TITLE: "ONE MAN'S MEAT"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: No specific pairing

RATING: PG-13

STATUS: SEQUEL to "WAKING NIGHTMARES"

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "River shows Serenity's crew what to do. The

Counsellor is getting more and more unhinged by grief."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"ONE MAN'S MEAT"

A "Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

Zoe listened carefully to River and inwardly marvelled at all that learning crammed into such a fragile vessel. The girl paused mid-sentence. Everybody was in the commons area of Serenity discussing the Captain's barely explained plan. Only the Captain was missing. "Won't break. Might look fragile but I'm like silk. Ounce for ounce stronger than steel."

Zoe's eyes narrowed slightly. They didn't need River drifting off topic, too much was at gorram stake. River nodded slowly at Zoe.

"I won't." She barely paused before continuing. "Kaylee has the line ready, *dui*?" Kaylee nodded. "We have enough chemicals in the infirmary to put everyone on the forty-four to sleep in eighteen minutes and forty-five seconds."

Simon opened his mouth to object but his sister silenced him with a warning glare.

"Necessity is the mother of invention but we are the parents of intervention. Once the gas takes them out we'll have two hours - three at the most - to board the ship, rescue the people, then set the charges as we leave."

"That's not a lot of time, River." Said Wash slowly, thinking of the running from deck to deck and cell to cell, the locating and carrying of unconscious folk and such.

"I ain't goin'." Growled Jayne quietly. "Don't care if the Reavers are asleep o