Nirsighted Chapter 3: It's Never Just Breakfast
At breakfast, Mal stood up and said, "Uhh… as y'all may er may not know, we've got a stowaway aboard."
"Not a stowaway," River corrected him. "Enemy… no, friend."
Mal looked confusedly at the blind girl, who was groping about the table, hunting for her spoon. "Kaylee, help yer friend a'fore she starves t' death!" he snapped at the mechanic. Kaylee, a frightened look on her face, reached over and stuck the spoon into River's hand. "Here ya go, sweetie. Eat yer oatmeal."
"Anyway," the captain continued firmly, "this girl is aboard and we've no idea who's lookin' fer her or what she may be capable of. Doc, whaddya think?"
"She appears fine physically," Simon answered after swallowing the mouthful of oatmeal he was eating. "I haven't yet been able to discern her mental state, but…"
"But what?" Jayne asked.
"She appears to be… the same as River. Maybe a little more regressed, certainly, but I would wager that the same neural stripping techniques used on River were used on Catie."
"So what does that mean?" Jayne demanded, throwing his spoon into his dish.
"Saw her through the mirror," River replied. "Mirror image, like a twin."
"She isn't your twin, sweetie," Kaylee said gently.
"Don't know that," River said snottily, playing with her newfound spoon and dripping oatmeal on the table.
"Sweetie… she's blond, and at least two years younger than you…" Kaylee's voice trailed off, seeing that it wasn't making much of a difference to River.
"What're we gonna do with her, sir?" Zoë asked Mal.
The captain paused and looked at Simon. The doctor said nothing, so Mal said, "Find her a home, drop her there first thing."
"Can't," River said. "Won't let you."
"Look, sugar," Mal said, "we don't know her from Adam. She could be a danger t' us."
"Goes back there she'll die."
Before Mal could say anything further, Wash ran in. "Trouble!" the pilot yelled. "Kaylee, get t' th' engine!"
"What's wrong, honey?" Zoë asked.
"Y' said ya wanted us t' get t' St. Florin's, right?" Wash asked Mal. Upon the captain's nod, he continued, "Well, we're gonna get there, all right… in pieces!"
"What?" Kaylee asked.
"Secondary coupler went out just minute ago," Wash blurted. "Goin' down fer sure!"
Chaos broke out in the mess hall. Jayne took another swallow of oatmeal and darted for his bunk, leaping over his chair in his hurry to get out. Mal, Zoë, and Wash hurried for the bridge. Kaylee disappeared to the engine room, swearing over her shoulder.
"Help her!" River said pointedly to Simon.
"Stay here," he said firmly to his blind sister, and, with a backwards glance, ran out of the galley.
River let out a giggle, then stood up, arms outstretched, and began to look for Catie.
It didn't take long; she had stayed in the bunk where Simon had left her. "Wanna play again?" River asked as soon as she slid the door open.
Catie looked up distrustfully. "Can't see," she said scornfully.
"Didn't need to see to win last time," River retorted.
Catie thought about that. "'Kay, on one condition."
"Name it and she shall consider it."
"No syrup!"