Another answer to the FFFriday LJ community challenge. Rules are to be between 100-1000 words.

A/N: Thanks to Neroli and CassieE for the beta. Title taken from the Suzanne Vega song of the same name. Knowledge of that song is not necessary at all though since this is not a song fic.

Blood Makes Noise

She hears it at night. Constantly beating, pulsing through the decks. Speeds up for Zoe and Wash when they're alone. Speeds up for Jayne too when he goes to his bunk. Makes noise with every beat, every thought. Hers is always the same though.

Sometimes she thinks she'd like to die just for the silence. It was so quiet when they went to the hospital. Her blood was too slow to hear, everyone else's muted by her almost non-existent neural activity. So quiet until she woke up and it all came rushing back. Too much, too fast. Too late she heard their hearts in the distance. They beat in time.

In the box, she heard it all outside. She was ashamed to say that she didn't recognize Simon's. It had been too long, she'd given up. Now it's imprinted on her ears again. She can tell by the sound of his blood whether he's going to be her brother or her doctor this time. In the village, he was her brother entirely. Just as she remembered from before. His heartbeat led her to him and kept her calm even as the fire came.

It's quiet in space, quiet here alone on this ship too. Hurts to know that their pulses quicken because of her. Hurts to know they are scared of what she was made into, to know that Simon is scared by what she's become. Easier if she goes away, goes where she can only hear Jubal's heartbeat.

When she hears the shot, hears Simon's blood hit the deck, her fears are erased. Everyone is scared by the variable they don't understand and can't prepare for. Suddenly, she's scared that she isn't smart enough to save her brother. Worries that there might have been more variables than she could quantify. Scared that all she'll hear is Jubal's heartbeat.

Returning to Serenity when it's all over is like returning to the womb. Their blood rushes past her ears, pulses against her skin. The heartbeats of Serenity are home.