One To Many- chap 4

--------- Options & Fate ------------__________________________________________________________________________________

Malcolm Reynolds awoke with a drum beating inside his head. His eyes had barely cleared when he noticed a figure standing outside his prison cell.

“Good morning captain.” It was the voice of lieutenant Riley, “adventurous night…..wouldn’t you say?”

“ What happened?” Mal found his ability to speak unhindered by the gas he‘d taken into his system a few hours before.

“ Oh, your questions will be answered soon enough Mr. Reynolds, but first, I have a few of my own…..coffee?”

He affirmed the coffee question with a quick nod of his head, which started the drumming inside all over again. Still Malcolm Reynolds wasn’t about to turn down anything that would help the throbbing in his brain feel better.

The lieutenant walked back over to the desk where Judge Dillon had started his interrogation the day before.

“ Deputy Demmers, if you please.” The lieutenant quested the lawman to unlock Mal’s cell door.

The captain became aware of the night shift guardsman unlocking the door. A look around told him that he was in his jail cell alone. Where had Jonathan gone? Looking at the deputy he noticed a bandage around the lawman’s head, and a frown upon an unhappy face. Malcolm knew it was there because of him, from tipping Demmers chair over the night before. He had banged his head against the desk on his way to the floor. Mal ignored the deputy’s stare as best he could.

“ Over here,” came the lieutenants voice.

The Serenity commander looked over to see the officer motioning to a chair next to the desk. A fresh cup of java awaiting him on the desktop.

“ No restraints this time,” Riley called to the injured deputy. Mal went to occupy the seat next to the Alliance officer.

“So, not much sleep last night I gather?” Riley spoke.

“ No, I had a bit of a nightmare,” the captain answered.

“ Well the nightmares could end with a little