Chapter 4: History is Open to Interpretation or All the Facts do not a Life Story Make

“She’s awake and asking for Wash.” Mal looked up from the seat he had been warming for the last thirty minutes, then sighed. “Alright. No use in putting this off then,” he said, more for his own benefit than for Simon’s. “Anything else I need to know before I see her?” Simon shook his head. “No. We haven’t really told her anything other than that she had collapsed, but I’m pretty sure she already knows she lost the baby.” “How can you know that?” “She would have asked if her baby was OK. It’s the first thing a woman does if she thinks that her unborn is in danger.” The young doctor ran a hand through his hair and looked decidedly depressed. “Zoe didn’t ask, which means she knows that there isn’t any hope. That woman is as sharp as she is short on words.” “That she is, doc.” Mal rubbed his eyes and tried to look less like he had spent hours in a hospital waiting room. Then he headed through the double doors and up the corridor to his second in command’s room. Her eyes locked on his as soon as he entered. He moved quickly to her side and took her hand. “How are you feeling, ài rén?” he asked. “Not good,” she whispered hoarsely. “Baby didn’t make it. I could tell as soon as I saw Simon’s face.” “I know.” He was trying with little success not to show how saddened he was by that fact. “Where’s Wash?” “Don’t rightly know. He took off before we could even tell him you had collapsed. Kaylee knows where he was headed. She’ll bring him back.” Zoe looked away from him, but not before he saw her trying to compose her expression. She was trying very hard not to give in to tears. Mal dropped to his knees beside her bed and put his arms around her. Truth was that she was his best friend, that they rarely ever touched each other despite that, but there were times when you had to reach out to those you cared for, those you trusted, and this was one of them. She had to deal with what had happened. He tightened his arms, hugging her to him. “Zoe, you will never know how sorry I am that this happened to you,” he whispered. “But I am so grateful that I didn’t lose you today – I almost did, you know.” Her own arms wrapped around him and she buried her face against his shoulder. After a minute of fighting she gave in to the tears. “I wanted this child so badly,” she sobbed. “But I went about it the wrong way. I should have waited for him to want the child too. Instead I stirred up some bad Karma, Mal. The child wasn’t meant to live and maybe it might have if I had done things differently.” Mal pulled his head up and forced her to look at him. “Now don’t you go talking about such things! This isn’t anyone’s fault; it’s just the way life is sometimes. You gotta accept that and move on. I’m sure that husband of yours will feel the same about it when he learns what happened, and I doubt he’ll give you such a hard time about it next time you’re ready to bring up the idea of a child.” She composed herself, sniffing back unshed tears. “Wash is every bit as stubborn as you are, Mal,” she whispered. “He won’t back down on this. He won’t even hear of us having a child unless…” “Unless what?” Mal pressed her when she didn’t continue. “Unless I leave off being your second and settle down.” “Settle down?” “You know: build a life with him somewhere that’s safe to raise children.” Mal shook his head. “Damned man actually believes such a place exists in this time and space? Where the hell did you find him, in a time warp?” “Didn’t. You did.” He smiled. “I don’t know how I’ll ever make that up to you.” Zoe snorted. “No need. Think I’ll keep him, if he’ll let me.” She looked around the room. “When will they let me out of here?” “Simon says you can go in the morning, soon as they’re certain you ain’t gonna lose any more blood.” She nodded. “Mal?” “Yeah?” “Call Kaylee. Tell her to leave off trying to find him.” Both his eyebrows shot up. “Whatever are you thinking, gal?” “I’m thinking that I want him to work through this, that I want him to come back cause he wants to, not cause he feels compelled to.” He stood up and gave her a stern look. “Man’s got a right to know.” “He will, sir. Just not right away.” “Alright then.” Mal patted her arm. “I’ll be by in the morning to collect you. Inara will be wanting to stay with you tonight if you’ll let her.” “She back already?” Zoe asked, surprised at the news. Mal couldn’t keep the sadistic smirk off his face. “Turns out that her latest client is the doctor who saved your life. Since he was on call, he had to run out on her, but not before she heard what was going on and figured out it was you from the description.” “That pleases you no end, doesn’t it?” It was Zoe’s turn to smirk. Serenity’s captain just smiled and turning, left the room.

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Wash spent the better part of an hour wandering aimlessly through the side streets of the city. Fact of the matter was that he felt deeply conflicted over what to do next. On the one hand he welcomed the idea of finding something fun to do, as it would take his mind off some of his troubles. But on the other hand, he also feared being noticed by the authorities after the dāì ruò mù jī stunt he had pulled with the flight simulator. And so he passed by countless restaurants and food kiosks, arcades and bars until he found himself standing outside an unusual watering hole located just off the main drag. “O’Malley’s Authentic Earth-That-Was Irish Pub,” he said, reading the neon sign over the entrance. He turned his attention to a smaller sign on the door itself. “This establishment is the authentic recreation of an old Earth Irish Pub, right down to the food and drink. Come in. Sit a while. We’re sure to make you smile!” A smile split his face. “Shiny! Sounds like fun,” he commented, then pushed the door open and entered. The interior was dimly lit and he had to wait a moment for his eyes to adjust before he could make out just how crowded the interior was. Obviously it did booming brisk business and he could see why. Everywhere the place was trimmed in wood, from the wood beamed ceiling down to the lower half of the walls. A huge bar with old-fashioned taps running its entire length took up one side of the place and every barstool was occupied. There were cozy booths arranged in a maze like pattern on the other side of the room and the area in the middle held tables for from two to six people. The patrons were drinking, eating, laughing and having a good time. An odd, lilting sort of music was being played. Wash immediately felt at ease. It would be a good place to sit and while away some time. Maybe he might even make a new friend or two. Noting the sign that instructed patrons to take a seat, he selected a small booth in the far corner and settled in.

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“Say that again, Cap?” Mal sighed. “You heard me right, Kaylee. Zoe don’t want you to bring Wash back. Just let him be for now.” There was a long pause on the com before Kaylee responded. “We’ve got a bit of a problem where he’s concerned, though, Mal.” “And what might that be?” “Military’s looking for him.” “What? What in the hell did he do?” “Far as I can tell he broke every record on an Alliance flight simulator,” she answered. “And when I arrived at his hotel two intel officers were asking the desk clerk if she had seen him.” “Over a game score? Kaylee, that don’t make any sense!” “It does in a way, Captain.” Kaylee took a deep breath and then continued, “Wash used to fly for the Alliance.” There was dead silence on the line. “He was a fighter pilot,” Kaylee continued. When Mal finally spoke up, it was not without a hostile edge. “I ain’t close to stupid. Figured a long time ago that he was Alliance trained, Mei mei. No man flies the way he does without the best training, the kind you can only get from the Alliance. But what makes you think he was a fighter pilot?” She gulped audibly. “He told me so, Mal. Just before he left the boat, he confessed to it… but don’t hold that against him! He was raised on an Alliance world. It’s all he knew!” “That don’t excuse that he fought against us in the war!” Mal was angry and it was showing. “Still, be that as it may, why would the military be so fired up about him now?” “He defected, Cap. Found out that the targets he was taking out were civilian, not military. Disobeyed direct orders and went and saw for himself.” Kaylee couldn’t keep the anxiety out of her voice. “Knew he couldn’t keep fighting for them after that, so he ran. Became a marked man. They don’t want him talking, probably kill him soon as they find him. He’s been living under the radar for years. That’s why he changed ships so often before he signed on with us. Now he can’t do that no more… can’t leave Serenity seeing as it’s his home now – his home with Zoe.” Another long silence followed. Finally Mal spoke again, “Any idea where he is now?” “No, Cap. I was thinking of going back to the hotel and waiting until he shows up.” “Do that. When he does, you get him back to Serenity ASAP, dong ma? Let him know he’s toast if he stays here. We’ll be leaving as soon as everyone’s back aboard.” “I’ll do that. Thanks, Mal.” “What for?” “For giving him a chance.” “That will all depend upon what he tells me when I ask him the tough questions.” Mal closed the com and jumped about a foot when he turned around. There in the waiting room, not ten feet from him, was Zoe. She wore a hospital robe and held her arms around her belly as though she were afraid she might spill her guts, but the look on her face was steel. “How much of that did you hear?” Mal finally asked. “Enough,” she replied. “How much do you know about that husband of yours? How much you been keeping from me?” he accused. Her tone was firm, “No facts, just suspicions I’ve put together over the years. Tried now and then to get him to open up about it, but never heard anything useful one way or the other.” “Funny how he spilled his guts to Kaylee.” Mal watched her reaction carefully. “I’m guessing he felt he had to tell someone, in case he got caught or simply vanished without a trace. She was most likely in the right place at the right time.” Zoe sat gingerly in a waiting room chair. “Couldn’t press him, Mal. Had to wait for him to trust us enough to tell his story. And I didn’t know enough to back up my suspicions. Didn’t see any reason to be telling you something I couldn’t substantiate.” He took her arm and helped her back to her feet. “You should get back to your room. You need to rest up. We’ll need you back on board Serenity first thing tomorrow.” Zoe allowed him to lead her back towards her room. “What then, Mal? How far you gonna go to get him back?” He sighed and met her eyes. “As far as it takes, Zoe. He’s my pilot, he’s crew and him being your husband makes him my family as well. I trust him,” he said, honestly. “Can’t know a man for this long and not understand him, even if he is half crazy like Wash. Now that don’t mean I won’t demand his entire story when the time comes. He owes both of us that at the very least.” She nodded. “He does indeed.” “Him staying depends on his answers, Zoe. You know I can’t promise you anything before hand,” he cautioned. “I understand, sir. If it comes down to that I’ll throw him out the hatch myself.” She fixed Mal with a stern look. “But we both know it won’t come to that.” “Let’s just say I’m hoping you’re right.”

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Wash spent a few very pleasant hours at the pub. He had managed to get into several interesting conversations with people who, like him, were passing through. At one point he had two other pilots drinking with him and recounting their favorite flying adventures and mishaps. He had shared as he was able, but the work he did with Malcolm Reynolds made sharing the details too dangerous in most cases. Still, they had all been thrilled by his tale of eluding the Reaver ship by pulling a crazy Ivan. Time had passed and his new friends had bid him well and moved on. He ordered one more glass of, what he had to admit, might be the best beer he had ever had. And he thought about Zoe. The more he thought about it, the more he figured that he was making too much out of what was now unalterable. He hadn’t wanted to see a child raised in such dangerous circumstances, but it looked like it was going to happen. The only question was whether or not he would be around to help do the raising. There was no way he would walk away now. If he left, Zoe would still be risking her life aboard Serenity and their child would have one less parent to depend upon. He understood that he had about as much of a chance of convincing his wife to settle down somewhere planet side as she had of convincing him to stop flying. He finally had to admit that such a thing wouldn’t be at all fair. So the only thing he had to still be upset about was the fact that she had intentionally disregarded his feelings about having a child. Given that he had finally concluded that they could never settle down planet side, his argument for waiting until such a thing happened before having kids was pretty much dead in the water. He downed the remainder of his beer. Hell, who was he kidding? He already forgave her everything. What was more; he already missed her terribly. He shook his head ruefully as a self-mocking smile split his face. Less than twenty-four hours and he was ready to kiss and make up. There were definitely things to be said for that! He stood up, paid his tab and left the pub. Time to get back to the hotel. In the morning he’d enjoy one last hot shower, gather his things and head back to Serenity and his pregnant wife. It was time to start practicing being a father. The very thought filled him with both terror and elation.

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Captain Malcolm Reynolds sat in front of the computer screen in his private quarters. He had been searching diligently for the better part of an hour, hoping to uncover something that would help solve the mystery of the man who called himself Wash. Unfortunately there seemed to be nothing to be found. If what Kaylee had told him was true, then chances were that all mention of the man’s defection would be classified and hidden from public record. Course, with the Alliance, the only public records were those that served Alliance purposes. Damn, but this would be easier if he were even certain of his Pilot’s name. Zoe herself had admitted that she didn’t actually know his family name. He had always shrugged off her questions and said to just call him Wash. It was probably the only reason the Pilot didn’t mind that she had kept her last name of Warren. It had made coughing up his real name unnecessary. Once again Mal found himself struck by how much his second in command loved his pilot. That she, of all people, would choose to look the other way and not even insist on knowing his name… well that was really saying something about her commitment to the man. Course given the way she had stuck by him through all these years, he shouldn’t be surprised by the depth of her loyalty. Still, truth be told, he had been jealous to discover that she could be that loyal to someone other than himself. He spent a few more minutes trying to turn something up on the screen and was just about to call it quits when someone knocked at the door. “Come on down,” he yelled. He was surprised to see that it was Shepherd Book coming to pay him a call. “What can I do for you, Shepherd?” he asked. Book sat down in the only other available seat: the edge of his bed. “It’s more about what I can do for you,” the man replied. “Kaylee called me and let me know what was going on. I think I can help you pull up some information.” “Zat so?” Mal drawled. “Indeed.” Book indicated the keyboard. “May I?” “Surely.” Mal moved out of the way, let the preacher take the chair and watched intently as the man typed a name into the public records search. “Hoban Washburn?” “That would seem to be his name,” Book answered. “And how would you know that?” “Wash told Kaylee that his given name was Hoban. There aren’t that many Hobans who attended Alliance Flight School.” Book pulled up a list of academy graduating classes. True to his word the computer found only one Hoban in the last thirty years. Book continued his explanation, “Washburn would seem to be a real good fit considering that the man goes by the odd name of Wash, don’t you think?” “It was probably his flight nickname,” Mal commented. “Can you pull up anything else?” “Yes, but I’ll have to be careful where I get the information from,” Book cautioned. “Don’t want the Alliance alerted to our snooping or they’ll put two and two together…” “And come looking for their missing pilot here,” Mal finished. “Exactly.” At that moment a matching record appeared on the screen. It was an obituary. The date it ran was one six years back. It listed Washburn’s immediate family, his academic accomplishments and military service, finally ending with him having died in a crash during active duty. There was a picture included. It was definitely their pilot. Book produced a hard copy of the article. “Hope this helps,” he said, then headed for the ladder. “It surely does,” Mal answered absently. He was already rereading the information as the Shepherd exited. “Washburn, Hoban Lee,” he read aloud. “Beloved son of… Graduated top of his class at the Military Acadamy… One of the top five pilots ever to graduate the Acadamy’s Top Flight School. Spatially gifted… Mathematically gifted… Shot down returning from a mission…” Mal snorted. “They really wanted to keep his defection a secret. Hmmm, this article puts him at about thirty years of age, four years younger than what he told his wife.” He was briefly amused by the fact that Wash was younger than Zoe, not older, as she had been led to believe. The paper fell from his fingers as a thought hit him. “Damn! I got me the best pilot in the verse!” Now if he could only keep him…

To be continued…