Here's Chapter 9, hope you enjoy. The story is nearly finished. Its just finding time to edit and post it that is killing me...gorram work and car repairs.
Chapter 9: Saving Private Ryan
Inara surveyed the beige hospital reception as she stepped through the front doors. Reception desk, to her right of that a set of double doors, a few assorted chairs. Tanulia's population may be small but Tanulia City's hospital, St. Elizabeth's, was well equipped Inara is dressed modestly for her, a long plain shift dress in black with a cream shawl across her shoulders. River leads the way as they walk to the reception desk.
The woman there looks up and sees River, and smiles fondly, "Grace, are you looking for your brother?"
River nods. "Is he here?"
"Of course. Where else would Ryan be?"
River laughs with her. "Sorry I'm being rude." She gestures to Inara. "Mildred this is Inara Sera."
"Delighted," Inara holds out her hand delicately.
Mildred looks a little surprised as she shakes her hand. Companions rarely come to Tanulia, especially not fancy ones like this.
"Can we…?" River gestures to the double doors.
"Go ahead darling. By the way have you lost your big silent handsome bodyguard?"
River grins. "Something like that," she says as she heads for the doors. Inara follows her, thinking 'Jayne? Handsome? Bodyguard?'
They get almost three paces when the double doors open. Simon is wearing a white doctors tunic with an ident-badge reading 'Dr. Ryan Scott.' His hair is slicked down neatly and he has a stethoscope round his neck.
"Hello Ryan."
"No," Simon waves his finger at them, and backs away a couple of steps through the double doors. Inara and River follow him. "No. Go away."
He turns in the corridor and smacks straight into the very solid forms of Mal and Jayne. For once Inara thinks that Mal's plan of using the back door has paid off.
Mal folds his arms. Simon is completely penned in the narrow corridor. "Hey doc," Mal says calmly. "Done playing yet?"
"I ain't leaving."
Mal raises his eyebrow at Simon's slip in language. "Are you under the impression we were giving you a choice?"
"What?" the word is barely out of his mouth before Jayne has him in a headlock, and Mal is tying his hands together behind his back.
"Sorry," River says quietly, "Its for your own good."
Simon wonders how many times he said that to River and if she hates it as much as he does right now.
Part of him wants to start yelling, alert anybody, the other part of him is resigned. Like he has realised they wouldn't just let him go without a word. Finally he settles on "You're a son of a bitch Malcolm Reynolds," through gritted teeth. Jayne releases his neck and he straightens up, glaring at Mal.
Inara laughs lightly and Mal looks affronted.
"He does have a point Mal."
"Can we stop yappin' and get movin'?" Jayne hisses, relishing the chance to play the bad cop again.
They march Simon back to the house, Jayne occasionally being rougher on his arms that he needs to be. Revenge for the punch. Once he is standing in the centre of the front room they untie him. Mal stands in front of him and eyeballs him until Simon wishes that the floor would swallow him up.
"You ain't never been a nuòfu before doctor, not in all the time you were on Serenity anyway. Six years might of changed a man." He folds his arms and shifts his weight.
Simon looks at the shiny toes of his shoes.
"You will either pack up your stuff and get you ass on Serenity, or you will come and say goodbye to Kaylee yourself. I ain't doing your dirty work."
River bites her lip and watches him carefully, wonders which one he's going to choose. Maybe he finally just wants to run. Wants to be free…wants to live.
Mal plows onward. "Inara has volunteered to stay with you while you decide so you can't leave unexpectedly." Mal's mouth twitches in the ghost of a smile. "Don't cross her. She will have you flat on your back before you can argue."
"And he don't necessarily mean fightin'," Jayne grins.
River cuffs him round the head and smiles sadly at her brother. "Goodbye big brother."
His stomach falls into his feet. Anatomically impossible he knew. But River…
"Thank you for everything," she continues. She gives his hand a squeeze and leaves the room. The others drift away with Mal's parting words, "You've got an hour doctor. Don't be late."
Inara stands silently waiting for him to say something. He paces up and down the room a few times. She watches him. Finally he slumps onto the sofa and puts his head in his hands. Inara sits next to him and rubs her hand on his back. In a wretched voice he says, "I don't know what to do."
Translation Notes
Nuòfu – coward