who nodded. Then the boy turned and started running back in the direction he'd come from. Mal, Zoë and Hubert started to follow.

"Jayne, come with us," Mal yelled over his shoulder. "Zoë, you stay here."

"Sir, I . . ." his fistmate started.

"There could be trouble, don't want you in it," Mal said assertively. By this time Jayne and Book had reached the group who were, despite their conversations, trying to keep up with Jack as he wove through the forest.

"Sir," Zoë started again.

"Stay," Book said, "I'll go for you."

"Stay, Zoë," Mal said. "That's an order."

"Yes, sir," the firstmate said a little bitterly, breaking out of the run. As she watched the four men follow the boy disappear into the forest, she couldn't help but think that it was going to be the longest nine months of her life.

* * *

"Ah, and how are my two beautiful women?" Governor Comworth said, approaching Inara and Genie as the younger girl was learning the fine art of applying mascara.

"Fine," Genie grumbled.

"Soon to be more beautiful still," Inara said pleasantly. "Genie's got a lovely face, especially when it's clean."

"Don't I know it," the Governor laughed. "I was wondering, Lady Inara, if I could stretch your graciousness just a little further? With full compensation, of course."

Inara didn't exactly like how that sounded. She laughed softly and prettily, "I'm sorry, governor, but I don't quite understand your meaning."

"There is another girl, a girl Genie's age, old family friend, who's come to visit me for a few days. She, this girl, is a dear friend of my dear granddaughter's and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind tutoring them both."

"Papa, who is it?" Genie said, turning away from the mirror with only one eye lash accentuated. Her face looked off balance.

"What do you think, Lady Inara, could I impose that on you?"

"Of course," Inara said, smiling warmly. "Another pupil would be delightful. I'm sure Genie would appreciate having a friend and it is somewhat difficult to teach social graces without there being other people to interact with.

"Wonderful," Comworth said, offering Inara an equally warm smile. "You are too gracious."

"Papa, who is it?" Genie insisted again.

"You'll see," he said, a sort of chuckle in his voice. "She'll arrive late tonight and attend classes with you in the morning."

"Papa, please," Genie implored.

"It's a surprise, Genie dear," the governor said, walking up to his granddaughter and kissing her lovingly on the forehead. "Now, finish your lesson. You might not want to look your most beautiful when your friend comes, but by then I expect you to know how you could look your most beautiful."

"Yes, Papa," the girl sighed.

"Good," the Governor said. "I, for one, cannot wait until tomorrow."

* * *

"Chi dai mi lu er nu" Jane grumbled as they forced their way through the thick woods. "Can't go a gorramn day without fishin' the gan ao man yi out a some trouble or another."

                "The boat thing was your fault, Jayne," Mal said, a little pointedly as they jogged through the woods. "As were some other scrapes the boy's found himself in."

                "All right, all right," Jayne snapped.

                "There she is!" Jack said, pointing to a little clearing at the edge of the woods in front of them. Kaylee was sprawled on a blanket on the forest floor. She looked for the world like she was dead. Mal knew she wasn't, but he'd seen enough dead bodies to hate the awkward slackness that comes when someone suddenly, violently, loses consciousness. Mal broke into a run and outdistanced Jack, reaching her first.

                "Little Kaylee," Mal said, falling to his knees, carefully touching the young girl's head around the large greenish gray bruise on her right temple. "Shui xing mei mei."

                "It looks like she was pistol whipped," Book said, dropping down besides Mal. "There don't seem to be any other injuries."

                "What happened?" Mal demanded, turning to Jack, who was standing beside his father at the edge of the small clearing.

                "River and I," He started, sucking in a deep jittery breath, "We were . . . we were playin' in the stream over there. Just goofin' off, ya know, nothin' bad."

                "Nobody thinks ya did anything bad, son," Mal said, trying not to snap at the poor boy. But Jack's continual apologizing was wearing thin on Mal's already taunt nerves. "Just tell us what happened."

                "Well, River, she gets this look in her eye, like its Christmas or somethin' and she runs off ta Simon and Kaylee. They were watchin' us, talkin' to themselves, from just right here."

                "Right," Mal said, very eager to get to the part where his crew was assaulted and kidnapped.

                "Well, she screeched and startled me and I fell in ta the river, and by the time I got myself up, that's ta say my head out a the water, I saw that there was a guy there, one a the governor's guards. An' he had a big gun. I could see there were a whole mess of them, six at least, surroundin' River, and Kaylee, and Dr. Tam. I should of gone and tried ta help. I should of been brave."

                "No," Hubert said quickly, trying to calm his near-hysterical son. "What you did was right. If you'd of tried ta attack them guards you'd of ended up like Kaylee or worse. It's good now you can tell us just what happened."

                "Well," Jack said, gasping a little for breath, "they was talkin' that is, Dr. Tam and the guard what he saw was talkin'. I couldn't hear 'cause I was stayin' low in the water so they wouldn't find me."

                "Good plan," Mal said. "Then what happened?"

                "Well, Dr. Tam mustn't a seen all them guards surrounding them, 'cause one stepped out and grabbed Kaylee and then there was more talkin' and then, all a sudden, the guard that had Kaylee knocked her on the head with his gun and another two jumped out of them trees and tackled the doc, knocked him out, an' then another one grabbed River and tied her up and they carried them off and they just left Kaylee . . . they just left her. And I waited a bit, ta make sure they was all gone. Then I came up and I tried ta wake her. When I couldn't then I ran straight ta you. That's just what happened."

                "I see," Mal said, nodding soberly. "I guess all that's good to know."

                "Here that, Jackobeam?" Hubert said. "You done a good job."

                "I'm real sorry, sir," Jack said again.

                "I know it," Mal nodded. Simon and River were missing. Again. If Mal didn't know better he'd half suspect one of those two contacted the feds, it was the only way anyone official could have known they were there. The only way.

"Captain," Book's clear voice seemed to slice through Mal's concern over Simon and River as his attention was drawn back to the weak and helpless Kaylee. "She's coming around."

"Dao xie cis han tian shi," Mal muttered, returning to his dazed-but-conscious mechanic side. "Little Kaylee, can ya hear me?"

"'Couse I can," Kaylee muttered, her voice a little slurred. "Yer talkin' so loud."

"You got a nasty bump there, sweetheart," Book said, smiling down at Kaylee. "Do you think you could sit up?"

"My head hurts," the girl muttered.

"I know," Mal said kindly. "We're gonna get you to a doctor."

Kaylee starred up at her captain, her large brown eyes were hazy and unfocused. "What happened to Simon?" She asked.

Mal swallowed, "You don' know?"

"We were talkin'," Kaylee slurred. "I remember talkin' . . ."

"It's all right," Mal said. "You just take it easy and don't worry none. Preacher," he said, turning to Book, "You think it'd be all right ta move her?"

"You're guess is as good as mine," Book said. What he didn't say, yet Mal was certain the preacher was thinking, 'I wish Simon was here'; he was so certain because that was exactly what Mal himself was thinking.

"Come on, xin gan," Mal said, slipping his hand underneath Kaylee's head and pushing her gently into a sitting position. "Side from your head, how ya feelin'?"

"Just shiny," the girl said, although her voice wasn't convincing.

"I'm gonna carry you back to your folks," Mal said, moving a little, positioning his feet under his body, so he'd be able to pick her up gently.

"No," Kaylee said, pushing him away with shaky arms. "I can walk home."

"I don't know that that's such a good idea," Book said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't stress yourself."

"Help me up," Kaylee said stubbornly, taking Book's supportive gesture and trying to turn it in to leverage to hoist her unsteady self to her feet.

Book quickly stood, as did Mal, and between them they managed to get Kaylee standing, although it was very clear to all those watching that the girl was not standing by her own power, but rather being braced by the kind men on either side.

"See," she said, although she seemed to be forcing the words out, "I can stand . . ."

Suddenly she pitched forward. She would have fallen if Mal had not reacted quick enough, throwing his arms around her and pulling her towards him. An action which he almost instantly regretted.

"Cap'n," the young girl said after a minute.

"Yes, little Kaylee," he was trying very hard to be kind, not mad, not disgusted, and not to let the fresh smell of vomit upset his stomach.

"I'm real sorry," she said. "I didn't mean ta throw up all over you like that."

"I know you didn't," he said, wrapping one arm around her back while he hunched a little so he could pick her up by her knees. "Come on, let's get you home."

"Kay," Kaylee mutter, resting her head on her Captain's shoulders. "Didn't mean ta be such a burden," she muttered into his now-vomit-soaked shoulder.

"You ain't," he said so softly that only she could hear. "You were kind enough ta make yourself lighter for me ta carry you." The girl laughed softly. "You ain't a burden at all."

*   *   *

Simon woke up and the first thing he thought was that his mouth was unusually dry. Then he turned his head and fireworks seemed to go off in his brain, creating red flashes of painful light in front of his eyes and setting the base of his neck on fire. He gasped for breath and realized that the reason his mouth was dry was because he was gagged. He moved his arms to try to take the gag off and realized they were tied behind his back.

The doctor closed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened; how he'd come to be bound and gagged with the worst headache he'd ever had. But the last thing he could remember was Kaylee's pretty face smiling down at him and the sound of River and Jack's laughter in the background. Whatever happened, Simon realized, must have happened during their picnic, which meant whatever happened, Kaylee and Jack had been caught in the middle of it. Despite his best efforts, Simon couldn't keep his mind from wondering back to their escape from St. Lucy's in Ariel City. He didn't want to think of Kaylee and Jack screaming the way those guards had screamed, but he was too logical and too realistic to dismiss the thought.

Simon took a deep breath and told himself that, whatever had happened to Kaylee, it didn't matter. All that mattered now was getting free. Once he got free he could find River. Once he found River he could figure out a way for them to escape. Once they escaped they could find their way back to Serenity. Once they were back on Serenity he could ask Mal what had happened to Kaylee. But before that time, considering the possibilities would not only be fruitless but had the potential to be a harmful emotional and intellectual distraction.

Simon took a deep breath and, as smoothly as possible, pulled his knees forward so they were, more or less, parallel with his chest. Then, when he felt he'd have enough leverage, he closed his eyes, bit down hard on his gag and tried to ignore the explosions in his head as he tried to push himself onto his knees. He'd only managed to get his face a few inches off the ground before he felt himself start to faint. He'd just decided to try to lower himself back down before he passed out when a gentle pair of hands grabbed his arms and, with a soft strength, pushed him up so that he was hunched upright, sitting more or less on his feet, still dizzy but balanced.

When the pain in his head subsided he was able to open his eyes and, after several blinks, focus his blurred vision enough to make out River's smiling, ungagged, unbound, form. "Apple a day keeps the doctor away," She said with a little laugh.

Simon tried to say his sister's name, but it came out as an unrecognizable muttering. His head was pounding, he wanted to be lying down again.

"Apple in the morning; Doctor's warning," she giggled as she reached behind her brother's head and carefully untied the gag. To the young doctor, this whole thing seemed like a dream. " Roast apple at night; starves the doctor outright."

Simon gasped and tears of pain flooded his eyes as she accidentally brushed the spot on the back of his head. His dream-like perception was shattered as the reality of why his head hurt so much was made perfectly clear.

"Three each day, seven days a week; ruddy apple, ruddy cheek," River said, glancing apologetically at her brother as she pulled down the gag with increased caution. "You look pale."

"River," Simon managed to say. His voice was raw and stretched thin by fear and pain. "How did you get free?"

"You're not a prisoner if you don't want to run away," she explained. "You're a guest."

"If you don't want to . . ." Simon said. Maybe it was the head injury, but he was becoming more confused, not less. "River, we were kidnapped."

"We were invited," River said. "Uncle Reggie wants to see us as much as we want to see him."

"Uncle Reggie?" Simon said. "What does he . . .?"

"Poor Simon," River said, leaning forward and kissing her brother softly on the forehead. "If you hadn't been so rude they wouldn't have had to hit you on the head."

"So, wait," Simon said, trying to pry memories from his brain and make them fit with his sister's ramblings. The exercise made his head hurt even more. "Uncle Reggie sent men to get us. I resisted and they hit me on the head and tied me up."

"Eat an apple going to bed, knock the doctor on the head," River said, almost as if she were scolding him.

"What happened to Kaylee and Jack?" Simon asked, despite his well thought out plans.

The girl glanced away; she looked almost guilty. "Jack saw everything," She muttered. "He'd help her."

"What happened to Kaylee?" Simon asked again, a little more fervently.

"They hit her head," River said sadly. "She fell down."

Simon took a deep breath and told himself, with renewed resolve, that he wasn't going to worry about Kaylee because he could do nothing for her. "So," he said, a little louder than he meant to, loud enough to make his head hurt. "I take it we are going to see Uncle Reggie."

River nodded and smiled, though her thoughts were still clearly on Kaylee.

"Well, we'll just have to find a way out before we get there," He ignored the shocks of pain every time he moved his head so he could look around him more closely. They were in a room about six feet across and twelve feet long. He had been lying, and now they were sitting, on a plush red velvet bench on the left side of the room. There was an identical bench on the right and a green carpet between them and windows over the benches covered with thick shutters, the metal kind that can lock from the outside. The front and back walls, the doors, the ceiling and the floor were all made of dark polished rosewood. "Where are we -- on a train?"

"Genie drew me a picture of this once," River said, her voice warm again. She had, apparently, worked through her worries for Kaylee. "It's the governor's private transport. We're almost there."

"River," Simon said. "He'll send you back. Back to the Academy."

"No," River said shaking her head lightly, like Simon was joking. "He wouldn't."

Simon opened his mouth fully intending to tell her that no one, not even their parents, had believed him when he told them about her message. He wanted to tell her that they thought he was insane for even trying to reach her. He wanted to tell her that he'd had to cut every tie with their family just to keep her. The reason they'd had to create a new life was because no one in their old lives would have them. But just thinking those things made his own heart break, he didn't know how he could do that to River.

But as he sat there, mouth open, his amazing sister reached up and petted his cheek. Smiling sweetly and knowingly at him, she said:

"You may think this whole thing accidental;

That you weren't meant to take this trip,

For you never chose the sentimental

So now will you accept from me a little tip:

Don't tumble into dark transcendental

Thoughts, (I know how your mind can slip)

But rather trust your heart's elemental

Ways of keeping a steady grip.

I can't wait 'till our destination's nigh,

Even though I know my excitement does annoy,

But my voice longs to shout into the sky,

Communicate the depths of my souls deepest joy.

We're almost home, why do you want to cry?

Please smile, brother mine, you hun, bei ai boy."

"You've gotta stop talking in poems, mei mei," Simon said, swallowing hard so he wouldn't sob.

                "I like it."

                Simon nodded and took a deep breath. "So, we're going to Uncle Reggie's?"

                River smiled broadly and nodded.

                "Did they tell you how they found us?"

                "I told them."

                "River, that doesn't . . ."

                "I sent him a message," River explained. "A code, an easy code, so he could break it."

                "That's how they knew," Simon nodded. River's poem, to an extent, had produced the desired affect. He'd resigned himself, for the time being, to waiting and being received by his godfather. It was possible, Simon knew, that his Uncle would listen with an open mind to what Simon had to say. It was possible that the Alliance-appointed governor would have his heart moved by seeing the change in River. It was possible that the man who'd never forgotten Simon's birthday, who'd been to all of his graduations, who'd been the only person Simon knew to offer him comfort, not criticism, in the period after he'd been bailed out of jail, would trust him, and let them go. It was possible; Simon couldn't bring himself to believe it wasn't.

                "I need you to do something for me, River," Simon said very seriously. "You have to make me a promise."

                "I told you," River said, with equal seriousness. "They don't let her keep promises."

                "I remember," Simon said. "But you have to try. We'll be at Uncle Reggie's house soon. He's going to ask us questions about where we've been, who we've been with."

                "You want me to lie."

                "You don't have to lie," Simon insisted. "We can tell them that we won't tell them."

                "Genie would like Kaylee."

                "I know. But if we tell them about the ship, they'll find the ship. Mom and Dad will be angry and everyone will get in trouble. You understand?"

                "They were helping us."

                "Not everyone can understand that," Simon said. "Will you try not to tell anyone about the ship? Not a word about the crew, where we've been. Nothing at all."

                "What if she asks me?"

                "You can't tell Genie," Simon said. "You can't tell anyone."

                "Not Genie," River started, but she was interrupted by one of the thick wood doors being slid open. Lieutenant McMeal and two other guards stepped into the small room and stood imposingly over Simon and River.

                "Are you ready to meet the governor, Doctor?" McMeal asked.

                "We've met, actually," Simon said, carefully pushing himself up and off of the couch before the guards had a chance to haul him. His vision blurred and he felt like he was going to faint again, but managed to keep his feet by sheer force of will. "Would you mind untying my hands?"

                "You're a flight risk."

                "No," Simon said. "I'm not."

                "He's telling the truth," River said, smiling adoringly at her brother, who was to busy being cold and stoic to smile back. She didn't mind. "Uncle Reggie always has a tin of Simon's favorite peppermints in the top drawer of his desk."

                McMeal was unmoved, "I'm sorry, Doctor, but your godfather is very eager to see you and I don't want to run the risk of disappointing him. So," the officer jerked his head and turned to walk out the same door they had entered. River followed, excitedly, then with some urging from one of the officers, came Simon, the other two officers followed. The Tams were escorted through the area of the transport designed to carry the governor's guards and headed for the exit where Uncle Reggie and Genie would be, undoubtedly, waiting for them. The guards all looked edgy, as if they were ready to jump Simon the moment he showed the slightest sign of making a break for it. Their heightened alertness made what Simon had to do even harder.

                "Please, River," he whispered, hoping the guards didn't assume he was planning any thing nefarious. "Remember what we were talking about. It's very important."

                "I know," She said over her shoulder as they reached the transport door, which McMeal was carefully opening, his eyes trained on Simon as if the young doctor could break loose his bonds and snap all their necks the second his back was turned.

"Their lives could –" Simon began to insist before she cut him off.

"I'll remember," She said. "One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told."

                "Good," Simon said, nodding despite the well of uncertainty he felt. "Good."

                The door slid open and River jumped out. "Uncle Reggie," she said, running excitedly across the cream-colored brick transport pad towards her brother's godfather. The older man reached out and swooped the girl up into his arms. She laughed, childishly and joyously.

                "How are you, my sweetheart?"

                "I'm happy," The girl said.   "But Simon is afraid."

                "Is that so?" Comworth said, setting the young girl down on her feet and turning to her brother who had just been pushed violently out of the transport door. His hands were bound behind his back but his shoulders were squared. He looked proud and defiant, not at all happy or grateful like his younger sister. "Do you think he's afraid of me?" the old man said, leaning in and whispering to the young girl.

                River laughed. "No," She said, shaking her head. "He's afraid for me." This time she leaned closer and whispered. "He thinks one of us should be."

                "But, darling, what do you have to be afraid of?"

                River's smile slipped a little and the light in her eyes seemed to dim. "Eyes that see and ears that hear," She said. "Greedy hearts and malicious minds. Ignoble people who would . . ." her voice got caught in her throat and she started gasping for breath.
                "River," Simon said, trying to take a step forward only to be pushed back roughly by the guards.

                "It's all right, sweetheart," Comworth said, wrapping his arm protectively around the young girl. "I know you've been though a lot. Tonight you're going to sleep in a feather bed and in the morning you're going to put on a pretty new dress and have you're hair done and play with Genie. How does that sound xiao hai zi?"

                "It sounds like home," River said softly. She was not excited, but neither was she terrified. "Like before."

                "All that's in the past now, sweetheart," Comworth said, kissing the top of the girl's head. "You are home."

To Be Continued. . . .