Chapter Six: Insanity and Science

"Gorram, Mal," Jayne hissed while resituating the captain against his side. "Why are you so heavy?"

"I think there are more important things than my figure, Jayne. I'm bleeding here. Think the bullet hit somethin' it shouldn't of."

"Bullets always hit you where they ain't s'pposed to. It's a ruttin' bullet."

Mal wheezed with an eye roll. "Just get us out of here, would you?"

The battle raged onwards. They darted between buildings and vehicles for cover. Serenity was far off, and Mal was losing far too much blood. Explosions sent rubble over their heads and ships fired from the sky. Jayne had to keep shooting with one hand and supporting Mal with the other. Every so often, a soldier would get too close for comfort. Jayne used Mal as a battering ram more than once, though the captain wasn't happy about it.

Eventually, they hit an open field. The fighting hadn't reached it quite yet, so they were able to simply run for it. After complaining by both men, they found the canyon that hid their ship. The ramp was already down and Zoe waited within the cargo bay. Mal knew that stance and expression. He could read Zoe like a book, and he wasn't liking what he saw on the pages. Something else was about to go pear-shaped.

"Sir, you're not looking good."

"I think there are more important things than my handsome appearance right now, Zoe. Some Alliance soldier shot me in the chest."

"And I had to lug him the whole way here," Jayne whined like a five year old.

Zoe sighed and prepared to break the news. "River said that the Alliance gunships found Serenity. It's more than a feeling. She intercepted a wave. They're preparing a strike. We have to go now."

"Then we'll go. Jayne, take me to the bridge."

"I ain't taking you nowhere, Mal. I've took you far enough."

"Who's the captain here? I give the orders. Take me to the bridge."

"What you gonna do? Make me?"

The first mate shook her head at the childish men. "Sir, you aren't in the condition. Jayne, take him to the infirmary. Simon will patch you up and I'll take the lead on the bridge."

"Fine," Mal grumbled. "But I ain't no invalid."

Jayne helped him to the infirmary and Zoe closed the ramp before running to the bridge. Just as she got there, Serenity took off. River looked pale, paler than usual, but her focus was on the ship. Zoe figured she knew what happened to Mal and wasn't taking it well. Luckily, the girl was a natural pilot and beyond professional.

"We're close to Muir. Let's head there and lose the Alliance along the way," Zoe ordered as she sat in the copilot's seat.

"Course entered and confirmed."

"How close are they to the strike?"

River closed her eyes for a brief moment, and then they flew open as a proximity alert sounded. "They're already here. Less than one thousand, six hundred and nine, point thirty-four meters behind our ship."

"How far is that in first mate dummy talk?"

"Just under one mile. More on the way. Coming sideways. Flank maneuver. Six vessels. Two on the sides, one at the rear, and one to block us from the atmosphere. Heavily armed. Orders to eliminate Serenity."

Zoe didn't like those odds one bit. "We'll have to out fly them. Simple as that."

"Don't worry," River assured her with a faint smile. "We're a leaf on the wind."

Though it stung to remember Wash, Zoe couldn't think of a better time to bring his memory to life. She quickly reverted into command mode and got onto the intercom. "Everyone find something to hold onto. The skies are going to get rough. Kaylee, we need you in contact. We'll need all the help you can give us."

"You got it, Zoe, Standin' by!" Kaylee cheerfully answered.

River checked her mind and the console. "One minute, forty-nine seconds, and sixteen milliseconds before they initiate their flank maneuver. Frontal force waiting for their reports of eradication or escape. They will proceed as necessary."

"Okay…" Zoe digested slowly. "You got a plan?"

"The plan is to successfully avoid their attacks and get to Muir with limited damage to the ship or her crew. The means by which we will achieve this goal have yet to be determined. Utilizing improvisational techniques."

Zoe's head hurt. "Again, I need that in plain English."

"I'm winging it. They're coming at an alarming rate. Warn the others."

"Everyone, strap in or hold tight. We have company," Zoe announced while buckling her seatbelt.

River hit a button to communicate with Kaylee exclusively. "Reroute all unnecessary power feeds to the engine. I need an extraordinary amount of force. Following this procedure, cut the engine all together. Wait ten seconds and give the engine as much energy as possible. Don't fall over."

As the ships appeared on either side and from behind, River gave Kaylee the command to charge the engine. In a massive blast, the ship moved just above the attacking forces. Then, in an unusual move, the engine was cut. The ship fell backwards at an alarming rate. Ten seconds later, the engine came back. River had placed the ship at the perfect altitude, meaning that when they fell backwards they slid right between the other ships. She turned them about sharply and they took off away from the Alliance vessels.

Yet, one ship got a lucky shot. Serenity shook and steam filled the engine room. Kaylee did what she could to save the engine, and it would give them just long enough to reach Muir. Though Jayne bumped his head in his bunk, Kaylee slammed into the bulkhead, Zoe almost lost her lunch, Mal was in even more pain, and Simon did the worst suture he had ever done, the crazy pilot and her crazy flying saved the day.

Zoe patted her on the shoulder when they hit the black without the Alliance tailing them. "Wash would have been proud."

"Thank you. Do you mind—"

"I don't mind taking over the boat. Go see the captain."

River nodded in thanks and quickly went to the infirmary. Simon was finishing the last of his sloppy suture, he had to switch needles at one point since he was stabbed in the palm by the other, and Mal was enjoying the pain medication dripping through his IV. He saw River and smiled groggily.

"Hey, little albatross. I take it we got away?"

"Yes. I outwitted them with insanity and science."

He smirked at that. "Insanity and science? I don't even wanna know."

"You're all fixed up. Sorry about pulling the thread out earlier…"

"It's okay, doc. I didn't need that hunk of flesh anyhow. 'Sides, we were shakin' about pretty hard. Can I go now?"

Simon was continually surprised at how terrible Malcolm Reynolds was as a patient. "You were almost hit in the heart. You're lucky to be alive. I have to make sure that you get fluids and the internal bleeding has stopped."

"So, you can make house calls. Ain't like I'm far away."

"Fine. I know that you'll just leave anyway and say, 'I'm the captain here' like usual. But, you have to stay on this level for a few days. I don't want you climbing stairs or ladders."

He could live with that, so River helped him to the couch just beyond the infirmary. She sat with him, hip to hip, and blinked back unshed tears. "I'm sorry, Captain."

"Sorry about what?"

"You were shot. I didn't protect you. I didn't see it until it was too late."

"It ain't your fault, darlin'. Nobody can protect someone all the time."

Her head went to his shoulder and her fingers carefully covered the bloody spot of his shirt. "It hurt."

"Bullets do that. I'm better now, so don't worry on it."

"It ruined your shirt."

He smiled fondly at her tone. "That's the real problem here. I liked this shirt."

"I'll get you a new one."

"Don't bother," he shrugged. "I don't mind it for now."

She grinned when she realized that he just wanted her to stay for a while. Her hand dropped to his, and he took it in his own. Simon didn't really notice it. He brushed by them as he went to check on Kaylee. Jayne found him first with complaints about the bump on his head, though it was nothing serious. Zoe relaxed with a few dinosaurs on her lap, smiling softly at the husband she missed so terribly. Over all, everyone had settled into a level of comfort.

It didn't cross their minds that Muir might be the worst possible place to hide. There were no reports of fighting there, but there were no reports when they touched down earlier either. Yet, it wasn't fighting that they should have thought about. The Blue Sun Galaxy was known for one thing and one thing only: Reavers.