Disclaimer: Not mine, no pay.

Thanks: To Jacqui, Josh the Paramedic for help with medical stuff and to Rion, my own personal BDH. You guys are the greatest.

Rating: PG-17, graphic gore

Remarks: Can Simon save Jayne’s life?

Set after “Objects in Space”. Inara has departed from Serenity and things on board ship are getting more difficult. Click on my name to read the backstory. They’re all backstory.

Feedback: It only takes a minute and is genuinely appreciated. What did you like? What doesn’t work? You can post below or email to Lumenea@aol.com

Leaps of Faith

Chapter Eleven

Wash, Mal and Simon struggle to shift Jayne’s bloody, unconscious bulk onto the table in the medlab. Simon takes a quick look at Zoë’s arm and tells her, “I’ll take care of you once I can get him stabilized.”

On the bench along the wall, River sits with her knees drawn up to her chest, arms around them. “Bullets come home to roost,” she murmurs, mournfully.

Shepherd Book has his arm around a terrified Kaylee who alternately cranes her face to look and turns way in distress.

Mal speaks up, “Had to put the tourniquet on it, doc, or he’d a bled out. Took us about eight minutes to get him back here and he’s been out the whole time, shocky, too.

“At the very least, his femoral artery’s been injured. I’ll know more once I can get the bleeding stopped and get a scan of the hip and upper thigh.” Simon presses the hypo spray against Jayne’s neck and quickly injects a mix of pain-meds and coagulants to slow the hemorrhaging.

“Captain, if you’ll open that second drawer, you’ll find the synth-blood supply. Please pass me four units of O-positive and two of saline.”

Simon skillfully inserts the IV-needle, hangs the synthetic blood and saline, opens the connection that allows the life-giving fluids to flow into Jayne’s body. With amazing speed he places monitors on the unconscious man, checks his heart rate and blood pressure.

“I’m gonna need another