GarniGal's Journal:

I had a fantastic time writing for jossverse_las and I'm looking forward to reading the entries from the rest of the challenges. I'd definitely do it again, even if I did get voted out after 4 stories!

Story Title: Life; Bloody, Real and Warm
Character/Relationships: Simon Tam
Rating: PG
Warnings: Pre-series

This was the moment he’d been working for. This was what he’d been imagining ever since he saw that proud smile when he told his father he wanted to go into medicine. Years of study, years of dedication, years of avoiding distractions, years of watching his old friends go out to parties and come home with girls, all of it was for this moment.

He was pleased to see that his hands didn’t shake. Why should they? He knew exactly what he had to do, knew exactly what to expect. He’d done this on the simulator hundreds of times. His hands didn’t shake, and yet his heart pounded with excitement.

It was the heat. He could feel the warmth of the body right through his protective gloves. Could see the chest rising and falling despite the surgical drapes that hid most of the patient from view. This was a real live human being, not some simulator dragged out to practice on. Not some corpse lying cold and nude to examine and learn from.

This was life; bloody, real, and warm. This was the moment that would tell him whether he’d made the right choice all those years ago, that would confirm his father’s pride.

And still his hands didn’t shake.

Steady and sure, he cut through skin and tissue, cut out the diseased flesh. His eyes took in everything he saw, his mind analyzed, looking for any hidden problems, anything that could make this surgery less than perfect. Delicate and economical, he sutured the wounds, clean and straight. He gently taped a bandage over the sutures, unwilling to leave even that to the surgical nurse. He needed this moment to be his, to see this through to the end.

Even after the surgery was over, he trailed after the recovery nurses and waited until he saw the patient begin to rouse. Only then could he bring himself to change out of his scrubs.

Off in the corner of the change room reserved for medical students, he was alone and mostly hidden from the rest of the room. His classmates had told him they’d overheard interesting gossip in the change room, but he’d never approved of eavesdropping. He couldn’t help but listen in when he heard his own name.

“Did you observe Tam’s first surgery today? Lovely bit of work.” Simon bit his lip to suppress a smile.

“Yes indeed, he seems to have an instinct for the job. Highly focused and with a near genius ability to find and fix the problem. He appears a bit… serious though.”

“Yes, he’s a bit idealistic. Lots of spouting that every life is worth fighting for. Ah, he’ll learn that some people simply aren’t worth saving.”

“Or we’ll have more time for golf as he tries to save the world.”

The doors closed on their laughter.

Simon found his hands were clenched into fists. He forced himself to open them, to relax his shoulders. How did someone hold a life in their hands, and decide it wasn’t worth saving? How did someone choose golf over the infinite potential of a human being?

He dropped his wallet, and looked down in surprise.

Now, his hands had begun to shake.

We went to Awenda Provincial Park to go camping this weekend. Had a great time, but it's nice to be home and clean.

I posted my taming the muse story before I left, but I didn't cross-post it here until now. Not Missing Person's Report, this time.

Title: Paradise
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: A Fool’s Paradise
Warnings: None
Rating: G
Word Count: 527
Summary: A clean, white place.

( ***** )

Title: Missing Persons Report
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: Malevolence
Warnings:
Rating: G (so far)
Word Count:
Summary: The crew is making new friends and taking new jobs.

*****

Day cycle started with the near imperceptible brightening of the lights, not that Mal needed it. He’d slept fitfully the night before, haunted by Norton’s story, wondering about what Simon had remembered, and worrying about River.

She’d been so much better since Miranda. She still talked in circles that made him dizzy to follow, though follow he did. She still had some bad spells of memories overwhelming her. She still taunted Jayne, no matter how many times they all told her not to poke the bear. She was still a Reader, saying the most insightful things at the most inconvenient times. Though that last could just be a side effect of being a teenage girl.

She was taking a huge step forward, growing up for the first time since the Academy got her in their clutches. And Mal couldn’t help but worry that having Norton on board and trying to carry out this job was going to send her back to the screaming naked girl in a box, tossed around by a current she couldn’t control.

All that led to a restless night and at bad headache the next morning. And knowing he’d have to explain to Norton just exactly how far gone his son probably was wasn’t helping stop the ache. So he skipped the galley and breakfast, and headed straight to the infirmary and a couple of relievers.

River was sitting on the exam bed, swinging her legs and waiting with a cup of water. “Don’t see why you don’t keep some in your quarters,” she complained. “Boots clanging on steel makes it worse.”

“We in the middle of a conversation I don’t know about, little girl? I ain’t in no mood for your tangly talk today.”

“Get this over with. We’ll all feel better.”

Mal swallowed his pills and looked more closely at River. Her fair skin did little to disguise the dark circles under her eyes. “Didn’t sleep well, River?”, he asked.

“None of us did. Well, maybe Kaylee and Simon, but I try not to look.”

“I can’t be knowing these things!” Mal protested. Pleased to see River looking a little more cheerful, he pressed for more details.

“Jayne cleaned his guns and sharpened his knives. Figures this will be a bad fight. Inara prayed for the little lost and stolen children. Norton worried about whether we’ll help him. Zoe worried that she’s lost her heart for the job without Wash and is going to get someone killed. You worried about everyone, and I worried about me.”

“And Kaylee and Simon slept like babies.”

“Eventually, yes.”

“Why must you be putting these images in my head?” But River wasn’t paying any attention to him. Her eyes were fixed on the infirmary door. With a sigh, Mal resigned himself to having a very difficult conversation before the relievers kicked in properly.

Sure enough, Norton hesitantly stuck his head in the room only a heartbeat later. “Captain, when did you want to talk… Oh, Miss Tam. I didn’t see you there.”

He surely saw her now though. He stared at her like she was his oasis in the desert. Mal’d noticed Norton’s reaction before and was starting to get right annoyed. He’d get this job done and get the man off his boat. ‘Course, that meant getting this conversation over with.

“Come on in, Norton. I asked River to join us. She’ll be able to explain better than anyone what’s been done to your boy.”

“You see me, whole and safe. Only see skin deep – no scars, no damage,” River started without preamble. “Damage is all inside. Pretty package on the outside, innocent and harmless. But inside. Tore things away, stuffed other things in. Filled up with malevolence and purpose, evil puppet on a string.” Her voice broke a little, and Mal gently patted her shoulder while he parsed through her words.

She wiped away a tear and looked up at Mal. “Isaac is far closer to finished than I was. May not be possible to save him.”

Title: Missing Persons Report
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: Imbroglio
Warnings:
Rating: G (so far)
Word Count: 570
Summary: The crew is making new friends and taking new jobs.

*****

“They took my son four years ago, and I’ve been looking for him ever since. I’ve come close a few times, but he was always in a well-guarded facility. They’ve finally moved him somewhere more accessible, but I need some people with the expertise to get me in and out.”

Mal’s brow wrinkled. Something in Norton’s story was niggling at him.

“Why?”

Mal was annoyed that Jayne’s question broke his train of thought. He’d never figure out what was nagging at him now.

“What do you mean ‘why’? You don’t have an iota of sympathy in your body. Most people care about their families, Jayne, and want to keep them safe.” Inara was in fine form, with sarcasm dripping from her words like the jewels at her ears and throat. Flashy, obvious and blinding.

“I care for my family. My ma worries something fierce ‘bout me, and I’m always thinking on them that’s still at home.” Jayne sounded… hurt. “I mean, why’d they put him somewhere’s we can get to him, after all these years.”

That’s what had been bothering Mal. And now he’d be up all night-cycle, worrying that Jayne figured it out first.

“Well, it’s clear, isn’t it?” Zoe said. She’d sat nearly motionless through Norton’s story. She’d been so still that Mal had stopped watching her to gauge reaction. He’d been more caught up in River’s and Simon’s little drama. “Issac’s been fully trained.”

It took a moment of silence for that to sink in. As usual, Jayne spoke first. “Well, ai chr jze se duh fohn diang gou.”

“That about sums it up,” Zoe said.

Norton’s brow is wrinkled. “I don’t understand. Trained to do what?”

And they all start talking at once.

Mal can see Norton’s confusion isn’t cleared up by the cacophony. He can understand why, once he stops talking and starts listening to the imbroglio. He only hears about one in every ten words, and none of them are from the same person.

“Crazy girl.”

“Stripped her amygdala.”

“Graceful but deadly.”

“Shot ‘em without even looking.”

“Slashed me right across the chest!”

“Witch.”

It took a minute, but he finally got them all quiet. “You and me, Norton. We need to have a real, in depth talk about exactly what’s been done to your boy. But it can wait ‘til morning. We’ve all had a busy day, and it’s been quite the show in here tonight.”

‘Nice to see everyone doing as I say for once,’ Mal thought as they all trailed out to their various before sleep-cycle duties and habits. He turned to head to his own bunk, only to trip over River.

“Almost everyone.”

Mal mock glared. “Stop reading my mind, witchy girl.”

“Used to it now. Be all awkward if I waited for you to tell me what to do.”

“Still, makes a fellow feel manly to give orders.”

River rolled her eyes.

“What did you need, ‘tross?”

“Need to talk to Norton with you tomorrow. Need to be the one to explain what Isaac is now. But,” her face screwed up like she was about to cry, “can’t say it right. Get caught up in it again and frightened and start to go back.”

“And nobody likes it when you ain’t yourself. I see your point, River. But don’t Simon usually act as your anchor in situations like this.”

“Don’t need an anchor this time. Need steering, navigation, piloting. Need a captain.”

Title: Missing Persons Report
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: Gossip
Warnings:
Rating: G (so far)
Word Count: 605
Summary: The crew is making new friends and taking new jobs.

*****

‘River’s words tend to have a real dampening effect’, Mal thought, as he and the rest of the crew glared at Norton. Zoe’s hand grazed the butt of her gun, and Jayne’s crossed arms disguised the fact that his fingers were now closed around the hilt of the very large knife he’d strapped to his forearm.

Norton stared in awe at River as she moved fully into the room, stopping in front of him. “Don’t need to lie to the crew. Can’t lie to me. Won’t get what you need unless you speak truth.”

Mal looked sharply at River. “You saying what I think you’re saying? You thinking we oughta help this fella, even after he’s been telling us false?”

River rolled her eyes. “Well, Captain, would I have come back to get his bunk ready if I didn’t?”

Mal felt himself flushing at River’s condescending tone, but no one had a chance to notice. All attention had been drawn to Norton, who’d fallen to his knees and began to sob.

It took time to get Norton calmed, but at least there was the advantage of relieving some of the tension in the crew. Mal tried his best to draw River over, though he felt incredibly foolish thinking at her. He could tell she heard him, because she refused to make eye contact. Little witch drove him right round the star charts some days, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. At least, not much he was willing to do about it. She was difficult, sometimes dangerous, but she was theirs. That was a decision he’d had to make time and again, and always with the same result. River stayed.

They finally got settled around the table, and Norton began to tell the truth about his story. Mal kept one eye on River, knowing she’d warn him if Norton strayed again.

“I worked in a Blue Sun subsidiary on Londinium. I wasn’t a scientist or anything important; just a pencil pusher. It was dull work, but it paid more than my father ever made, and I met my wife there. She was sweet and kind, lovely but shy. We were devoted to each other and anxious to start our lives together, but… Londinium’s a crowded planet. They’ve got rules about people getting married and having families. We needed money to buy our license, money to buy a home we could both live in, and much more money to be allowed to have children. I had access to money at work, and the temptation was too much. Tiny amounts at first, just to get us the things we were dreaming of, but it was so easy to take more. And then Isabel conceived.”

His voice broke. “It was a difficult pregnancy from the start. The only reason she didn’t lose the baby was we were on Londinium. We had access to the absolute best health care in the ‘verse. But it cost us. And the money started disappearing faster than I could cover it up.”

“Blue Sun waited until after I buried my wife and brought my son home. But the very next day, there were three men on my doorstep. Two frightening large men grabbed me and sat me down, while an even more frighteningly elegant man told me there’d been gossip about my indiscretions. They knew about every cent, and they knew there was no way I could pay them back. But I had something they could use. My son. My Isaac. And if I promised to let them test him, all my troubles would go away.”

“God forgive me, I agreed.”