Title: The Black Bird
Author: DazedConfused
Rating: R17 - not for kiddies
Distribution: Okay by me, please ask first
Spoilers: This story is set after the third episode. I know that in America the episodes were shown in a muddled order, so just to clarify episode 1+2 were the 2hr pilot and episode 3 was 'the train'. This story might make references to things that have happen in the previous episodes but only lightly.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy and other Big Wigs own the characters, concept and everything relating to Firefly. Any copyright infringement was accidental; please don't sue me as I am poor.
Notes: I'm saying sorry now for any technical errors regarding the ship and the names for areas and objects within the Serenity, hopefully there aren't that many and it won't hinder the story too much.
The Black Bird
"A bottle of wine, the stars and a beautiful woman sat on my knee; what more could a man ask for"
Wash said taking one hand of the Serenity's controls and wrapping it around Zoe's waist.
"Freedom, money, and running water" His wife replied, kissing his cheek and taking a sip of the watered down wine.
"What do I want those things for? A beautiful wife, Ship and friends are all I need. I'm the happiness man in the whole galaxy"
Zoe put her glass down and placed her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek until he gave in and turned his head towards her. He met her luscious lips with his own and finally let his eyes focus on her and not out on the Space that lay before them.
Zoe knew she was lucky to have a husband like him, a lover and a friend. He was so loving and caring, she believed him when he said how happy he was with just her and Serenity. Zoe pulled away from Wash and swung her left leg over so she that they were facing each other. He gave a broad smile, 'now he could keep an eye on both his girls' he thought. They sat like that for a while whispering back and forth, occasionally kissing each other on the lips.
There quiet moment together was interrupted by a loud beeping sound going from a console on the far left. Without a second thought Zoe jump off his lap and Wash leaned over to check on the reading.
"It's a ship, a few miles away.looks like its got minor damage"
Zoe nodded and used an intercom to speak to the Captain, she already knew what he would say but he was the Cap after all.
Mal Reynolds was in the kitchen eating a quick meal of what tasted like meat but he was unsure from what animal.
"Captain, we're coming up to a ship in about ten minuets. It looks like it could use some help"
Mal thought about it for a second or two, he already knew that he was going to check the ship out and he was pretty sure Zoe knew it too.
"Set in a course for it and keep a look out for any other ships in the vicinity, I'm on my way"
He looked at the half eaten food and shrugged, missing meals wasn't too bad when the food tasted like crap.
In the cockpit Zoe had hidden the bottle and the couple was doing there best to act as nonchalant as possible. Mal hid a smile; he could tell straight away what they had been up to.
As Captain he should probably try and in-force a rule about no crew fraternization but away from a port for months on end and the fact that the two were married changed the rules. As a friend he liked the fact that after three years they still loved each other, not that he would ever tell that to them.
"What's wrong with the ship?" He asked Wash as he sat in the seat next to his pilot.
"Well it's got some outer damage on the Hull and what looks like weapons fire but apart from that it's in good condition and a good ship - a Beta- class Cruiser. In fact it's one of the nicest looking ships I've seen in long time"
"Apart from Serenity" Mal stated
"Of Course" Wash said grinning, both knowing that Serenity was a far cry from being perfect but for them and the rest of the crew it was a jewel in the rough.
"What about crew, have we been contacted?" Mal asked leaning forward and looking out at the ship floating lifelessly a head of them.
"No I've sent them a message but no reply, I'm having trouble scanning the Ship it looks like it has a defense against scans.Cap the damage on the Hull, I can make out what it was made by now, your not gonna like it"
"Don't tell me a grappling hook"
"Yeah, looks like it caught it but then the Cruiser was able to pull free"
"Reavers again, they're getting to be a real pain in the ass" Zoe said placing a hand on Wash's shoulder for reassurance.
"Wash you detecting any other Ships"
"No, I am reading a slight trace of radiation so they were here but it looks pretty old"
"You think any one's alive over there Captain" Zoe asked.
"Probably not but we should go over and check, incase. Wash dock with the Ship and tell Jayne to meet me in the cargo hold"
"You want some help Cap?" Zoe asked half heartedly, wanted to look out for the Captain but at the same time keep her distance from anything to do with Reavers.
"No you stay here, any trouble and get outta here"
Both Zoe and Wash shared a small inner sigh of relief, glad that Zoe was staying put.
The Vessel was now a few yards away, this close they could make the Ship out. It was new about five or so years old and apart from the damage done by the Reavers it was in good condition. It was amazing that a Ship could break away from a Reaver Ship usually not only do they rip apart the people on the inside they let loose on the out side as well.
By the time Mal got to the Cargo hold Jayne was already there looking more disgruntled than normal. Mal smiled just to piss off Jayne more; it was a high light of his day and just so damn easy.
"Morning, so did Zoe fill you in?"
"Yeah but if you think I'm going aboard that ship your more nutty than the Doc's sister"
"What afraid of the Reavers" Mal tried to make the Reavers sound like he was talking about bunnies or puppies and not raving cannibalistic psychotics.
"I'm not afraid it's just I have a real problem with someone trying to make me into their winter wardrobe"
"Look the Reavers ship is long gone; the only thing you have to worry about on that ship is trying not to empty your stomach out at the sight of any bodies"
"If you say so Captain" As Jayne said Captain he sneered, and reached over for his space suit.
"Think of it this way, seeing as the occupants are all dead they won't mind if we help ourselves to some of their cargo?"
This seemed to brighten Jayne up as he hurriedly put on his suit. Mal did the same and then they checked each others suits to make sure everything was okay and then put their helmets on. Messing with Jayne aside Mal knew that Jayne had every reason to fear the Reavers - they all did. Just because the Reavers were mad didn't mean they should be underestimated.
As they finished dressing in their suits they felt the ship rock as it pulled along side the Cruiser. They stood in front of the connecting doors and waited for the green light, holding their guns tightly against there bodies the barrels pointing forward ready for any trouble. Before the door opened both men turned on the flashlights that were attached to their guns and then nodding their readiness to each other they pushed forward.
The ships lights were off so they only had their flashlights and a few lights on the consoles to light their way. Jayne was tense and his finger was wrapped around the trigger of his gun, Mal looked at ease but inside he was just as tense as his crewmate.
As soon as they walked through the shuttles door they could make out a mark on the floor, made from a small explosion that probably reeked havoc for anyone stood there at the time but had left the main structure of the ship undamaged.
They moved forward side by side and were only a few feet from the door when they heard a noise coming from the corner off to their right. In one effortless movement they swung their guns over to where the noise came from, the small beam of their flashlights gliding over rumble and disarray and landed on a young woman.
Her eyes were closed and her breathing was quick and raspy, she seemed to be in a state of shock and muttered words under her breath. She had been injured and was bleeding profusely from a shoulder wound; the blood had soaked right through her shirt and down her left arm. In her right hand she still held tightly on to a gun, it laid in her lap.
Both men recovered from their initial shock and lowered their guns slightly. It was rare if not unheard of for anyone to survive a Reavers attack and yet apart from a shoulder would this woman seem to be in one piece, which you were never left in if attacked by Reavers.
Mal passed his gun over to Jayne and moved forward and crouched down in front of her. He reached out his arm and just before his hand touched her neck the woman's eyes flew open and she raised her gun, pointing it at Mal's head. The Captain flew backwards on to his behind and raised both hands up to show he was unarmed.
Jayne however held the belief that if someone pointed a gun at you, you had ever right to go a head point one right back. He stood towering over the woman holding his gun in one hand and Mal's in his over, both fixed on the woman's head.
"You'll die before I let you eat me" She said, Mal was surprised at the strength and force of her voice
"Look Miss, we don't want to eat you.were not Reavers. We found your ship and we came aboard to make sure everything was alright"
The woman's eyes fluttered from Mal to Jayne and although she was clearing passing in and out of consciousness she seemed to be able to make out that the pair were not Reavers. She still kept the gun pointing at Mal and spoke again with the same authority in her voice,
"Who are you?"
"I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds, this is Jayne. Our ship is a Firefly vessel; we transport cargo. among other things. We also have a Doctor aboard, who I think you should be paying a visit to"
The woman regarded the Captain and after a moment nodded yes, before anything more could be said she passed out and the hand with the gun in it went back to lying lifelessly in her lap.
"So should we go through the cargo now or later?" Jayne asked being completely serious.
Mal didn't even bother saying anything, instead he motion for Jayne to take the woman's leg whilst he took her by the shoulder and head. Jayne looking annoyed placed the guns down on the floor and followed the Captains lead.
The two carried her to the Doctor, contacting Zoe along the way to tell her to get Simon ready for a patient.
When they got there Simon had apron and gloves on and an assortment of instruments at the ready. They placed the woman on the table and backed out of the way.
As Simon slit the woman's top open Mal looked at Jayne and nodded towards the door. As Mal was going through the door he realized that Jayne was still stood watching, he shook his head and pulled Jayne away by the arm. Jayne looked back over his shoulder at the woman who laid there with only her bra and trousers on, the doctor cleaning away the blood so he could see the wound.
"I never knew you were so interested in the medical process" Mal said as he pulled Jayne behind him towards the Kitchen. In way of a reply Jayne simply grunted and pulled loose of Mal's grip but still kept following him.
Zoe, Shepard and Kay Lee where already in the Kitchen sat around the table, when the two men entered they stopped talking and looked up expectantly.
"Well the Doc's working on her now, I think she's gonna be find. It was just a knife wound in her shoulder but she did loose a lot of blood"
"If Reavers attacked her ship how could she have survived?" Zoe asked
"Well it looks like she booby trapped the entrance to her ship as soon as they stepped foot in it the boom went off, obviously one of them got close enough to injure her but it looks like she fought them off" Mal answered pouring a cup of coffee for himself and sitting down at the head of the table.
"One woman managed to fight off a ship of Reavers, I've never heard of that ever happening before" Zoe said looking into her coffee and taking a sip.
"The lord works in mysterious ways" said Shepard
"I told you once Shepard your welcome, he ain't" Mal said sternly.
"So when am I going over to her Ship?" Kay Lee asked
"And why would you being doing that?" Mal asked pretending to be confused but knowing for sometime that his mechanic would be needed on their 'guest's' ship.
"Because her Ship's broken and it needs fixin', if it doesn't get fixed it's just gonna float there and be an easy target for whoever else comes along. And we both know that you wouldn't do that otherwise what would have been the point of bringing her on board in the first place?" Kay Lee finished her sentence with a triumph smile and Mal couldn't help but smile back.
"Find you go and fix her ship, Jayne will walk you over there; he needs to pick up our guns anyway"
"I'll go get my tools I'll meet you in the cargo hold" Kay Lee told Jayne and ran off; Jayne rolled his eyes and gave a sigh and went to wait for her.
"I'm going back to check in on the Doc and see how the girl's doing. Zoe tell Wash to keep his eyes and ears open"
Mal paused and then as an after thought he added,
"Tell him to slowly move us away from here, maybe find a nice moon we can glide behind"
"'Glide behind' don't you mean hide Sir?"
"Zoe you should know by now I don't hide, I evade"
"Sorry Sir I forgot" Zoe smiled and headed off to the Cockpit.
"What should I do?" Shepard asked
"Do something useful" Mal told him
"Pray?" surprised Shepard looked thoughtfully up at Mal, wanting to believe that the Captain had faith and at the same time knowing better and waiting for the other shoe to drop
"I was thinking about making more coffee" Mal said with an innocent smile and walking off leaving an annoyed Shepard looking at the coffee pot.
When he got back to Med-Lab the Doctor was sewing up the woman's wound. He walked over to the other side of the table and looked down at the young woman. Until now he hadn't realized how beautiful she was.
She had large eyes, full lips and long straight black hair. She to be in her early twenties but they wouldn't know for sure until she regained consciousness.
Mal folded his arms and watched Simon finish the stitches and placed gauze over the wound and bandaged her shoulder. Simon then placed a sheet over her and pulled it up to her neck.
"Well?" Mal asked breaking his gaze from the woman's face and looking over at Simon with raised eyebrows.
"She'll be fine; she just needs some rest and a chance for her wound to heal"
"Any other damage, the kind Reavers like to do" Mal asked softly
"She wasn't raped or skinned, just that one wound. The weapon that did it was small in size but it did a lot of damage because who ever used it plunged it in and then moved the knife around"
"How long till she wakes up Doc?"
"I gave her some meds for the pain that should keep her under for a couple of hours but she has been through a lot, I think her body is finally catching up on some rest"
"Okay, call me when she wakes up. and you might wanna keep that sister of yours out of sight just until we find out who she is" Mal said
Puzzled Simon looked at Mal's face and knew he wouldn't be getting any more information so he said "Alright I'll ask Inara if she can keep an eye on her"
Mal left the Med-Lab and Simon removed his gloves and apron, his stomach was now a fit of nerves. Why did the Captain think he should hide River from this woman and did his sister need hiding from her?
He knew that they had to keep a secret to avoid being captured by the Alliance but how could this woman know who River and he was? The Captain's probably being careful that's all thought Simon, looking uncertainly at the woman. He restrained her arms as an after thought and went to find River and take her to Inara's shuttle.
The young woman laid unconscious and captured in a relentless dream, struggling against her restraints. Old and new nightmares weaved themselves together in her mind, until finally it was broken by a sweet memory from her pass that soothed her into a calm deep sleep.
Author: DazedConfused
Rating: R17 - not for kiddies
Distribution: Okay by me, please ask first
Spoilers: This story is set after the third episode. I know that in America the episodes were shown in a muddled order, so just to clarify episode 1+2 were the 2hr pilot and episode 3 was 'the train'. This story might make references to things that have happen in the previous episodes but only lightly.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy and other Big Wigs own the characters, concept and everything relating to Firefly. Any copyright infringement was accidental; please don't sue me as I am poor.
Notes: I'm saying sorry now for any technical errors regarding the ship and the names for areas and objects within the Serenity, hopefully there aren't that many and it won't hinder the story too much.
The Black Bird
"A bottle of wine, the stars and a beautiful woman sat on my knee; what more could a man ask for"
Wash said taking one hand of the Serenity's controls and wrapping it around Zoe's waist.
"Freedom, money, and running water" His wife replied, kissing his cheek and taking a sip of the watered down wine.
"What do I want those things for? A beautiful wife, Ship and friends are all I need. I'm the happiness man in the whole galaxy"
Zoe put her glass down and placed her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek until he gave in and turned his head towards her. He met her luscious lips with his own and finally let his eyes focus on her and not out on the Space that lay before them.
Zoe knew she was lucky to have a husband like him, a lover and a friend. He was so loving and caring, she believed him when he said how happy he was with just her and Serenity. Zoe pulled away from Wash and swung her left leg over so she that they were facing each other. He gave a broad smile, 'now he could keep an eye on both his girls' he thought. They sat like that for a while whispering back and forth, occasionally kissing each other on the lips.
There quiet moment together was interrupted by a loud beeping sound going from a console on the far left. Without a second thought Zoe jump off his lap and Wash leaned over to check on the reading.
"It's a ship, a few miles away.looks like its got minor damage"
Zoe nodded and used an intercom to speak to the Captain, she already knew what he would say but he was the Cap after all.
Mal Reynolds was in the kitchen eating a quick meal of what tasted like meat but he was unsure from what animal.
"Captain, we're coming up to a ship in about ten minuets. It looks like it could use some help"
Mal thought about it for a second or two, he already knew that he was going to check the ship out and he was pretty sure Zoe knew it too.
"Set in a course for it and keep a look out for any other ships in the vicinity, I'm on my way"
He looked at the half eaten food and shrugged, missing meals wasn't too bad when the food tasted like crap.
In the cockpit Zoe had hidden the bottle and the couple was doing there best to act as nonchalant as possible. Mal hid a smile; he could tell straight away what they had been up to.
As Captain he should probably try and in-force a rule about no crew fraternization but away from a port for months on end and the fact that the two were married changed the rules. As a friend he liked the fact that after three years they still loved each other, not that he would ever tell that to them.
"What's wrong with the ship?" He asked Wash as he sat in the seat next to his pilot.
"Well it's got some outer damage on the Hull and what looks like weapons fire but apart from that it's in good condition and a good ship - a Beta- class Cruiser. In fact it's one of the nicest looking ships I've seen in long time"
"Apart from Serenity" Mal stated
"Of Course" Wash said grinning, both knowing that Serenity was a far cry from being perfect but for them and the rest of the crew it was a jewel in the rough.
"What about crew, have we been contacted?" Mal asked leaning forward and looking out at the ship floating lifelessly a head of them.
"No I've sent them a message but no reply, I'm having trouble scanning the Ship it looks like it has a defense against scans.Cap the damage on the Hull, I can make out what it was made by now, your not gonna like it"
"Don't tell me a grappling hook"
"Yeah, looks like it caught it but then the Cruiser was able to pull free"
"Reavers again, they're getting to be a real pain in the ass" Zoe said placing a hand on Wash's shoulder for reassurance.
"Wash you detecting any other Ships"
"No, I am reading a slight trace of radiation so they were here but it looks pretty old"
"You think any one's alive over there Captain" Zoe asked.
"Probably not but we should go over and check, incase. Wash dock with the Ship and tell Jayne to meet me in the cargo hold"
"You want some help Cap?" Zoe asked half heartedly, wanted to look out for the Captain but at the same time keep her distance from anything to do with Reavers.
"No you stay here, any trouble and get outta here"
Both Zoe and Wash shared a small inner sigh of relief, glad that Zoe was staying put.
The Vessel was now a few yards away, this close they could make the Ship out. It was new about five or so years old and apart from the damage done by the Reavers it was in good condition. It was amazing that a Ship could break away from a Reaver Ship usually not only do they rip apart the people on the inside they let loose on the out side as well.
By the time Mal got to the Cargo hold Jayne was already there looking more disgruntled than normal. Mal smiled just to piss off Jayne more; it was a high light of his day and just so damn easy.
"Morning, so did Zoe fill you in?"
"Yeah but if you think I'm going aboard that ship your more nutty than the Doc's sister"
"What afraid of the Reavers" Mal tried to make the Reavers sound like he was talking about bunnies or puppies and not raving cannibalistic psychotics.
"I'm not afraid it's just I have a real problem with someone trying to make me into their winter wardrobe"
"Look the Reavers ship is long gone; the only thing you have to worry about on that ship is trying not to empty your stomach out at the sight of any bodies"
"If you say so Captain" As Jayne said Captain he sneered, and reached over for his space suit.
"Think of it this way, seeing as the occupants are all dead they won't mind if we help ourselves to some of their cargo?"
This seemed to brighten Jayne up as he hurriedly put on his suit. Mal did the same and then they checked each others suits to make sure everything was okay and then put their helmets on. Messing with Jayne aside Mal knew that Jayne had every reason to fear the Reavers - they all did. Just because the Reavers were mad didn't mean they should be underestimated.
As they finished dressing in their suits they felt the ship rock as it pulled along side the Cruiser. They stood in front of the connecting doors and waited for the green light, holding their guns tightly against there bodies the barrels pointing forward ready for any trouble. Before the door opened both men turned on the flashlights that were attached to their guns and then nodding their readiness to each other they pushed forward.
The ships lights were off so they only had their flashlights and a few lights on the consoles to light their way. Jayne was tense and his finger was wrapped around the trigger of his gun, Mal looked at ease but inside he was just as tense as his crewmate.
As soon as they walked through the shuttles door they could make out a mark on the floor, made from a small explosion that probably reeked havoc for anyone stood there at the time but had left the main structure of the ship undamaged.
They moved forward side by side and were only a few feet from the door when they heard a noise coming from the corner off to their right. In one effortless movement they swung their guns over to where the noise came from, the small beam of their flashlights gliding over rumble and disarray and landed on a young woman.
Her eyes were closed and her breathing was quick and raspy, she seemed to be in a state of shock and muttered words under her breath. She had been injured and was bleeding profusely from a shoulder wound; the blood had soaked right through her shirt and down her left arm. In her right hand she still held tightly on to a gun, it laid in her lap.
Both men recovered from their initial shock and lowered their guns slightly. It was rare if not unheard of for anyone to survive a Reavers attack and yet apart from a shoulder would this woman seem to be in one piece, which you were never left in if attacked by Reavers.
Mal passed his gun over to Jayne and moved forward and crouched down in front of her. He reached out his arm and just before his hand touched her neck the woman's eyes flew open and she raised her gun, pointing it at Mal's head. The Captain flew backwards on to his behind and raised both hands up to show he was unarmed.
Jayne however held the belief that if someone pointed a gun at you, you had ever right to go a head point one right back. He stood towering over the woman holding his gun in one hand and Mal's in his over, both fixed on the woman's head.
"You'll die before I let you eat me" She said, Mal was surprised at the strength and force of her voice
"Look Miss, we don't want to eat you.were not Reavers. We found your ship and we came aboard to make sure everything was alright"
The woman's eyes fluttered from Mal to Jayne and although she was clearing passing in and out of consciousness she seemed to be able to make out that the pair were not Reavers. She still kept the gun pointing at Mal and spoke again with the same authority in her voice,
"Who are you?"
"I'm Captain Malcolm Reynolds, this is Jayne. Our ship is a Firefly vessel; we transport cargo. among other things. We also have a Doctor aboard, who I think you should be paying a visit to"
The woman regarded the Captain and after a moment nodded yes, before anything more could be said she passed out and the hand with the gun in it went back to lying lifelessly in her lap.
"So should we go through the cargo now or later?" Jayne asked being completely serious.
Mal didn't even bother saying anything, instead he motion for Jayne to take the woman's leg whilst he took her by the shoulder and head. Jayne looking annoyed placed the guns down on the floor and followed the Captains lead.
The two carried her to the Doctor, contacting Zoe along the way to tell her to get Simon ready for a patient.
When they got there Simon had apron and gloves on and an assortment of instruments at the ready. They placed the woman on the table and backed out of the way.
As Simon slit the woman's top open Mal looked at Jayne and nodded towards the door. As Mal was going through the door he realized that Jayne was still stood watching, he shook his head and pulled Jayne away by the arm. Jayne looked back over his shoulder at the woman who laid there with only her bra and trousers on, the doctor cleaning away the blood so he could see the wound.
"I never knew you were so interested in the medical process" Mal said as he pulled Jayne behind him towards the Kitchen. In way of a reply Jayne simply grunted and pulled loose of Mal's grip but still kept following him.
Zoe, Shepard and Kay Lee where already in the Kitchen sat around the table, when the two men entered they stopped talking and looked up expectantly.
"Well the Doc's working on her now, I think she's gonna be find. It was just a knife wound in her shoulder but she did loose a lot of blood"
"If Reavers attacked her ship how could she have survived?" Zoe asked
"Well it looks like she booby trapped the entrance to her ship as soon as they stepped foot in it the boom went off, obviously one of them got close enough to injure her but it looks like she fought them off" Mal answered pouring a cup of coffee for himself and sitting down at the head of the table.
"One woman managed to fight off a ship of Reavers, I've never heard of that ever happening before" Zoe said looking into her coffee and taking a sip.
"The lord works in mysterious ways" said Shepard
"I told you once Shepard your welcome, he ain't" Mal said sternly.
"So when am I going over to her Ship?" Kay Lee asked
"And why would you being doing that?" Mal asked pretending to be confused but knowing for sometime that his mechanic would be needed on their 'guest's' ship.
"Because her Ship's broken and it needs fixin', if it doesn't get fixed it's just gonna float there and be an easy target for whoever else comes along. And we both know that you wouldn't do that otherwise what would have been the point of bringing her on board in the first place?" Kay Lee finished her sentence with a triumph smile and Mal couldn't help but smile back.
"Find you go and fix her ship, Jayne will walk you over there; he needs to pick up our guns anyway"
"I'll go get my tools I'll meet you in the cargo hold" Kay Lee told Jayne and ran off; Jayne rolled his eyes and gave a sigh and went to wait for her.
"I'm going back to check in on the Doc and see how the girl's doing. Zoe tell Wash to keep his eyes and ears open"
Mal paused and then as an after thought he added,
"Tell him to slowly move us away from here, maybe find a nice moon we can glide behind"
"'Glide behind' don't you mean hide Sir?"
"Zoe you should know by now I don't hide, I evade"
"Sorry Sir I forgot" Zoe smiled and headed off to the Cockpit.
"What should I do?" Shepard asked
"Do something useful" Mal told him
"Pray?" surprised Shepard looked thoughtfully up at Mal, wanting to believe that the Captain had faith and at the same time knowing better and waiting for the other shoe to drop
"I was thinking about making more coffee" Mal said with an innocent smile and walking off leaving an annoyed Shepard looking at the coffee pot.
When he got back to Med-Lab the Doctor was sewing up the woman's wound. He walked over to the other side of the table and looked down at the young woman. Until now he hadn't realized how beautiful she was.
She had large eyes, full lips and long straight black hair. She to be in her early twenties but they wouldn't know for sure until she regained consciousness.
Mal folded his arms and watched Simon finish the stitches and placed gauze over the wound and bandaged her shoulder. Simon then placed a sheet over her and pulled it up to her neck.
"Well?" Mal asked breaking his gaze from the woman's face and looking over at Simon with raised eyebrows.
"She'll be fine; she just needs some rest and a chance for her wound to heal"
"Any other damage, the kind Reavers like to do" Mal asked softly
"She wasn't raped or skinned, just that one wound. The weapon that did it was small in size but it did a lot of damage because who ever used it plunged it in and then moved the knife around"
"How long till she wakes up Doc?"
"I gave her some meds for the pain that should keep her under for a couple of hours but she has been through a lot, I think her body is finally catching up on some rest"
"Okay, call me when she wakes up. and you might wanna keep that sister of yours out of sight just until we find out who she is" Mal said
Puzzled Simon looked at Mal's face and knew he wouldn't be getting any more information so he said "Alright I'll ask Inara if she can keep an eye on her"
Mal left the Med-Lab and Simon removed his gloves and apron, his stomach was now a fit of nerves. Why did the Captain think he should hide River from this woman and did his sister need hiding from her?
He knew that they had to keep a secret to avoid being captured by the Alliance but how could this woman know who River and he was? The Captain's probably being careful that's all thought Simon, looking uncertainly at the woman. He restrained her arms as an after thought and went to find River and take her to Inara's shuttle.
The young woman laid unconscious and captured in a relentless dream, struggling against her restraints. Old and new nightmares weaved themselves together in her mind, until finally it was broken by a sweet memory from her pass that soothed her into a calm deep sleep.