Chapter 2
The blue-gloved man leaned over Simon Tam and with a calm, cold voice and asked, "Where is your sister?"
Simon stared up at the man, his normally bright, clear blue eyes clouded with drugs and the lingering effects of strict medical treatment that would make the most experienced medical staff cringe in disgust. "Gone. Gone. All gone."
"Not for long," The man tapped a syringe and injected the clear contents into Simon's arm.
Pain flickered in Simon's eyes from the quick burst of a new drug plunging into his system. It burned terribly. But he didn't cry out – he was too numb, too tired, too battered – his head simply lolled from one side to the other, his eyes closing as the drug began its work. "Safe." Simon whispered. "Gone."
The blue-gloved man glanced up at the physician who hurried over to check Simon's vital signs.
"We are making steady progress." The physician said as he checked his patient's brain activity. "He will be ready soon."
"He must be conditioned to take the stress."
"Which is why we are making sure his body doesn't reject any of the stimulants or pressers. It would do no good for him to hemorrhage on the operating table." The physician glanced nervously at the new syringe the man was preparing. "Going easy on – that, would be a good start."
"You do your job and I will do mine."
"If he dies before –"
The blue-gloved man turned cold, calculating eyes on the physician. "It would do your health no good to let him die."
The physician swallowed nervously. He had worked for this covert branch of the government for a very long time. But he could work here for the rest of his life and he would never feel comfortable around the mysterious blue-gloved men who had more control and power than most members of Parliament.
"You're wanting us to speed a process that took years to integrate into his sister, we must use some measure of caution." The physician checked the IV taped to Simon's bound arm. "I need to do my work. Injecting him with experimental –"
"Just get it done."
Simon muttered incoherently on the table and the two men glanced down at him before continuing with their work.
"Are you sure about this?" Jayne scowled as he readied his precious Vera for the battle ahead.
"Ah – No." Mal said with a shrug.
"Then what in ruttin' hell are we doin' here?"
"Freeing a member of my crew." Mal peered around the transport they'd - borrowed.
"I don' remember agreein' ta give my life for some prissy, Core-bred fugitive when I signed on this boat."
"Don't go misunderstandin' that I'm askin'."
"You're trustin' those gorram -"
"I trust they provided us with accurate information, yes," Mal snapped. "We certainly paid them well enough."
"Yeah. The doc owes us."
"I'm sure River will be happy to pay any debt you feel her brother may owe." Zoe said as she glanced slowly at Jayne. "If I were you, I'd pray that payment isn't in blood."
Jayne snorted, remembering the last time the crazy girl had gotten upset over something he'd said to her brother. "Yeah. It'll be my blood."
"Exactly." Zoe cocked her weapon, looking a bit too eager to go on a killing spree. "Let's do the job, Sir."
"River. No. River. River." Simon sat upright in the chair, muttering the same words over and over. His hair was damp with sweat, his face pale and ashen. His arms were bound at his sides and a strap came across his shoulder blades to keep him from thrashing around too violently.
He shook his head and rocked back and forth, muttering his sister's name. Moments of clarity were rare but he couldn't concentrate on any one thing for more than a few seconds. Hours upon hours he'd been strapped there. He'd lost count of the days. He barely remembered who he was anymore.
Memories of his old life rushed through his mind in small snapshots to which he desperately wanted to cling; a life to which he could never return. A life he had given up to save his sister. But the events of his old life were twisted in his mind, punctuated by confusion, pain hissing up his arms as more unknown substances were cruelly injected, his mother's smiling face as they waved goodbye to River as the transport took her away.
There were dark circles under his eyes as he stared blankly at a spot on the wall. His hair fell over his forehead, shaken loose by his useless struggle.
"He hasn't given us any information as to her whereabouts." The physician said as he watched his patient through the two-way mirror.
"He will."
"I don't know." The physician sounded skeptical. "He's very determined. It doesn't matter what we do to him. He's not said a word about her location."
"Perhaps he doesn't know."
"I think he does." The physician said with confidence. "He just won't tell us."
"Exactly."
The physician glanced at the blue-gloved operatives and shook his head. "I thought River Tam was difficult to break. Her brother is proving to be just as difficult."
"He is to be transported to our off-world facility immediately."
The physician nodded. "Preparations are nearly complete. I will supervise his transfer myself."
"We will meet you there."
Two well-armed security guards rolled the gurney through stark white hallways of the government run facility, the physician walking closely behind.
He glanced nervously down at the unconscious Simon, who was tightly strapped to the narrow bed. He hadn't been the most docile of patients. But with everything they'd done to him over the last few weeks, the doctor didn't expect Simon to be calm in any sense of the word.
A door to their side opened suddenly and the guards stopped, raising their weapons. The young doctor that appeared in the doorway gasped and raised his hands, afraid they were going to kill him.
"What are you doing?" The physician asked the younger man.
"Need help with –"
Simon's eyes snapped open just as the man tied to a chair inside the room screamed. Simon stared calmly at the patient restrained within the room, his breathing labored and his body trembling. After a moment that seemed to drag on indefinitely, Simon's body tensed and he pulled at the straps binding him to the bed.
The guards moved to restrain Simon while the doctors turned toward the screaming man tied inside the white-walled room.
The old, grey-haired man now stared at Simon with a clear, calm expression. His eyes pierced the struggling man, sending tendrils of fear along both doctor's spines.
Simon screamed and the physician pushed the younger doctor into the white-walled room with a curse. He slammed the door shut with a promise to come back and deal with the man's mistakes later. The irritated physician turned to the guards, "One of you stay here to make sure that Doctor Lieng does not leave that room. I will have words with him when I return."
One guard immediately took up position outside the door and the other followed the doctor as he continued down the white hallway toward the shuttle platform.
Two more armed guards flanked the ramp of a small shuttle as they approached. The physician breathed a sigh of relief. Having such a high security patient grated on his nerves and he would be glad to be rid of Simon Tam.
The physician and guard moved into the shuttle and they began to secure the patient for transport. "Captain, take off as soon as you are cleared. I have an appointment to keep and I am running short on time."
"Yes doctor," came a distinct female voice from in front of him.
The two guards followed him and made quick, precise preparations for takeoff, securing the doors as well as their weapons.
Hearing a commotion behind him, the doctor turned around. The guard who had rolled Simon into the transport was unconscious on the floor, and a very large gun was pointed at his own chest.
"What do you think you're doing?" The physician demanded as the small transport lifted off.
"Freeing our friend."
"This can't be so easy," Jayne maneuvered the unconscious Simon into a corner of the ship and secured the bed on which he lay. "It was far too easy."
"Docking with -" Zoe glanced over her shoulder at the nervous physician then nodded at Mal, who understood his first mate perfectly. "In two minutes." They would have to be quick if they wanted to escape without anyone noticing where they'd gone.
The only thing they had going for them was the fact that the Alliance, especially this branch, was exceptionally arrogant about their activities. No one got out of these men's custody. No one but a few select patients that the branch would never admit even existed. After all, a simple trauma surgeon from Osiris' Capitol City had broken their star pupil out of their most top-secret facility. They would never admit to that. And they weren't expecting trouble now.
"You won't get away with this!" The physician said as he reached for an emergency control panel.
Jayne raised his gun and let off one shot.
Mal glared at him as the physician sank lifeless to the floor, blood spreading across his chest.
"What'd you go an do that for?" Mal reached for the physician but was distracted as Simon moaned. "We might've needed him."
"We got a doc. We dun need another."
Mal rolled his eyes and moved to Simon's side. He released the straps holding the somewhat-conscious doctor to the bed but instantly regretted it as Simon launched himself up off of the mattress.
Simon stumbled, and shook his head, trying to clear it. His eyes were wide, wild, and he swung at Mal as the older man reached out a hand to steady him.
"What the -" Jayne muttered as he slung Vera over his shoulder and reached for the flailing doctor's arms.
"No! River!" He struggled as Jayne held him. "It's not mine! I don't want it! Get it out! Get it out!" He sank to the floor of the transport, Jayne still gripping his shoulders tightly.
"He's real weak. Got no strength at all." Jayne said as Mal took Simon's head between his hands and forced the younger man to look into his eyes.
"Simon. Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?"
"No," Simon whispered, weakening as he pulled frantically at Jayne's ironclad grip. "Won't tell you anything. Just kill me." He would have collapsed from exhaustion had Jayne not been holding him upright.
Jayne exchanged a confused look with Mal as he released his grip. Simon collapsed to the floor, shaking, his incoherent mutterings eerily similar to those of his sister.
After a few moments, Simon pushed himself away from them, clearly in some kind of shock, and wrapped his arms around his bent knees. He stared at Jayne and Mal for a long time, rocking back and forth, muttering in a language neither Mal nor Jayne could understand.
"Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng," Jayne spat as he released Simon to the floor. "What in hell they do to 'em?"
Clearly irritated, Mal shot back. "If you hadn't shot the doctor over there, perhaps we coulda asked."
TBC
Chinese Translations for Chapter 2:
Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng - frog-humping sonofabitch
Responses to reader comments:
Laurrie – Thanks for reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. It's done. Just awaiting beta'ing. It will be 8 Chapters.
Aurelia30 – Yes, I like to torture my favorite characters. There is more unpleasantness for Simon coming up. 8 Chapters of good stuff. Hopefully, the surprises keep coming for the readers right up until the end. Chapter 3 has one….
Sootsprite – Glad you liked it! I try to pay attention to little details (tho' I'm not always successful) and I'm happy you noticed! Hope you like this chapter as well. Some funny lines courtesy of Jayne to break the unpleasantness of the rest of the story. I think I've used him as my comic relief.
Pokey – I just couldn't get the idea out of my head. And its turned into a 45 page story. Heh.
Zonya – It's all done, just waiting on beta'ing :)
Devianttart – I've got friends who post their art on the deviant art web site. Your name reminded me of it :) Glad you're hooked, hopefully you will stay that way.
Silver-Kalen – Hope you still think so by the end :)
Thedummie2 – It's not a FAST update, but it's only been a few days. Hope you like this chapter as much as the last.
Scott – The first was just a Prologue to get people interested. The chapters are much longer.
Vampbarbie – Yes, I hurt the characters I love. Poor Simon has more unpleasantness ahead.
Moon's Tear – Thanks for commenting! I love long reviews :) Glad you're liking the story. And now that you're beta'ing this story, you'll get to see what happens before everyone else. Hee! Of course, I know you'll like the little piece that won't be posted here – due to the rating restriction. It's just a bonus scene anyway. It pretty much has no bearing on the story. I'll post it at my site when the complete story is done here.
Jessclifton - thanks for the comments. Glad you like it!
JC6 – Well, he's not – exactly like River. You'll find out in later chapters just what – well, you'll have to wait and see:) Thank you for the comment about the characters. It's really important to me that they sound right.