Full, easily readable archive of previous chapters at my website, http://www.serenityverse.com/fffanfic

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Mal lay down with relief on the hospital bed that the two calmly pleasant guards led him to; he’d halfway expected to be beaten again as soon as he was out of sight of the cafeteria, and he was so dizzy that staying on his feet had become overly complicated. He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, ignoring the pleasantries and explanations swirling around him. Now that he was safely in the hospital he was back to noticing matters like how very much his head hurt.

One of the guards started to buckle his arms into soft restraints mounted on the sides of the bed, and in a split second Mal’s composure vanished. He tried to break free in panic, the sheer terror of his last stay there flooding back in full. Being severely injured and strapped down at the mercy of the enemy had been a horror no drugs or kind words could relieve, and at that moment Mal was willing to fight to the death rather than be restrained again.

Strong hands forced him against the bed, and Mal screamed, overcome with fear and helplessness. “Let go of me, you fëi hün shëng zi of yuán hóu,” he roared, rebounding almost instantly and slamming his fist into the nearest unseen figure as panic turned into dark fury. “You wanna immobilize me, you best make sure in advance I can’t move.”

He felt a hand grab his elbow and lashed out with lethal force, but the guard let him go and dodged the blow easily. “Sir!” the guard shouted. “We aren’t gonna rutting hurt you, you hun dahn!”

“Stop!” yelled a horrified female voice. “Let go of him, now!” she ordered furiously. “Get out !”

The guards obeyed, and Mal gasped for breath, trying to regain his composure as he heard them exit the room. “Who the hell are you?” asked Mal grimly, turning his head in her direction. “And what’s on your agenda, might I ask?” It wasn’t a friendly question.

There was a sort of h