Prompt 10- Drowning. 957

River sits in her room rocking back and forth in time to the screams in her head. Miranda had eradicated almost three million of them but there were so many secrets, so many things that she wasn't supposed to know. So many things that little girls shouldn't see or hear or feel.

Seen not heard, understood but not felt, not felt.

River tangles her hands in her hair as her heart screeches at her, pounding away until she thinks it'll burst out of her rib cage.

She'd been doing so gorram well since Miranda, hardly a relapse but now the air explodes around her and the blood taints the ground and the weapons scream in the air, the water polluted and blood running, hands cold and scratches like animals, claws and bursting. . . bursting out.

River slams herself backwards into the wall trying to get a shock of pain to drag her out of her nightmare but just managing to integrate the thump into her visions.

The slam of fist on flesh and whipped cord on spinal tissue, soaked with sweat and despair, dirt ingrained, only swept away by rivulets of filthy water trickling down the walls.

"No!" The cry rips itself from her throat and she falls off the bed, scrabbling on her knees like an animal. She hauls herself to her feet and runs blindly down the corridor, smacking into walls and waking the occupants of the rooms below.

All but one.

Broken backs and crippled hands, seas boiled and burning flesh, a body in shock and hate; so much hate.

River falls to her knees again, her delicate forearms catching on the serrated edges of the walkway, slicing her skin.

She crawls, rolling onto the ground and sliding across to the metal hatchway, trails of blood following her.

Kneeling on scraped knees she leans her forehead against the cold metal and pounds on the hatchway with her little fists.

"Stop it!" she screams. "Stop, stop, STOP IT!"

"Mei mei, what is it?" Simon cries, racing down the hall in his pyjama bottoms and nothing else. Behind him with a frantic look on her face is Kaylee and Jayne's bunk opens as she passes it. He hauls himself out and takes one look around.

Jayne's heart stops as he sees the girl on her knees, her little hands pounding like fury on the metal hatch.

Simon is approaching cautiously, his hands held out as if warding off a dangerous animal. "Kaylee, fetch my bag."

Kaylee turns and runs and Jayne stares down at the girl as Simon edges closer. She turns her head and hisses at him and he stumbles back.

"River, mei mei—"

"STOP!" she shrieks, tears pouring down her face and then, suddenly, like a puppet with it's strings cut she stops and lays her head against the hatch sobbing.

There's a click and Jayne reaches over to pull River back before the hatch opens and Mal's head peers out, his ruffled hair and bleary eyes taking in the scene in above him.

"What the hell was all the noise?"

"You slept through that?" Jayne said, rocking the girl in his arms.

"Doc gave me some soothers," Mal said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "On account o' me being shot up and all, now what is going on"

"Couldn't sleep, wouldn't wake, Sleep like the dead but the dead don't sleep. Burn the land and boil the sea," River cried, "the air smelt like blood and smoke in the water. Took the spoils and made them red, red, red."

She collapsed into Jayne's arms and turned to his chest, her shoulders shaking as Mal's shocked face paled.

"I don't understand," Simon said looking down at his little sister.

"I was dreaming," Mal said shortly. "Couldn't wake up on account of the soothers and was having me some not nice dreams."

"An' she's a reader," Jayne finished, stroking the girl's back, trying to calm her.

"You see what was going on there, li'l one?" Mal asked edging out of his bunk and kneeling on the walkway near River.

"See and hear and feel and smell and touch and taste. Wanted to stop but it hurt so much," she sniffed back more tears and cradled her shaking hand sin her lap. "Couldn't stop them. Didn't want to see, but couldn't stop."

"I'm sorry you had to see that, little albatross," Mal said, genuinely regretful and he looked up at Simon. "I think we should all be getting back to bed."

"I'll take—" Simon started but Jayne just stood up with her in his arms, cradling her against his chest. "I got her, doc, just lead the way."

Simon nodded his thanks and led Jayne back to her room, Kaylee dancing around their feet like a concerned mother hen.

Mal leaned back against the wall and sighed, closing his eyes. "Last time I take a gorram soother."

"Serenity Valley?" Zoë asked from across the corridor where she'd watched it all.

Mal nodded. "And the rest."

Zoë winced and glanced down the hall. "Poor kid, having to see that. Ain't fair."

"Nothin' that's been done to that kid has been fair. I'm thinking the universe ran outta fair before it got ta us."

"Ain't arguing," Zoë said and shuffled her feet. "You all right, sir?"

Mal nodded and swiped a hand over his seat-soaked face. "Yeah. I think I'll try the tried and trusted method of drinking, rather than drugs. Care ta join me?"

"Yeah." Zoë led him across the hall but paused just before she reached the kitchen. "Since when doesn't Jayne mind carrying the girl around?"

Mal shrugged. "Don't know and, until I've had me some coffee, I don't rightly care."