The Rising, Chapter 12
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firefly_fanfic
Title: The Rising
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Email: memorysdaughter@gmail.com
Summary: After the events in “Radio Nowhere,” Serenity’s family must go to great lengths to save a stranger.
Series: Chapter Twelve
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Post-BDM, with two very important changes. And also post-“Radio Nowhere,” which you can read HERE.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never have been, never will be. The title comes from a Bruce Springsteen song.
Chapters 1-11
The Rising
“Goin’… goin’… goin’ to a hotel,” Daisy sang as Kaylee unwrapped the bandages on her arm. “Goin’… swimmin’, gonna eat… bagels…”
“Bagels?” Kaylee asked, smiling at her daughter’s enthusiasm.
“Daddy said… there was a bakery!” Daisy said happily. “Y’ ever had… a doughnut?”
“Yes,” Kaylee said, “but it was a long time ago.”
“Tell me ‘bout it,” Daisy said.
Kaylee gently pulled at one of the silicone patches that covered an open sore on Daisy’s arm. “Well, it was a big pastry, shaped like a big knot.”
“Mm-hmm,” Daisy said.
Kaylee peeled up one of the edges of the patch. Daisy was entranced with her thoughts of doughnuts and hotels, and didn’t even seem to notice when the patch caught the sore and began to ooze. “An’ it was dipped in frostin’, an’ it tasted like honey.”
“Honey that comes… in th’ big bottle?” Daisy asked.
“No,” Kaylee said. “It was real honey.”
“Real?”
“Came from bees.”
“Bees?”
“Little insects that make honey,” Kaylee said. She balled up a gauze pad and pressed some antibiotic ointment to the oozing wound.
“Momma,” Daisy said, rolling her eyes, “honey comes in a bottle.”
Kaylee laughed. “I guess it does, monkey.”
“Not… a monkey!” Daisy protested. “Uncle Jayne calls me… little ghost.”
“Y’ like that name?”
“Yes!” Daisy said, her eyes sparkling.
Kaylee cleaned the wound and began to rewrap Daisy’s arm.
“Aun’ River calls… Linnea… pretty girl,” Daisy said.
“Yes.”
“She called… Beck… pretty girl.”
“Does that confuse you?” Kaylee asked gently. She began to unwrap Daisy’s other arm.
“No,” Daisy said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I think Aunt River thinks Linnea is a pretty girl, just like she thought Beck was a pretty girl.”
“She doesn’t call… me… pretty girl,” Daisy said solemnly.
“Would you like her to?”
Daisy considered this. At last she said, “No,” decisively. “Rather be… a ghost.”
Kaylee leaned in and kissed her daughter on the head. “An’ yer my ghost,” she said. “An’ don’t y’ forget it.”
“A hotel,” Jayne said with relish, leaning back in his chair. “I ain’t stayed in one this fancy.”
“Really?” Zoë asked, trying to stay deadpan. “None o’ those attractive women that follow y’ around never sprung for anythin’ nice?”
“Hell, no,” Jayne said, taking a swig of whiskey. “Nicest place we ever stayed was somethin’ like the Gorey Motel.”
“The Gorey Motel?” Zoë’s eyes lit up. “Y’ stayed at th’ Gorey Motel?”
“Y’ say it like it’s a flophouse,” Jayne said.
“’Cause it is,” Wash pointed out.
“Well, it’s a nice flophouse.”
“I think Flophouse Weekly gave it three stars,” Wash said.
“Can it, little man,” Jayne grumbled, and took another swig of whiskey.
“I hope we’ll get a suite,” Wash said, looking down the table at Zoë. “Somethin’ with a big bed, an’ little mints on th’ pillows, an’ pillows that are filled with feathers…”
“Sounds dopey,” Jayne said. “I want somethin’ with a firm mattress, and lots o’ ladies.”
“It’s a classy place, Jayne,” Zoë said. “Y’ might be able t’ get the first part.”
“Y’ sayin’ I can’t get a classy woman?”
“I’m sayin’ y’ don’t make ‘nough money t’ get a classy woman,” Zoë said.
Jayne stared into his mug.
“It’ll be nice to get away,” Inara said.
“’Nara, yer job is gettin’ away,” Mal said.
“This will be different,” Inara said. “There’ll be shopping, and that fantastic bakery, and they have tours of the chocolate factory.”
“Chocolate sounds good,” Zoë said.
“Maybe they could make y’ a chocolate woman, Jayne,” Wash said around a mouthful of casserole.
“I’m gonna ignore that,” Jayne said, “’cause this whiskey has put me in a good mood.”
River came into the galley with Linnea in her arms. The little girl was happily crowing, and River was laughing along. “Yes, yes, pretty girl,” River said. “I promise.”
Linnea squawked with happiness.
River set her on a folded blanket on the table. The girl’s face was closest to Jayne. “Hey there, little lady,” Jayne said, raising his mug in a toast.
Linnea furrowed her brow and opened her mouth.
River burst out laughing.
“What? What?” Jayne asked. “Y’ know I don’t like people talkin’ ‘bout me without bein’ able t’ hear it.”
Around giggles, River said, “She says your breath smells.”
Jayne smiled. “Yer right, it prob’ly does.”
Linnea raised her chin a fraction of an inch, as though to say, Exactly.
The Clearwater Resort was a big glass-and-steel building that seemed to rise up forever. Surrounded by lush, manicured grounds, and abutted by a large outdoor swimming pool, it was a beautiful oasis.
“Says here there’s four restaurants,” Kaylee said, reading from the brochure as they walked towards the entrance.
“Pay attention,” Simon groused, as Kaylee distractedly pushed Daisy’s wheelchair into the back of his legs.
“Sorry,” Kaylee said, looking up from the brochure. “I just… I’m excited.”
“We’re all excited,” Mal said. He reached over and grabbed the suitcase Simon was struggling with. “Lemme help y’, Doc.”
As they entered the cool, carpeted lobby, a woman in a black uniform came over to them. “May I help you?” she asked, in a tone that suggested such a motley crew would be the last people to stay in such a plush hotel.
“We’re here t’ check in,” Mal said, and handed the envelope to the woman.
She looked at the paperwork inside. “So you are. Right this way.”
The checking-in procedure was completely smoothly, with only a few stray looks from hotel personnel. The lobby was beautiful and light, with skylights, plants, and fountains everywhere.
Daisy was constantly pointing and squawking out excited comments. “Look, a fountain! Look, over there – guy in a blue suit! Look, Momma, look!”
Linnea, just as excited, lay flat on her wheelchair, her arms folded up against her body, flapping her little bird hands. Love that sound, Momma, of water. Do you hear it? Can I stick my hands in it?
“Sure,” River said. She looked around for the closest fountain, and lifted Linnea up out of the wheelchair.
She sat on the edge of the fountain and gently picked up Linnea’s atrophied arm, trailing it in the water. “Is it cool?”
Yeah. It feels great!
“I saw in the brochure they have big bathtubs,” River said.
It’ll be like swimming!
“And they have two pools,” River added.
Linnea grinned. I can’t wait!
As Mal finished the paperwork, Simon gazed around the lobby. The man in the blue suit that Daisy had pointed out was staring at them. Unlike the other spectators in the lobby, who had stopped staring as soon as the group had morphed into legitimate customers, this man was oddly focused. He looked ordinary, like a businessman on a trip, carrying a briefcase and wearing a tie, but something about him felt off to Simon. Maybe he was just voyeuristic, or maybe he was interested in something – or someone – else.
Panic twanged through Simon’s chest, and he scanned the area for River and Linnea. They were not in sight, and Linnea’s wheelchair, with all of its medical equipment attached, was empty.
“Kaylee,” Simon said quietly, “where’s River?”
“I think she took Linnea over t’ see a fountain,” Kaylee said. “Why?”
“Just… wanted to know,” Simon said, still panicked.
His heart slowed a few beats when River came around a large planter, Linnea in her arms. River laid Linnea back in the wheelchair, and wiped her mouth, smiling down at the little girl. Simon stepped over to her quickly.
“Don’t go off again, mei-mei,” Simon said, touching River’s shoulder.
“He’s not looking for us,” River said without looking at him.
“How do you…?”
“When he comes looking for us, you’ll know,” River said.
She buckled Linnea into the chair, and wheeled her off towards Daisy.
Simon wasn’t sure if that should have calmed him, but it definitely didn’t.
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Email: memorysdaughter@gmail.com
Summary: After the events in “Radio Nowhere,” Serenity’s family must go to great lengths to save a stranger.
Series: Chapter Twelve
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Post-BDM, with two very important changes. And also post-“Radio Nowhere,” which you can read HERE.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never have been, never will be. The title comes from a Bruce Springsteen song.
Chapters 1-11
The Rising
“Goin’… goin’… goin’ to a hotel,” Daisy sang as Kaylee unwrapped the bandages on her arm. “Goin’… swimmin’, gonna eat… bagels…”
“Bagels?” Kaylee asked, smiling at her daughter’s enthusiasm.
“Daddy said… there was a bakery!” Daisy said happily. “Y’ ever had… a doughnut?”
“Yes,” Kaylee said, “but it was a long time ago.”
“Tell me ‘bout it,” Daisy said.
Kaylee gently pulled at one of the silicone patches that covered an open sore on Daisy’s arm. “Well, it was a big pastry, shaped like a big knot.”
“Mm-hmm,” Daisy said.
Kaylee peeled up one of the edges of the patch. Daisy was entranced with her thoughts of doughnuts and hotels, and didn’t even seem to notice when the patch caught the sore and began to ooze. “An’ it was dipped in frostin’, an’ it tasted like honey.”
“Honey that comes… in th’ big bottle?” Daisy asked.
“No,” Kaylee said. “It was real honey.”
“Real?”
“Came from bees.”
“Bees?”
“Little insects that make honey,” Kaylee said. She balled up a gauze pad and pressed some antibiotic ointment to the oozing wound.
“Momma,” Daisy said, rolling her eyes, “honey comes in a bottle.”
Kaylee laughed. “I guess it does, monkey.”
“Not… a monkey!” Daisy protested. “Uncle Jayne calls me… little ghost.”
“Y’ like that name?”
“Yes!” Daisy said, her eyes sparkling.
Kaylee cleaned the wound and began to rewrap Daisy’s arm.
“Aun’ River calls… Linnea… pretty girl,” Daisy said.
“Yes.”
“She called… Beck… pretty girl.”
“Does that confuse you?” Kaylee asked gently. She began to unwrap Daisy’s other arm.
“No,” Daisy said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I think Aunt River thinks Linnea is a pretty girl, just like she thought Beck was a pretty girl.”
“She doesn’t call… me… pretty girl,” Daisy said solemnly.
“Would you like her to?”
Daisy considered this. At last she said, “No,” decisively. “Rather be… a ghost.”
Kaylee leaned in and kissed her daughter on the head. “An’ yer my ghost,” she said. “An’ don’t y’ forget it.”
“A hotel,” Jayne said with relish, leaning back in his chair. “I ain’t stayed in one this fancy.”
“Really?” Zoë asked, trying to stay deadpan. “None o’ those attractive women that follow y’ around never sprung for anythin’ nice?”
“Hell, no,” Jayne said, taking a swig of whiskey. “Nicest place we ever stayed was somethin’ like the Gorey Motel.”
“The Gorey Motel?” Zoë’s eyes lit up. “Y’ stayed at th’ Gorey Motel?”
“Y’ say it like it’s a flophouse,” Jayne said.
“’Cause it is,” Wash pointed out.
“Well, it’s a nice flophouse.”
“I think Flophouse Weekly gave it three stars,” Wash said.
“Can it, little man,” Jayne grumbled, and took another swig of whiskey.
“I hope we’ll get a suite,” Wash said, looking down the table at Zoë. “Somethin’ with a big bed, an’ little mints on th’ pillows, an’ pillows that are filled with feathers…”
“Sounds dopey,” Jayne said. “I want somethin’ with a firm mattress, and lots o’ ladies.”
“It’s a classy place, Jayne,” Zoë said. “Y’ might be able t’ get the first part.”
“Y’ sayin’ I can’t get a classy woman?”
“I’m sayin’ y’ don’t make ‘nough money t’ get a classy woman,” Zoë said.
Jayne stared into his mug.
“It’ll be nice to get away,” Inara said.
“’Nara, yer job is gettin’ away,” Mal said.
“This will be different,” Inara said. “There’ll be shopping, and that fantastic bakery, and they have tours of the chocolate factory.”
“Chocolate sounds good,” Zoë said.
“Maybe they could make y’ a chocolate woman, Jayne,” Wash said around a mouthful of casserole.
“I’m gonna ignore that,” Jayne said, “’cause this whiskey has put me in a good mood.”
River came into the galley with Linnea in her arms. The little girl was happily crowing, and River was laughing along. “Yes, yes, pretty girl,” River said. “I promise.”
Linnea squawked with happiness.
River set her on a folded blanket on the table. The girl’s face was closest to Jayne. “Hey there, little lady,” Jayne said, raising his mug in a toast.
Linnea furrowed her brow and opened her mouth.
River burst out laughing.
“What? What?” Jayne asked. “Y’ know I don’t like people talkin’ ‘bout me without bein’ able t’ hear it.”
Around giggles, River said, “She says your breath smells.”
Jayne smiled. “Yer right, it prob’ly does.”
Linnea raised her chin a fraction of an inch, as though to say, Exactly.
The Clearwater Resort was a big glass-and-steel building that seemed to rise up forever. Surrounded by lush, manicured grounds, and abutted by a large outdoor swimming pool, it was a beautiful oasis.
“Says here there’s four restaurants,” Kaylee said, reading from the brochure as they walked towards the entrance.
“Pay attention,” Simon groused, as Kaylee distractedly pushed Daisy’s wheelchair into the back of his legs.
“Sorry,” Kaylee said, looking up from the brochure. “I just… I’m excited.”
“We’re all excited,” Mal said. He reached over and grabbed the suitcase Simon was struggling with. “Lemme help y’, Doc.”
As they entered the cool, carpeted lobby, a woman in a black uniform came over to them. “May I help you?” she asked, in a tone that suggested such a motley crew would be the last people to stay in such a plush hotel.
“We’re here t’ check in,” Mal said, and handed the envelope to the woman.
She looked at the paperwork inside. “So you are. Right this way.”
The checking-in procedure was completely smoothly, with only a few stray looks from hotel personnel. The lobby was beautiful and light, with skylights, plants, and fountains everywhere.
Daisy was constantly pointing and squawking out excited comments. “Look, a fountain! Look, over there – guy in a blue suit! Look, Momma, look!”
Linnea, just as excited, lay flat on her wheelchair, her arms folded up against her body, flapping her little bird hands. Love that sound, Momma, of water. Do you hear it? Can I stick my hands in it?
“Sure,” River said. She looked around for the closest fountain, and lifted Linnea up out of the wheelchair.
She sat on the edge of the fountain and gently picked up Linnea’s atrophied arm, trailing it in the water. “Is it cool?”
Yeah. It feels great!
“I saw in the brochure they have big bathtubs,” River said.
It’ll be like swimming!
“And they have two pools,” River added.
Linnea grinned. I can’t wait!
As Mal finished the paperwork, Simon gazed around the lobby. The man in the blue suit that Daisy had pointed out was staring at them. Unlike the other spectators in the lobby, who had stopped staring as soon as the group had morphed into legitimate customers, this man was oddly focused. He looked ordinary, like a businessman on a trip, carrying a briefcase and wearing a tie, but something about him felt off to Simon. Maybe he was just voyeuristic, or maybe he was interested in something – or someone – else.
Panic twanged through Simon’s chest, and he scanned the area for River and Linnea. They were not in sight, and Linnea’s wheelchair, with all of its medical equipment attached, was empty.
“Kaylee,” Simon said quietly, “where’s River?”
“I think she took Linnea over t’ see a fountain,” Kaylee said. “Why?”
“Just… wanted to know,” Simon said, still panicked.
His heart slowed a few beats when River came around a large planter, Linnea in her arms. River laid Linnea back in the wheelchair, and wiped her mouth, smiling down at the little girl. Simon stepped over to her quickly.
“Don’t go off again, mei-mei,” Simon said, touching River’s shoulder.
“He’s not looking for us,” River said without looking at him.
“How do you…?”
“When he comes looking for us, you’ll know,” River said.
She buckled Linnea into the chair, and wheeled her off towards Daisy.
Simon wasn’t sure if that should have calmed him, but it definitely didn’t.