A coninuation of my spec.

You can find Part 1 here: Chapter 1

Part 2 here: Chapter 2

Part 3 here: Chapter 3

Leave me some love when you're done and don't be scared to tell a friend!

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ACT THREE

INT. SERENITY DINING AREA - CONTINUOUS

The crew moves in as River continues to scream.

RIVER "AAAGGGHHHooohhh crap! I did this!"

JAYNE "You’re just realizing that? How slow are you?"

Jayne takes a moment to think.

JAYNE "Did she just curse? She never curses."

Jayne continues to mumble to himself. Fearing a relapse, the crew ignores him and surrounds River.

SIMON "River, you remember?"

RIVER "The fight, the sword, the picnic--"

MAL "What picnic?"

ZOE "What’s a picnic?"

KAYLEE "River, we’ve never been on a picnic."

RIVER "Have we ever had a 'Screw it' day?" (off their confusion) "Okay, that was me."

SIMON "What do you remember?"

River takes a moment to rub her temples. Remembering seems to hurt.

RIVER "I wanted something from Jayne’s bag."

SIMON "What did you want?"

RIVER (pauses to remember) "What did I want...Oh, I wanted those face paints he uses sometimes."

MAL "You wanted to paint your face?"

RIVER "I wanted to escape."

SIMON "Painting helps you escape?"

KAYLEE "What did you want to paint?"

RIVER "Anything. Drawing is--was one of the few things I could do that if I did it wrong, it was okay." (a beat as everyone takes this in) "And then Jayne grabbed me. And he was just...grabbing me so hard and leaning so close. It was like he was another person and then I couldn’t stop myself."

SIMON "Why couldn’t you stop yourself?"

RIVER "I don’t know. Sometimes I didn’t even know my own name."

MAL "And the next time it happens?"

RIVER "There won’t be a next time."

MAL "You’re basing that on what?"

RIVER "If it happens, just do what you did."

SIMON "No. We’ll just use the safety word."

RIVER (what a terrifically bad idea) "Yes, let’s do teach it to everyone. Only good things will come of it."

River looks pale and weary.

KAYLEE "Are you all right?"

RIVER "Wish I could stop saying this: I don’t know."

INARA "Maybe you’d like something to eat?"

River’s face lights up at the thought as they head towards the table.

ZOE "And then you can depress us with some more of your stories."

JAYNE (to all as they leave) "What’s with River?"

CUT TO:

INT. SERENITY DINING AREA - LATER

Everyone is laughing away as they share a meal.

RIVER "And there he was with a pair of scissors in his hands and a bunch of hair around his ankles."

ZOE "How old were you?"

RIVER "Not that young. I was eleven and Simon was fifteen."

KAYLEE (to Simon) "Who told you to cut your own hair?"

SIMON "There has to be a better story than this one."

MAL (to River) "Then what happened?"

RIVER "He sees me come in and he says, 'stop staring and help me.'”

More laughs from the crew.

MAL "And you didn’t?"

RIVER "No, I did. I got him a razor. And a vacuum."

JAYNE "Vacuum? What for?"

RIVER "For all the thousands of little curly black hairs he left all over the bathroom." (reaction from crew)

JAYNE "I would have left them. Mark my territory."

RIVER "Under other circumstances I would have counted them--" (another reaction) "I loved to count things, but he was just standing there: bare-assed and trying to mutilate himself with a pair of scissors. And all for some tight bathing suit to impress some girl who never even looked at him."

SIMON "The End."

RIVER "And he ended up shaving way too close and got all these red bumps, so he should be glad he never got looked at."

SIMON (to River as the crew laughs) "I think I liked you better before."

RIVER "Oh, I know you will. I have so many more..."

River trails off as she rubs her temples and stands.

RIVER "Is the bathroom still this way?" SIMON "Yeah, do you--"

RIVER "Yes, I remember how to do it."

As River exits, Inara follows.

CUT TO:

INT. SERENITY OUTSIDE BATHROOM - MINUTES LATER

River exits the bathroom to see Inara waiting for her.

INARA "River, can I speak to you?" (sees River’s pale face) "Are you all right?"

RIVER "You followed me just to ask that?"

INARA "No...I...I wanted to know what I’ve done to make you hate me."

RIVER "I don’t hate you, Inara."

INARA "Then you hate what I am?"

RIVER "Let’s not do this."

INARA "Please. I’ve wanted to speak to you for so long. Just be honest with me."

RIVER (sighs) "Yes. I hate what you are. Very much so."

INARA "I see. Many people feel that way about Companions, but they don’t understand. We’re very well educated, we choose all our clients, and we live very well--"

RIVER "It doesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter how you dress it up, how much hot sex you get, or how much coin you make. It’s still sex for money."

INARA "It’s a lot more dignified than you just made it sound."

RIVER "All I know is when I was back there, I spent every day..." (trails off for a beat) "Everyday, I tried desperately to avoid the kind of violation that you go out and seek."

INARA (holds a beat) "I’m sorry, River." RIVER "I don’t care."

INARA "Everything I do is consensual."

RIVER "Just because it’s consensual doesn’t mean it’s not a violation." (looks away and softly) "The sad thing is you really could be an Ambassador."

INARA "While I respect your feelings in this, it seems you just don’t understand what being a Companion is about."

RIVER "Yeah. I don’t."

Clearly upset and ill, River storms off.

CUT TO:

INT. SERENITY DINING AREA - A LITTLE LATER

The crew is cleaning up the remains of the meal as River enters looking haggard. Zoe approaches.

ZOE "Hey, we were just thinking about having a picnic since I’ve never been and you really seem to want..." (sees River’s condition)

RIVER (distantly) "Simon..."

ZOE "Simon!"

Her urgency makes the others stop and take notice. Simon takes one look at his sister and is instantly at her side.

SIMON "What is it?"

RIVER "My head..."

SIMON "Okay, let’s get you to the infirmary."

River exits with help from Simon. The others follow when...

MAL "You stay here and finish." (off their concern) "I’ll let you know as soon as I know."

Mal exits.

INT. SERENITY HALLS - CONTINUOUS

Mal catches up with Simon who is leading River to the infirmary.

RIVER "It’s been coming and going."

SIMON "When did this start?"

RIVER "When Mal shot me."

SIMON "And it’s been getting worse since?"

RIVER "No...yes, but not because of that."

MAL "What do you mean?"

They exit into the infirmary.

INT. INFIRMARY - CONTINUOUS

Mal helps Simon sit River on a table. Simon grabs a light and shines it in River’s eyes.

RIVER "I thought it was a concussion and then I realized the pain was coming from here." (touches skull)

MAL "What does that mean?"

RIVER "This lobe controls memory."

MAL "Are you saying your memory hurts?"

RIVER "Yes."

SIMON "What should I do?"

RIVER "It hurts too much to think. Just give me something and then I’ll figure it out."

Simon nods, turns, and grabs a needle. He turns back.

RIVER’S P.O.V. - SLOW TO ABOUT HALF SPEED

Simon grabs River’s arm just over the elbow. He taps her vein. Once. Twice. We see the needle, dripping with serum, coming closer and closer until--

RIVER "No! Don’t!"

She begins to struggle.

SIMON (to Mal) "Help me hold her down."

MAL "Who’s going to help me?"

Simon and Mal force River down on the table. Despite her desperate verbal protests, River’s struggle consists more of shoving than the violent episode we saw before. Simon is just about to inject River when-

RIVER "Simon, wait! Just listen to me!" (to Mal) "Please..."

MAL "I’m not in the mood for a repeat of what happened earlier. Just relax and let your brother take care of you."

RIVER (to Simon) "Just listen to what I have to say and then you can shoot me up if you still want to."

Simon and Mal exchange a look, and then Mal nods.

RIVER "I know what’s wrong." (begins to laugh) "Those bastards knew what they were doing to me."

SIMON "What? What is it?"

RIVER "I’m changing back."

END OF ACT THREE

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