Title: The Question part IV Author: Leslie (xsoulquakex) Fandom: Firefly Characters: Kaylee Prompt: 4. Blood Word Count: 733 Rating: PG13 Author's Notes: This is Part Four in a five part story that is being co-written between meimei42 and xsoulquakex. The prompts we're using are from the 50_darkfics livejournal community.

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Kaylee wanted to say 'Stop' or 'Don't' - anything to make the man stop from pulling out any more teeth. But the pain and the blood made it near impossible to do anything but sob and try not to choke on her own blood.

Kaylee hadn't noticed that someone had come into the room until they were standing right beside her. He whispered something to the man playing tormentor and the man left in a hurry, without saying a word. Once he was gone the man in the white lab coat turned to Kaylee.

"Kaylee, my name is Josiah and I am here to help." Kaylee watched as Josiah undid her the restraints on her feet and right arm. "I'm leaving one restraint intact so that you don't run away until I've explained to you everything that I need to." He pulled a fist full of gauze pads out of his pocket and pried open Kaylee's mouth. He pressed some of the gauze tightly into the hole in her gums and she let out a muffled scream. "I am sorry, but that will help stop the bleeding. Now, please listen because I must be quick. As I am sure you have gathered, you are in an Alliance facility. While you were on Persephone and away from Serenity you were cornered by Alliance members and compromised by a stun grenade. Other members of the crew were also attacked but were able to escape. Since you have been here I have been able to make contact with Serenity and your captain Malcolm Reynolds. He and the crew are on their way here. Do not ask me how I know these things, or why I do them - it is not important. But it is important that you get out of this room and not be found until Serenity has come for you. Do you understand?"

Kaylee nodded her head to say that she did and Josiah undid the last restraint. He handed her the gauze pads he'd had in his pockets and led her to the door and out of the room. She was suddenly in a hallway that seemed to go on for miles in either direction. She could barely walk or think for the pain in her mouth. She decided to turn left and made her way forward.

There were doors every few feet, but the hallway was filled with silence. She wanted a window, another hallway, something.

It wasn't long before she noticed that the gauze that Josiah had placed in the back of her mouth was beyond saturated and blood and saliva was making its way freely out of her mouth and onto her clothes. If she didn't do something soon she was going to begin leaving a trail on the floor. What she needed was a bathroom, but she didn't have that luxury. She reached into her mouth and pulled out the wad of blood and spit with a wince. She wrapped it up in some of the dry gauze and placed it on the floor. She placed fresh gauze in her mouth, picked up the saturated pieces, and continued on. She didn't get very far before her head swooned and her knees gave out. She hit the floor hard.

Her eyes fluttered open. She was being carried through a hallway. She passed out again. She woke up and was back in the chair. She kept her eyes closed. Things were different. She wasn't restrained. Someone was talking.

"Well, she'll be okay - the tooth isn't a big loss, it's one that could have come out anyway. But, between the blood loss and the pain it's no wonder she passed out." Simon? It couldn't be.. She opened her eyes and she saw him. She closed her eyes and opened them again, to be sure that what she was seeing was real. Simon was still there. She tried to say his name, but her tongue got stuck on the gauze in the back of her mouth.

"Kaylee?" Simon noticed that she's woken up, "Kaylee, don't say anything. Try to keep still," Simon turned around "Captain, she's awake."

Kaylee made to sit up and saw Mal standing by the door with Jayne and Zoe, the three of them armed to the teeth.

"Kaylee," Mal had come over "You just stay still and follow doctor's orders. We're gonna get you out of here real quick."