Blue Sun Room FICTION - GENERAL

THE DEVIL'S CRADLE: 9. "On The Road To Hell"

Saturday, June 2, 2012

A slither of ice crept down his spine. More disturbed than he liked to admit even to himself. He tried to shake it off, his voice gruff but aiming for casual. "Everybody uses everybody."

CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 3634    RATING: 10.0 (G)    SERIES: FIREFLY

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TITLE: "ON THE ROAD TO HELL"

SERIES: THE DEVIL'S CRADLE

CHAPTER: 9. Sequel to "UNSEEN HANDS"

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

PAIRING: Zoe/Wash Kaylee/Simon

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: "River has a solution to treat the Captain's

condition though everything comes at a cost. Zoe doesn't

trust Rufus and Shen Willets is beginning to wish he had

never volunteered to help."

"THE ROAD TO HELL"

A "Firefly" Story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

"You need to stop starin' at me, *nu haizi*."

River didn't blink. "Just protecting Captain Daddy."

Rufus Pol felt a jolt go through him, oddly shaken. "You're Mal's daughter?"

"In a manner of speaking except when I'm not and even then I am."

He blinked, confusion holding his irritation at bay. Seeing the spark of intelligence in her eyes, his own narrowed slightly. "You ain't really *shenjingbing*, are you?"

"And you're not really as dumb as you look." She replied, leaning towards him with a smile on her face that was somehow mighty disconcerting.

He had been walking up the loading ramp into Serenity after checking things with his own men and making sure no one outside was taking any particular note of his grounded terraforming ship. It had been on Ithaca Moon so long now that it was practically a fixture but that didn't mean he could afford to be complacent. Rufus stopped in the middle of the cargo bay, not wanting to go further into the ship with the crazy girl dogging him step for step.

"You have plans for Captain Daddy."

The words were annoying but it wouldn't do for him to lose his temper with her before finding out what the good gorram she was talking about though he already suspected her of being a master in double talk, mayhap a few words of sense

Comments
Saturday, 02 June 2012 20:34
Hell indeed, poor Mal you really like to dish it out to him, AliD...shiny chapter, xiexie
Saturday, 02 June 2012 20:41
Yep, in life actions have consequences and sucking in that dust is one of them, MalsDoxy. All kinds of things bubbling away under the surface. Thanks for the shiny feedback, Ali D :~)
"You can't take the sky from me!"
Saturday, 02 June 2012 23:40
Having concrete like stuff melted in your lungs and throat sounds less pleasant than concrete lungs in the first place.
Sunday, 03 June 2012 00:22
Except if you get a build up of it in the lungs Nutluck they become unable to inflate or deflate affecting the ability to breathe properly, very similar to the condition that used to affect coal miners. My father in law had it and had to learn to breathe from his diaphragm instead but he couldn't walk like he used to or do anything where he would exert himself too much. Thank you for your comment, Ali D :~)
"You can't take the sky from me!"
Sunday, 03 June 2012 00:31
Nutluck, the term I was looking for in respect of coal miners is Pneumoconiosis and that condition gave me the idea for how the dust on Anaeron has a similar debilitating effect. Took me a while to remember how to spell it. Ali D :~)
"You can't take the sky from me!"
BYTEMITE
Monday, 04 June 2012 22:25
Hmm, so Rufus is up to something, but doesn't realize all the consequences.
Tuesday, 05 June 2012 00:21
He will soon, Bytemite! Thanks for commenting, Ali D :~)
"You can't take the sky from me!"
Tuesday, 05 June 2012 03:34
"I would never hurt Mal. You have my word on it." River's voice rose just a notch. "Then don't hurt his family." --really liked River's talk with Rufus, and the way you put it, Mal as head of the family. Hope they get going with the process, it sounds like it'll be painful, but better than the alternative.
Tuesday, 05 June 2012 03:40
River is as protective of 'her' family as Mal is of his. Glad you liked the dialogue. And you are right, the operation is better than the alternative, Ebfiddler. Thanks for the shiny feedback, Ali D :~)
"You can't take the sky from me!"
ZZETTA13
Saturday, 09 June 2012 23:54
Holy Toledo Ali!!!!

Again I get the felling that you are amping us up for something really BIG…… I like it! Only thing is I hope Polly and Mal’s crew can get him healed up, and soon. For some reason I think it will take all of Serenity’s crew in their most healthy state to deal with the evil Kathleen & Lucy are being subjected to. The torture that Kathleen is going through has me cringing for that little girl and I can almost see the evil oozing from the Operative/Reader & the dirty doctors doing all the experimental surgery. May take more than just the team of Serenity to handle this?

Really enjoying the story, Z
Sunday, 10 June 2012 01:41
Things are certainly building, Zzetta13, and not necessarily in expected directions. So glad that you are enjoying the story and thanks for the feedback! Shiny, Ali D :~)
"You can't take the sky from me!"

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