OOC: Memory #8 (All 5 Senses)
[This memory is from the episode "Trash". The staticed-out name is "Jayne".]
Simon was standing bent over a counter in the infirmary of the ship Serenity. Not much could be seen around him, as he was focused on the pad of paper he was writing some things down on.
"Whud goin' on?" a surly voice suddenly inquired- the goateed man. His voice was thick, slurred- he was either drugged or drunk.
"You got knocked out," Simon replied without looking at him.
"Did we gedda payoff? Di' we get the money?"
"Can you move your arms and legs?" Simon wanted to know, finally half-turning, to see that the man was on the operating chair in the center of the room, wearing a neck brace. He watched without comment as the man strained hard to lift his limbs.
"They're not movin'!"
"Do you wanna know why?" There was a beat before he continued. "Your spine. You hit it pretty hard when you fell."
"Oh. 'pine?"
"Yes. So I gave you something to knock out your motor functions so you wouldn't wrench it when you came to. Should wear off in half an hour; you'll just be bruised." Simon could tell that underneath his clipped, professional tone there was stewing, seething anger; however, the man seemed oblivious.
"'pine okay?" the man wanted to know, and Simon regarded him for a moment before abruptly asking,
"How much did they offer you to sell out me and River on Ariel?" The man quickly got an 'oh, shit' expression, but tried to cover it.
"... das' crazy talk."
"Then let's talk crazy," said Simon, throwing his pen down and turning to fully face the man, leaning toward him and gripping the edges of the counter, his posture radiating quiet fury. "How much?" The man likely would have squirmed had he been able to; instead he looked out the door and called out,
"Anybo'y there?" Qi then slowly stuck her head in, wearing a smile that did not reach her eyes. Such an expression would have been unsettling to anybody except perhaps her brother. "... anybody else?"
"You're in a dangerous line of work, [static]," said Simon, moving closer to the man with every word he spoke. "Odds are you'll be under my knife again. Often. So I want you to understand one thing very clearly." He was leaning in over the man now, his voice low and steely. "No matter what you do, or say, or plot... no matter how you come down on us..." He looked toward his sister, then back and said, "I will never, ever harm you." He then began to back off, his tone becoming more normal and neutral. "You're on this table, you're safe. 'cause I'm your medic." He grabbed a flashlight and pried the man's eyelids open, looking into each eyeball as he made an expression of disgust. "And however little we may like or trust each other, we're on the same crew. We've got the same troubles, same enemies, and more than enough of both." Simon then picked up a needle and began to fill it.
"Now we could... circle each other and growl, both sleep with one eye open, but that thought wearies me." The man gave a little grunt of disapproval as Simon injected a vein in his arm with practiced ease. "Now I don't care what you've done, I don't know what you're planning on doing, but I'm trusting you. I think you should do the same." And with that, Simon began to exit the room. "'cause I don't see this working any other way."
"Also?" he heard Qi pipe up as he walked away. "I can kill you with my brain."
Then the memory faded.
Simon was standing bent over a counter in the infirmary of the ship Serenity. Not much could be seen around him, as he was focused on the pad of paper he was writing some things down on.
"Whud goin' on?" a surly voice suddenly inquired- the goateed man. His voice was thick, slurred- he was either drugged or drunk.
"You got knocked out," Simon replied without looking at him.
"Did we gedda payoff? Di' we get the money?"
"Can you move your arms and legs?" Simon wanted to know, finally half-turning, to see that the man was on the operating chair in the center of the room, wearing a neck brace. He watched without comment as the man strained hard to lift his limbs.
"They're not movin'!"
"Do you wanna know why?" There was a beat before he continued. "Your spine. You hit it pretty hard when you fell."
"Oh. 'pine?"
"Yes. So I gave you something to knock out your motor functions so you wouldn't wrench it when you came to. Should wear off in half an hour; you'll just be bruised." Simon could tell that underneath his clipped, professional tone there was stewing, seething anger; however, the man seemed oblivious.
"'pine okay?" the man wanted to know, and Simon regarded him for a moment before abruptly asking,
"How much did they offer you to sell out me and River on Ariel?" The man quickly got an 'oh, shit' expression, but tried to cover it.
"... das' crazy talk."
"Then let's talk crazy," said Simon, throwing his pen down and turning to fully face the man, leaning toward him and gripping the edges of the counter, his posture radiating quiet fury. "How much?" The man likely would have squirmed had he been able to; instead he looked out the door and called out,
"Anybo'y there?" Qi then slowly stuck her head in, wearing a smile that did not reach her eyes. Such an expression would have been unsettling to anybody except perhaps her brother. "... anybody else?"
"You're in a dangerous line of work, [static]," said Simon, moving closer to the man with every word he spoke. "Odds are you'll be under my knife again. Often. So I want you to understand one thing very clearly." He was leaning in over the man now, his voice low and steely. "No matter what you do, or say, or plot... no matter how you come down on us..." He looked toward his sister, then back and said, "I will never, ever harm you." He then began to back off, his tone becoming more normal and neutral. "You're on this table, you're safe. 'cause I'm your medic." He grabbed a flashlight and pried the man's eyelids open, looking into each eyeball as he made an expression of disgust. "And however little we may like or trust each other, we're on the same crew. We've got the same troubles, same enemies, and more than enough of both." Simon then picked up a needle and began to fill it.
"Now we could... circle each other and growl, both sleep with one eye open, but that thought wearies me." The man gave a little grunt of disapproval as Simon injected a vein in his arm with practiced ease. "Now I don't care what you've done, I don't know what you're planning on doing, but I'm trusting you. I think you should do the same." And with that, Simon began to exit the room. "'cause I don't see this working any other way."
"Also?" he heard Qi pipe up as he walked away. "I can kill you with my brain."
Then the memory faded.