Blue Sun Room FICTION - DRAMA

The Losing Side, Chapter 41

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Mal worries about Wash and has trouble coping with his guilt about having led the pilot into trouble, and he unleashes his foul mood on the other prisoners. One of them gives him some painful advice, and he deals with it in a mature and manly manner: by hiding outside in the rain. Oh, and we find out what happens to Wash.

CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 3554    RATING: 9.0 (PG13)    SERIES: FIREFLY

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The small group awoke early the next morning, looking around hopefully as though Wash might have returned in the night without their knowing. He was still gone, the absence of his easygoing, cheerful presence making itself known in the form of an unusual sobriety in the air.

Mal stood with a groan, fingering the wound on his forehead and glancing down at his arm, which had developed into vivid shades of purple. Gray lay motionless on his bunk with his eyes closed, and Straaker was making a valiant if misguided attempt at sitting and pretending nothing was wrong. Mal swallowed one of the pain pills he’d been given at the hospital and limped over to Gray, the ache in his leg reminding him his arm hadn’t been the only place that hun dahn had hit him.

He knelt and touched the miserable young man on the arm. Gray opened his eyes and looked at Mal in wordless greeting. The same person who’d glared and snapped at him from behind a mask of bitterness and distrust not so very long ago was now looking at him with genuine friendship, and Mal smiled. “Brought you something,” said Mal, giving him one of the pills.

“Not – in pain so much,” said Gray. “Just – sick.”

“Take it anyway,” suggested Mal. “Make us feel better for you if nothing else.”

Smiling weakly, Gray swallowed the tablet and laid his head back down. “Thanks,” he said. Mal gave him a brief rub on the shoulder and turned his attention to Straaker.

“The suicidal guy doesn’t need pandering to, thank you very much,” said Straaker coldly.

“And a shiny mornin’ to you as well,” responded Mal, pivoting and punching him in the cheek. The still-seated Straaker jerked back, holding his face in pain but otherwise remaining silent. The slightest flicker of hurt flickered across his face, but Mal ignored it, his dark mood not suffering fools easily. “Zeke, beat on him for a while an’ hand ‘im a razor b

Comments
Sunday, 01 April 2007 13:31
Yay, another chapter! I danced about seeing you had posted again. I love this story but boy do you pile on the angst. I can see Mal reacting by lashing out but really am impressed with Zeke for toughing it out with Mal to break that break through and make him realise isolating himself from those that cared about him only hurt everyone even more and they needed to stay together. And dear sweet Wash, spending his time in solitary worrying about Mal. There is nothing finer than true friendship. Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me
Sunday, 01 April 2007 19:10
the best one yet. This is just really good. You make really good stories. If you wouldn't mind another proofreader...
Wednesday, 04 April 2007 02:19
Utterly spectaculr work here, jetflair! Between Mal's conversations with Zeke and Wash's thoughts as he sat in solitary confinement, I was honestly in awe of how well you have written these characters intereacting with one another:D

BEB
Friday, 06 April 2007 23:42
I've been reading this fic since you started posting it here, and have been technologically unable to leave a comment until now. You write beautifully. This storyline goes a long way toward explaining Mal's deep and abiding hatred for the Alliance, but his willingness to deal with them on a one-on-one level. Well thought-out throughout! Bravo!
Wednesday, 11 April 2007 02:20
As always, excellent job. I like how you picked up on Mal's innate leadership capability. He leads because he has to; it's in his nature, not because he wants to. And a leader has to create that barrier between himself and his troops, so as to be able to send them to die and not slit his own wrists for making the decision.

Good job.

Rob O.
Friday, 13 April 2007 02:42
I get behind on reviewing (sorry) but I never fall behind on the
reading--always delighted to see a new chapter up, and enjoying this
story on a continuous basis.

Another solid chapter. Mal was well done, giving us the combination
of the somewhat light-hearted guy who handles things well you've been
showing us, and the unstable damaged guy who's also a part of his
mixture.

The part with Wash was great (well, not for Wash), but for being
intriguing and well-done, especially Khiloh's comments--adds a
dimension to Wash's character that is interesting to reconcile with
the Wash we know from the show (something you've always managed to
sell quite well).

My 6th attempt to post a review--hope this one sticks!

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