The News
This takes place several years after the series ends.
The News
The girl on the bed in the infirmary was sleeping restlessly. The moans told Malcolm Reynolds that she was likely in the throes of a nightmare. That was no surprise given what she’d been through. It had taken them a month to track down her kidnappers and rescue her. And in that time Adelai Niska had been able to do things to her that no teenage girl should ever have to experience. Mal knew some of what she’d gone through because he had the same scars on his chest. But he wasn’t female and while he could make some educated guesses as to what they’d done to her, she wasn’t discussing it. He couldn’t blame her there. He wasn’t much for discussing his stay with Niska either. At least they’d killed the bastard this time.
Her father was a former client of Inara’s and he’d trusted her judgment that Mal and his crew could find and rescue his daughter. When Mal heard that Niska was involved, nothing could have stopped him from taking the job. Not that they hadn’t been well compensated (and in advance, too), but he would have done the job for free. And against all odds they’d succeeded.
Now they were back on Boros and the Cortex told him that the rest of the girl’s family had been arrested and hung by the Alliance for treason and she was a wanted criminal. Seemed that Niska’s friends had faked up some evidence to make sure her father wouldn’t interfere with their business again.
Mal looked at the girl again wondering just how he was gonna tell her. He’d thought about passing the job on to Simon on the theory that doctors were used to telling people the bad news. But that would have been cowardly of him and Mal wasn’t a coward. Besides, since he was the one who physically got her out, he was the only person on the damn boat that she trusted. It would have to be him. No way out of it that he could see.
"Funny," he thought "How few words it takes to destroy somebody’s life. Just a sentence, maybe two." He wondered if she would be able to take the news without breaking, given that she was already weak and hurting from the torture. Emotionally she was just holding on by her fingertips already. This could put her over the edge. But he had to tell her soon; she knew they would be back home today. She moaned and thrashed around on the bed. Nightmare was getting worse. Would it be best to wake her up and end the nightmare just to give her a new one? Or should he let her sleep as long as possible?
Well, Simon had given him a sedative to give her to take the edge off the news. Maybe it was best to just get it over with. Hardest part of it was he looked at her and saw himself after the war. No money, no family, no prospects and needing to avoid the Alliance. He knew just how bad that hurt and he was the one would have to tell her. At least he could offer her a place. That was more than that younger Mal had been offered. Yep, she’d given him her trust when he rescued her. Damned if he would let her down now. Seemed that Malcolm Reynolds had adopted another stray.
The News
The girl on the bed in the infirmary was sleeping restlessly. The moans told Malcolm Reynolds that she was likely in the throes of a nightmare. That was no surprise given what she’d been through. It had taken them a month to track down her kidnappers and rescue her. And in that time Adelai Niska had been able to do things to her that no teenage girl should ever have to experience. Mal knew some of what she’d gone through because he had the same scars on his chest. But he wasn’t female and while he could make some educated guesses as to what they’d done to her, she wasn’t discussing it. He couldn’t blame her there. He wasn’t much for discussing his stay with Niska either. At least they’d killed the bastard this time.
Her father was a former client of Inara’s and he’d trusted her judgment that Mal and his crew could find and rescue his daughter. When Mal heard that Niska was involved, nothing could have stopped him from taking the job. Not that they hadn’t been well compensated (and in advance, too), but he would have done the job for free. And against all odds they’d succeeded.
Now they were back on Boros and the Cortex told him that the rest of the girl’s family had been arrested and hung by the Alliance for treason and she was a wanted criminal. Seemed that Niska’s friends had faked up some evidence to make sure her father wouldn’t interfere with their business again.
Mal looked at the girl again wondering just how he was gonna tell her. He’d thought about passing the job on to Simon on the theory that doctors were used to telling people the bad news. But that would have been cowardly of him and Mal wasn’t a coward. Besides, since he was the one who physically got her out, he was the only person on the damn boat that she trusted. It would have to be him. No way out of it that he could see.
"Funny," he thought "How few words it takes to destroy somebody’s life. Just a sentence, maybe two." He wondered if she would be able to take the news without breaking, given that she was already weak and hurting from the torture. Emotionally she was just holding on by her fingertips already. This could put her over the edge. But he had to tell her soon; she knew they would be back home today. She moaned and thrashed around on the bed. Nightmare was getting worse. Would it be best to wake her up and end the nightmare just to give her a new one? Or should he let her sleep as long as possible?
Well, Simon had given him a sedative to give her to take the edge off the news. Maybe it was best to just get it over with. Hardest part of it was he looked at her and saw himself after the war. No money, no family, no prospects and needing to avoid the Alliance. He knew just how bad that hurt and he was the one would have to tell her. At least he could offer her a place. That was more than that younger Mal had been offered. Yep, she’d given him her trust when he rescued her. Damned if he would let her down now. Seemed that Malcolm Reynolds had adopted another stray.