(Firefly/Harry Potter) Ariel for rosepetal9
Title: Ariel
Author: FaithSummers80
Fandoms: Firefly/Harry Potter
Characters River, Simon; Hermione
Pairings: N/A
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 5000
Spoilers: Season 1 plus the Serenity movie for Firefly, no spoilers for Harry Potter fandom
Warnings: some mild cursing and violence
Disclaimer: Harry Potter was created by J. K. Rowling. Firefly was created by Joss Whedon.
A/N: Obviously I’ve taken some dialogue from the movie Serenity and a lot more from the episode Ariel. The original transcriber of Ariel is “Elena B”. Hermione is River’s cousin. They attend Hogwart’s together.
Abig thank you to Jaune_Chat for the super-fast beta- read and to my alpha-reader SentientCitizen.
Summary: Remix of the Firefly episode “Ariel”.
Part 1
Planet: Osiris, Year: 2517
The Academy’s Secure Containment Facility
“Ms. Granger,” a voice calls out.
In her dream, Hermione turns, suppressing a shiver. It is one of those batty men with the dark suits and blue gloves. There is something sinister about the gloves. Even in this day and age some Muggles still have phobias about germs and such, but this is different.
The man strides briskly towards her as her dream-self fights the urge to run. He stops far too close within her personal space. “Congratulations on graduating with honors, Ms. Granger.” He gives her what she thinks is supposed to be a smile, the effect is quite unsettling.
Hermione is awoken from her nightmare by a scuffling noise outside her little cell. Blinking slowly she opens her eyes to see her Cousin Simon standing over her bed. He clamps a hand over her mouth and she wonders if it is another nightmare. However with a shake of his head and a soft, “Shhh,” he releases her.
“River---” Hermione begins.
Simon shakes his head again and gestures at the door.
They slip down the hallway as quietly as they can. In a chamber full of windows they see River strapped to a chair. No alarms have sounded yet and Simon motions for Hermione to remain where she is. Simon strolls right into the room asking questions imperiously and generally acting as though he owns the establishment. The guards are sufficiently cowed and allow him entrance.
Hermione waits impatiently in the corridor, listening to Simon. Too bad he was such a talented doctor as he’d have made a brilliant actor.
“River Tam is our star pupil,” the smug scientist says.
“I’ve heard that,” Simon responds.
“She’ll be ideal for defense deployment…even with the side effects.”
“Tell me about them,” Simon commands.
“Well, obviously she’s unstable.” He yammers as if speaking to a small child instead of a surgeon that graduated in the top 3% of his class at the most prestigious medical school in the Core. “The neural stripping does tend to fragment their own reality matrix. Manifests as borderline schizophrenia.”
Simon interrupts, “What use do we have for a psychic if she’s insane?”
“Not just a psychic, given the right trigger this girl is a living weapon,” the smug scientist gushes. “She has her lucid periods, we’re hoping to improve upon the - I’m sorry sir, I have to ask is there a reason for this inspection?”
“Am I making you nervous?” Simon asks smugly.
“Key members of parliament have personally observed this subject. I was told that the Alliance’s support for the project was unanimous. The demonstration of her powers-”
“How is she physically?” Simon interrupts again.
“Like nothing we’ve seen. All of our subjects are conditioned for combat, but River - she’s a creature of extraordinary grace.”
“Yes, she always did love to dance,” Simon muses.
He drops to the floor and deploys some sort of shock weapon. At this cue Hermione rushes in the room.
“River,” Simon calls softly. “River, its Simon.” He quickly begins to unstrap her as Hermione removes electrodes.
They flee the facility Simon doing his best to support River who is still weak and disoriented. Hermione flings curses for all she’s worth and somehow between her skills and Simon’s illegally obtained weapons they manage to escape to the small shuttle pod Simon has purchased.
The victory is not entirely sweet though. When they are finally still Hermione can see how badly Simon’s leg has been injured in the fire-fight with the federal agents. And poor River…Hermione is not certain if her cousin is still in shock, but she has yet to speak a word to either of them. No less distressing is the fact that Simon Tam, once the most brilliant young surgeon on all of Osiris, is now a wanted fugitive.
Part 2
Planet: Ariel, Year: 2518
Firefly Class Transport: the Serenity
Wash and Zoe stroll through Serenity towards the kitchen. They’re bantering back and forth about whether there will be shore leave or not.
“We don't even have to go someplace fancy. We can just go to the park or something….” He pauses, “Feed the pigeons?”
“Sure,” his wife retorts. “Feed the pigeons. Probably get the firing squad for littering.”
“Come on, it's not that bad.” He puts his hand on her arm affectionately.
“It is. It's a Core planet, it's spotless. It's got sensors, and where there ain't sensors, there's feds. All Central planets are the same.”
Wash looks around the room for support, gaze settling on Inara. “Could you please tell my wife the fun she's missing out on?”
The Companion smiles sweetly. “Ariel's quite a nice place, actually. There are some beautiful museums, not to mention some of the finest restaurants in the Core.”
“But ... not boring, like she made it sound. There's a...”
“There's hiking.” Simon volunteers.
“Yeah!” Wash says trying to sound enthused.
“And you can go swimming in a bioluminescent lake,” the doctor continues.
‘Skinny Dipping!’ Wash thinks and nods encouragingly.
“I don't care if it's got sunsets twenty-four hours a day. I ain't setting foot on that planet,” Zoe grouses.
The Captain walks into the room and overhears the last part of the conversation. “No one is setting foot on that fancy rock. I don't want anyone leaving the ship. Come to think of it, I don't want anyone looking out the windows or talking loud.”
Jayne sits caressing his gun lovingly. “What's the point of coming to the Core if I can't even step off the boat?”
“You could have got off with Shepherd Book at the Bathgate Abbey. Could have been meditating on the wonders of your rock garden by now,” Mal reminds him.
“Well it beats just sitting,” Jayne gripes.
“It is just sitting,” Wash quips sarcastically.
River watches Jayne lick his knife and suppresses a shiver of disgust.
Kaylee joins the crew for the meal, flopping down next to Inara. “So how long you gonna be planet-side?”
“Shouldn't be more than a day or two.”
“Big stop just to renew your license to Companion. Can I use Companion as a verb?” the pilot asks.
Inara laughs softly at the weak joke, “It is Guild law. All Companions are required to undergo a physical examination once a year.”
Jayne hocks and spits on his gun.
Simon pauses eating in disgust. “Could you not do that while we're... ever?”
Jayne spits on his gun again giving Simon a challenging look.
Simon stares at Jayne a few more seconds before turning away, appalled. He starts to get up from the table and struggles a bit. Hermione rushes to assist him. He waves her away impatiently.
River sits idly fingering her wand, listening to the great big oaf bray. Who does he think he is? Her brother Simon is a great and brilliant man - a doctor who has saved many lives. Including hers and Hermione’s. River knows that with their combined intellect and magical powers she and her cousin would have eventually escaped the Academy. But it was Simon’s wealth and connections that had gotten them off planet. He had given up everything to save them, not to mention sustaining a serious injury in the rescue effort. And to sit and listen to this hulking nothing for brains insult him - well River was just about done with that.
Wash turns to Inara. “So, two days in a hospital? That's awful. Don't you just hate doctors?”
Simon pauses as he makes his excruciating path to the door. “Hey!”
River strolls towards them, still twirling her wand.
Wash obviously realizes he’s put his foot in his mouth and rushes to say, “I mean, present company excluded of course.”
Jayne looks up from fondling his weapons with a smirk. “Let's not be excluding people...That'd be rude.”
River advances quickly on Jayne, ‘That’s enough!’ she thinks as she waves her wand and there’s a flash of light and Jayne is turned into a toad.
Wash stares at his green hoppy crewmate, “What the hell?!”
Simon limps over to River as quickly as he can, “River! No!”
Kaylee kneels down by the Jayne-toad. “Are you okay?” she asks it/him uncertainly.
The others crowd around and peer down at the toad with expressions varying from curiosity to fear.
“River? Change him back,” Simon says sternly.
River scoffs, “He looks better like that.” But she shrugs and waves her wand again. Jayne reappears, now sitting on the floor.
Everyone stands around in confusion and shock. Mal looks between River, who seems surprised by the fuss, and Jayne, who is seething with anger.
“Gorram freak's completely off her axel!” Jayne rages.
Simon tries to smooth things over. “I'm sorry about this. I don't know what”
Jayne interrupts, “Shut up, I ain't talking to you.” He looks up at Mal, “She's gotta go. They all gotta go. Ariel's as good a place as any to leave 'em. Might even pick us up a reward for our trouble.”
Mal gets an angry look on his face. “No one's getting left,” he says in a tone that brooks no debate.
“She belongs in a bughouse. Her and that witch cousin of hers both. You don't pitch her off this boat right now, I swear to you...”
Mal takes a menacing step towards Jayne. “What? What are you swearing, Jayne?”
“They don't get gone, you better start locking up your room at night. Next time little sister gets in a conjurin’ mood, might be you she comes calling on.”
Mal didn’t respond.
“They were right about ‘em on that backwater colony, Jiangyin - oughta be burned at the stake the whole lot.” Jayne snarls.
Mal leans in very close to Jayne. “This is my boat. They're part of my crew. No one's letting left. Best you get used to that.”
Jayne frowns at Mal, looking very unhappy, but holds his tongue. He glares at Simon then leaves the room.
Mal walks over to Simon and leans to mutter in his ear, “You’ve got to reign those two in. They’re to keep them sticks of theirs in their rooms at all times, no exceptions.” Simons nods, unhappily. “You understand?”
Simon sighs heavily, “I do.”
“When I took you and your kin-folk in, the deal was you keep ‘em in check. You can’t hold up your end, we're going to have to revisit the deal.”
Simon nods, looks down. Mal looks away.
=-=-=--
Jayne and Mal play horse shoes in the cargo bay to pass the time. Zoe and Wash sit on barrels nearby watching and occasionally commenting on the game.
“How're we going to find a job if we don't leave the ship?” Jayne has been complaining and trying get off the ship since they landed.
“It's Alliance territory. Ain't any jobs worth having,” Mal says as he lines up to throw.
“My pop always said, 'anyone who can't find work ain't looking hard enough',” Jayne quotes as he walks over to gather up horseshoes. “We ain't even looking at all.”
Kaylee and Simon enter.
“You can stop looking,” the doctor announces. “I have a job for us.”
The crew stares at Simon for a minute before the Captain speaks up. “You've got a job for us?”
Simon nods. “One that will pay for itself ten times over.”
Everyone gathers closer looking skeptical.
“Aw, forget it. We ain't that desperate,” Jayne says as he prepares for his next throw.
“You know what this is?” Simon holds up a small vial for everyone to see. “It's a common immune booster called isoprovaline. Street value for a dosage this size, fifty platinum.”
Suddenly Jayne looks intrigued. Zoe and Mal exchange looks.
“Maybe twenty credits.” Simon says. “It’s a good plan. River is brilliant,’ he thinks before he holds up another vial. “Propoxine, maybe eighty.”
He hands it off to Wash. “Hydrozepam, two hundred. And all of these are just from the medkit I had with me when I came on board. At a hospital like the one in Ariel City,
they'll have shelves of that stuff. Whatever the take, it's more than enough payment for what we have in mind.”
“So you’re gonna tell us how to clean out the hospital?” Mal clarifies.
“Yes.”
“Not to be negative, but, don't the hospital need that medicine?” Kaylee asks.
The first mate speaks up. “Government run facility. They'd be restocked in a matter of hours.”
Simon gives her a small smile and a nod. “She's right. They'll never miss it.”
Mal looks thoughtful. “Plus, folks on the Rim sure could use it.”
“You know, it's all very sweet; stealing from the rich, selling to the poor, but you're talking about breaking into a highly secure Alliance facility. How do you on plan getting around security?” Wash asks the question on everyone’s mind.
=-=-=-
Hermione and River sit cross-legged on River’s bed in their quarters. They’re going through potion implements juxtaposed with a computer detailing the schematics of the neuroimagining machine they hope will hold the key to Simon’s cure. They’re staying out of everyone’s way because Jayne is still mad and Kaylee is still freaked out.
“I should go too,” Hermione finally says.
“You heard Simon - three bodies are much more likely to cause suspicion than two,” River responds.
Hermione sighs in frustration - what she wouldn’t give for Harry’s invisibility cloak right about now.
“The Draught of Living Death is simple enough to make… just add powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood.” Hermione recites from memory. She learned about this potion first year in Professor Snape’s potions class. “It’s the Envigorating Elixir that I’m more concerned about. It’s one of the trickier potions I’ve ever seen…and I made Polyjuice potion second year at Hogwarts.”
=-=-=-=
The others stand or sit around the kitchen table looking at schematics while Simon
walks around the table outlining his plan, “A small battery of local Alliance Federals substationed here,” he points at a screen as the others look on. “Now, every floor, every doorway is equipped with sensors, and at all points of entry - patient ident scans. However, once clear of those checkpoints, movement within the facility itself should be relatively unhindered.” Everyone listens, rapt. “Now, the standard layout should put the medvault somewhere...”
Mal interrupts, “Now, let's go back to the ident scans. You and your kinfolk are tagged fugitives. How do you figure we're going to get you in the building?”
Simon smiles slightly, “Through the front door,” Mal scoffs. “Believe me, Captain, getting us in is going to be easy. The rest of you - that is going to be the real trick. We'll need to procure a few items off ship. I've made a list. Now, given my status as a fugitive, someone else will have to.”
Kaylee, Jayne, and Wash all thrust their hands in the air enthusiastically. Zoe and Mal share an exasperated look.
Simon nods. “Good. Now, before we ever make it to the front door we're going to have to breach the perimeter. Only official vehicles are allowed in, so, we'll need one.”
The Captain lifts an eyebrow.
Simon continues on, oblivious. “Now, obviously we can't steal what we need. Any illegal activity in the planning stages could end this thing before it starts. St. Lucy's Hospital contracts with the local municipal dumpyard for all its large disposals.”
No one interrupts.
“Big hospitals mean big waste, so we shouldn't have any trouble finding what we're looking for.”
=-=-=-=
The next day paramedic training begins in the infirmary. Hermione expects this portion of the plan to be a hoot.
Simon is sitting to rest his injured leg. The others - Zoe, Mal, and Jayne are all lined up in front of him. The tasks of acquiring fake identification and uniforms are complete. Kaylee and Wash are finishing up the repairs to their transportation down in the cargo bay.
“The patients were cynical and not responding and we couldn't bring them back,” Mal recites haltingly.
“They were cyanotic,” the doctor corrects.
Mal nods tightly. “They were cyanotic and not responding…”
“Not responsive,” Simon coaches. Mal pauses some more. Simon prompts, “And we were unable to...”
Mal and Zoe stumble through the words together, “Res... Resuscitate them.”
Mal pounds the table, swearing in Chinese, “Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng!”
Jayne looks confused.
Simon, “Resuscitate them.”
Mal and Zoe chorus, “Resuscitate them.”
Simon, “Good.”
“They were cyanotic,” Mal continues.
Simon to Zoe, “What methods did you use?”
She hesitates, “We tried pulmonary stimulators and-and cardiac...”
“Infusers.”
Simon to Jayne, “What about cortical electrodes?”
“Oh! Uh, we forgot 'em.”
River and Hermione try to stifle their giggles as they watch the practice session from their hidey-hole in the ventilation duct.
Simon tries to hide his impatience, “Let's try that again.”
“Pupils were fixed and dilapidated---” Mal recites.
“Dilated.”
Now it is Jayne’s turn, he looks up, “We applied, we applied the cortical electrodes. We used them electromagnetic... Reacted from... We were unable to a ...” He pounds table, swears in Chinese.
The girls clutch at their sides as they laugh silently. River has tears of mirth streaming down her face.
Hermione sees Simon cast a suspicious glare at the ceiling and mouths, ‘Busted!’ to River.
“Come on,” River hisses at to her cousin. “Let’s go!”
=-=-=-=
Simon hobbles into the cargo bay, moving to stand between Kaylee and Wash. Hermione is softly conjuring more of a polish to the shiny, refurbished ship.
“That's amazing! You guys did an incredible job.”
All three walk toward a fully restored ambulance ship.
“And now, for the finishing touch,” Kaylee announces dramatically. She presses a button, opening the shuttle door. Out steps a uniformed Zoe, Mal, and Jayne. They look smart in their pressed uniforms.
“If I didn't know better I'd say you were ready to save some lives.”
“Now all we need is a couple of patients,” Mal says.
Simons frowns a bit. “Corpses, actually. For this to work River and I will have to be dead.”
Jayne smirks, “Huh. Think I'm starting to like this plan.” He chuckles evilly to himself.
=-=-=-=
“You and Simon will just be in a very deep sleep,” Hermione reminds River. “Captain Reynolds and the others will have to pretend you're dead to sneak you into the hospital. But once you're inside, they’ll give you another potion, and you'll wake up.”
“Everything will be fine. You understand?” Simon asks tentatively.
River nods, “The potion will suspend cerebral, cardiac, and pulmonary activity in order to induce a proto-comatose state.”
Simon nods proudly. “That's right.”
River and Simon each lay down on a bunk as Hermione gives the potion a last stir and then ladles it into two small cups. She hands the first cup to Simon. “Time to go to sleep.”
After he’s out River turns to Hermione mischief shining in her eyes. River performs a Disillusionment Charm on Hermione so she can sneak in too. She’ll have to be very careful because she can still be seen and bumped into.
-=-=-=-
Wash preps the medical shuttle for landing as Mal prepares the troops. “We speak only when spoken to, we avoid all unnecessary contact, and we stay together until we reach the morgue. Understood?”
Zoe nods sharply, “Yes, sir.”
Jayne is mumbling to himself, “We applied the cortical electrode...”
Hermione rolls her eyes where she is crouched under the gurney that holds River’s casket. ‘What. An. Idiot.’
“Jayne?” Mal says sharply.
The other man continues muttering, “were unable to get a neural response…” then louder, “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
“Are we gonna have a problem?”
Jayne shrugs, still not meeting the Captain’s eyes. “I know what I gotta do.”
“That's not what I'm talking about. Am I gonna have a problem with you and Simon?”
“That's up to him.”
“Look, you got turned into a little toad the other day. That's bound to make anyone a mite ornery, so I figure”
Jayne interrupts, “Hey I wasn’t little!” he pauses. “Besides, it's a good plan.”
“What?” Mal asks disbelief evident in the single syllable.
“The doc did good coming up with that job, don't mean I like him any better. Nothing buys bygones quicker than cash. Maybe I'll give him a tattoo while he's out.”
“Let them do their thing, and then you get them out. No messing with him for laughs,” The Captain admonishes.
“Don't worry about me, as long as I get paid I'm happy.”
The ambulance lands outside St. Lucy’s hospital. The bay door opens and the ramp extends to the landing pad. The crew pairs off to load the two caskets onto gurneys. Hermione scurries to climb onto the bottom of one of the wheeled carts.
Wash seems anxious. “We've only got a few hours left before the morning shift.”
“Won't be an hour,” the Captain says confidently.
The pilot returns to the ambulance. The other three wheel the gurneys past some guards, into the hospital. Mal walks confidently up to a nurses' station.
A female doctor approaches them. “What do we have here?”
Mal takes a deep breath. “Got a couple of DOAs, by the time we got there...”
The doctor interrupts, obviously uninterested. “Take them down to the morgue.”
Mal shoots an incredulous look at Zoe. She starts to push the gurney forward.
“We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.” Jayne blurts.
The doctor glances at Jayne, then looks down, still uninterested. Mal grimaces at Jayne. They head toward the morgue.
Once they reach the morgue they open the caskets, and move the Tams onto some examining tables. Mal props River up and pours a bit of the reviving potion into her mouth. He sees to Simon next.
Mal turns to Jayne, “That should bring them out of it in a few minutes. Once they're up, get them to the imaging suite. Let them do their thing and haul it back to the rendezvous. Fifty minutes.”
Mal and Zoe wheel the empty caskets out of the room.
Hermione waits under the gurney. She plans to remain hidden until River is awake… or possibly longer.
“Got it. I'll just sit right here.” Jayne sits back, looking around uneasily. Sighs, stands, and leaves the room.
Changing her mind, Hermione tiptoes after him.
He goes to a terminal and swipes a card, pressing the screen to reveal the Telefonix logo. A man’s voice greats Jayne in Chinese. “Ni hao.”
Jayne says something in a hushed voice.
Hermione strains to hear his conversation, but it is too muffled. She considers moving closer, but is worried she’ll be caught.
Jayne shuts down the terminal and walks back into the morgue-proper.
Hermione couldn’t hear his conversation clearly but what she did hear sounded quite dodgy.
Jayne looks into an empty holding drawer. Behind him, River sits up. Hermione beams at her cousin.
River smiling, “Sickle for a kiss.”
Jayne who had been staring in Hermione’s general direction, spins, startled, “Jesus! What did you say?”
She looks confused. Simon starts to cough convulsively.
Jayne looks at him. “What the hell's the matter with you?”
Simon, still hacking, “Nothing. Just the after effects of the potion. I'll be fine. Just give me a second.”
“Well, that’s what you get for drinking that gorram crap. Made a eye of newts and what-not.”
They get ready their disguises and exit the morgue.
Jayne walks impatiently next to Simon who is dressed as a doctor. Hermione as the nurse pushes River who is disguised as a patient along slowly in a wheelchair. They are passing through a recovery area, doctors, nurses, patients in beds.
“They're doing it backwards; walking up the down slide.” River says then thinks ‘No, No, not now!’ This was no place to have a vision.
“Keep her quiet.” Jayne hisses.
“This is the recovery ward,” Simon whispers to River. “This is where patients come to get better.”
“They're going to die.”
“No one is going to die,” Simon says soothingly.
River points to a bed. “He is.”
Simon hastily pushes her hand down. “No he's not. That man standing next to him is his doctor. He's going to help him.”
“He's not going to help him right.” River insists. She knows she Sees it.
“River, the doctors here are the best in the system. This is one of the top hospitals in the Core, or anywhere else.”
“Where you should be,” his sister responds sadly. She looks at the patient she indicated as monitors start to beep wildly. She starts to rise from her wheelchair, but Jayne pushes her back down.
“You have to help him.” Her voice rises in desperation.
“River, we don't have time,” Simon says tightly.
They hear one of the nurses say, “Code Blue.”
Simon seems to come to a decision as he pulls himself up to his full height. He looks at Jayne and River, “Stay here. Don't move.”
Simon runs to the flat-lining patient as Jayne looks on angrily and River watches with pride shining in her eyes. Simon takes charge of the situation and knows exactly what to do to save the man.
River smiles to herself, ‘Simon is such a good doctor. It is a shame he is wasted on the Serenity.’ Because of her. He should be an important doctor on a Core planet. He should have a palatial house a beautiful wife and lots of children.
Simon walks slowly back to them trying to conceal his obvious limp. “Let's go.”
They finally reach the neuro-imagining room which is large and empty room save the huge machine in the center. They enter shutting the door behind them softly.
Simon says to River, “Ready?”
River looks apprehensive, but nods. She glances nervously over to where she thinks Hermione is standing. When her cousin gently lays a hand on her arm she has to stifle a yelp.
Simon carefully levers himself into the machine. River walks to the controls, silently pressing some buttons. A humming sound fills the room and Jayne backs away from the machine. River closes her eyes stoically.
Simon carefully recites instructions to her as River types them into the wall terminal. A series of holographic images appear of Simon’s skeletal system and central nervous systems.
“Well, that's fascinating; let's get moving,” Jayne says with a bored air.
“We still have twenty minutes,” The young doctor protests.
“Plan changed while you was out. We're meeting out the back way in five.”
Simon looks uncertain, “Well, we could use another couple minutes. I'm sure if we get in touch with Captain Reynolds.”
“Captain gave his orders, we play it by the book.”
Jayne nudges River back into the wheelchair. “Let's go.”
“I don’t want to go,” she protests as he puts a big meaty hand on her shoulder forcing her back down.
“It’s okay, River,” Simon tries to console her.
“No, I wanted to help you! This was supposed to fix you! Make you better!”
“River, it's okay. It's over. We're leaving.”
Jayne jabs a finger in Simon’s direction, “You just make sure she keeps her mouth shut. Don't need her screeching while we're trying to make a quiet getaway.”
Hermione fumes at Jayne for treating her family in such a way, but manages to hold her tongue. They head back out into the somewhat crowded corridor.
Simon gives Jayne a sidelong glance. “You should have let me know when the plan changed.” He wonders if this is the older man’s petty revenge for the toad incident.
“I told you when you needed to know. What are you griping about? You got what you came for.”
They turn into a deserted hallway. Jayne walks ahead briskly.
‘No, no this is all wrong,’ River thinks before saying, “no, no, I can't go back. I don't wanna go back.”
Jayne opens a door at the end of the hall.
“We're just going back to the ship. We're almost home,” Simon says.
A group of armed, uniformed men burst into the once empty corridor, “Federal Marshals! Don't move!” the one that appears to be in charge stops in front of them. “River and Simon Tam, by the authority of the Union of Allied Planets, you are hereby bound by law.”
Hermione watches frozen in dismay as they close in on River and Simon. Two minions grab them, cuffing their hands behind their backs. A third grabs and cuffs Jayne. River and Simon are led away first.
There are so many of them Hermione isn’t certain what to do. As she’s still invisible she decides to make a run for it and get Captain Reynolds and the others.
Jayne whispers to the lead agent, “So, you gonna take me away for questioning now? How you wanna play it?”
The agent gives him a disdainful look, “You're under arrest for aiding and abetting Federal fugitives. Better get a lawyer.”
Jayne sputters protests and threats as he is led away after the Tams. Brother and sister are cuffed and seated in a holding cell. As Jayne is led in he strikes out with his elbow, hitting the guard in the face; the second guard gets kicked in the stomach. Jayne pins the first guard to the wall with his shoulder while Simon tries to do the same to the second guard.
Jayne knocks the first guard to the ground and cracks skull. He then rolls away and brings his bound hands under his legs, his hands are still bound, but are now in front. River watches, uncertain if she can be of help or not.
Jayne climbs on top of the first guard and starts throttling him. The guard manages to roll over until he is on top of Jayne. The second guard starts to rouse, and Simon presses a knee into his chest, holding him down. The first guard punches Jayne a few times, but then the big man regains the top position, hauling the first guard to his feet. Simon is still struggling to hold the other guard immobile.
Hermione runs for all she’s worth dodging through the increasingly crowded corridors. She bumps into an intern and send him sprawling, she’s drawing startled looks as though the charm is finally really wearing off.
The witch comes skidding to a halt outside the fake med evac shuttle just in time to hear. She pauses trying to catch her breath.
“Enough to keep us flying,” the Captain says.
“Can we fly somewhere with a beach?” Zoe asks.
“Maybe a naked beach?” Wash asks as he thinks, ‘Mmm…skinny dipping.’
“Ooh,” Zoe purrs.
Wash makes a sound of agreement. They start to make out.
“Cut it out,” Mal says irritably. “Job's not done until we're back on Serenity.”
“Sorry, sir. Didn't mean to enjoy the moment.” She is obviously trying and failing to keep a straight face.
Hermione steps forward, “Guys!”
Everyone jumps and turns in her direction exclaiming in surprise.
Hermione believes she is now mostly but not yet fully visible.
Wash attempts to wave his hand at her as though believing it will pass through like she’s a ghost.
She bats his hand away irritably. “They’ve been captured!”
Now Zoe and Mal look worried; Wash is still smiling and thinking happy thoughts of naked beaches.
“What the - why aren’t you on the Serenity with Kaylee where you’re supposed to be?” Mal asks tersely. “And why in the rutting hell can I see though you!?”
“No time for that. The feds have River, Simon, and Jayne,” Hermione supplies promptly.
Wash hails the Serenity. “Kaylee, are you linked?”
Static crackles, then fades, on the radio, “I am now. What do you need?”
Wash asks, “Find out if there's any kind of security alert in the hospital.”
“Hang on,” the engineer responds.
“Why didn’t Jayne send up a flag?” Mal asks half to himself.
Kaylee’s voice crackles through the comm unit, “Nothing from hospital security, nothing on the local pipeline, either…. Although I am getting some weird chatter from the official two-six-two. Sounds like... They're talking about ducks?”
“Code?” Hermione asks.
Zoe nods grimly and Mal says, “Feds got 'em.” The first mate turns to her husband.. “Have Kaylee bring up a hospital schematic on the Cortex. Find me a way into that security substation.”
Zoe hands Mal a communicator and they put on the earpieces.
“Wait a minute, you don't even know for sure if they're still in there,” Wash protests.
“We’re gonna find out.” Mal tests his com. “Check.”
Zoe nods, “Coming in clear.” She hands Mal a gun and straps another sidearm to her ankle.
“So, you're just going to walk in through the front door?” Hermione asks.
“No,” Mal chuckles, “Wash is gonna find me a way around back.”
Minutes later a smiling Mal and Zoe walk through a crowded hall. Mal mutters into his radio. “Uh, Wash, we need a little direction here.”
Wash to Mal, “Working on it.” The pilot switches radio units and says to Kaylee, “Kaylee, what do you got?”
“Tell them to hang a left when they reach cryo. They'll see a door,” the redhead chirps.
Wash relays the directions to Mal, and then looks around for Hermione, who has disappeared.
Mal and Zoe rush toward a door, take a quick left and hurry down a stairwell.
“This is exactly what I didn't want. I wanted simple. I wanted in-and-out. I wanted easy money,” Mal grumbles, sounding out of breath.
“Things always get a little more complicated, don't they, sir?”
“Just once I'd like things to go according to the gorram plan.”
Wash’s voice comes over the hiss of static on the comm unit. “Uh, guys, you might wanna hurry.”
“There a problem?” Mal demands.
“I think that reinforcements just arrived. Also the witch is gone,” Wash responds.
-=-=-
Jayne and the first guard grapple in the holding cell. Jayne manages to snap the guard's neck. The Tams watch as Jayne staggers to the dead guard and takes the handcuff keys; unlocking himself, then Simon, and then River. Simon picks up the second guard's gun and hands it to Jayne. Simon grabs River’s hand and they leave the cell, heading to the left. Jayne heads to the right.
“What are you doing?” Simon whispers.
“Going out the way we came in.”
“There are at least four armed feds out there,” Simon says in disbelief.
“Six. I know.”
The doctor points to the left. “We run.”
“You got no idea where that goes.” Jayne scoffs.
“We'll find our way,” Simon insists.
“I ain't chancing that. I can handle the feds.”
River shakes her head. “Doesn't matter.” The men turn to look at her. “They're here.”
She points down the corridor and they can hear distant screams. They glance around uneasily.
“What the hell is that?” Jayne asks.
River lets out an involuntary whimper. She knows that sound. “Two by two. Hands of blue. Two by two.”
As Jayne and Simon look at her, she turns and runs crying down the hallway. Her brother runs after her. Jayne looks up the stairwell for a moment, then follows.
River studied the hospital schematic before they left the Serenity and she knows exactly where she wants to go. She pushes open a heavy metal door and runs across an empty room. She can hear Jayne and Simon behind her.
Jayne grumbles to Simon, “Where the hell's she going?”
“There must be some sort of exit this way.”
“I don't see no exit. I got no intention to run around like a rat in a maze 'til we're dead. Now, we're going back.”
Someone screams in the distance. Jayne looks back, gasps, and follows them.
River runs down a staircase. “Almost there.” She runs down another flight taking the stairs two at a time. “Almost there.” She reaches the bottom and stops in front of a blue door. “There.”
Jayne tries the door and finds it locked. “Stand back.”
Simon pushes River gently out of the way. “C'mere. You have your wand?” he whispers.
She shakes her head, then starts in surprise as Hermione presses it into her hand. “Yes, yes I have it,” River stutters.
Jayne shoots at door, a few sparks fly but not much else happens. “Shee-niou,” he curses in Chinese. “High-tech Alliance crap,” he grumbles in disgust.
He tries to use the gun to beat at the lock. River steps in front of him wand outstretched. He takes a hasty step back. “Alohamora.” The door clicks unlocked.
They run for it River in the lead her eidetic memory leading them through the twists and turns and out a service entrance. Hermione lays down a covering fire of blocking and stunning spells against their few pursuers.
-=-=-=
The ambulance pulls into Serenity’s cargo bay. Kaylee sprints down the set of stairs to push the button that closes the cargo bay door. The Captain climbs out of the ambulance and goes to the cockpit window. He turns to Wash, who is now exiting the shuttle. “Tell me we weren't followed.”
Wash shakes his head and smiles. “Nothing in our rearview the whole way back.”
“All right. Take us out of the world, as quick as you can,” the Captain orders.
“We'll be out of atmo in five minutes.”
Simon and River join them.
Mal asks Simon, “So... did you get what you needed?”
“I think we did. I have the information River downloaded off the imager. I just have to go over it and then... Ah, I'm hopeful.” He looks at River who smiles back.
-END-
Prompts:
-Characters from different fandoms turn out to be siblings/relatives
-River is sent acceptance to two schools as a child: the Academy and Hogwarts (rather, its post-Earth-That-Was equivalent). Which does she choose? If she picks the Academy (leading to canon events), what does that mean for her latent magical talent? If she picks magic, how does canon change with the presence of River Tam, the sane, fully-trained witch?
Author: FaithSummers80
Fandoms: Firefly/Harry Potter
Characters River, Simon; Hermione
Pairings: N/A
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 5000
Spoilers: Season 1 plus the Serenity movie for Firefly, no spoilers for Harry Potter fandom
Warnings: some mild cursing and violence
Disclaimer: Harry Potter was created by J. K. Rowling. Firefly was created by Joss Whedon.
A/N: Obviously I’ve taken some dialogue from the movie Serenity and a lot more from the episode Ariel. The original transcriber of Ariel is “Elena B”. Hermione is River’s cousin. They attend Hogwart’s together.
Abig thank you to Jaune_Chat for the super-fast beta- read and to my alpha-reader SentientCitizen.
Summary: Remix of the Firefly episode “Ariel”.
Part 1
Planet: Osiris, Year: 2517
The Academy’s Secure Containment Facility
“Ms. Granger,” a voice calls out.
In her dream, Hermione turns, suppressing a shiver. It is one of those batty men with the dark suits and blue gloves. There is something sinister about the gloves. Even in this day and age some Muggles still have phobias about germs and such, but this is different.
The man strides briskly towards her as her dream-self fights the urge to run. He stops far too close within her personal space. “Congratulations on graduating with honors, Ms. Granger.” He gives her what she thinks is supposed to be a smile, the effect is quite unsettling.
Hermione is awoken from her nightmare by a scuffling noise outside her little cell. Blinking slowly she opens her eyes to see her Cousin Simon standing over her bed. He clamps a hand over her mouth and she wonders if it is another nightmare. However with a shake of his head and a soft, “Shhh,” he releases her.
“River---” Hermione begins.
Simon shakes his head again and gestures at the door.
They slip down the hallway as quietly as they can. In a chamber full of windows they see River strapped to a chair. No alarms have sounded yet and Simon motions for Hermione to remain where she is. Simon strolls right into the room asking questions imperiously and generally acting as though he owns the establishment. The guards are sufficiently cowed and allow him entrance.
Hermione waits impatiently in the corridor, listening to Simon. Too bad he was such a talented doctor as he’d have made a brilliant actor.
“River Tam is our star pupil,” the smug scientist says.
“I’ve heard that,” Simon responds.
“She’ll be ideal for defense deployment…even with the side effects.”
“Tell me about them,” Simon commands.
“Well, obviously she’s unstable.” He yammers as if speaking to a small child instead of a surgeon that graduated in the top 3% of his class at the most prestigious medical school in the Core. “The neural stripping does tend to fragment their own reality matrix. Manifests as borderline schizophrenia.”
Simon interrupts, “What use do we have for a psychic if she’s insane?”
“Not just a psychic, given the right trigger this girl is a living weapon,” the smug scientist gushes. “She has her lucid periods, we’re hoping to improve upon the - I’m sorry sir, I have to ask is there a reason for this inspection?”
“Am I making you nervous?” Simon asks smugly.
“Key members of parliament have personally observed this subject. I was told that the Alliance’s support for the project was unanimous. The demonstration of her powers-”
“How is she physically?” Simon interrupts again.
“Like nothing we’ve seen. All of our subjects are conditioned for combat, but River - she’s a creature of extraordinary grace.”
“Yes, she always did love to dance,” Simon muses.
He drops to the floor and deploys some sort of shock weapon. At this cue Hermione rushes in the room.
“River,” Simon calls softly. “River, its Simon.” He quickly begins to unstrap her as Hermione removes electrodes.
They flee the facility Simon doing his best to support River who is still weak and disoriented. Hermione flings curses for all she’s worth and somehow between her skills and Simon’s illegally obtained weapons they manage to escape to the small shuttle pod Simon has purchased.
The victory is not entirely sweet though. When they are finally still Hermione can see how badly Simon’s leg has been injured in the fire-fight with the federal agents. And poor River…Hermione is not certain if her cousin is still in shock, but she has yet to speak a word to either of them. No less distressing is the fact that Simon Tam, once the most brilliant young surgeon on all of Osiris, is now a wanted fugitive.
Part 2
Planet: Ariel, Year: 2518
Firefly Class Transport: the Serenity
Wash and Zoe stroll through Serenity towards the kitchen. They’re bantering back and forth about whether there will be shore leave or not.
“We don't even have to go someplace fancy. We can just go to the park or something….” He pauses, “Feed the pigeons?”
“Sure,” his wife retorts. “Feed the pigeons. Probably get the firing squad for littering.”
“Come on, it's not that bad.” He puts his hand on her arm affectionately.
“It is. It's a Core planet, it's spotless. It's got sensors, and where there ain't sensors, there's feds. All Central planets are the same.”
Wash looks around the room for support, gaze settling on Inara. “Could you please tell my wife the fun she's missing out on?”
The Companion smiles sweetly. “Ariel's quite a nice place, actually. There are some beautiful museums, not to mention some of the finest restaurants in the Core.”
“But ... not boring, like she made it sound. There's a...”
“There's hiking.” Simon volunteers.
“Yeah!” Wash says trying to sound enthused.
“And you can go swimming in a bioluminescent lake,” the doctor continues.
‘Skinny Dipping!’ Wash thinks and nods encouragingly.
“I don't care if it's got sunsets twenty-four hours a day. I ain't setting foot on that planet,” Zoe grouses.
The Captain walks into the room and overhears the last part of the conversation. “No one is setting foot on that fancy rock. I don't want anyone leaving the ship. Come to think of it, I don't want anyone looking out the windows or talking loud.”
Jayne sits caressing his gun lovingly. “What's the point of coming to the Core if I can't even step off the boat?”
“You could have got off with Shepherd Book at the Bathgate Abbey. Could have been meditating on the wonders of your rock garden by now,” Mal reminds him.
“Well it beats just sitting,” Jayne gripes.
“It is just sitting,” Wash quips sarcastically.
River watches Jayne lick his knife and suppresses a shiver of disgust.
Kaylee joins the crew for the meal, flopping down next to Inara. “So how long you gonna be planet-side?”
“Shouldn't be more than a day or two.”
“Big stop just to renew your license to Companion. Can I use Companion as a verb?” the pilot asks.
Inara laughs softly at the weak joke, “It is Guild law. All Companions are required to undergo a physical examination once a year.”
Jayne hocks and spits on his gun.
Simon pauses eating in disgust. “Could you not do that while we're... ever?”
Jayne spits on his gun again giving Simon a challenging look.
Simon stares at Jayne a few more seconds before turning away, appalled. He starts to get up from the table and struggles a bit. Hermione rushes to assist him. He waves her away impatiently.
River sits idly fingering her wand, listening to the great big oaf bray. Who does he think he is? Her brother Simon is a great and brilliant man - a doctor who has saved many lives. Including hers and Hermione’s. River knows that with their combined intellect and magical powers she and her cousin would have eventually escaped the Academy. But it was Simon’s wealth and connections that had gotten them off planet. He had given up everything to save them, not to mention sustaining a serious injury in the rescue effort. And to sit and listen to this hulking nothing for brains insult him - well River was just about done with that.
Wash turns to Inara. “So, two days in a hospital? That's awful. Don't you just hate doctors?”
Simon pauses as he makes his excruciating path to the door. “Hey!”
River strolls towards them, still twirling her wand.
Wash obviously realizes he’s put his foot in his mouth and rushes to say, “I mean, present company excluded of course.”
Jayne looks up from fondling his weapons with a smirk. “Let's not be excluding people...That'd be rude.”
River advances quickly on Jayne, ‘That’s enough!’ she thinks as she waves her wand and there’s a flash of light and Jayne is turned into a toad.
Wash stares at his green hoppy crewmate, “What the hell?!”
Simon limps over to River as quickly as he can, “River! No!”
Kaylee kneels down by the Jayne-toad. “Are you okay?” she asks it/him uncertainly.
The others crowd around and peer down at the toad with expressions varying from curiosity to fear.
“River? Change him back,” Simon says sternly.
River scoffs, “He looks better like that.” But she shrugs and waves her wand again. Jayne reappears, now sitting on the floor.
Everyone stands around in confusion and shock. Mal looks between River, who seems surprised by the fuss, and Jayne, who is seething with anger.
“Gorram freak's completely off her axel!” Jayne rages.
Simon tries to smooth things over. “I'm sorry about this. I don't know what”
Jayne interrupts, “Shut up, I ain't talking to you.” He looks up at Mal, “She's gotta go. They all gotta go. Ariel's as good a place as any to leave 'em. Might even pick us up a reward for our trouble.”
Mal gets an angry look on his face. “No one's getting left,” he says in a tone that brooks no debate.
“She belongs in a bughouse. Her and that witch cousin of hers both. You don't pitch her off this boat right now, I swear to you...”
Mal takes a menacing step towards Jayne. “What? What are you swearing, Jayne?”
“They don't get gone, you better start locking up your room at night. Next time little sister gets in a conjurin’ mood, might be you she comes calling on.”
Mal didn’t respond.
“They were right about ‘em on that backwater colony, Jiangyin - oughta be burned at the stake the whole lot.” Jayne snarls.
Mal leans in very close to Jayne. “This is my boat. They're part of my crew. No one's letting left. Best you get used to that.”
Jayne frowns at Mal, looking very unhappy, but holds his tongue. He glares at Simon then leaves the room.
Mal walks over to Simon and leans to mutter in his ear, “You’ve got to reign those two in. They’re to keep them sticks of theirs in their rooms at all times, no exceptions.” Simons nods, unhappily. “You understand?”
Simon sighs heavily, “I do.”
“When I took you and your kin-folk in, the deal was you keep ‘em in check. You can’t hold up your end, we're going to have to revisit the deal.”
Simon nods, looks down. Mal looks away.
=-=-=--
Jayne and Mal play horse shoes in the cargo bay to pass the time. Zoe and Wash sit on barrels nearby watching and occasionally commenting on the game.
“How're we going to find a job if we don't leave the ship?” Jayne has been complaining and trying get off the ship since they landed.
“It's Alliance territory. Ain't any jobs worth having,” Mal says as he lines up to throw.
“My pop always said, 'anyone who can't find work ain't looking hard enough',” Jayne quotes as he walks over to gather up horseshoes. “We ain't even looking at all.”
Kaylee and Simon enter.
“You can stop looking,” the doctor announces. “I have a job for us.”
The crew stares at Simon for a minute before the Captain speaks up. “You've got a job for us?”
Simon nods. “One that will pay for itself ten times over.”
Everyone gathers closer looking skeptical.
“Aw, forget it. We ain't that desperate,” Jayne says as he prepares for his next throw.
“You know what this is?” Simon holds up a small vial for everyone to see. “It's a common immune booster called isoprovaline. Street value for a dosage this size, fifty platinum.”
Suddenly Jayne looks intrigued. Zoe and Mal exchange looks.
“Maybe twenty credits.” Simon says. “It’s a good plan. River is brilliant,’ he thinks before he holds up another vial. “Propoxine, maybe eighty.”
He hands it off to Wash. “Hydrozepam, two hundred. And all of these are just from the medkit I had with me when I came on board. At a hospital like the one in Ariel City,
they'll have shelves of that stuff. Whatever the take, it's more than enough payment for what we have in mind.”
“So you’re gonna tell us how to clean out the hospital?” Mal clarifies.
“Yes.”
“Not to be negative, but, don't the hospital need that medicine?” Kaylee asks.
The first mate speaks up. “Government run facility. They'd be restocked in a matter of hours.”
Simon gives her a small smile and a nod. “She's right. They'll never miss it.”
Mal looks thoughtful. “Plus, folks on the Rim sure could use it.”
“You know, it's all very sweet; stealing from the rich, selling to the poor, but you're talking about breaking into a highly secure Alliance facility. How do you on plan getting around security?” Wash asks the question on everyone’s mind.
=-=-=-
Hermione and River sit cross-legged on River’s bed in their quarters. They’re going through potion implements juxtaposed with a computer detailing the schematics of the neuroimagining machine they hope will hold the key to Simon’s cure. They’re staying out of everyone’s way because Jayne is still mad and Kaylee is still freaked out.
“I should go too,” Hermione finally says.
“You heard Simon - three bodies are much more likely to cause suspicion than two,” River responds.
Hermione sighs in frustration - what she wouldn’t give for Harry’s invisibility cloak right about now.
“The Draught of Living Death is simple enough to make… just add powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood.” Hermione recites from memory. She learned about this potion first year in Professor Snape’s potions class. “It’s the Envigorating Elixir that I’m more concerned about. It’s one of the trickier potions I’ve ever seen…and I made Polyjuice potion second year at Hogwarts.”
=-=-=-=
The others stand or sit around the kitchen table looking at schematics while Simon
walks around the table outlining his plan, “A small battery of local Alliance Federals substationed here,” he points at a screen as the others look on. “Now, every floor, every doorway is equipped with sensors, and at all points of entry - patient ident scans. However, once clear of those checkpoints, movement within the facility itself should be relatively unhindered.” Everyone listens, rapt. “Now, the standard layout should put the medvault somewhere...”
Mal interrupts, “Now, let's go back to the ident scans. You and your kinfolk are tagged fugitives. How do you figure we're going to get you in the building?”
Simon smiles slightly, “Through the front door,” Mal scoffs. “Believe me, Captain, getting us in is going to be easy. The rest of you - that is going to be the real trick. We'll need to procure a few items off ship. I've made a list. Now, given my status as a fugitive, someone else will have to.”
Kaylee, Jayne, and Wash all thrust their hands in the air enthusiastically. Zoe and Mal share an exasperated look.
Simon nods. “Good. Now, before we ever make it to the front door we're going to have to breach the perimeter. Only official vehicles are allowed in, so, we'll need one.”
The Captain lifts an eyebrow.
Simon continues on, oblivious. “Now, obviously we can't steal what we need. Any illegal activity in the planning stages could end this thing before it starts. St. Lucy's Hospital contracts with the local municipal dumpyard for all its large disposals.”
No one interrupts.
“Big hospitals mean big waste, so we shouldn't have any trouble finding what we're looking for.”
=-=-=-=
The next day paramedic training begins in the infirmary. Hermione expects this portion of the plan to be a hoot.
Simon is sitting to rest his injured leg. The others - Zoe, Mal, and Jayne are all lined up in front of him. The tasks of acquiring fake identification and uniforms are complete. Kaylee and Wash are finishing up the repairs to their transportation down in the cargo bay.
“The patients were cynical and not responding and we couldn't bring them back,” Mal recites haltingly.
“They were cyanotic,” the doctor corrects.
Mal nods tightly. “They were cyanotic and not responding…”
“Not responsive,” Simon coaches. Mal pauses some more. Simon prompts, “And we were unable to...”
Mal and Zoe stumble through the words together, “Res... Resuscitate them.”
Mal pounds the table, swearing in Chinese, “Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng!”
Jayne looks confused.
Simon, “Resuscitate them.”
Mal and Zoe chorus, “Resuscitate them.”
Simon, “Good.”
“They were cyanotic,” Mal continues.
Simon to Zoe, “What methods did you use?”
She hesitates, “We tried pulmonary stimulators and-and cardiac...”
“Infusers.”
Simon to Jayne, “What about cortical electrodes?”
“Oh! Uh, we forgot 'em.”
River and Hermione try to stifle their giggles as they watch the practice session from their hidey-hole in the ventilation duct.
Simon tries to hide his impatience, “Let's try that again.”
“Pupils were fixed and dilapidated---” Mal recites.
“Dilated.”
Now it is Jayne’s turn, he looks up, “We applied, we applied the cortical electrodes. We used them electromagnetic... Reacted from... We were unable to a ...” He pounds table, swears in Chinese.
The girls clutch at their sides as they laugh silently. River has tears of mirth streaming down her face.
Hermione sees Simon cast a suspicious glare at the ceiling and mouths, ‘Busted!’ to River.
“Come on,” River hisses at to her cousin. “Let’s go!”
=-=-=-=
Simon hobbles into the cargo bay, moving to stand between Kaylee and Wash. Hermione is softly conjuring more of a polish to the shiny, refurbished ship.
“That's amazing! You guys did an incredible job.”
All three walk toward a fully restored ambulance ship.
“And now, for the finishing touch,” Kaylee announces dramatically. She presses a button, opening the shuttle door. Out steps a uniformed Zoe, Mal, and Jayne. They look smart in their pressed uniforms.
“If I didn't know better I'd say you were ready to save some lives.”
“Now all we need is a couple of patients,” Mal says.
Simons frowns a bit. “Corpses, actually. For this to work River and I will have to be dead.”
Jayne smirks, “Huh. Think I'm starting to like this plan.” He chuckles evilly to himself.
=-=-=-=
“You and Simon will just be in a very deep sleep,” Hermione reminds River. “Captain Reynolds and the others will have to pretend you're dead to sneak you into the hospital. But once you're inside, they’ll give you another potion, and you'll wake up.”
“Everything will be fine. You understand?” Simon asks tentatively.
River nods, “The potion will suspend cerebral, cardiac, and pulmonary activity in order to induce a proto-comatose state.”
Simon nods proudly. “That's right.”
River and Simon each lay down on a bunk as Hermione gives the potion a last stir and then ladles it into two small cups. She hands the first cup to Simon. “Time to go to sleep.”
After he’s out River turns to Hermione mischief shining in her eyes. River performs a Disillusionment Charm on Hermione so she can sneak in too. She’ll have to be very careful because she can still be seen and bumped into.
-=-=-=-
Wash preps the medical shuttle for landing as Mal prepares the troops. “We speak only when spoken to, we avoid all unnecessary contact, and we stay together until we reach the morgue. Understood?”
Zoe nods sharply, “Yes, sir.”
Jayne is mumbling to himself, “We applied the cortical electrode...”
Hermione rolls her eyes where she is crouched under the gurney that holds River’s casket. ‘What. An. Idiot.’
“Jayne?” Mal says sharply.
The other man continues muttering, “were unable to get a neural response…” then louder, “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
“Are we gonna have a problem?”
Jayne shrugs, still not meeting the Captain’s eyes. “I know what I gotta do.”
“That's not what I'm talking about. Am I gonna have a problem with you and Simon?”
“That's up to him.”
“Look, you got turned into a little toad the other day. That's bound to make anyone a mite ornery, so I figure”
Jayne interrupts, “Hey I wasn’t little!” he pauses. “Besides, it's a good plan.”
“What?” Mal asks disbelief evident in the single syllable.
“The doc did good coming up with that job, don't mean I like him any better. Nothing buys bygones quicker than cash. Maybe I'll give him a tattoo while he's out.”
“Let them do their thing, and then you get them out. No messing with him for laughs,” The Captain admonishes.
“Don't worry about me, as long as I get paid I'm happy.”
The ambulance lands outside St. Lucy’s hospital. The bay door opens and the ramp extends to the landing pad. The crew pairs off to load the two caskets onto gurneys. Hermione scurries to climb onto the bottom of one of the wheeled carts.
Wash seems anxious. “We've only got a few hours left before the morning shift.”
“Won't be an hour,” the Captain says confidently.
The pilot returns to the ambulance. The other three wheel the gurneys past some guards, into the hospital. Mal walks confidently up to a nurses' station.
A female doctor approaches them. “What do we have here?”
Mal takes a deep breath. “Got a couple of DOAs, by the time we got there...”
The doctor interrupts, obviously uninterested. “Take them down to the morgue.”
Mal shoots an incredulous look at Zoe. She starts to push the gurney forward.
“We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.” Jayne blurts.
The doctor glances at Jayne, then looks down, still uninterested. Mal grimaces at Jayne. They head toward the morgue.
Once they reach the morgue they open the caskets, and move the Tams onto some examining tables. Mal props River up and pours a bit of the reviving potion into her mouth. He sees to Simon next.
Mal turns to Jayne, “That should bring them out of it in a few minutes. Once they're up, get them to the imaging suite. Let them do their thing and haul it back to the rendezvous. Fifty minutes.”
Mal and Zoe wheel the empty caskets out of the room.
Hermione waits under the gurney. She plans to remain hidden until River is awake… or possibly longer.
“Got it. I'll just sit right here.” Jayne sits back, looking around uneasily. Sighs, stands, and leaves the room.
Changing her mind, Hermione tiptoes after him.
He goes to a terminal and swipes a card, pressing the screen to reveal the Telefonix logo. A man’s voice greats Jayne in Chinese. “Ni hao.”
Jayne says something in a hushed voice.
Hermione strains to hear his conversation, but it is too muffled. She considers moving closer, but is worried she’ll be caught.
Jayne shuts down the terminal and walks back into the morgue-proper.
Hermione couldn’t hear his conversation clearly but what she did hear sounded quite dodgy.
Jayne looks into an empty holding drawer. Behind him, River sits up. Hermione beams at her cousin.
River smiling, “Sickle for a kiss.”
Jayne who had been staring in Hermione’s general direction, spins, startled, “Jesus! What did you say?”
She looks confused. Simon starts to cough convulsively.
Jayne looks at him. “What the hell's the matter with you?”
Simon, still hacking, “Nothing. Just the after effects of the potion. I'll be fine. Just give me a second.”
“Well, that’s what you get for drinking that gorram crap. Made a eye of newts and what-not.”
They get ready their disguises and exit the morgue.
Jayne walks impatiently next to Simon who is dressed as a doctor. Hermione as the nurse pushes River who is disguised as a patient along slowly in a wheelchair. They are passing through a recovery area, doctors, nurses, patients in beds.
“They're doing it backwards; walking up the down slide.” River says then thinks ‘No, No, not now!’ This was no place to have a vision.
“Keep her quiet.” Jayne hisses.
“This is the recovery ward,” Simon whispers to River. “This is where patients come to get better.”
“They're going to die.”
“No one is going to die,” Simon says soothingly.
River points to a bed. “He is.”
Simon hastily pushes her hand down. “No he's not. That man standing next to him is his doctor. He's going to help him.”
“He's not going to help him right.” River insists. She knows she Sees it.
“River, the doctors here are the best in the system. This is one of the top hospitals in the Core, or anywhere else.”
“Where you should be,” his sister responds sadly. She looks at the patient she indicated as monitors start to beep wildly. She starts to rise from her wheelchair, but Jayne pushes her back down.
“You have to help him.” Her voice rises in desperation.
“River, we don't have time,” Simon says tightly.
They hear one of the nurses say, “Code Blue.”
Simon seems to come to a decision as he pulls himself up to his full height. He looks at Jayne and River, “Stay here. Don't move.”
Simon runs to the flat-lining patient as Jayne looks on angrily and River watches with pride shining in her eyes. Simon takes charge of the situation and knows exactly what to do to save the man.
River smiles to herself, ‘Simon is such a good doctor. It is a shame he is wasted on the Serenity.’ Because of her. He should be an important doctor on a Core planet. He should have a palatial house a beautiful wife and lots of children.
Simon walks slowly back to them trying to conceal his obvious limp. “Let's go.”
They finally reach the neuro-imagining room which is large and empty room save the huge machine in the center. They enter shutting the door behind them softly.
Simon says to River, “Ready?”
River looks apprehensive, but nods. She glances nervously over to where she thinks Hermione is standing. When her cousin gently lays a hand on her arm she has to stifle a yelp.
Simon carefully levers himself into the machine. River walks to the controls, silently pressing some buttons. A humming sound fills the room and Jayne backs away from the machine. River closes her eyes stoically.
Simon carefully recites instructions to her as River types them into the wall terminal. A series of holographic images appear of Simon’s skeletal system and central nervous systems.
“Well, that's fascinating; let's get moving,” Jayne says with a bored air.
“We still have twenty minutes,” The young doctor protests.
“Plan changed while you was out. We're meeting out the back way in five.”
Simon looks uncertain, “Well, we could use another couple minutes. I'm sure if we get in touch with Captain Reynolds.”
“Captain gave his orders, we play it by the book.”
Jayne nudges River back into the wheelchair. “Let's go.”
“I don’t want to go,” she protests as he puts a big meaty hand on her shoulder forcing her back down.
“It’s okay, River,” Simon tries to console her.
“No, I wanted to help you! This was supposed to fix you! Make you better!”
“River, it's okay. It's over. We're leaving.”
Jayne jabs a finger in Simon’s direction, “You just make sure she keeps her mouth shut. Don't need her screeching while we're trying to make a quiet getaway.”
Hermione fumes at Jayne for treating her family in such a way, but manages to hold her tongue. They head back out into the somewhat crowded corridor.
Simon gives Jayne a sidelong glance. “You should have let me know when the plan changed.” He wonders if this is the older man’s petty revenge for the toad incident.
“I told you when you needed to know. What are you griping about? You got what you came for.”
They turn into a deserted hallway. Jayne walks ahead briskly.
‘No, no this is all wrong,’ River thinks before saying, “no, no, I can't go back. I don't wanna go back.”
Jayne opens a door at the end of the hall.
“We're just going back to the ship. We're almost home,” Simon says.
A group of armed, uniformed men burst into the once empty corridor, “Federal Marshals! Don't move!” the one that appears to be in charge stops in front of them. “River and Simon Tam, by the authority of the Union of Allied Planets, you are hereby bound by law.”
Hermione watches frozen in dismay as they close in on River and Simon. Two minions grab them, cuffing their hands behind their backs. A third grabs and cuffs Jayne. River and Simon are led away first.
There are so many of them Hermione isn’t certain what to do. As she’s still invisible she decides to make a run for it and get Captain Reynolds and the others.
Jayne whispers to the lead agent, “So, you gonna take me away for questioning now? How you wanna play it?”
The agent gives him a disdainful look, “You're under arrest for aiding and abetting Federal fugitives. Better get a lawyer.”
Jayne sputters protests and threats as he is led away after the Tams. Brother and sister are cuffed and seated in a holding cell. As Jayne is led in he strikes out with his elbow, hitting the guard in the face; the second guard gets kicked in the stomach. Jayne pins the first guard to the wall with his shoulder while Simon tries to do the same to the second guard.
Jayne knocks the first guard to the ground and cracks skull. He then rolls away and brings his bound hands under his legs, his hands are still bound, but are now in front. River watches, uncertain if she can be of help or not.
Jayne climbs on top of the first guard and starts throttling him. The guard manages to roll over until he is on top of Jayne. The second guard starts to rouse, and Simon presses a knee into his chest, holding him down. The first guard punches Jayne a few times, but then the big man regains the top position, hauling the first guard to his feet. Simon is still struggling to hold the other guard immobile.
Hermione runs for all she’s worth dodging through the increasingly crowded corridors. She bumps into an intern and send him sprawling, she’s drawing startled looks as though the charm is finally really wearing off.
The witch comes skidding to a halt outside the fake med evac shuttle just in time to hear. She pauses trying to catch her breath.
“Enough to keep us flying,” the Captain says.
“Can we fly somewhere with a beach?” Zoe asks.
“Maybe a naked beach?” Wash asks as he thinks, ‘Mmm…skinny dipping.’
“Ooh,” Zoe purrs.
Wash makes a sound of agreement. They start to make out.
“Cut it out,” Mal says irritably. “Job's not done until we're back on Serenity.”
“Sorry, sir. Didn't mean to enjoy the moment.” She is obviously trying and failing to keep a straight face.
Hermione steps forward, “Guys!”
Everyone jumps and turns in her direction exclaiming in surprise.
Hermione believes she is now mostly but not yet fully visible.
Wash attempts to wave his hand at her as though believing it will pass through like she’s a ghost.
She bats his hand away irritably. “They’ve been captured!”
Now Zoe and Mal look worried; Wash is still smiling and thinking happy thoughts of naked beaches.
“What the - why aren’t you on the Serenity with Kaylee where you’re supposed to be?” Mal asks tersely. “And why in the rutting hell can I see though you!?”
“No time for that. The feds have River, Simon, and Jayne,” Hermione supplies promptly.
Wash hails the Serenity. “Kaylee, are you linked?”
Static crackles, then fades, on the radio, “I am now. What do you need?”
Wash asks, “Find out if there's any kind of security alert in the hospital.”
“Hang on,” the engineer responds.
“Why didn’t Jayne send up a flag?” Mal asks half to himself.
Kaylee’s voice crackles through the comm unit, “Nothing from hospital security, nothing on the local pipeline, either…. Although I am getting some weird chatter from the official two-six-two. Sounds like... They're talking about ducks?”
“Code?” Hermione asks.
Zoe nods grimly and Mal says, “Feds got 'em.” The first mate turns to her husband.. “Have Kaylee bring up a hospital schematic on the Cortex. Find me a way into that security substation.”
Zoe hands Mal a communicator and they put on the earpieces.
“Wait a minute, you don't even know for sure if they're still in there,” Wash protests.
“We’re gonna find out.” Mal tests his com. “Check.”
Zoe nods, “Coming in clear.” She hands Mal a gun and straps another sidearm to her ankle.
“So, you're just going to walk in through the front door?” Hermione asks.
“No,” Mal chuckles, “Wash is gonna find me a way around back.”
Minutes later a smiling Mal and Zoe walk through a crowded hall. Mal mutters into his radio. “Uh, Wash, we need a little direction here.”
Wash to Mal, “Working on it.” The pilot switches radio units and says to Kaylee, “Kaylee, what do you got?”
“Tell them to hang a left when they reach cryo. They'll see a door,” the redhead chirps.
Wash relays the directions to Mal, and then looks around for Hermione, who has disappeared.
Mal and Zoe rush toward a door, take a quick left and hurry down a stairwell.
“This is exactly what I didn't want. I wanted simple. I wanted in-and-out. I wanted easy money,” Mal grumbles, sounding out of breath.
“Things always get a little more complicated, don't they, sir?”
“Just once I'd like things to go according to the gorram plan.”
Wash’s voice comes over the hiss of static on the comm unit. “Uh, guys, you might wanna hurry.”
“There a problem?” Mal demands.
“I think that reinforcements just arrived. Also the witch is gone,” Wash responds.
-=-=-
Jayne and the first guard grapple in the holding cell. Jayne manages to snap the guard's neck. The Tams watch as Jayne staggers to the dead guard and takes the handcuff keys; unlocking himself, then Simon, and then River. Simon picks up the second guard's gun and hands it to Jayne. Simon grabs River’s hand and they leave the cell, heading to the left. Jayne heads to the right.
“What are you doing?” Simon whispers.
“Going out the way we came in.”
“There are at least four armed feds out there,” Simon says in disbelief.
“Six. I know.”
The doctor points to the left. “We run.”
“You got no idea where that goes.” Jayne scoffs.
“We'll find our way,” Simon insists.
“I ain't chancing that. I can handle the feds.”
River shakes her head. “Doesn't matter.” The men turn to look at her. “They're here.”
She points down the corridor and they can hear distant screams. They glance around uneasily.
“What the hell is that?” Jayne asks.
River lets out an involuntary whimper. She knows that sound. “Two by two. Hands of blue. Two by two.”
As Jayne and Simon look at her, she turns and runs crying down the hallway. Her brother runs after her. Jayne looks up the stairwell for a moment, then follows.
River studied the hospital schematic before they left the Serenity and she knows exactly where she wants to go. She pushes open a heavy metal door and runs across an empty room. She can hear Jayne and Simon behind her.
Jayne grumbles to Simon, “Where the hell's she going?”
“There must be some sort of exit this way.”
“I don't see no exit. I got no intention to run around like a rat in a maze 'til we're dead. Now, we're going back.”
Someone screams in the distance. Jayne looks back, gasps, and follows them.
River runs down a staircase. “Almost there.” She runs down another flight taking the stairs two at a time. “Almost there.” She reaches the bottom and stops in front of a blue door. “There.”
Jayne tries the door and finds it locked. “Stand back.”
Simon pushes River gently out of the way. “C'mere. You have your wand?” he whispers.
She shakes her head, then starts in surprise as Hermione presses it into her hand. “Yes, yes I have it,” River stutters.
Jayne shoots at door, a few sparks fly but not much else happens. “Shee-niou,” he curses in Chinese. “High-tech Alliance crap,” he grumbles in disgust.
He tries to use the gun to beat at the lock. River steps in front of him wand outstretched. He takes a hasty step back. “Alohamora.” The door clicks unlocked.
They run for it River in the lead her eidetic memory leading them through the twists and turns and out a service entrance. Hermione lays down a covering fire of blocking and stunning spells against their few pursuers.
-=-=-=
The ambulance pulls into Serenity’s cargo bay. Kaylee sprints down the set of stairs to push the button that closes the cargo bay door. The Captain climbs out of the ambulance and goes to the cockpit window. He turns to Wash, who is now exiting the shuttle. “Tell me we weren't followed.”
Wash shakes his head and smiles. “Nothing in our rearview the whole way back.”
“All right. Take us out of the world, as quick as you can,” the Captain orders.
“We'll be out of atmo in five minutes.”
Simon and River join them.
Mal asks Simon, “So... did you get what you needed?”
“I think we did. I have the information River downloaded off the imager. I just have to go over it and then... Ah, I'm hopeful.” He looks at River who smiles back.
-END-
Prompts:
-Characters from different fandoms turn out to be siblings/relatives
-River is sent acceptance to two schools as a child: the Academy and Hogwarts (rather, its post-Earth-That-Was equivalent). Which does she choose? If she picks the Academy (leading to canon events), what does that mean for her latent magical talent? If she picks magic, how does canon change with the presence of River Tam, the sane, fully-trained witch?