The three men walked along a narrow corridor. Two followed behind the other, each carrying a suitcase they gripped with care. As they passed under a flickering fluorescent light, anyone watching would have gotten a shock to see their hands such a vibrant colour blue. If one had to describe them, the only word that would fit would be 'unremarkable.' Their faces held no oddities, no inconsistencies in colour or shape. The hair that they did have was minimally darker than their skin. They walked behind the man guiding them, listening thoughtfully to what he was saying, but betraying no sign of it in their faces.
"She was brought here three years ago, and made astounding progress for two of them," the man was saying. He slipped a key into the door and led them through.
"Lately however we've not been able to get much out of her. About a week ago she stopped letting anyone near her."
"Letting, doctor?" one of the other said coldly. The doctor frowned.
"She stopped eating; and when a nurse tried to give her food, she broke her arm." The doctor halted outside another door. "Since then, the other staff have been somewhat reluctant." The two men exchanged glances. One nodded.
"Have you noticed any reason for this change?" one man asked. The doctor nodded at a file in the other's hand, but answered their question.
"She says she's waiting for something. I can't get her to say what. It's all in there, if you need to know." The doctor shuffled uncomfortably as the men continued to scrutinize him.
"I take it you'd like to see her?" he gestured at the door.
"Very much," the men said together. The doctor looked unnerved, but opened the door.
The room was empty save for two chair and table, bathed in light from a single globe that hung above. A thin girl sat on a chair, her knees held up to her chest as she rocked back and forth, muttering to herself. Her arms held bruises; her hair was matted and oily. The two men entered the room. One turned to the doctor as he shut the door.
"we'll be fine," he said, and closed the door before the doctor could protest. The other strode to the table and sat down, placing his briefcase carefully on the ground beside him. He placed the file on the table, opening it briefly before addressing the girl.
"Madeline, is it?" he asked gently. The girl looked up, sharp eyes glaring at him. A pinprick red scab shone in the light, chillingly accurate between her eyes.
"shouldn't ask questions you already know the answer to," the girl said shakily, "wastes time! Time you can't get back. No right to take it from me." The volume of her voice fluctuated alarmingly, but the men seemed unperturbed. One paced around the girl before standing behind the other and observing the girl. The seated man looked down at the file, before, smiling, trying again.
"You are Madeline, yes?" he asked. The girl pushed her hair out of her eyes with a trembling hand, her eyes unfocused.
"Not who I am. My name. Something I can be summoned with. Doesn't capture my essence." The men exchanged satisfactory glances.
"Are you waiting for something, Madeline?" The man asked.
"He does it again. Stupid imbecile." The girl muttered to herself.
"what are you waiting for?" The standing man asked. Madeline let out a loud laugh. She looked at the seated man and smiled.
"No' a very smart one, is ya?" she said, suddenly taking on the accent of settlers on the border planets. "no, not too smart. Can't even answer 'is questions! It's sittin' there, front o' your mind. How is it that I can see it and you can't? Silly thing, asks questions he already knows. Anyone round these parts knows not to do that! And you think you can just throw the time like that." She leaned back and laughed again, and her eyes snapped onto the man before her.
"lacking self confidence, that's wha' it is. Knows the answer but seeks confirmation. Hate to see 'im in a contest. Little man screaming inside, 'fraid o' lions and tigers and bears, and things tha' go bump in the night. Makes you feel big, dunnit? Squishing little boys and girls til there ain't nothing left but a shell."
The seated man smiled. He shut the file with careful deliberation.
"I understand you were good friends with River Tam when she was here," the man said., "can you tell me about that?"
Madeline had already slipped back into her huddled stance. She said nothing.
"is that who you're waiting for, Madeline?" Madeline cocked her head to one side.
"Wait. Why shouldn't I? trust… her. Come take me away from Neverland; don't want to be a lost girl any more."
The two men smiled.
"Thankyou Madeline," they said, and exited the room.
The doctor was waiting anxiously on the outside.
"Keep her under surveillance," the men said without stopping. "Tell us anything that changes."
"But…" the doctor hurried to catch up with them. "We can't do anything with her! Sure, she has amazing potential, but…"
The men turned and gazed down at him.
"you have your orders," one said.
"I suggest you obey them." The other finished.
Simon walked into the infirmary and bent over a bench top, busily sorting through supplies. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a small voice spoke to him.
"The adrenaline's out of date."
"fay-fay duh pee-yen," Simon muttered, "River, don't…do that!" He turned to see her legs hanging over the bed, and her head out of sight on the other side. He walked carefully around the bed to where she hung up-side down, her long dark hair falling on the floor as she stared unblinkingly at the wall. Simon crouched down until he was eye to eye with his sister.
"What are you doing?" he asked gently.
"trying to see better," River said matter-of-factly. Simon frowned.
"How is this helping you to do that?" Simon asked.
"I have a theory," River said. Simon smiled.
"What's that?"
"If I look upside down it will all come right way up."
"Has it worked?" Simon asked. River didn't answer. Simon grasped her hand and pulled her upright.
"River, you don't have to remember what happened to you at the academy," he said, pushing some hair out of her eyes. River looked at him
"You said it might help," she said. Simon smiled
"If you can remember, then it will help. But I don't want you to worry about it." He hugged her.
"All I care about is that you are alright." he said.
"sommat else you should care 'bout, doc," Mal limped into the room, his leg bleeding. Wash and Kaylee followed close behind.
"What in the tyen-shiao duh?" Wash asked.
"Job gone bad, captain?" Kaylee asked worriedly. Simon pulled river out of the way and began rummaging through the drawers. Mal pulled himself onto the bed.
"Yeah, little disagreement as to the payment," Mal said breezily. "Gorram it, doc, careful with that leg, I only got one!"
"Two, actually," Jayne leant against the doorway. Mal glared at him.
"One left one."
"I'm sorry, I've got to get this bullet out," Simon said through his concentration.
"Wouldn't want his leg to fall off," River muttered. Mal grimaced at her.
"Thank you for those comforting words," he said sarcastically.
"Come on, sweetie," Kaylee grasped River's arm and led her out of the infirmary, "let's not get in their way." River followed Kaylee without looking away from Mal.
"She got a fixation with blood now?" Jayne commented, examining his gun. Kaylee glared at him.
"Sometimes I feel like this ship is something out of Hammin's treasure," Kaylee said, half to herself. River looked at her.
"Treasure?" River asked. Kaylee smiled.
"You know, the fairy tale that…"
"Hammin goes searching for earth-that-was, with his crew, past Reaver territory, and finds the end of space, a paradise," River finished. Kaylee nodded, but found herself alone. River had run back into the infirmary.
"…and if you can't numb me, at least give me a bullet to bite!" Mal was fuming at Simon. Jayne waved his gun.
"We need a fairytale," River announced.
"No arguments here," Mal hid his surprise. "you got any idea what she's on about?" he asked Simon.
"No," Simon said bracingly. River looked at him.
"Fairytale… we read them. I remembered, but not all…" River ran her hand along her head.
"There was a boy… he took you away and you never came back… but he became them, and we tried to hide…"
"Can you shut her up? I'm in pain enough here!" Mal muttered
"River, can you…" Simon began, before changing tact. "Whatever it is, you'll have to tell me later."
"No… it's here, I need to or I'll lose it…"River was becoming agitated. Mal rolled his eyes.
"There were letters… and stories and we read…something, different places and finding way home, and I said something… because you were the wizard who gave me the shoes…"
"Gorramit, is there any way of making her not talk?" Mal said through gritted teeth.
"She can't help it, captain," Simon said, adding for what felt like the umpteenth time, "I don't know what the alliance did to her, but their messing around with her brain is not going to be fixed overnight. She's not doing this to annoy anyone!"
"Well she ain't succeeding then," Mal muttered.
"We need to go back!" River yelled suddenly. Everyone looked at her.
"Beggin' your pardon, crazy miss," Mal slid off the bed and limped over to her, "but if I go back planet side I'm likely to receive a less than friendly welcome." He turned to his pilot.
"Wash, set a course for Whitefall. See if can't unload some o' this on whatever sorry soul's managing that rock these days."
Wash rolled his eyes. "Patience, sir."
"Still her, is it?" Mal said casually, "better be ready with guns then."
"Sounds good to me," Jayne slung his over his shoulder. Simon looked despairingly at the mess that had been left as the rest of the crew dispersed.
"Jien tah duh guay…" he muttered as he began to clean. River walked over and pulled him up by his shoulder.
"Ow! River, what-?"
"We need to go back." River said, and Simon frowned at the tremble in her voice.
"We can't River," he said, grasping her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, "the ship's already in the air."
"Not the planet," River said loudly. She grasped her forehead and stared pointedly at Simon. He looked at her, confused.
"Then where…"
"The place of.. the place with blue hands, things that catch you, things that trap you.. You think you'll learn but you don't… Simon…"
Simon had backed away slightly.
"You mean the academy?" He asked incredulously. River nodded.
"We have to go back," she whispered.