OOC: Memory #2 (Hearing/Touch)
[This is a hearing/touch crystal, referencing a scene from "Serenity" (the pilot episode, not the movie). I did pad it out a tiny bit since Will's walk to the bridge occurred offscreen.]
This time the Memory Crystal dropped and hit Will on the shoulder while he was going to get groceries. He waited until he was back at home before he touched it and the memory overtook him...
Will's sight was veiled, but he could hear everything, and, strangely enough, feel himself touching things. He heard a few footsteps before he felt himself pulling a blanket over someone.
"The shot I gave you will help you sleep," he said, his tone soft and gentle.
"I slept for so long, didn't I?" River's groggy voice asked in reply.
"Just a little while," Will said, feeling himself sitting down and leaning over someone- over River, covering her with the blanket. "And then we'll find a place. We'll find a safe place." He felt his mouth work into a smile very briefly, and then there was silence as River's fingers ran all over his face, touching it.
"... I didn't think you'd come for me," she said quietly.
"Well, you're a dummy," said Will, his voice choked with emotion. There was a rustling noise as Will pulled his sister into a tight embrace, feeling her too-thin body in his arms, and she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. However, it wasn't long before the shot Will had spoken of presumably took hold, and she drifted off. Smiling again at his sister, he felt himself ease her down onto the bed. He pulled the blanket all the way over her before hearing his footsteps as he walked away, shoes clanking on metal as he walked up a set of stairs.
"Well, that'll be an interestin' day," a voice- the goateed man from his first memory- was saying.
"Imagine it will," said Mal. Will felt someone rudely bump into him, and another set of footsteps retreated. He braced himself on a doorway as he walked through it, hearing some switches being flipped.
"You need me to look at that?" he then asked.
"It's just a graze," said Mal dismissively. Will took a few more steps forward, then said hesitantly,
"So where you you plan on dumping us?"
"There's places you might be safe," said Mal. "If you want the truth, though, you're probably safer on the move. And we never stop movin'."
"... I'm confused," said Will. "No, wait. I- I think maybe you're confused."
"It may have become apparent to you that the ship could use a medic," Mal replied. "You ain't weak. Don't know how bright you are, top three percent, but... you ain't weak, and that's not nothin'." Will felt himself sitting in a chair as Mal spoke. "You live by my rule- you keep your sister from doing anything crazy- you could maybe find a place here, 'til you find a better."
"Uh..." said Will, putting his hands together. "I'm trying to put this as delicately as I can... ...how do I know you won't kill me in my sleep?"
"You don't know me, son, so let me explain this to you once," said Mal. "If I ever kill you, you'll be awake. You'll be facing me, and you'll be armed."
"Are you always this sentimental?" Will wanted to know, smiling slightly.
"I had a good day," Mal replied.
"You had the Alliance on you- criminals and savages. Half the people on this ship have been shot or wounded, including yourself, and you're harboring known fugitives."
"Well, we're still flyin'," said Mal.
"That's not much."
"It's enough."
And with that, the memory faded...
This time the Memory Crystal dropped and hit Will on the shoulder while he was going to get groceries. He waited until he was back at home before he touched it and the memory overtook him...
Will's sight was veiled, but he could hear everything, and, strangely enough, feel himself touching things. He heard a few footsteps before he felt himself pulling a blanket over someone.
"The shot I gave you will help you sleep," he said, his tone soft and gentle.
"I slept for so long, didn't I?" River's groggy voice asked in reply.
"Just a little while," Will said, feeling himself sitting down and leaning over someone- over River, covering her with the blanket. "And then we'll find a place. We'll find a safe place." He felt his mouth work into a smile very briefly, and then there was silence as River's fingers ran all over his face, touching it.
"... I didn't think you'd come for me," she said quietly.
"Well, you're a dummy," said Will, his voice choked with emotion. There was a rustling noise as Will pulled his sister into a tight embrace, feeling her too-thin body in his arms, and she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. However, it wasn't long before the shot Will had spoken of presumably took hold, and she drifted off. Smiling again at his sister, he felt himself ease her down onto the bed. He pulled the blanket all the way over her before hearing his footsteps as he walked away, shoes clanking on metal as he walked up a set of stairs.
"Well, that'll be an interestin' day," a voice- the goateed man from his first memory- was saying.
"Imagine it will," said Mal. Will felt someone rudely bump into him, and another set of footsteps retreated. He braced himself on a doorway as he walked through it, hearing some switches being flipped.
"You need me to look at that?" he then asked.
"It's just a graze," said Mal dismissively. Will took a few more steps forward, then said hesitantly,
"So where you you plan on dumping us?"
"There's places you might be safe," said Mal. "If you want the truth, though, you're probably safer on the move. And we never stop movin'."
"... I'm confused," said Will. "No, wait. I- I think maybe you're confused."
"It may have become apparent to you that the ship could use a medic," Mal replied. "You ain't weak. Don't know how bright you are, top three percent, but... you ain't weak, and that's not nothin'." Will felt himself sitting in a chair as Mal spoke. "You live by my rule- you keep your sister from doing anything crazy- you could maybe find a place here, 'til you find a better."
"Uh..." said Will, putting his hands together. "I'm trying to put this as delicately as I can... ...how do I know you won't kill me in my sleep?"
"You don't know me, son, so let me explain this to you once," said Mal. "If I ever kill you, you'll be awake. You'll be facing me, and you'll be armed."
"Are you always this sentimental?" Will wanted to know, smiling slightly.
"I had a good day," Mal replied.
"You had the Alliance on you- criminals and savages. Half the people on this ship have been shot or wounded, including yourself, and you're harboring known fugitives."
"Well, we're still flyin'," said Mal.
"That's not much."
"It's enough."
And with that, the memory faded...