Blue Blood – Chapter Five I own no rights to Firefly, and make no money from my efforts. -------------------- “Try them again,” Mal ordered, and Inara fought a sigh as she rose and went to the cortex screen. She entered the Companion’s ID and hit send, expecting the signal to bounce right back, as it had done for the last several hours. So she was surprised when the screen beeped, and River’s face appeared on it, looking harried. “Inara?” “River, thank goodness!” Inara exclaimed. “We’ve been trying to reach you for. . .” “Cortex antenna was down,” River told her hurriedly. “We’ve repaired it, but Goldie was hit by a small meteorite while on the hull. We’re going to initiate full burn to Astra in just a moment.” “Where are you, River?” Mal demanded. “Thiry-two hours at standard burn from Astra,” she replied. “Turn around,” Mal ordered. “We’re closer to you than you are to Astra, and Simon’s on board.” River’s face showed her surprise at that. “It’s a long story, ‘tross,” Mal sighed. “Just do an about face, and head this way fast as you can. We’ll get together, and bring Goldie on board where Simon can get a look at him.” “Yes, Captain,” River nodded, changing course as she spoke. “We are coming about now.” “We’ll wave again, when we’re getting near,” Mal nodded, and River killed the connection. “Well, when it rains it pours,” he sighed. ------------------- “Why’d you turn?” Zoe demanded as she stalked up onto the bridge. “Captain Daddy and Serenity are not far behind us,” River told her, never taking her eyes from the instruments before her. “Simon is on board. We can rendevous with Serenity much quicker than we can make Astra.” Zoe nodded, anger abated at that. “What’s he doing out here?” was her next question. “Unknown,” River admitted. “Said it was a long story, and he would explain when we transferred Goldie to Serenity.” She risked a glance at Zoe. “How is he?” “It ain’t as bad as it looked,” Zoe admitted, relief evident in her voice. “But it’s bad enough. Jayne and I patched him up a bit, but he’s damaged inside.” “Simon will fix him,” River said confidently, returning her attention to the panel in front of her. Full burn was dangerous enough at the best of times. Without an engineer. . . “Jayne’s in the engine room,” Zoe commented, as if she were the reader and not River. “He knows enough to maintain, though if we break something we’re humped.” “We will be fine,” River assured her. “Serenity is also at full burn, and Kaylee is aboard, if Simon is.” Zoe nodded, not having thought that far ahead. “Call me if you need me,” she ordered, moving to leave. “I’ll be in the infirmary.” “Yes, Captain.” ------------------------ “Simon, you need to be ready to treat a patient,” Mal said as he walked into the galley where Simon and Kaylee were talking. “Goldie took a marble in the back during an EVA. Don’t know how bad it is, but they’re making full burn toward us right now.” “I’ll be ready,” Simon nodded, standing. Kaylee looked pale at the news. “Mei mei,” Mal told her, “I may need to transfer my crew to Companion and make the delivery, while everyone else goes back with Goldie. I’ll need you to take over here for Holly, if that happens.” “No problem, Cap’n,” Kaylee assured him. “Good. Simon, ‘spect you can wave Companion and get up to speed, if you feel the need, but don’t hinder’em too much. They’re short handed, and going full burn.” “Right,” Simon nodded, heading for the infirmary. He hadn’t stripped down the ship’s infirmary, never knowing when they’d need to leave. Serenity’s infirmary was nearly as well equipped as any hospital. Kaylee followed, leaving Mal alone in the galley. He rubbed his head, sighing. His crew’s were too small, he decided, walking slowly back toward the bridge. He needed at least a medic on each ship, now that Simon wasn’t part of the crew anymore. He’d have to look into that, once the present crisis was over. Present crisis, he snorted. There’s always a crisis of some kind around us. ---------------------- “Captain, we have Serenity on sensors, now,” Zoe heard River’s voice announce. The time had passed more quickly than Zoe would have thought possible. Goldie’s breathing was becoming more labored, and his vitals were falling dangerously low. Just in time, she thought, crossing to the com. I hope. “Very well, River. I’m on my way up.” She started for the bridge, hating to leave him alone, but knowing River would need help. ------------------- “Mal, we’re almost there,” Inara called, and Mal was on the bridge in seconds. “This’ll be touchy, bao bei,” he warned, unnecessarily. Inara had already worked that out in her own mind. She wasn’t the pilot that River was, and River wasn’t as good as Wash had been. ‘Touchy’ didn’t begin to describe it, so far as she was concerned. “I know,” was all she said. “You can do it,” Mal added softly, rubbing her shoulder. The words, and the touch steadied her, somewhat. “Let them ease down,” he ordered, feeling the shift in Serenity’s forward motion as Kaylee killed the burn, and began to apply rear thrust to slow the ship. “We’ve got more hands than they do.” “Why don’t we use the shuttles?” Inara asked suddenly, and Mal blinked at that. Why hadn’t he thought of that. He reached for the comm. ------------------ “Why didn’t I think of that,” River grumbled, as Mal explained. Zoe smiled softly. “Too much pressure, mei mei,” the older woman replied. “None of us are thinking straight.” She touched the comm. “Jayne, we’re going to transfer Goldie with the shuttles, instead of trying to dock.” “Wondered why no one thought o’ that,” Jayne replied, and River fumed. “Can you get Goldie to shuttle one?” Zoe asked, smiling slightly in spite of herself at River’s discomfiture. “I can,” Jayne assured her. “On the way.” “Get your things,” Zoe ordered River. “We’re taking Serenity back. Mal and his crew will make the delivery.” River looked at Zoe blankly for a moment, then nodded, going to the cabin she and Jayne shared. Zoe waited on the bridge, hoping that all this wasn’t for nothing. And in the back of her mind, she wondered why Mal was out here to begin with. --------------------- For a wonder, the transfer went smoothly. Goldie was in the infirmary aboard Serenity in less than an hour, with Simon working over him feverishly. River and Jayne remained aboard Companion for the time being, while Zoe fly the shuttle over. She and Mal now sat in the lounge, outside the infirmary, while Simon and Inara worked on Goldie. “Why are you out here, sir?” Zoe asked finally. “Not that we aren’t glad to see you.” “We got troubles, Zoe,” Mal told her flatly. He explained briefly, and Zoe knew why Mal had ordered Jayne and River to remain aboard Companion for now. “Hundan,” Zoe breathed. “What are we going to do?” “I got an idea,” Mal admitted. “See, it looks to me like the Blue Hands are waiting to ambush the Companion when she sets down. According to Harwell, they know River’s your pilot. What I’m thinking. . .” By the time Mal finished, Zoe was smiling. -------------------- “He’s stable, for now,” Simon said at once when he exited the infirmary. “The stone did a great deal of damage, but the sealant you used helped staunch the blood flow. Nice call on the anti-biotics, as well, Zoe,” he nodded, and Zoe nodded in reply. “For now, he needs rest, blood, and close monitoring,” Simon continued. “Baring complications, he should recover fully. He’s out of danger, and I’ve repaired the damage the meteor did. I do want to get him back to Argo as quickly as possible, though. He needs to be in the clinic, where I can make sure he’s monitored closely. I assume we’re going to be separating soon?” “Just waiting on you two,” Mal nodded. “Inara, let’s you and I, and Holly and Greggs, get aboard your shuttle. Zoe, need you to take your shuttle back and get Jayne and River, let River bring our detached shuttle back. Then we’ll just leave the shuttles where they are for now. We’ll worry about sorting them out later.” He rose. “We’ll take Companion on to Astra, and maybe throw the Blue Hands off the scent. With luck, they won’t look past the fact that Grippen most likely lied to them, and maybe even take Grippen out for it.” “We don’t often have luck like that,” Simon muttered, and Mal nodded. “True, but there’s a first time for everything, and you have to admit, we’re due.” --------------------- “They are due at anytime,” the lead agent said, looking at his companions. “Many things can happen in space,” the leader of the second team commented. “They are not past their estimated arrival, as yet.” “And it was an estimate,” another pointed out. “With several hours variance in either direction.” “True,” the leader remarked, thoughtfully. “There is still the possibility that this was all a fraud. That the sheriff hopes to collect the reward with false information.” “Then we will see to it that he is fairly compensated,” the last remarked, and all three others nodded in agreement. “We will wait.” ------------------ “I still think Jayne should go with you,” Zoe insisted. Though everyone was now in place, the ships had not yet gone their separate ways. “No,” Mal shook his head. “Two reasons. One, they’ll like as not be looking for someone his size. Without him along, we stand a better than even chance of turning this around on Grippen.” “And the other reason?” Zoe asked. “They may just come to Argo, looking,” Mal pointed out. “If that happens, I want Jayne with you.” Zoe nodded, once again not having thought that far ahead. “We’ll see you in a few days, Zo’,” Mal said softly, and broke the connection. Companion eased away, Inara waggling the ship slightly in farewell, then turned about, heading once again for Astra. Zoe watched them go for a moment, then nodded to River. “Take us home, little one.” ------------------