Title: Tales of a Would-be Hostage
Chapter: 4/??
Author: thefalloficarus at livejournal
Characters: This chapter: Kaylee, River, Simon, Mal, Zoe, OC Marisol
Spoilers/Warnings: Completely Alternate Universe. River never went to the Academy, certain characters have WAY different backgrounds. There's a character death in this chapter. Trust me, it's for the best, I can't write for this character worth beans.

Note: plot bunny passed on to me by lj user whitemoonflower. Sorry I've forgotten to credit you till now, and thank you so much for sharing this idea with me!
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Chapter 4: A Man on the Edge

After the crew finished unloading the shipments of medical supplies River, Simon and Kaylee began the task of opening wooden crates, checking over inventories and making sure the supplies in the crates matched what their lists said, and that everything was intact. River allowed the rest of the crew to move onto the Galley and enjoy supper, giving her time to catch up with her two best friends, while still dealing with the arduous task.

"Now, why are we doing this here instead of in the med bay?" Kaylee asked with a sigh as finished counting vials of painkillers.

"Because," River explained. "If these are wrong and we have to send things back, it's much easier to drag a crate from here to there." She pointed from their current position to the ship, "Then from med bay to there."

Simon watched and chuckled as Kaylee bent backwards, stretching her back, and River resisted the urge to scold him back to work. They'd taken several breaks to eye each other and while River loved them both she hated standing over the crates and counting and she wished they'd focus just a little more till the job was done.

"Okay, what I meant to say was, can't we not do this?" Kaylee asked with a laugh, trying to cover the whine in her voice.

That brought a curt laugh to River's lips and she rolled her eyes, "I wish, but for now, back to work." She turned to Simon who was still watching Kaylee. "Both of you."

They were all checking over the last crate when lights began to flash and 3 armed soldiers entered the room. "Sorry Doc." One said, looking at Simon. "But you're going to have to close those crates. We've got an emergency docking..." Everyone turned then as the doors at the far end of the docking bay opened and out stepped a man and a woman wheeling a stretcher between them

"Whooaaa sir." One of the officers said, waving off the new comers. "We're gonna need you to step back on your ship until we've cleared this area."

"One of my crew was shot, she's dieing, and I don't have time to wait." The man said, continuing to wheel the stretcher while the woman on the other side seemed to hesitate.

All three officers pulled their guns and pointed them at the new comers. "You're going to have a few more bullet holes if you don't stop and turn around and get back aboard your ship till we're through here."

"Karl, stand down." Simon said, emerging from the background, stepping out in front of the armed guards.

River took a step forward at that, not liking her brother being between guns and strangers. It was like watching him step between a rock and a hard place, but that was Simon, always trying to do the noble thing, no matter how stupid it was.

Karl growled as he watched Simon walk over to the injured woman and her companions. "Doctor Tam, I'm going to have to insist that you get back here right now." He ordered, not taking his gun off the man at the side of the stretcher.

"Doc, please." The man at the stretcher pleaded.

River took a deep breath watching the whole scene. The woman on the stretcher was passed out from what she could tell. Her abdomen was covered in a temporary bandage and her clothing was soaked with blood. The man at her side looked to be around Simon's age, maybe older, but much more worn. He had a look in his eyes that said he'd seen too much, and he carried it all with him even though it was killing him from the inside out. He was tall and dressed plainly, and it did not escape her attention, that the main color of his clothing appeared to be brown.

The other woman with the group was tall with a medium build: not fat but now what would be called skinny either. River guess that they were close in age, that she was 22 23 maybe, and her most distinguishing feature was long thick black hair that was clumped and matted in places with blood. She wondered if it was the woman on the stretcher's or her own.

"I'm going to need to see some identification." Simon said, reaching the man and looking down at the woman on the stretcher.

"Sure, fine, I got it right here in my pocket."

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Mal wanted things to go well, prayed that they would, but as per usual whoever was answering prayers that day was out to lunch. When the Doc stepped in, Mal felt a flicker of hope, but that quickly faded when he asked for ID. Mal had a good and proper fake ID but he knew it was no good. They weren't gonna help Zoe, and if they did it would be too late. When that realization came though, clarity seemed to come with it. He reached into his pocket as if to pull out his ID and in a movement that even surprised himself he pulled out his gun, wrangled the fine Doctor Tam into a headlock and pointed the gun squarely to his temple before Karl and the Alliance goons got off a shot.

"Now." He stated, his voice surprisingly clear. "I need to borrow your doc here for a spell. And unless y'all wanna rid yourself of this here fine gentleman you'd better clear on out and let him do his work and we'll return him just the way we found him." Mal explained.

"Let the doctor go or we will open fire on your companion." Karl said, his gun swinging slightly, pointing directly at Marisol.

Mal's eyes shifted slightly, though his gun hand never wavered, and he could see Marisol quivering silently and he cursed himself for being so stupid. "You shoot my crew you're down a doctor." Mal said firmly, not knowing what else to do, but unwilling to just simply let Zoe die.

"Karl. Put the guns down."

Mal looked, and noticed for the first time that two woman had been standing just behind the men. The one who spoke was tall and lean. She carried herself with dignity and confidence even now under these circumstances. She struck Mal as awfully proud, but she seemed to have the confidence to carry it without making herself seem arrogant. Their eyes met for a moment and Mal looked away first, turning back to see if little Miss Authoritative had the clout to back up her voice and presence.

"Captain Tam you're not my superior and you do not have the authority to order me to stand down." Karl said, "Now sir, put the gun down and step away from Doctor Tam."

Mal's eyes flicked to the girl again: Captain Tam and Doctor Tam. He found himself wondering how the slender man staying very still under his arm managed to catch himself such a poised and strong seeming woman. "I ain't lettin' him go till he fixes up my crew. Then we'll let him go and be on our merry."

"We'll give you till the count of three and than we're opening fire." Karl said.

Mal heard Marisol whimper and Simon cleared his throat to say something but Mal clenched his arm down tighter. The Doctor's hands came up to his arm, prying, grasping, telling him he was holding on too tight but Mal didn't care. He was more than a little pissed off at this point and he pointed his gun square at Karl.

"One..." Karl began. "two..."

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River watched the whole scene unfolding and knew that if she didn't do something to stop this mess, Simon was going to end up dead. As Karl counted down, she watched the man holding her brother and trusted somehow that he wouldn't kill Simon, at least until he finished patching up his friend; so before Karl reached three River moved, lightening quick, and snatched the gun from his hand, jerking the gun out and away before his finger could pull the trigger. She had it turned on him as he gasped in shock, and his men stood there confused and startled.

A shot rang out, and River's heart nearly stopped. There was a scream and in the back of River's mind she remembered that Kaylee was there, and now she had two people to worry about. She knew the scream had belonged to Kaylee, but she saw almost immediately that the bullet was imbedded in the shoulder of one of Karl's men. The other had in turn raised his hands in surrender, gun held harmlessly by the butt pointed at the ground

"I'm going to have you court martialed for aiding this man." Karl spat at River as she held him at gunpoint.

"If you'd have gotten Simon killed you might as well have put a bullet through my heart." River said, keeping the gun on Karl. "Let's just let Simon fix the woman, and then he'll let Simon go." She said, glancing sideways at the man holding her brother, her tone leaving no room for bartering or questions.

"Finally, someone who's thinkin' proper." The armed man said. "Marisol, why don't you go relive the men there of their guns." He said to the woman.

"But Mal..."

"Now Marisol. We've wasted too much time already."

'Marisol and Mal, quite the pair.' River thought, taking a breath and letting it out slowly. Her hand was starting to cramp and she either needed to use the gun or put it away soon.

Marisol retrieved the guns and handed one to Mal and the other she kept, leaving it dangling at her side.

"Now you, Tam." Mal said nodding to River, "You throw your gun over there and step on over here real quick like, with your hands on top of your head." he ordered.

River hesitated and then resignedly tossed her gun, lacing her fingers together on the top of her head and marching over to Mal and Simon.

"Now Doc, you and Ms. Twitchy over there." He said, pointing to Kaylee who was now cowering near one of the crates, "Load Zoe back into the ship. Marisol will get you to the infirmary."

"But..." Simon protested.

"Ah ah Doc." Mal said, pointing the gun at River now and releasing him.

"Unless you wanna see the inside of your pretty little wife's head here I suggest you do what I say."

"I'm not his..." River began.

"Shhhh. You hush up now and this'll be over before you know it." Mal said, tapping her on the back of the head with the muzzle of the gun.

River's expression hardened then and she thought, 'when this is over I'm really going to hurt this man.'