The Lady, or the Tiger? à la Washburne (part 1 of 2)
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Zoe wants a child. Hell, so does he. But these nightmares, each one so gorram plausible...
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 2194 RATING: 10.0 (PG13) SERIES: FIREFLY
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction based on characters from the Firefly television series created by Joss Whedon. No copyright infringement is intended.
Auhor's Note: Frank R. Stockton's short story The Lady, or the Tiger? is about chosing the lesser of two evils. More about that at the end of Chapter 2.
Spoilers: None. The story takes place after "Objects in Space" and references events in "Objects in Space" and "Heart of Gold."
Rating: PG-13 (for descriptions of implied – but not explicit – violence to children)
The baby is screaming. Wash always feels so helpless, hearing his daughter making that sound. He tries to focus, gropes for the clarity that's so essential when complicated, life-saving maneuvers are called for. Sweat soaking through his flight suit, he is doing his level best, swooping and swerving and dodging in and out of the asteroid field, plowing through atmo and then hitting a hard burn just as he flips the pods and sends Serenity shooting back past the Reaver ship. Used to be this was Wash's favorite part of the job, when he transformed the ship into an extension of his own body and together they achieved the impossible. But certainty has eluded him since the baby came, and he fears today his skill is insufficient. The child is frightened, shaken by the violent, abrupt motions Daddy's making with the ship, and despite the extra soundproofing they added to their bunk, Wash can still hear her wailing out her distress all the way up on the bridge.
And more Reavers are coming. Too many ships closing in, deploying those fearsome, grisly grappling hooks. He knows, of course, the crew would die to protect the bab
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