Radio Nowhere, Chapter Five
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firefly_fanfic
Title: Radio Nowhere
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Email: memorysdaughter@gmail.com
Summary: Fourteen years in the future, River takes a turn towards the more-crazy, leaving Serenity's crew to care for her daughter.
Series: 5/?
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Timeline: Post-BDM, except with two very important changes.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never have been, never will be. The title comes from a Bruce Springsteen song.
Chapters 1-4
Radio Nowhere
River woke in the dark. For a moment she didn’t know where she was, but then she heard Rebecca’s ventilator whirring and humming, and she knew she was in her favorite place in the whole ‘verse. There was nowhere she’d rather be than wherever Rebecca was.
“Beck,” she whispered into the dark. “Beck? Can you hear me?”
She heard nothing, which wasn’t surprising. Even if Rebecca was awake, which River knew was unlikely, her daughter’s only vocal contributions – a low crooning – would be sucked up by the noise of the ventilator.
“Beck, Momma loves you,” she whispered. “I love you and I’m always gonna love you.”
Then River heard the worst noise in the entire ‘verse – Rebecca’s heart monitor flatlining. She scrambled from her bed, throwing her covers off, hurrying to Beck’s bed. “It’s okay, baby, it’s okay,” she heard herself say.
She pulled back Rebecca’s “comfy” and felt for her daughter’s vent tube. But her hands met something cold and crumbly, unlike Rebecca’s warm face. Her stomach dropping to her feet, River reached for the lamp switch.
A desiccated corpse leered back up at her as the room flared into light. It sat up and reached its arms out, reaching for her, pulling her down into darkness again.
Mal flung the door to River and Rebecca’s room wide. River was on the floor, her hands pressed over her ears, rocking back and forth as she screamed. A high-pitched noise accompanied the screaming.
The captain didn’t know where to look first. Moving on auto-pilot, he went to Rebecca’s bed and watched the tiny girl gasp up at him, her back arched. She couldn’t get her breath and it terrified him.
Sounding much calmer than he felt, Mal said loudly, “You gotta stop yer yelling, Li’l Albatross, yer scarin’ the ballerina.”
It was his pet name for Rebecca, despite the fact she’d never dance a step, and it seemed to calm her. He stroked her hair. “It’s goin’ t’ be just fine,” he said, and reached forward to pull Beck into a sitting position, holding her up with his body. “Shh, shh, you’re fine.”
The gasping grew softer as Rebecca caught her breath, and the heart monitor went silent. The screaming, on the other hand, did not. “Albatross!” Mal said sharply, louder. “River! Listen t’ me!”
Footsteps pounded in the corridor and Simon, Kaylee, and Zoë rushed into the small room. Simon moved to Rebecca’s side, and Kaylee crouched next to River on the floor, wrapping her arms around her friend.
River fought Kaylee’s embrace, screaming and shoving. “Let go! Let go! Monsters… they took her and they ate her and they’re coming back! Don’t you see them?”
“Sweetie, we’re all here,” Kaylee said, holding River to her tightly. “We’re all here and we’re not gonna let anybody take Beck.”
“They’re here and they have her,” River sobbed. “Make it go away. Make it stop.”
Simon, confident Rebecca was all right, knelt next to River. “Mei-mei? Can you hear me?”
He touched her cheek and she flinched, pulling away from him.
“I’m going to the infirmary,” Simon said quietly, and left the room.
Zoë sat down on Rebecca’s bed and propped the girl up against her body. “Hey, sweetie,” she said. “Would you like t’ go sleep with Aunt Inara?”
Rebecca blinked no.
“Your momma ain’t feelin’ well at th’ moment,” Mal said.
No.
River let out a shuddery sigh and relaxed in Kaylee’s arms, panting, exhausted. Kaylee brushed River’s hair from her sweaty forehead. “Shh, shh, it’s okay. Ever’ thin’s gonna be okay.”
“Kaylee… they took her.”
“No, sweetie, she’s right here.”
River’s tears dripped down onto Kaylee’s arm. “They took her, Kaylee, and nobody’s going to see until it’s too late. Promise me… promise me…”
“She’s right here,” Kaylee repeated lamely.
Simon reappeared with a syringe and knelt down at Kaylee’s side. “Mei-mei, I want you to go to sleep again,” he said.
“No!” River shrieked, throwing herself backwards, trying to get away from Simon. Kaylee’s arms held her fast, though. “Can’t sleep. She won’t be here. Simon… don’t, don’t… no, no!”
“Take Beck to sleep with Inara,” Simon said firmly.
“No! Taking her… taking her… no. Monsters… here… shadows and bad endings and… no!”
“Take her,” Simon repeated.
Zoë picked up Rebecca and moved towards the door. “Things’ll be all right in the mornin’,” she said, but those gathered couldn’t tell if she was talking to River or Rebecca.
“Mei-mei, trust me.”
“Can’t. Broke everything. Took everything. Dust.”
“Close your eyes,” Simon suggested, and when his sister had done so, he gently inserted the needle in her arm.
It only took a moment for the drug to course through her bloodstream, and then River’s body went limp in Kaylee’s arms.
Mal lifted River from the floor back into her bed and pulled the blue blanket over her.
“I’ll stay with her,” Kaylee offered softly, and lay down on Rebecca’s bed. “She doesn’t deserve t’ be alone, not after that.”
Mal let Simon out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. “What was that?” the captain asked.
“She’s… she’s getting worse,” Simon said, and wondered if he looked as hopeless as he felt.
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Email: memorysdaughter@gmail.com
Summary: Fourteen years in the future, River takes a turn towards the more-crazy, leaving Serenity's crew to care for her daughter.
Series: 5/?
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Timeline: Post-BDM, except with two very important changes.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never have been, never will be. The title comes from a Bruce Springsteen song.
Chapters 1-4
Radio Nowhere
River woke in the dark. For a moment she didn’t know where she was, but then she heard Rebecca’s ventilator whirring and humming, and she knew she was in her favorite place in the whole ‘verse. There was nowhere she’d rather be than wherever Rebecca was.
“Beck,” she whispered into the dark. “Beck? Can you hear me?”
She heard nothing, which wasn’t surprising. Even if Rebecca was awake, which River knew was unlikely, her daughter’s only vocal contributions – a low crooning – would be sucked up by the noise of the ventilator.
“Beck, Momma loves you,” she whispered. “I love you and I’m always gonna love you.”
Then River heard the worst noise in the entire ‘verse – Rebecca’s heart monitor flatlining. She scrambled from her bed, throwing her covers off, hurrying to Beck’s bed. “It’s okay, baby, it’s okay,” she heard herself say.
She pulled back Rebecca’s “comfy” and felt for her daughter’s vent tube. But her hands met something cold and crumbly, unlike Rebecca’s warm face. Her stomach dropping to her feet, River reached for the lamp switch.
A desiccated corpse leered back up at her as the room flared into light. It sat up and reached its arms out, reaching for her, pulling her down into darkness again.
Mal flung the door to River and Rebecca’s room wide. River was on the floor, her hands pressed over her ears, rocking back and forth as she screamed. A high-pitched noise accompanied the screaming.
The captain didn’t know where to look first. Moving on auto-pilot, he went to Rebecca’s bed and watched the tiny girl gasp up at him, her back arched. She couldn’t get her breath and it terrified him.
Sounding much calmer than he felt, Mal said loudly, “You gotta stop yer yelling, Li’l Albatross, yer scarin’ the ballerina.”
It was his pet name for Rebecca, despite the fact she’d never dance a step, and it seemed to calm her. He stroked her hair. “It’s goin’ t’ be just fine,” he said, and reached forward to pull Beck into a sitting position, holding her up with his body. “Shh, shh, you’re fine.”
The gasping grew softer as Rebecca caught her breath, and the heart monitor went silent. The screaming, on the other hand, did not. “Albatross!” Mal said sharply, louder. “River! Listen t’ me!”
Footsteps pounded in the corridor and Simon, Kaylee, and Zoë rushed into the small room. Simon moved to Rebecca’s side, and Kaylee crouched next to River on the floor, wrapping her arms around her friend.
River fought Kaylee’s embrace, screaming and shoving. “Let go! Let go! Monsters… they took her and they ate her and they’re coming back! Don’t you see them?”
“Sweetie, we’re all here,” Kaylee said, holding River to her tightly. “We’re all here and we’re not gonna let anybody take Beck.”
“They’re here and they have her,” River sobbed. “Make it go away. Make it stop.”
Simon, confident Rebecca was all right, knelt next to River. “Mei-mei? Can you hear me?”
He touched her cheek and she flinched, pulling away from him.
“I’m going to the infirmary,” Simon said quietly, and left the room.
Zoë sat down on Rebecca’s bed and propped the girl up against her body. “Hey, sweetie,” she said. “Would you like t’ go sleep with Aunt Inara?”
Rebecca blinked no.
“Your momma ain’t feelin’ well at th’ moment,” Mal said.
No.
River let out a shuddery sigh and relaxed in Kaylee’s arms, panting, exhausted. Kaylee brushed River’s hair from her sweaty forehead. “Shh, shh, it’s okay. Ever’ thin’s gonna be okay.”
“Kaylee… they took her.”
“No, sweetie, she’s right here.”
River’s tears dripped down onto Kaylee’s arm. “They took her, Kaylee, and nobody’s going to see until it’s too late. Promise me… promise me…”
“She’s right here,” Kaylee repeated lamely.
Simon reappeared with a syringe and knelt down at Kaylee’s side. “Mei-mei, I want you to go to sleep again,” he said.
“No!” River shrieked, throwing herself backwards, trying to get away from Simon. Kaylee’s arms held her fast, though. “Can’t sleep. She won’t be here. Simon… don’t, don’t… no, no!”
“Take Beck to sleep with Inara,” Simon said firmly.
“No! Taking her… taking her… no. Monsters… here… shadows and bad endings and… no!”
“Take her,” Simon repeated.
Zoë picked up Rebecca and moved towards the door. “Things’ll be all right in the mornin’,” she said, but those gathered couldn’t tell if she was talking to River or Rebecca.
“Mei-mei, trust me.”
“Can’t. Broke everything. Took everything. Dust.”
“Close your eyes,” Simon suggested, and when his sister had done so, he gently inserted the needle in her arm.
It only took a moment for the drug to course through her bloodstream, and then River’s body went limp in Kaylee’s arms.
Mal lifted River from the floor back into her bed and pulled the blue blanket over her.
“I’ll stay with her,” Kaylee offered softly, and lay down on Rebecca’s bed. “She doesn’t deserve t’ be alone, not after that.”
Mal let Simon out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. “What was that?” the captain asked.
“She’s… she’s getting worse,” Simon said, and wondered if he looked as hopeless as he felt.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-05 05:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-05-05 04:16 pm (UTC)