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[crazyspacegirl]

River had, these past few weeks, been spending her mornings dancing. Usually she used the stage, very early in the mornings when no one else was there yet. She would leave before the play rehearsals started, not really ready for anyone to watch her yet, and it was as though she had never been there to anyone who did not rise with (or sometimes

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[branbach]

It's Cof's whining, really, that brings Bran this way; the dog can scent blood and pain and her short barks of distress draw him and Cafall away from the compound and toward River. Which is when he sees her, her bloody puppy awkward in her arms.

"River?" he jogs toward her, alarmed. "What happened to Simon?"

[crazyspacegirl]

"He must have tried hunting something he shouldn't have." River was terribly glad to see Bran, who at least knew about dogs even if he wasn't a doctor of any sort. "Something with sharp claws, from the looks of it, and we don't have a veterinarian, but a regular doctor should be able to help, shouldn't they?"

Simon yelped when River adjusted her grip, and she felt herself wanting to cry for having hurt him more.

[branbach]

"That happens," Bran says, calmly, rubbing Simon's head gently. "Hold on there, boyo, and let me have a look, won't you?" He slips around her side, looking at her briefly for permission before bending to peer at Simon's leg. "A tourniquet will stop it bleeding," he says, his pale fingers coming away coated in red. "You don't want to bandage it if it's a bite."

[crazyspacegirl]

Simon whined, but he knew Bran and didn't struggle when he touched him.

"Yes. It needs to stop bleeding," said River, latching on to something that made sense. "I don't think it's a bite. It's more a cut than a chunk taken out of him, it looked like to me. Make him stop bleeding," she pleaded, hating herself for only knowing how to destroy things and not to save anything that she loved.

[purplensparkly]

Trance had been out scouting for locations for her soon-to-be house and had heard the yelp as well and went to go investigate. She stopped short when she saw River and her dog and her eyes widened when she saw the amount of blood.

"River? Stop for a minute, okay?" She started tearing off small pieces of her shirt. It wasn't perfect, but it would do better than the sweater. Smaller pieces equaled more pressure equaled a better chance of stopping the flow of blood. "I'll help carry him when I'm done."

[crazyspacegirl]

River stopped, holding tight to her whimpering dog. "Do you know how to help him?" she asked, more than a little bit desperate. "He was attacked by something with very sharp claws, and he needs a doctor."

At least she sounded as if she knew how to help, which was more than River was able to do.

[purplensparkly]

She glanced at the cut. Too much to take care of out here with nothing but her hands, but, "I can at least make it so it stops bleeding and then help you get him to the Compound." She knelt and patted a section of ground. "Put him here for a minute and I'll bind the wound."

She was all business, now, no trace of the somewhat naive bubblehead that she could be sometimes.

[crazyspacegirl]

River hesitated before placing Simon carefully on the ground. "Okay," she said, her voice shaking as much as the rest of her. "Please. Help. I don't know how."

She was only good for actual violence, and not for what came after.

[dr_robchase]

Chase saw blood.

And being an intensivist, blood meant two things. The first was the 'oh shit' reaction. The second, a recent addition, was the 'yaaay, something to do', with hands in the air and everything. But he snapped into action, recognizing River. "What happened?" he asked, alarmed.

[crazyspacegirl]

River felt nothing but relief at the sight of Chase. A real doctor (though she would have preferred Simon), and one who didn't scare her much. Mal liked him, and that was good enough for River.

"An animal got him. I didn't quite see what it was, but it was sharp and mean." Simon Chicago whined his agreement. "Can you help him? Please?"

[dr_robchase]

Chase gave the dog a pitied look at the whine, grasping for some bandages and warm water with soap. "Of course," he agreed. "Can you hold him still while we clean up the wound?"

[crazyspacegirl]

"Yes. I can." River was glad to be helpful, and focused on settling her dog on the table and holding him still, because if she let herself think about being in the clinic she wasn't sure if she could stay there. But she had done it for Mal, and she could do it for Simon Chicago, even though it made her shake all over.

[mr_vera]

Blood, the crazy girl, and her ugly pup howling up a storm. It only took Jayne a few seconds to realize what must've happened. Hell, that girl shouldn't be allowed out without a keeper - and he thought she'd been getting better and all.

"What th' hell did you do t' that dog?" he demanded. Probably thought it was a Reaver or an Alliance spy or somesuch.

[crazyspacegirl]

It hadn't even occurred to River that anyone might think that she had hurt her dog. Even if she had gone crazy, she didn't think she would do that. He was just a puppy, and she hadn't been programmed to kill puppies. In a way, though, she supposed that maybe it really was her fault; she should have looked out for him better, kept him from getting hurt.

Hearing Jayne blame her was too much for her to stand, when she was so scared already. She opened her mouth to ask him to help her, but started to cry instead.

[mr_vera]

Jayne sighed heavily. "Aw, hell," he muttered. The dog may've been ugly, but it didn't deserve to get hurt, no matter who'd done it. "Here, I'll help you get it t' the damn doctor," he said, since it was obviously too big for her to carry, and moved to take the dog from her. Hopefully she wouldn't try to kill him.

[crazyspacegirl]

River held Simon Chicago closer, unwilling to give him up right away. But she knew it would be faster if she let Jayne help her, even if he did think she'd been the one to hurt her puppy.

"Be careful," she said, letting him go. "I didn't hurt him," she added, sniffling. It was just as well she was letting Jayne carry him, because River couldn't quite see where she was going now that she couldn't stop crying.