(tentative chapter 8, story and events will not change but I may change some of the words I use to describe them and possible add dialogue.)

Chapter 8

"… treason, kidnapping, terrosim…"

Zoe whispered, "About how many you think are behind us?" to Simon as the officer, bounty hunter, or whoever he was listed Simon's 'crimes'.

"Four… or possibly five, I'm not sure about one," Simon answered. How do I know that? he wondered.

"I'm impressed Doctor," Zoe complimented, "Too bad we didn't notice sooner."

"… impersonating an alliance officer, impersonating a doctor…"

"Hey, I am a doctor!" Simon shouted indignantly.

Zoe whispered, "When I call you 'sweetie' I want you to fall as if your legs gave out and grab my gun. I'll roll in the other direction and use my backup."

"…now place your hands on your head and turn around slowly." The officer said.

"Man's injured," Zoe stated as they slowly turned around. "Not sure he'll remain standing long after I let go of 'im."

"Shall I charge you with obstructionn of justice?" the officer inquired pompously.

After turning around, Simon saw four alliance officers. The portly officer holding a warrant and listing his 'crimes' appeared to be the one in charge. His weapon remained in its holster. The other three however were young and fit with sonic rifles drawn and trained on them.

"Don't worry," Zoe said soothingly as her entire body tensed in anticipation of imminent violence, "Everything will be just fine, sweetie."

Simon dropped to the ground as commanded. His dexterous surgeon's hands nimbly plucked Zoe's 'mare's leg' from its holster on his way down.

Zoe spun around and drew a pistol concealed at the small of her back.

Time slowed, much as it had back in that bar on Beylix. This time, Simon was not suffering from a concussion and was fully aware of what was happening.

An invisible link formed between Simon and Zoe's mind. Simon's motor neurons borrowed Zoe's reflexes and muscle memory as he raised her arm cannon and fired with surgical precision.

The recoil of the 'mare's leg' dislocated Simon's shoulder as the bullet from the massive handgun tore into the portly officer's neck flesh, separating his head from, the rest of his body.

Zoe shot two of the alliance guards in their armored chest before they could react and sent them tumbling to the ground. She swung her pistol around to deal with the last threat half a second too slowly.

The remaining guard fired his sonic rifle at point blank range into Zoe's torso. She screamed in pain and she fell to the ground as the weapon assaulted her nervous system. The guard was about to discharge his rifle at Zoe's face - which would be lethal at this distance - when Simon intervened.

"Don-don't shoot," Simon said uneasily as he stood, his left hand awkwardly griping Zoe's massive handgun. His right arm hung limply at his side as he kept the weapon trained on the remaining alliance guard and warned, "If you value your life, y-you'll see to your injured and-and let us go."

Though the guard was not intimidated, he was distracted, and that moment of inattention was all Zoe needed. She laid him out in one well placed blow.

Zoe struggled to stand as her body recovered from the sonic blast and called out to Simon, "You alright?"

Simon dropped her gun, fell to his knees and vomited.

"Simon!" River screamed as she fell to her knees.

Mal kneeled in front of her and grabbed her shoulders asking, "What's wrong little one?"

River vomited onto the front of Mal's shirt. Mal would have a new-found respect for the young Doctor as soon as he got over his current resentment.

"Ew... er... it's gonna be okay-"

"I can't hear him. He's too quiet. Simon might be dead!"

Mal snatched the com from his belt and called, "Zoe?" After a few moments he called again "Zoe, what's your status?"

Zoe's voice sounded strained through the com, "Feds ambushed us sir, but we got away. We should leave soon."

"What about Simon? Is he alright?" Mal asked as he held the com between River and himself so the both could hear.

After an uncomfortable silence Zoe's voice answered, "I'm not sure, sir. I'll explain when we get back to the boat. It'd be best if someone could swing by and get us."

"Can't hear him. Can't find him. I'm lost!" River grabbed Mal by his shirt and shook him violently, yelling. "Where's Simon? Take me there now!"

Mal switched the com's channel and hollered into the device, "Whoever's in the Mule, I need you to grab Zoe and Simon five minutes ago and get them on my boat!"

"Kaylee!" River screamed in panic as she ran to meet her in Serenity's cargo bay, "I can't find him! I can't find Simon!"

"Shhh, calm down mei mei," Kaylee soothed as she fought to control her own rising panic. "He'll be fine, he went with Zoe. Jayne should be on his way back with 'em right now."

Mal stormed through the cargo bay shortly behind River and said, "Kaylee, tell that sah gwa doctor of yours to see to Crazy soon as he gets back and then get my boat ready for immediate takeoff. I'm going to change my shirt."

"River honey, what's wrong?" Kaylee asked as she stroked River's hair.

"Can't hear him. I can't hear Simon."

"Then we'll just have to wait for Jayne to bring 'em back so's we can see him," Kaylee responded with cheerful confidence. She wasn't sure if it was for River's benefit or her own.

"They're on their way, but I still can't hear Simon."

"What?..."

Jayne glanced behind him to make sure Simon and Zoe were secured before speeding towards Serenity with all the reckless finesse of a core world taxi driver. Jayne became worried when the prissy Doctor didn't voice his usual complaints concerning Jayne's driving. Jayne yelled behind them,"What happened? Any of ya's injured?"

Zoe informed, "Four purple-bellies tried arrest Simon. We fought our way out. Simon got his first Kill and a dislocated shoulder."

"Well then, congratulations on yer first kill! We may just make a man outta you yet!"

"It wasn't pretty," Zoe said with irritation Jayne couldn't find reasoning for. "Blew the commanding officer's head clean off."

"Why ain't the Doc sayin' nothin'?"

"He's been catatonic since we left."

"What's cat-tac-ton-uck?"

Zoe's answer was interrupted by a hail of gunfire. She shoved Simon down into the floorboard and drew her 'mare's leg.'

"Gorram hounds!" Jayne yelled as he made a sharp turn and drove the mule through a small alley. "We can't lead them back to the ship, not before we have all our cargo!"

"Any ideas on how we can lose them?" Zoe asked as she returned fire on the two police hovercraft pursuing them.

Jayne pondered thoughtfully,"Well I was just thinkin', wouldn't it be shiney if there was a hand held explosive device designed to be thrown at our enemies? And then I was thinkin' wouldn't it be shiney if the cap'n let me bring them?"

Another patrol craft pulled ahead to block the path in front of them. Unconcerned, Jayne simply made a slight alteration to their trajectory and rammed the back-left corner of the craft, causing the craft to spin hopelessly out of control and impede the pursuit the its fellow's behind them. "What kinda moron tries to block a road with a hovercraft? Even I know they ain't got no traction," Jayne laughed.

"We could go somewhere more populated, ditch the mule and blend in with the croud," Zoe suggested.

"Good as any plan, you got any ideas Three Percent?" Jayne asked Simon. After an uncomfortable pause Jayne said, "Doc?...Hmm... We may need to-"

"No one gets left behind," Zoe interrupted, her tone of voice left no room for argument.