CHAPTER 2

FRANKIE:

“Simon, how’s she doing?” Kaylee stood by the door, on her way to the commons.

“She’ll be fine, the bullet grazed her head and she’s lost a lot of blood, but she’ll be fine.” He looked down at the girl that had saved River and Kaylee. They had managed to get some information out of River and Simon had discovered that she had been raped. He had only told the Captain and had never seen him angrier.

She came to slowly, first smell, then hearing and finally she opened her eyes a little and quickly shut them again. She could hear someone moving around behind her so she took a chance and opened her eyes again. She had no idea where she was, thought it might be the hospital, but looked too new and clean. Someone was coming up beside her, so she closed her eyes and peeked out. She didn’t know who it was, but she heard him tell someone that she was waking up and that they should come on down. In an instant, she made up her mind and looked for a weapon. She spied a small knife on the counter and tensed her muscles to be sure they would all work, she slowly got up and reached for the knife. She grabbed it and the man at the same time, just as another man came in thru the door.

“What the hell!” The Captain yelled.

“You stay back.” She pulled the man she held a little closer and stumbled backward. “What the hell did you do to me?”

“Nothing, just sewed up your head.” Simon looked at Mal.

“Where are we? I want to go home.” She kind of slumped back against the counter and pulled the man with her. “Just let me go.”

“Go on then.” Mal just stepped back out of the room. “Just be careful when you open the air lock, there’s kind of a whoosh when the air sucks out.”

“What? Where are we?”

“You’re on my ship, Serenity. We brought you on board after the gun fight.”

“Serenity? Are girls ok?”

“They are fine, mind letting my doctor go?”

“Just want to go home, that’s all.” She held the knife closer to the doctor’s neck. “Figure he’s my ticket.” She used him to stand up and held him in front of her as s