Captain Doctor

By

KMS

kmspider@aol.com

http://hometown.aol.com/kmspider/myhomepage/index.html

Summary: AU—instead of losing the Battle of Serenity, the Independents won, extending the course of the war. Takes place around the same time as the series, six years after the First Battle of Serenity on Hera.

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Chapter 3

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Hera:

Zoe had to admit, she’d been surprised by the young doctor. Sure, she’d heard rumors, rumors were the lifeblood of every army, but it wasn’t every day that the rumors were so truthsome. It was a well known secret among the rebels that anyone who came under the care of Doctor Tam received the same level of competent healthcare, regardless. The boy had proved his worth, despite his Alliance background and Core affiliations. And turned out to be an honorable man, more interested in the health of his patients than in the cut of their uniforms. More than a little surprising, all in all.

Nice to see that both sides could produce good men. It bode well for the future. And with any luck, the brevity of their time left on this hellhole.

Zoe looked around at the men sleeping under her protection. Her sergeant, with whom she had gone through just about everything together. Friends, comrades, brothers under the skin. Everything but lovers. For that she patted the man on her other side, shifting a little so that Wash shifted in turn, and his soft snore disappeared. She smiled fondly at her husband, having never expected to discover such a glowing spirit during the long years of war. But one shore leave on Boros, and there he was, telling her stories of flying, and making her chuckle aloud when she’d come to believe that her laughter had been mortally wounded on the battlefield.

Not many knew it, but Wash had been instrumental in those last days when they had fought the first Battle of Serenity Valley.

Taking everything on faith, he had followed orders that she had passed on to him herself, and had helped turn the tide of the