Red & Blue --Chapter VI
Title: Red & Blue -- Chapter VI (Drunk on Shadows)
Series Title: Red & Blue
Author: stolenfairytale
Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. Don't sue or kill.
Rating: PG-13 this chapter, probably R later.
Author's Notes: Three years after the BDM.
Previous: Prologue | I | II | III | IV | V
It had been so long since River had had a "bad day" that everyone was startled when it happened. She and Kaylee had been doing their hair and chatting about just about everything; the job, the passengers, Simon's general tendency to put his foot in his mouth, and life in the Core when it snapped. The tiny thread of her own tension came unraveled, and she screamed.
The sound startled Kaylee so badly that she dropped the braid she had been working into River's hair in surprise, taking a step back as River stood and the scream seemed to drop off from lack of oxygen. "Riv?" She murmured. "River!"
The scream had brought Zoe and Simon running. Zoe out of fear of what was going on, and Simon because he thought it was a fit, caused by not medicating her for over a week. The engine room was small and cramped for four people and a med kit, and River used it to her advantage, backing into a wall.
"Mei mei," Simon said, voice soft. "Let me give you a smoother."
Zoe, turned to Kaylee, while Simon attempted to get closer to River. "What happened?" She asked the shaken engineer. "Did she say anything?"
Kaylee shook her head. "We were jus' talkin', Zoe." She sounded upset, watching the Tams out of the corner of her eye. "I was braiding her hair, and then she just...stopped and screamed."
Zoe nodded, reaching for her Mare's Leg, about to go check the docks for any threats that might be in the offing, and perhaps warn the Captain when the click of a gun cocking startled everyone.
"River!" Kaylee said, startled, and Zoe turned to see the pilot holding one of her 9mm pistols to her head.
"River, no!" Simon said, worried. "River, put the gun down. It'll be all right."
"The bleed blue." River said, hand shaking in a way that Zoe had only ever seen in soldiers who had never killed before, hadn't seen since Serenity Valley. "Bleed blue. Won't go back. Won't go back in the box. No more needles in her brain!"
Simon was trying to talk low and soothing to his sister, and trying to figure out how to get the gun out of her hand. "River, no one bleeds blue. You're here, you're on Serenity. We won't let anyone get you."
"Liar!" River shrieked, and when he reached for the gun, her eyes went black and she kicked him hard across the room, where he hit the bulkhead and knocked unconscious. "You will give me over!"
"Simon!" Kaylee said, rushing over to his side.
Zoe cast the doc a look, and then spoke. "Kaylee, get on the radio." She said, voice firm. "Doc'll be fine. He's just knocked out." She tried then, approaching River quietly. "Tell me what's wrong, River."
"Only way out." River said, shaking hard. "Bullet in the brainpan. Just sqiush. Won't let us leave. They won't let us leave. Must go squish."
"There's always a way out." Zoe said firmly. "Always another way out, as long as your breathin', girl."
she heard Mal over the radio, and wrenched the radio out of Kaylee's hand to tell him to get his pi gu back to the ship in more respectful terms, before tossing the radio back to Kaylee, and hoping River was still sane enough to not want to hurt her, reached for the gun. It was a stupid move, as she had seen the girl covered in Reaver blood and still standing, but it was the only way she could think to keep her from dying. She cursed under her breath in Chinese, and fell back in surprise as the gun went off, with both their hands on it, when Kaylee screamed.
A smile ghosted over River's mouth as Zoe stepped back. "Bullet in the belly will be equally efficient." She wavered slightly, half-braided hair coming undone as she slumped to the floor, giving in to the shadows.
Series Title: Red & Blue
Author: stolenfairytale
Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss. Don't sue or kill.
Rating: PG-13 this chapter, probably R later.
Author's Notes: Three years after the BDM.
Previous: Prologue | I | II | III | IV | V
It had been so long since River had had a "bad day" that everyone was startled when it happened. She and Kaylee had been doing their hair and chatting about just about everything; the job, the passengers, Simon's general tendency to put his foot in his mouth, and life in the Core when it snapped. The tiny thread of her own tension came unraveled, and she screamed.
The sound startled Kaylee so badly that she dropped the braid she had been working into River's hair in surprise, taking a step back as River stood and the scream seemed to drop off from lack of oxygen. "Riv?" She murmured. "River!"
The scream had brought Zoe and Simon running. Zoe out of fear of what was going on, and Simon because he thought it was a fit, caused by not medicating her for over a week. The engine room was small and cramped for four people and a med kit, and River used it to her advantage, backing into a wall.
"Mei mei," Simon said, voice soft. "Let me give you a smoother."
Zoe, turned to Kaylee, while Simon attempted to get closer to River. "What happened?" She asked the shaken engineer. "Did she say anything?"
Kaylee shook her head. "We were jus' talkin', Zoe." She sounded upset, watching the Tams out of the corner of her eye. "I was braiding her hair, and then she just...stopped and screamed."
Zoe nodded, reaching for her Mare's Leg, about to go check the docks for any threats that might be in the offing, and perhaps warn the Captain when the click of a gun cocking startled everyone.
"River!" Kaylee said, startled, and Zoe turned to see the pilot holding one of her 9mm pistols to her head.
"River, no!" Simon said, worried. "River, put the gun down. It'll be all right."
"The bleed blue." River said, hand shaking in a way that Zoe had only ever seen in soldiers who had never killed before, hadn't seen since Serenity Valley. "Bleed blue. Won't go back. Won't go back in the box. No more needles in her brain!"
Simon was trying to talk low and soothing to his sister, and trying to figure out how to get the gun out of her hand. "River, no one bleeds blue. You're here, you're on Serenity. We won't let anyone get you."
"Liar!" River shrieked, and when he reached for the gun, her eyes went black and she kicked him hard across the room, where he hit the bulkhead and knocked unconscious. "You will give me over!"
"Simon!" Kaylee said, rushing over to his side.
Zoe cast the doc a look, and then spoke. "Kaylee, get on the radio." She said, voice firm. "Doc'll be fine. He's just knocked out." She tried then, approaching River quietly. "Tell me what's wrong, River."
"Only way out." River said, shaking hard. "Bullet in the brainpan. Just sqiush. Won't let us leave. They won't let us leave. Must go squish."
"There's always a way out." Zoe said firmly. "Always another way out, as long as your breathin', girl."
she heard Mal over the radio, and wrenched the radio out of Kaylee's hand to tell him to get his pi gu back to the ship in more respectful terms, before tossing the radio back to Kaylee, and hoping River was still sane enough to not want to hurt her, reached for the gun. It was a stupid move, as she had seen the girl covered in Reaver blood and still standing, but it was the only way she could think to keep her from dying. She cursed under her breath in Chinese, and fell back in surprise as the gun went off, with both their hands on it, when Kaylee screamed.
A smile ghosted over River's mouth as Zoe stepped back. "Bullet in the belly will be equally efficient." She wavered slightly, half-braided hair coming undone as she slumped to the floor, giving in to the shadows.