(no subject)
Title: Never Runs Smooth
Series: Takes place in the Firefly Sushi!verse created by terimaru. Here is the list of fics in this 'verse so far.
Rating: PG-13 For Angst
Pairing: Mal/Inara
Word Count: 1,457
Timeline: set between between Mis-Ceptions and Inara's Gift
Summary: Second installment of my angst contribution to this delightful Sushi-verse. There's a reason why Mal doesn't believe in luck. Can Inara and the rest of the crew prove the Captain wrong? Or does Fate truly have a thing against him?
Disclaimer: Mr. Whedon and posse own all but the fish. Those are terimaru's.
Authors note: Written in response to terimaru's mention that a little angst might be in order. I definitely left a cliffhanger with the last post and figured it'd be a kindness to post a little more, even if it isn't a *large* post. A special thanks to terimaru for her willingness to beta, no matter how small or large my sections are. Thanks again!
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8
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Chapter 2
“Nooooo!,” Inara said in horror as Mal’s eyes rolled up in his head. Zoe put a hand on her shoulder, her dark eyes impossible to read.
“The doc’s gotta do his job, Inara. Go on with Kaylee, now,” she commanded.
Mal’s fingers slipped from hers as Kaylee gently pulled her away, murmuring words of comfort that made no sense to Inara. All she could see was Mal on that table, his abdomen covered in blood and his lips tinged a faint blue.
“He’s stopped breathing,” Simon’s voice broke through her shock. She tried to surge forward, but suddenly Kaylee’s arms were like iron around her. “Keep her out of here, Kaylee!”
“I’m so sorry, Inara. You can’t go in there. You know that. You gotta give Simon every chance to fix ‘im, you hear me? Staying right here with me is what you need to do,” Kaylee said, her voice strong even as it shook with tears.
“I can’t get a pulse,” River said, her voice as calm as Simon’s. Inara could almost hate her in that moment. River’s eyes shot up for a second and locked with Inara’s. “We won’t let him go,” she promised.
“Roll him on one,” Simon instructed, and he and Zoe pulled Mal to the side so that his back was visible. He pulled the last remnant of Mal’s shirt off and shook his head.
“The exit’s higher than the entrance. Ricochet?” Zoe asked as she watched Simon examine him.
Inara couldn’t understand how she could be so calm. It made her angry and grateful in equal measures. This woman had been beside him through things Inara couldn’t begin to imagine. She forced herself to breathe deeply, trying to tamp down the panic that threatened to strip away her calm entirely. Kaylee’s arms were a welcome anchor. The surprisingly strong mechanic wasn’t letting go; she just rubbed Inara’s shoulders soothingly even as her own body shook with muffled sobs.
“It looks like,” he agreed, then leaned forward and put his face close to Mal’s exit wound, his gloved hand poking in it for a second before reaching out. River promptly handed Simon a bandage, although he never asked for one, and he pressed it hard against the wound.
“Oh my,” Kaylee said, and for a brief moment Inara was holding her up instead of the other way around. “I hope he doesn’t do that again,” she said.
“A sucking chest wound? Explains why he couldn’t breathe,” Zoe commented. Simon nodded as they rolled him back, and she began compressions as he pulled out a long tube and several other sinister looking instruments.
“I’m going to intubate,” he warned, and as he crouched down at the head of Mal’s table, Inara realized that she’d never had to see this before.
The last time Mal had been this badly injured she’d still been piloting the shuttle back to Serenity. She didn’t know if he’d even needed someone to breathe for him, then. She never thought to ask. She’d just been so grateful he’d survived, she’d never looked back.
The crew joked about Mal always getting hurt, but the reality of it was far worse than when he’d been shot or stabbed. Worse even than when he’d opened the doors, fresh from his battle with the Operative. Seeing him like this steeled her resolve. If he survived this, she’d fight him tooth and nail to accept Abel’s job offers, no matter how frequent. She knew she and Zoe could wear him down eventually to accept the jobs the Guild wanted to give them. She’d never be cavalier again about the very real danger he faced, because she’d already learned how quickly their chances could be taken away.
“Please, just one more chance,” Inara whispered in prayer.
“He’s strong. He’s seen worse. Come on, let’s get out of here,” Kaylee tried to coax, but Inara couldn’t bear to look away for fear it would be her last look. What if he died and she wasn’t there? What if he died and she was? She swallowed hard at the sobs threatening to overwhelm her. Please, please, please, she begged to any deities that might be listening. Don’t take this man. I’ve only just found him!
Simon slid his palms to either side of Mal’s face, tipping his head slightly back as he stuck something in his mouth with the tube sliding right in behind it.
“I’m in,” he said after hooking an inflatable bag to the end of it, which River took from him and began squeezing rhythmically. Simon nodded in approval as he listened with a stethoscope to Mal’s chest. “The bandage’s working. He’s getting air in both lungs.”
“Still got no pulse,” Zoe said. She was sweating now, and her face rigid with concentration as she continued pressing against Mal’s sternum. Simon turned on the defibrillator, which began to charge.
“Okay, stop. Let’s check,” he said, and Zoe immediately pulled her hands away.
Only the sound of the charging machinery could be heard in the abrupt silence as everyone waited for Simon’s verdict. He nodded grimly, and Zoe resumed compressions. He stepped in front of Mal, blocking Inara’s line of sight, which made her try to shift. She felt panic rise up at not being able to see him, but Kaylee held her in place.
“Easy, there. Come on, Inara, take my hand,” Kaylee said, and Inara instinctively did so, reaching up to her shoulder and squeezing Kaylee’s fingers tightly.
“Clear!” Simon said, and Inara did cry aloud as Mal’s body jolted with electric current.
She’d never seen him like this - so still and helpless. Awake, Malcolm Reynolds was a force of nature. Even asleep, he was restless and twitchy. Now, though, he was utterly without animation, and the bitter reality of his injuries made Inara shudder with grief.
There was silence again as Simon watched the machine for a heartbeat. He shook his head as it began charging up once more and Zoe and River both resumed their previous positions. Simon’s calm was beginning to slip.
“Clear!” he cried again, and the ritual was repeated. Inara waited in frozen horror as it happened again and again, each time to no change.
“Zoe,” Simon began, but whatever it was he intended to say, she cut him off. She snarled and shook her head.
“Don’t you say it,” Inara whispered to the doctor. “Don’t you give up on him.”
“No you don’t,” Zoe growled, although Inara couldn’t tell if it was directed at Simon or Mal. “You don’t get to do this,” she hissed in anger and crawled up on the operating table so she was leaning directly over Mal. She began compressions again, and Inara flinched as she thought she heard something crack.
“Zoe,” Simon began again, his voice thick.
Inara shook her head. “He’s not done yet,” she said, firmer now.
“I can’t get him stabilized,” Simon said in a voice so small it sounded like he was pleading.
“No!” Inara screamed her denial. “He’s not dead yet!” she cried, and would have surged out of Kaylee’s arms if not for Jayne’s big hands abruptly joining them.
“Captain’s been more dead before,” he rumbled, but the expression in the mercenary’s eyes belied his uncertainty.
“Sergeant!” Zoe barked directly in Mal’s pale face. “Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds! There’s men still unaccounted for, sir. What do you want me to do?!” she yelled, her lips next to Mal’s ear. Inara froze at the sight. It resonated within her as she wondered if such a thing could have happened before.
“Captain! They’ve got Inara! I need a plan!” Zoe tried again, and as she pulled back to begin compressions Simon leaped forward and pulled her away.
“Listen!” The entire room stilled. In the sudden silence, the gentle beeps of the monitor sounded deafening.
“That’s it! That’s it, Mal!” Zoe pulled out of Simon’s grasp and leaned forward to whisper in Mal’s ear. She turned her head to smile brilliantly at Inara, her eyes bright and fierce. “Man never could walk away from a fight,” Zoe said in satisfaction and crossed the room to pull Inara into a tight hug. She clutched at Zoe’s vest like she was drowning, laughing and crying at the same time.
“Now that he’s stabilized, I need all of you out of here. The captain’s got a long way to go yet, and you’re contaminating my surgery room,” Simon said, looking nearly as pale as Mal, and the faint whooshing sound reminded Inara that during all that had happened, River hadn’t once stopped breathing for him.
“Told you we wouldn’t let him go,” she said solemnly. “Now Simon puts him back together, and we become the glue that keeps him that way.”
Series: Takes place in the Firefly Sushi!verse created by terimaru. Here is the list of fics in this 'verse so far.
Rating: PG-13 For Angst
Pairing: Mal/Inara
Word Count: 1,457
Timeline: set between between Mis-Ceptions and Inara's Gift
Summary: Second installment of my angst contribution to this delightful Sushi-verse. There's a reason why Mal doesn't believe in luck. Can Inara and the rest of the crew prove the Captain wrong? Or does Fate truly have a thing against him?
Disclaimer: Mr. Whedon and posse own all but the fish. Those are terimaru's.
Authors note: Written in response to terimaru's mention that a little angst might be in order. I definitely left a cliffhanger with the last post and figured it'd be a kindness to post a little more, even if it isn't a *large* post. A special thanks to terimaru for her willingness to beta, no matter how small or large my sections are. Thanks again!
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8
******************************
Chapter 2
“Nooooo!,” Inara said in horror as Mal’s eyes rolled up in his head. Zoe put a hand on her shoulder, her dark eyes impossible to read.
“The doc’s gotta do his job, Inara. Go on with Kaylee, now,” she commanded.
Mal’s fingers slipped from hers as Kaylee gently pulled her away, murmuring words of comfort that made no sense to Inara. All she could see was Mal on that table, his abdomen covered in blood and his lips tinged a faint blue.
“He’s stopped breathing,” Simon’s voice broke through her shock. She tried to surge forward, but suddenly Kaylee’s arms were like iron around her. “Keep her out of here, Kaylee!”
“I’m so sorry, Inara. You can’t go in there. You know that. You gotta give Simon every chance to fix ‘im, you hear me? Staying right here with me is what you need to do,” Kaylee said, her voice strong even as it shook with tears.
“I can’t get a pulse,” River said, her voice as calm as Simon’s. Inara could almost hate her in that moment. River’s eyes shot up for a second and locked with Inara’s. “We won’t let him go,” she promised.
“Roll him on one,” Simon instructed, and he and Zoe pulled Mal to the side so that his back was visible. He pulled the last remnant of Mal’s shirt off and shook his head.
“The exit’s higher than the entrance. Ricochet?” Zoe asked as she watched Simon examine him.
Inara couldn’t understand how she could be so calm. It made her angry and grateful in equal measures. This woman had been beside him through things Inara couldn’t begin to imagine. She forced herself to breathe deeply, trying to tamp down the panic that threatened to strip away her calm entirely. Kaylee’s arms were a welcome anchor. The surprisingly strong mechanic wasn’t letting go; she just rubbed Inara’s shoulders soothingly even as her own body shook with muffled sobs.
“It looks like,” he agreed, then leaned forward and put his face close to Mal’s exit wound, his gloved hand poking in it for a second before reaching out. River promptly handed Simon a bandage, although he never asked for one, and he pressed it hard against the wound.
“Oh my,” Kaylee said, and for a brief moment Inara was holding her up instead of the other way around. “I hope he doesn’t do that again,” she said.
“A sucking chest wound? Explains why he couldn’t breathe,” Zoe commented. Simon nodded as they rolled him back, and she began compressions as he pulled out a long tube and several other sinister looking instruments.
“I’m going to intubate,” he warned, and as he crouched down at the head of Mal’s table, Inara realized that she’d never had to see this before.
The last time Mal had been this badly injured she’d still been piloting the shuttle back to Serenity. She didn’t know if he’d even needed someone to breathe for him, then. She never thought to ask. She’d just been so grateful he’d survived, she’d never looked back.
The crew joked about Mal always getting hurt, but the reality of it was far worse than when he’d been shot or stabbed. Worse even than when he’d opened the doors, fresh from his battle with the Operative. Seeing him like this steeled her resolve. If he survived this, she’d fight him tooth and nail to accept Abel’s job offers, no matter how frequent. She knew she and Zoe could wear him down eventually to accept the jobs the Guild wanted to give them. She’d never be cavalier again about the very real danger he faced, because she’d already learned how quickly their chances could be taken away.
“Please, just one more chance,” Inara whispered in prayer.
“He’s strong. He’s seen worse. Come on, let’s get out of here,” Kaylee tried to coax, but Inara couldn’t bear to look away for fear it would be her last look. What if he died and she wasn’t there? What if he died and she was? She swallowed hard at the sobs threatening to overwhelm her. Please, please, please, she begged to any deities that might be listening. Don’t take this man. I’ve only just found him!
Simon slid his palms to either side of Mal’s face, tipping his head slightly back as he stuck something in his mouth with the tube sliding right in behind it.
“I’m in,” he said after hooking an inflatable bag to the end of it, which River took from him and began squeezing rhythmically. Simon nodded in approval as he listened with a stethoscope to Mal’s chest. “The bandage’s working. He’s getting air in both lungs.”
“Still got no pulse,” Zoe said. She was sweating now, and her face rigid with concentration as she continued pressing against Mal’s sternum. Simon turned on the defibrillator, which began to charge.
“Okay, stop. Let’s check,” he said, and Zoe immediately pulled her hands away.
Only the sound of the charging machinery could be heard in the abrupt silence as everyone waited for Simon’s verdict. He nodded grimly, and Zoe resumed compressions. He stepped in front of Mal, blocking Inara’s line of sight, which made her try to shift. She felt panic rise up at not being able to see him, but Kaylee held her in place.
“Easy, there. Come on, Inara, take my hand,” Kaylee said, and Inara instinctively did so, reaching up to her shoulder and squeezing Kaylee’s fingers tightly.
“Clear!” Simon said, and Inara did cry aloud as Mal’s body jolted with electric current.
She’d never seen him like this - so still and helpless. Awake, Malcolm Reynolds was a force of nature. Even asleep, he was restless and twitchy. Now, though, he was utterly without animation, and the bitter reality of his injuries made Inara shudder with grief.
There was silence again as Simon watched the machine for a heartbeat. He shook his head as it began charging up once more and Zoe and River both resumed their previous positions. Simon’s calm was beginning to slip.
“Clear!” he cried again, and the ritual was repeated. Inara waited in frozen horror as it happened again and again, each time to no change.
“Zoe,” Simon began, but whatever it was he intended to say, she cut him off. She snarled and shook her head.
“Don’t you say it,” Inara whispered to the doctor. “Don’t you give up on him.”
“No you don’t,” Zoe growled, although Inara couldn’t tell if it was directed at Simon or Mal. “You don’t get to do this,” she hissed in anger and crawled up on the operating table so she was leaning directly over Mal. She began compressions again, and Inara flinched as she thought she heard something crack.
“Zoe,” Simon began again, his voice thick.
Inara shook her head. “He’s not done yet,” she said, firmer now.
“I can’t get him stabilized,” Simon said in a voice so small it sounded like he was pleading.
“No!” Inara screamed her denial. “He’s not dead yet!” she cried, and would have surged out of Kaylee’s arms if not for Jayne’s big hands abruptly joining them.
“Captain’s been more dead before,” he rumbled, but the expression in the mercenary’s eyes belied his uncertainty.
“Sergeant!” Zoe barked directly in Mal’s pale face. “Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds! There’s men still unaccounted for, sir. What do you want me to do?!” she yelled, her lips next to Mal’s ear. Inara froze at the sight. It resonated within her as she wondered if such a thing could have happened before.
“Captain! They’ve got Inara! I need a plan!” Zoe tried again, and as she pulled back to begin compressions Simon leaped forward and pulled her away.
“Listen!” The entire room stilled. In the sudden silence, the gentle beeps of the monitor sounded deafening.
“That’s it! That’s it, Mal!” Zoe pulled out of Simon’s grasp and leaned forward to whisper in Mal’s ear. She turned her head to smile brilliantly at Inara, her eyes bright and fierce. “Man never could walk away from a fight,” Zoe said in satisfaction and crossed the room to pull Inara into a tight hug. She clutched at Zoe’s vest like she was drowning, laughing and crying at the same time.
“Now that he’s stabilized, I need all of you out of here. The captain’s got a long way to go yet, and you’re contaminating my surgery room,” Simon said, looking nearly as pale as Mal, and the faint whooshing sound reminded Inara that during all that had happened, River hadn’t once stopped breathing for him.
“Told you we wouldn’t let him go,” she said solemnly. “Now Simon puts him back together, and we become the glue that keeps him that way.”