Post by Simon Tam on Apr 2, 2008 14:22:26 GMT -5
The Player.
Your Name: Beccy
Your Age: 16
How Did You Find Out of Gas?: You gave me the link…
Previous Roles: Severus Snape, Hugo Weasley, Gregory Goyle, Bella Swan, many originals
Contact Email: It’s in my profile
The Core.
Full Name: Simon Tam
Nickname(s): Doc, Doctor
Birthday: 23rd November, 2490
Age: 28
Origin: Osiris
Location: On board Serenity
Allegiance: Neutral
At one time in his life, Simon would have definitely been on the side of the Alliance, but since seeing what they’d done to his sister, he cannot abide them anymore; being a fugitive from them doesn’t exactly help, either. However, Simon is not completely on the side of the Independence either, and so stands in the middle, for neither one side nor the other, much as the rest of the Serenity crew do.
Occupation: Serenity’s medic
The Appearance.
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Dark brown
Height && Weight: 5’10” && 75kg
General Description: When it comes to having either brawn or brains, Simon definitely has the latter; he is not a tall man, and though this should not be a particular problem, when you’re trying to have an argument with someone who’s over six foot, it’s not a great advantage. Simon is not heavily built, and though his muscles are toned from the amount of exercise that there seems to be in the jobs that Serenity takes on, he is certainly not muscle-man. However, he is fit and in good health; what is the use of him being a doctor if he does not look after his own body? He knows of the importance to exercise and keep hydrated at all times, and the importance of good nutrition, although that one is sometimes hard to achieve when funds and supplies are running low.
With dark brown hair and blue eyes, Simon resembles his father in many ways, although it is not something he is proud of, considering the fact that Gabriel has practically disowned his son. Like his father’s, Simon’s skin is pale, because until he rescued River, he had not spent much time outside of the hospital’s fluorescent lighting, and so he had not had the chance to brown in the sun. It is true that he has definitely acquired a slight tan in the past few months, but Simon is never going to be brown; it is not in his colouring, and he would look rather silly if he were too tanned. It’s not that he doesn’t like being outside, because he does, it’s just that the main part of his work takes place inside the ship, where all his equipment is, and so he doesn’t have much cause to scorch his skin to a brown crisp. That’s not for him; he’s far more likely to burn red than anything else.
Simon’s eyes are a brilliant blue colour, and his smiles definitely extend to them when he is feeling genuinely happy, but he feels that they are too small, although he would not call himself vain; it is just something that he has noticed when he washes his face in the mornings, and he doesn’t particularly like it. He knows that he’s not exactly the most handsome guy in the ‘Verse, and thinking that he was would be a very bad thing for him to do, because vanity isn’t a particularly attractive trait. However, as long as he is presentable, that is all that matters; his life might not be that respectable now, but at least he can do his best at looking the part of the respectable young man.
His hair is always clean and neatly brushed, which reflects the part of Simon’s personality that loves things to be neat and orderly; similarly, his clothes are always clean and pressed, and Simon has a general air of cleanliness about him, which hails from the fact that when you’re working in a hospital, you have to keep yourself clean, or infections can spread as easily as wildfire. While this is less important on a ship, it isn’t something that Simon can easily stop doing, and so he always makes himself presentable, even if he’s going to get covered in blood in the infirmary.
The Personality.
Likes && Dislikes: There are many things in life that Simon likes; whether he is able to do them is another matter entirely. He likes to sit down with a good book – there is something about reading something physical rather than on a computer screen that is far better – but it is quite hard to find peace and quiet to be able to get further than the first page, even in his own quarters. There is something about a book that can transport you away from where you are that Simon loves, and the wealth of knowledge that can be found between the pages is something that he likes to tap into when he has the chance; learning new things has always been something that he has enjoyed, especially since he feels the need to make sure he doesn’t feel like the stupid sibling. Of course, he is learning a lot of new things at the moment just through what he is doing everyday, but he wishes that he could find the time to sit down and just read more often, like he did as a child.
Because of his training as a doctor, Simon likes to feel as though he is helping people, whether that is with injuries and care or in another way entirely. He finds great satisfaction in making people feel better, which is why he dislikes having to kill people in raids so much. His primary concern is his sister, of course, but he likes to feel useful to the rest of the crew too, and so the infirmary is always well-prepared. Simon also likes it when things are organised well, and can often be found sorting things out so that they make better sense logically.
One thing that Simon likes a lot is being a member of a team. He has learnt the importance of second opinions while being a doctor, and being on a ship’s crew is the same kind of thing; if you don’t know why something is working, you can easily go and find someone who does. Besides, he knows now that being part of Serenity’s crew is probably the safest place for him and River to be. He has also got some good friends on board Serenity, and the person who likes above all others is the mechanic, Kaylee, although for a long time he didn’t realise this himself, and ended up making things worse between them. However, recently, the two have become much closer. However, there are also members of the crew whom Simon likes less, and therefore he does not like them either; Jayne, for example, is someone who Simon finds hard to trust after what he did to River, and he and Mal often conflict over River’s actions, although Simon does respect the captain.
Simon also doesn’t like getting drunk. While a drink, or even two, is perfectly acceptable, and in fact a good idea every now and again, having too much isn’t something that Simon enjoys, and not just because of the hangovers. After he and his friends qualified as surgeons, they all went and had a few too many drinks, and, as far as he can remember, Simon did some things that he rather wishes he hadn’t, although he can’t be too sure, since his memory of that night is rather fuzzy. Although it was fun at the time, Simon doesn’t like the idea of not knowing exactly what he is doing, and therefore makes sure that he always stays within his limits when he drinks.
Being on the run isn’t something that many people would particularly enjoy, but it is something that Simon very definitely dislikes. He’s got a great home now, he admits that, and he isn’t sure that he could go back and live on his family’s estate if he had the chance, but it would have been better if he’d decided to take a trip with his sister, and hadn’t illegally rescued her, ending up with all his bank accounts frozen and probably his license to practise medicine revoked too, although he’s never checked up on that. Simon also doesn’t particularly like fighting, although he has come to realise that it is a necessary part of life, especially where defending his sister is concerned. He would hurt a thousand men if they tried to hurt River.
Interests && Hobbies: Simon likes to find out new things, as he has a thirst for knowledge that doesn’t just disappear. It is not always easy for him to find the time, or the quiet necessary, to broaden his mind, at least not as much as he did as a child, but learning new things has always interested him; he is just as willing to learn the practical aspects of life that you can find out from being on board a ship, as long as his mind is active. However, he also likes to have fun, and playing cards with the rest of the crew is something that can keep them all occupied for hours. Not having a lot of ready money, it tends to be chores that are used as stakes, which Simon thinks works well (until he is left doing the dishes for a month, or someone cheats).
Something that Simon has become more interested in since joining the crew of Serenity is travelling to other worlds. Previously, he had been perfectly content to stay on his home planet of Osiris, as he had enough to keep him happy there, but now that he has experienced seeing other planets and moons, he rather likes it, and the vastness of the ‘Verse is something that he is intrigued by. Being on board a ship has taken some getting used to, but keeping moving is certainly something that is useful to him, and if he can see some planets and moons in parts of the ‘Verse that he previously wouldn’t have been allowed to go too, as they were far too dangerous, then so much the better. Of course, he would have preferred to continue his life as a doctor, but things, also known as the government, intervened.
Strengths: Although he would not admit it, Simon is far braver than he or anyone else gives him credit for. In many ways, it was a hard decision for him to choose to leave behind the wonderful life he had on Osiris, with so many avenues open to him that would have enabled him to become someone great in the medical profession, but he threw that away in an instant in order to save his sister. He doesn’t feel as though it was anything particularly special, but the way he always defends River, even when he is faced with a lot of people who’d rather he wasn’t around, and how he gave up everything for her, shows that he is selfless, and does not care for what his life might have been like, except for a few short moments every now and then. River is the most important thing in his life, and he will protect her whatever.
To most people, one of Simon’s most prevalent strengths is his intelligence; he is far better educated than most of Serenity’s crew, having sailed through MedAcad and his internship to become a licensed doctor, as he’d promised his father he would. He has been a surgeon in hospitals in Capital City, Osiris, and he certainly loves his craft; he tries to protect life at all costs, and he is never without someone who needs stitches or cleaning up on Serenity, although it is nothing compared to being a trauma surgeon, as he once was. Of course, that avenue of work has since been closed to him, and he is grateful for the work he has. However, Simon doesn’t consider himself to be that bright, as he grew up in the shadow of his sister, who always made him feel like an idiot at whatever he did. Despite this, Simon does have a very logical mind, and keeping things ordered comes easily to him; the medical room is always organised, because then he knows where to find everything if there happens to be an emergency. Because of his way of thinking things through, Simon can also be helpful when it comes to planning things, even if he doesn’t always approve of what the crew is doing.
However, Simon is loyal, and after the kindness that Mal and the crew (with, perhaps, the exception of Jayne) has shown him and River, he follows what they do, whether he agrees or not. Of course there are times when he doesn’t want to follow orders so readily, and will fight in an instant if someone says something about his sister, because despite the bond he now feels he has with Serenity and her crew, it is always to his family that he is most loyal. He has lost his parents’ trust in him, and therefore he feels that he must do everything he can to look after his sister until she gets better.
Weaknesses: Simon has a tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Whether that’s because he’s nervous (which tends to happen when he’s around a certain mechanic) or simply because he is better at putting words to paper than actually speaking them, it hasn’t always been particularly helpful. On many occasions, he has said something he did not mean completely unwittingly, which has earned him the cold shoulder from various members of the crew, and at other times, he has a job saying anything at all, stumbling over his words and blundering through what he is trying to say extremely awkwardly. However, when it comes to something that Simon knows about, he can be almost eloquent on the subject, particularly if he is describing a medical procedure or something that concerns his sister; it seems that his classic case of putting his foot in his mouth comes only when he is unsure of himself or what he is doing, or around certain people, and therefore he can appear to be either stiff and formal, or just plain stupid.
Simon can also be a little over-protective at times, particularly of his sister. He feels that he has an obligation to look after her and to defend the both of them against anyone who might harm them in some way, but he also finds it hard to let go and allow River to do things on her own; she has improved a lot in the last few months, and he can’t be everywhere at once, especially since he has work to do (there is always someone needing patching up) and a relationship to keep afloat. He cannot spend his whole life looking after her, or anyone else for that matter, and at some point he is going to have to take a look at where his life is, and what he’s going to do about it. However, while he is still hiding from the Alliance, there isn’t anything else for him to do, and so he concerns himself with other people.
Fighting is not one of Simon’s strongest points, despite what he’s been through both while rescuing River and on board Serenity. He can mend most wounds in an instant, but to be asked to kill someone in cold blood, or even in self-defence, isn’t something that he has ever been good at; doctors are supposed to save lives, not take them away, and though he can just about use a gun (who can’t, these days?), he does not take advantage of that unless it is absolutely imperative to his safety or that of his friends and family – killing people is not something he’s been trained to do and he does not take pride in it. However, he is willing to defend River against everyone, even if it means that all the people he knows become his enemies, because that is the thing that is most important to him.
Secrets: There are times when Simon regrets saving River. Not because he has to look after her, because he loves doing that, which is his doctor’s training showing through as well as his deep love for her, but because he could have been a great surgeon and had a fantastic life on Osiris without ever having to turn to the somewhat criminal life that he now has. Of course he loves having an adventure, and he would never have been able to live with himself if he’d just left River in the hands of the Academy, but he does sometimes wonder what his life would have been like if he’d remained in his parents’ good books and continued working legally. He would have had so much, and done so well for himself, and though he wouldn’t wish to leave the folks on Serenity (apart from Jayne, perhaps. Simon thinks he could do pretty well without Jayne), there was so much that could have been good for him. Still, Simon tries not to think on that too much, because there is only so much of ‘what might have been’ a person can take, and they have the future to concentrate on, and it might be a different path to the one he would have chosen for himself, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the wrong one.
Overall Personality: Being the older sibling by eleven years, Simon has always had some element of responsibility in his life, and looking out for his sister is something that comes naturally to him. His family has always been extremely important to him, and though he does not see or like his parents anymore – they lost his respect when they continued to believe that what the Academy was doing to River was right – his sister has always and will always be of the utmost importance to him. However, he also likes being a member of Serenity’s crew; they might all be the sort of people he would never have associated with back on Osiris, but some of them have become almost like family. Of course, there is still a lot of animosity between him and some of them, but that is unavoidable. It’s a bit like the great-aunt that you absolutely hate, but she’s still family, and you have to put up with her.
Due to his upbringing, and his father’s opinions on what was right to do around company, Simon can come across as being formal on first sighting, somewhat like the gentlemen of centuries gone by. This is mainly because he is unsure how he should act around the sorts of people that he is not used to associating with; most of the people in Capital City were similar to himself in upbringing, and to be thrust into places where the social focus is different to what he is useful means that he finds it hard to judge how he should act. Simon is also suspicious of new people, which means that he can often appear to be uptight and closed off; this is because of his fear that someone will report him and River to the Alliance and they’ll send her back to the Academy – although they are no longer sought in the same way, he doesn’t want people to know about River’s…abnormalities, and he doesn’t want her put in the hands of the Alliance, especially now that she is improving so much. However, this suspicion that Simon has initially disappears once he knows that no harm is going to come to either himself or his sister, and though he never quite manages to lose his formal manner, he can be as friendly and relaxed as the next person, as long as he as the assurance that the people he’s around are actually his friends.
However well he knows someone, Simon isn’t one to talk at length about his past; his childhood is something he doesn’t mind sharing, but beyond that, after he left Osiris, is something that is very private, and not only because he was breaking the law by freeing River. What happened in the years preceding him entering the Academy are not events that he wishes to talk about, although it seems that his past is not of the utmost importance to any of his companions, thankfully. Simon can also be rather solitary, despite enjoying spending time with the rest of the crew; this stems from the time when he was first getting letters from River and not being able to share them with anyone, as his friends at the hospital would not have understood, and his parents thought that he was just being silly. He can often be found in the infirmary, organising the supplies in case of any eventuality, or wandering around the ship on his own, although he would not turn down a decent conversation.
Simon has nothing against any of the crew, but sometimes he wishes that there was someone around with whom he could have a good, in-depth conversation about something highly technical or historical; having had a very high quality education and not being exactly stupid, Simon sometimes finds that the things he says go straight over the heads of his friends, or that they are simply not interested in the things he wants to talk about. He also misses the fact that he is no longer dealing with any injuries that are more than a bullet wound or knife cut; while there are more than enough of those to keep him occupied, they aren’t exactly taxing work for someone who could have been in the Medical Elect if things had been different, and just once, he’d like to be faced with a real injury.
However, although Simon does miss his old life, he knows that looking after River will always be his main priority, and he would never have been able to live with his conscience if he had just left her at the Academy. Since he has been travelling through the ‘Verse, Simon has found that he has a sense of adventure that he did not know he previously had; he had never been off-world until he started searching for ways to rescue his sister, and since that, he has seen some amazing worlds (and some that weren’t so pleasant…being kidnapped springs immediately to mind) and he doesn’t think that he’d be able to go back to being planet-bound, not after seeing how vast the universe really is. He doesn’t need his old life anymore anyway; Simon is finally beginning to realise that everything he needs is right here, on board Serenity, and that his life is far more exciting than he would ever have imagined.
The Family.
Parents && Siblings:
Gabriel Tam – Father[/u] – As a child, Simon and his father had a perfectly good relationship; Gabriel wanted his son to be a brilliant doctor, and Simon was willing to comply (with the additional bribe of a dedicated source box, what was there to complain about?). However, when things with River went wrong and Simon broke into the Academy to save her, their relationship took a turn for the worse, as Simon let down his father by going against what the Alliance was doing. Since he has been on board Serenity, Simon has not had any contact with his parents, and does not intend to speak to them in the near future, because he doesn’t think that they’d be too happy to hear from him. Knowing his father, he’d probably turn them into the Alliance too, and that is something that Simon wishes to avoid.
Regan Tam – Mother[/u] – Like his father, Simon was always quite close to his mother as a child; keeping your family close was something that he’d been brought up to believe. However, after rescuing River, Simon ‘let down’ his mother, and as much as he wants to talk to her and apologise for disappointing her, he doesn’t think it would be wise at the moment, and so it has been several months since they have met.
River Tam – Sister[/u] – Simon is extremely close to River, and is absolutely devoted to keeping her safe and away from the Alliance, whatever the cost. As a child he somewhat resented the fact that she was so much cleverer than he was, making him feel stupid, but his love and loyalty towards her has made that resentment completely disappear. He was disgusted to hear what was being done to her at the Academy, and since then has made it his job to protect her.
Character History: Born on the twenty-third of November, 2490 on the Core planet of Osiris, Simon Tam was the first child of Gabriel and Regan Tam, who had been wanting a child for some time. It would be fair to say that Simon was treated lavishly as a child, not only because his parents were well known and liked in the community, but also because they had as much money as they could want at their disposal. He had all the toys he could want to play with, and as he grew older, enough books and connections to fuel his inquisitive mind.
It became noticeable to his parents early on that Simon was far from stupid, and in fact was far brighter than most of the other children his age. He did well at school, having no problems with any of his lessons, and making plenty of good friends, despite the fact that he had always found it hard to talk properly to other children, as he tended to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. It seemed that his parents were not able to have any more children, and Simon was already resigned to the fact that he would be an only child; it wasn’t something that he particularly minded, as his studies were important to him, but he would have liked a younger brother or sister.
It seemed that his wish was to become truth; Regan gave birth to River in 2501, eleven years after Simon’s birth, and Simon loved his sister from the word ‘go’. He felt very protective over this baby, and that somewhat it was his duty to look after her. By this time, Simon had already chosen, or at least been made aware, of what he would be doing in the future. He had always had an interest in medicine and the human body, working out how to fix cuts and grazes without help from anyone, and he had always taken it as read that he was going to become a doctor. It was something that he was very happy to take on, and if his results in school were anything to go by, he wouldn’t have any trouble with the training.
Of course, his sister didn’t remain a baby for long, and in fact, it turned out that she was a genius, far cleverer than Simon was, which annoyed him immensely. Not because she was clever, as he loved her too much for there to be much jealousy, but because she made him feel so stupid; when your three-year-old sister corrects your spelling, and, a few years later, tells you that the textbook you have from school is wrong, you know that she’s pretty damn clever, and a definite gift. And Simon hated feeling like the idiot child, because he knew that he wasn’t stupid, but all he could do was finish school.
He didn’t do poorly though, not by any stretch of the imagination, and after graduating, was accepted into the best MedAcad on Osiris, seeing less of his sister as he worked hard, ending up in the top three percent of his year. By this time, the Unification War was underway, and though Simon was not directly involved, his upbringing on an Alliance-run planet and his parents’ views meant that he supported Unification, and probably still would be on the side of the Alliance if events had not made him see otherwise. Now, he could not like them less.
After Simon completed his internship in eight months (far earlier than anyone else), and began working as a trauma surgeon in Capital City, River was accepted into the Academy. Simon knew nothing of the place, except that it was meant to be very prestigious, and though he missed his sister, as they had a very close bond despite the age difference, he was glad that she would be in a place where they would be able to fully appreciate her gifts, for she was extremely gifted, there was no doubting that. And at first, she seemed to be having a good time.
Simon loved his work at the hospital; he got to save lives every day, and though some of the injuries people had were horrific, he felt that he was making a difference, which is something that he really enjoyed. Rising through the ranks was easy, and he probably would have gone far if the letters he’d been receiving from his sister hadn’t confounded him. It wasn’t the fact that he was receiving letters, because that was normal, but it was the content that was so strange, so unlike River. Misspellings, events and games they’d never played…it didn’t make sense to him, and though he tried to push it to the back of his mind and pretend that it wasn’t important, even the most complex operations could not take his mind off them. What did River mean?
Of course, his parents didn’t empathise at all; they never did. They were fully supportive when it came to careers and finances, but when Simon thought that their daughter was trying to tell them something, they just wouldn’t listen. It was at this point that Simon’s faith in the Alliance began, almost inconceivably at first, to fade away. River was trying to tell him something in these letters, but he couldn’t work out what it was. However, he was sure that it wasn’t good, and something was happening to her; it was some kind of code.
Simon finally managed to crack the code and learn that the people at the Academy were hurting River and that she wanted to escape, but for two very long years he could do nothing but sit tight, continuing his work at the hospital while putting out feelers, to try and work out a way to rescue her, even if it involved going into Blackout Zones, places he had never been before. Eventually, and it was eventually, because it had been far too long, and who knew what they’d been doing to his sister in that time, Simon had a way to get her out. It wasn’t easy, but then, when are things really ever easy?
Simon had no clue what they’d done to her at the Academy, but he knew that it had made her different, that she was acting differently to how she had as a child. He also knew that by breaking her out, he had broken the law, although he hadn’t expected to be labelled as a fugitive almost as soon as he had got her out and stabilised her in what only can be described as a box. All the money he had earned as a surgeon was locked down, and his father disowned both of his children. Suddenly, for the first time in his life, Simon was on his own, and on a strange planet.
Of course, he wasn’t alone, because he had River, and he was determined that he would do everything he could to protect and look after her, until he could find out what had happened to her. However, he couldn’t stay planet-side, and as soon as they had landed on Persephone, he began to look for a ship that would take him away, so that he and River would be safe as possible. A ship that didn’t look like it was going to be too law abiding, in case anyone on board should find out what he’d done. A ship like Serenity.
Simon couldn’t say that he was particularly happy to be on a ship at first. It wasn’t the sort of life he was used to, that was for sure, and until the Captain decided to open the box containing River, he kept himself to himself. Of course, him finding River opened all sorts of doors that Simon had particularly wanted to stay closed, but he couldn’t do anything about that. Once the Captain, and the rest of the crew, knew their story, Simon was sure that they’d be thrown out at the next planet, left in the hands of the Alliance, but his skills as a medic came in useful, as they so often do, and he managed to secure himself a job on the boat, and River’s safety (he would never have let Kaylee die intentionally, because part of being a doctor means that it is hard for him to take away life, but it was a good bargaining tool).
It took a very long time for Simon to stop feeling like the outsider of the crew. His ultimate goal has always been to protect River, and even though she is now, finally, being accepted, he would hurt anyone that attempts to hurt her. However, he thinks that he can finally say that he’s found some kind of family out here in the Black; perhaps not the sorts of people he would have thought he’d ever meet, but good sorts of people all the same.
The Edge.
Something Unique: Although Simon finds it almost impossible to talk to anyone female, particularly if he likes them, and in general isn’t that much of a speaker, Simon has a sarcastic wit that usually only shows itself when he is faced with someone he doesn’t like, or someone very stupid. Because he is usually fairly quiet, the fact that he can be cutting with his words in a way that no knife can be is often a surprise.
Simon is also incredibly selfless, although he will never admit it, and as his family is the most important thing in the ‘Verse to him, he would give up everything for them, as he did with River, even though he and his parents no longer communicate. The fact that they have lost his respect doesn’t stop them from being his family, however, and if he thought that there was some sort of recompense to be had with them, his father in particular, he would certainly consider giving up the wonderful life he’s found for himself on Serenity in order to patch things up. He doesn’t think that he’d be able to stay on-world permanently though; travelling through space is something that’s too good for even him to give up.
Role Playing Sample: “Why is it always me that ends up getting hurt?” Simon moaned as he walked through the cargo bay, already warm from the hot air of the planet outside, towards the infirmary, rubbing his head as he went. It did always seem to be the case; wherever they went, it was almost inevitable that he would end up with some cut or bruise of one kind or another, generally through no fault of his own. However, he supposed that he was lucky that it simply was a bruise, and not a bullet hole; he’d saved the life of more than one person who’d been shot, but he wasn’t sure that he could do it for himself again; once was enough, and at least that had only been in the leg. Still, he’d much prefer these visits to other planets if they didn’t always end up with him needing to find something cool to put on his face to stop the swelling. Aside from that, he liked seeing all these places; most of them he had only read about before, and his parents certainly wouldn’t have allowed him or River out onto the Border like this, so it was an adventure. Perhaps he didn’t seem like the adventurous sort, but everyone had some taste for it, even if it was hidden away for most of their lives. Simon had only found his recently, after all, and now he couldn’t imagine not always being on the move. There were so many places to see, who’d want to be stuck on the same planet their whole lives?
However, the only place Simon wanted to be now was the infirmary; his head was throbbing and he knew that he was almost guaranteed some peace and quiet there. Whatever conversations were going on around the ship, people only came to the infirmary if they needed his help or were actively seeking him for something. And considering that there was probably some kind of stolen good to load into the ship now, he doubted that he would be disturbed for the time being, unless it was by River or one of the new passengers. At least he could say that this time, it hadn’t really been anyone’s fault that he’d been hurt. He’d just been tripped over by…well, he wasn’t sure who by. It wasn’t one of the crew, at any rate. Someone’s foot had come into his path and he’d not seen it, and he’d managed to bang his head against a rock. And it had hurt.
Rather more than he’d let on, but now he could do something about it. Squinting at the bright, white light of the infirmary, Simon proceeded to find a cold compress before sitting on the table; no-one else was using it, after all. There was something about the infirmary he liked, not counting the fact that he was a doctor and this was his closest link to any kind of hospital or medical facility – he did miss being in a hospital and around other doctors, although it wasn’t something that he was going to dwell on for a particularly long time, and not while he had such a headache. No, what he liked about the infirmary, in comparison to the rest of the ship at least, was that it was clean and organised. It was bright, there was no doubting that, but he always made sure that it was clean too, as there was nothing worse than treating someone’s wound with a dirty instrument and spreading infection, which ultimately could be worse than the wound itself. However, what he liked best about this room was the fact that it was organised; while the rest of the ship had the feeling that someone had just come along and dumped furniture in it, and decorated at some point later so that nothing matched, here everything that its place, and in fact, Simon became rather annoyed if anyone messed that up.
Feeling his head gingerly, Simon decided that there wasn’t much chance of his head swelling to the size of a moon, so he got up and began to put some of the things he had left out to dry earlier back where they belonged. It was only as he turned around to pick up his med kit so that he could make sure that it was stocked with everything he might potentially need it to have that he saw someone outside the infirmary, although they were standing in shadow and he couldn’t see who it was. “Hello?” he said, putting down what he was holding and walking to the door, needing to let his eyes adjust, as it was so much darker outside the room than inside. “Do you need anything?”
Face Claim: Sean Maher
Your Name: Beccy
Your Age: 16
How Did You Find Out of Gas?: You gave me the link…
Previous Roles: Severus Snape, Hugo Weasley, Gregory Goyle, Bella Swan, many originals
Contact Email: It’s in my profile
The Core.
Full Name: Simon Tam
Nickname(s): Doc, Doctor
Birthday: 23rd November, 2490
Age: 28
Origin: Osiris
Location: On board Serenity
Allegiance: Neutral
At one time in his life, Simon would have definitely been on the side of the Alliance, but since seeing what they’d done to his sister, he cannot abide them anymore; being a fugitive from them doesn’t exactly help, either. However, Simon is not completely on the side of the Independence either, and so stands in the middle, for neither one side nor the other, much as the rest of the Serenity crew do.
Occupation: Serenity’s medic
The Appearance.
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Dark brown
Height && Weight: 5’10” && 75kg
General Description: When it comes to having either brawn or brains, Simon definitely has the latter; he is not a tall man, and though this should not be a particular problem, when you’re trying to have an argument with someone who’s over six foot, it’s not a great advantage. Simon is not heavily built, and though his muscles are toned from the amount of exercise that there seems to be in the jobs that Serenity takes on, he is certainly not muscle-man. However, he is fit and in good health; what is the use of him being a doctor if he does not look after his own body? He knows of the importance to exercise and keep hydrated at all times, and the importance of good nutrition, although that one is sometimes hard to achieve when funds and supplies are running low.
With dark brown hair and blue eyes, Simon resembles his father in many ways, although it is not something he is proud of, considering the fact that Gabriel has practically disowned his son. Like his father’s, Simon’s skin is pale, because until he rescued River, he had not spent much time outside of the hospital’s fluorescent lighting, and so he had not had the chance to brown in the sun. It is true that he has definitely acquired a slight tan in the past few months, but Simon is never going to be brown; it is not in his colouring, and he would look rather silly if he were too tanned. It’s not that he doesn’t like being outside, because he does, it’s just that the main part of his work takes place inside the ship, where all his equipment is, and so he doesn’t have much cause to scorch his skin to a brown crisp. That’s not for him; he’s far more likely to burn red than anything else.
Simon’s eyes are a brilliant blue colour, and his smiles definitely extend to them when he is feeling genuinely happy, but he feels that they are too small, although he would not call himself vain; it is just something that he has noticed when he washes his face in the mornings, and he doesn’t particularly like it. He knows that he’s not exactly the most handsome guy in the ‘Verse, and thinking that he was would be a very bad thing for him to do, because vanity isn’t a particularly attractive trait. However, as long as he is presentable, that is all that matters; his life might not be that respectable now, but at least he can do his best at looking the part of the respectable young man.
His hair is always clean and neatly brushed, which reflects the part of Simon’s personality that loves things to be neat and orderly; similarly, his clothes are always clean and pressed, and Simon has a general air of cleanliness about him, which hails from the fact that when you’re working in a hospital, you have to keep yourself clean, or infections can spread as easily as wildfire. While this is less important on a ship, it isn’t something that Simon can easily stop doing, and so he always makes himself presentable, even if he’s going to get covered in blood in the infirmary.
The Personality.
Likes && Dislikes: There are many things in life that Simon likes; whether he is able to do them is another matter entirely. He likes to sit down with a good book – there is something about reading something physical rather than on a computer screen that is far better – but it is quite hard to find peace and quiet to be able to get further than the first page, even in his own quarters. There is something about a book that can transport you away from where you are that Simon loves, and the wealth of knowledge that can be found between the pages is something that he likes to tap into when he has the chance; learning new things has always been something that he has enjoyed, especially since he feels the need to make sure he doesn’t feel like the stupid sibling. Of course, he is learning a lot of new things at the moment just through what he is doing everyday, but he wishes that he could find the time to sit down and just read more often, like he did as a child.
Because of his training as a doctor, Simon likes to feel as though he is helping people, whether that is with injuries and care or in another way entirely. He finds great satisfaction in making people feel better, which is why he dislikes having to kill people in raids so much. His primary concern is his sister, of course, but he likes to feel useful to the rest of the crew too, and so the infirmary is always well-prepared. Simon also likes it when things are organised well, and can often be found sorting things out so that they make better sense logically.
One thing that Simon likes a lot is being a member of a team. He has learnt the importance of second opinions while being a doctor, and being on a ship’s crew is the same kind of thing; if you don’t know why something is working, you can easily go and find someone who does. Besides, he knows now that being part of Serenity’s crew is probably the safest place for him and River to be. He has also got some good friends on board Serenity, and the person who likes above all others is the mechanic, Kaylee, although for a long time he didn’t realise this himself, and ended up making things worse between them. However, recently, the two have become much closer. However, there are also members of the crew whom Simon likes less, and therefore he does not like them either; Jayne, for example, is someone who Simon finds hard to trust after what he did to River, and he and Mal often conflict over River’s actions, although Simon does respect the captain.
Simon also doesn’t like getting drunk. While a drink, or even two, is perfectly acceptable, and in fact a good idea every now and again, having too much isn’t something that Simon enjoys, and not just because of the hangovers. After he and his friends qualified as surgeons, they all went and had a few too many drinks, and, as far as he can remember, Simon did some things that he rather wishes he hadn’t, although he can’t be too sure, since his memory of that night is rather fuzzy. Although it was fun at the time, Simon doesn’t like the idea of not knowing exactly what he is doing, and therefore makes sure that he always stays within his limits when he drinks.
Being on the run isn’t something that many people would particularly enjoy, but it is something that Simon very definitely dislikes. He’s got a great home now, he admits that, and he isn’t sure that he could go back and live on his family’s estate if he had the chance, but it would have been better if he’d decided to take a trip with his sister, and hadn’t illegally rescued her, ending up with all his bank accounts frozen and probably his license to practise medicine revoked too, although he’s never checked up on that. Simon also doesn’t particularly like fighting, although he has come to realise that it is a necessary part of life, especially where defending his sister is concerned. He would hurt a thousand men if they tried to hurt River.
Interests && Hobbies: Simon likes to find out new things, as he has a thirst for knowledge that doesn’t just disappear. It is not always easy for him to find the time, or the quiet necessary, to broaden his mind, at least not as much as he did as a child, but learning new things has always interested him; he is just as willing to learn the practical aspects of life that you can find out from being on board a ship, as long as his mind is active. However, he also likes to have fun, and playing cards with the rest of the crew is something that can keep them all occupied for hours. Not having a lot of ready money, it tends to be chores that are used as stakes, which Simon thinks works well (until he is left doing the dishes for a month, or someone cheats).
Something that Simon has become more interested in since joining the crew of Serenity is travelling to other worlds. Previously, he had been perfectly content to stay on his home planet of Osiris, as he had enough to keep him happy there, but now that he has experienced seeing other planets and moons, he rather likes it, and the vastness of the ‘Verse is something that he is intrigued by. Being on board a ship has taken some getting used to, but keeping moving is certainly something that is useful to him, and if he can see some planets and moons in parts of the ‘Verse that he previously wouldn’t have been allowed to go too, as they were far too dangerous, then so much the better. Of course, he would have preferred to continue his life as a doctor, but things, also known as the government, intervened.
Strengths: Although he would not admit it, Simon is far braver than he or anyone else gives him credit for. In many ways, it was a hard decision for him to choose to leave behind the wonderful life he had on Osiris, with so many avenues open to him that would have enabled him to become someone great in the medical profession, but he threw that away in an instant in order to save his sister. He doesn’t feel as though it was anything particularly special, but the way he always defends River, even when he is faced with a lot of people who’d rather he wasn’t around, and how he gave up everything for her, shows that he is selfless, and does not care for what his life might have been like, except for a few short moments every now and then. River is the most important thing in his life, and he will protect her whatever.
To most people, one of Simon’s most prevalent strengths is his intelligence; he is far better educated than most of Serenity’s crew, having sailed through MedAcad and his internship to become a licensed doctor, as he’d promised his father he would. He has been a surgeon in hospitals in Capital City, Osiris, and he certainly loves his craft; he tries to protect life at all costs, and he is never without someone who needs stitches or cleaning up on Serenity, although it is nothing compared to being a trauma surgeon, as he once was. Of course, that avenue of work has since been closed to him, and he is grateful for the work he has. However, Simon doesn’t consider himself to be that bright, as he grew up in the shadow of his sister, who always made him feel like an idiot at whatever he did. Despite this, Simon does have a very logical mind, and keeping things ordered comes easily to him; the medical room is always organised, because then he knows where to find everything if there happens to be an emergency. Because of his way of thinking things through, Simon can also be helpful when it comes to planning things, even if he doesn’t always approve of what the crew is doing.
However, Simon is loyal, and after the kindness that Mal and the crew (with, perhaps, the exception of Jayne) has shown him and River, he follows what they do, whether he agrees or not. Of course there are times when he doesn’t want to follow orders so readily, and will fight in an instant if someone says something about his sister, because despite the bond he now feels he has with Serenity and her crew, it is always to his family that he is most loyal. He has lost his parents’ trust in him, and therefore he feels that he must do everything he can to look after his sister until she gets better.
Weaknesses: Simon has a tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Whether that’s because he’s nervous (which tends to happen when he’s around a certain mechanic) or simply because he is better at putting words to paper than actually speaking them, it hasn’t always been particularly helpful. On many occasions, he has said something he did not mean completely unwittingly, which has earned him the cold shoulder from various members of the crew, and at other times, he has a job saying anything at all, stumbling over his words and blundering through what he is trying to say extremely awkwardly. However, when it comes to something that Simon knows about, he can be almost eloquent on the subject, particularly if he is describing a medical procedure or something that concerns his sister; it seems that his classic case of putting his foot in his mouth comes only when he is unsure of himself or what he is doing, or around certain people, and therefore he can appear to be either stiff and formal, or just plain stupid.
Simon can also be a little over-protective at times, particularly of his sister. He feels that he has an obligation to look after her and to defend the both of them against anyone who might harm them in some way, but he also finds it hard to let go and allow River to do things on her own; she has improved a lot in the last few months, and he can’t be everywhere at once, especially since he has work to do (there is always someone needing patching up) and a relationship to keep afloat. He cannot spend his whole life looking after her, or anyone else for that matter, and at some point he is going to have to take a look at where his life is, and what he’s going to do about it. However, while he is still hiding from the Alliance, there isn’t anything else for him to do, and so he concerns himself with other people.
Fighting is not one of Simon’s strongest points, despite what he’s been through both while rescuing River and on board Serenity. He can mend most wounds in an instant, but to be asked to kill someone in cold blood, or even in self-defence, isn’t something that he has ever been good at; doctors are supposed to save lives, not take them away, and though he can just about use a gun (who can’t, these days?), he does not take advantage of that unless it is absolutely imperative to his safety or that of his friends and family – killing people is not something he’s been trained to do and he does not take pride in it. However, he is willing to defend River against everyone, even if it means that all the people he knows become his enemies, because that is the thing that is most important to him.
Secrets: There are times when Simon regrets saving River. Not because he has to look after her, because he loves doing that, which is his doctor’s training showing through as well as his deep love for her, but because he could have been a great surgeon and had a fantastic life on Osiris without ever having to turn to the somewhat criminal life that he now has. Of course he loves having an adventure, and he would never have been able to live with himself if he’d just left River in the hands of the Academy, but he does sometimes wonder what his life would have been like if he’d remained in his parents’ good books and continued working legally. He would have had so much, and done so well for himself, and though he wouldn’t wish to leave the folks on Serenity (apart from Jayne, perhaps. Simon thinks he could do pretty well without Jayne), there was so much that could have been good for him. Still, Simon tries not to think on that too much, because there is only so much of ‘what might have been’ a person can take, and they have the future to concentrate on, and it might be a different path to the one he would have chosen for himself, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the wrong one.
Overall Personality: Being the older sibling by eleven years, Simon has always had some element of responsibility in his life, and looking out for his sister is something that comes naturally to him. His family has always been extremely important to him, and though he does not see or like his parents anymore – they lost his respect when they continued to believe that what the Academy was doing to River was right – his sister has always and will always be of the utmost importance to him. However, he also likes being a member of Serenity’s crew; they might all be the sort of people he would never have associated with back on Osiris, but some of them have become almost like family. Of course, there is still a lot of animosity between him and some of them, but that is unavoidable. It’s a bit like the great-aunt that you absolutely hate, but she’s still family, and you have to put up with her.
Due to his upbringing, and his father’s opinions on what was right to do around company, Simon can come across as being formal on first sighting, somewhat like the gentlemen of centuries gone by. This is mainly because he is unsure how he should act around the sorts of people that he is not used to associating with; most of the people in Capital City were similar to himself in upbringing, and to be thrust into places where the social focus is different to what he is useful means that he finds it hard to judge how he should act. Simon is also suspicious of new people, which means that he can often appear to be uptight and closed off; this is because of his fear that someone will report him and River to the Alliance and they’ll send her back to the Academy – although they are no longer sought in the same way, he doesn’t want people to know about River’s…abnormalities, and he doesn’t want her put in the hands of the Alliance, especially now that she is improving so much. However, this suspicion that Simon has initially disappears once he knows that no harm is going to come to either himself or his sister, and though he never quite manages to lose his formal manner, he can be as friendly and relaxed as the next person, as long as he as the assurance that the people he’s around are actually his friends.
However well he knows someone, Simon isn’t one to talk at length about his past; his childhood is something he doesn’t mind sharing, but beyond that, after he left Osiris, is something that is very private, and not only because he was breaking the law by freeing River. What happened in the years preceding him entering the Academy are not events that he wishes to talk about, although it seems that his past is not of the utmost importance to any of his companions, thankfully. Simon can also be rather solitary, despite enjoying spending time with the rest of the crew; this stems from the time when he was first getting letters from River and not being able to share them with anyone, as his friends at the hospital would not have understood, and his parents thought that he was just being silly. He can often be found in the infirmary, organising the supplies in case of any eventuality, or wandering around the ship on his own, although he would not turn down a decent conversation.
Simon has nothing against any of the crew, but sometimes he wishes that there was someone around with whom he could have a good, in-depth conversation about something highly technical or historical; having had a very high quality education and not being exactly stupid, Simon sometimes finds that the things he says go straight over the heads of his friends, or that they are simply not interested in the things he wants to talk about. He also misses the fact that he is no longer dealing with any injuries that are more than a bullet wound or knife cut; while there are more than enough of those to keep him occupied, they aren’t exactly taxing work for someone who could have been in the Medical Elect if things had been different, and just once, he’d like to be faced with a real injury.
However, although Simon does miss his old life, he knows that looking after River will always be his main priority, and he would never have been able to live with his conscience if he had just left her at the Academy. Since he has been travelling through the ‘Verse, Simon has found that he has a sense of adventure that he did not know he previously had; he had never been off-world until he started searching for ways to rescue his sister, and since that, he has seen some amazing worlds (and some that weren’t so pleasant…being kidnapped springs immediately to mind) and he doesn’t think that he’d be able to go back to being planet-bound, not after seeing how vast the universe really is. He doesn’t need his old life anymore anyway; Simon is finally beginning to realise that everything he needs is right here, on board Serenity, and that his life is far more exciting than he would ever have imagined.
The Family.
Parents && Siblings:
Gabriel Tam – Father[/u] – As a child, Simon and his father had a perfectly good relationship; Gabriel wanted his son to be a brilliant doctor, and Simon was willing to comply (with the additional bribe of a dedicated source box, what was there to complain about?). However, when things with River went wrong and Simon broke into the Academy to save her, their relationship took a turn for the worse, as Simon let down his father by going against what the Alliance was doing. Since he has been on board Serenity, Simon has not had any contact with his parents, and does not intend to speak to them in the near future, because he doesn’t think that they’d be too happy to hear from him. Knowing his father, he’d probably turn them into the Alliance too, and that is something that Simon wishes to avoid.
Regan Tam – Mother[/u] – Like his father, Simon was always quite close to his mother as a child; keeping your family close was something that he’d been brought up to believe. However, after rescuing River, Simon ‘let down’ his mother, and as much as he wants to talk to her and apologise for disappointing her, he doesn’t think it would be wise at the moment, and so it has been several months since they have met.
River Tam – Sister[/u] – Simon is extremely close to River, and is absolutely devoted to keeping her safe and away from the Alliance, whatever the cost. As a child he somewhat resented the fact that she was so much cleverer than he was, making him feel stupid, but his love and loyalty towards her has made that resentment completely disappear. He was disgusted to hear what was being done to her at the Academy, and since then has made it his job to protect her.
Character History: Born on the twenty-third of November, 2490 on the Core planet of Osiris, Simon Tam was the first child of Gabriel and Regan Tam, who had been wanting a child for some time. It would be fair to say that Simon was treated lavishly as a child, not only because his parents were well known and liked in the community, but also because they had as much money as they could want at their disposal. He had all the toys he could want to play with, and as he grew older, enough books and connections to fuel his inquisitive mind.
It became noticeable to his parents early on that Simon was far from stupid, and in fact was far brighter than most of the other children his age. He did well at school, having no problems with any of his lessons, and making plenty of good friends, despite the fact that he had always found it hard to talk properly to other children, as he tended to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. It seemed that his parents were not able to have any more children, and Simon was already resigned to the fact that he would be an only child; it wasn’t something that he particularly minded, as his studies were important to him, but he would have liked a younger brother or sister.
It seemed that his wish was to become truth; Regan gave birth to River in 2501, eleven years after Simon’s birth, and Simon loved his sister from the word ‘go’. He felt very protective over this baby, and that somewhat it was his duty to look after her. By this time, Simon had already chosen, or at least been made aware, of what he would be doing in the future. He had always had an interest in medicine and the human body, working out how to fix cuts and grazes without help from anyone, and he had always taken it as read that he was going to become a doctor. It was something that he was very happy to take on, and if his results in school were anything to go by, he wouldn’t have any trouble with the training.
Of course, his sister didn’t remain a baby for long, and in fact, it turned out that she was a genius, far cleverer than Simon was, which annoyed him immensely. Not because she was clever, as he loved her too much for there to be much jealousy, but because she made him feel so stupid; when your three-year-old sister corrects your spelling, and, a few years later, tells you that the textbook you have from school is wrong, you know that she’s pretty damn clever, and a definite gift. And Simon hated feeling like the idiot child, because he knew that he wasn’t stupid, but all he could do was finish school.
He didn’t do poorly though, not by any stretch of the imagination, and after graduating, was accepted into the best MedAcad on Osiris, seeing less of his sister as he worked hard, ending up in the top three percent of his year. By this time, the Unification War was underway, and though Simon was not directly involved, his upbringing on an Alliance-run planet and his parents’ views meant that he supported Unification, and probably still would be on the side of the Alliance if events had not made him see otherwise. Now, he could not like them less.
After Simon completed his internship in eight months (far earlier than anyone else), and began working as a trauma surgeon in Capital City, River was accepted into the Academy. Simon knew nothing of the place, except that it was meant to be very prestigious, and though he missed his sister, as they had a very close bond despite the age difference, he was glad that she would be in a place where they would be able to fully appreciate her gifts, for she was extremely gifted, there was no doubting that. And at first, she seemed to be having a good time.
Simon loved his work at the hospital; he got to save lives every day, and though some of the injuries people had were horrific, he felt that he was making a difference, which is something that he really enjoyed. Rising through the ranks was easy, and he probably would have gone far if the letters he’d been receiving from his sister hadn’t confounded him. It wasn’t the fact that he was receiving letters, because that was normal, but it was the content that was so strange, so unlike River. Misspellings, events and games they’d never played…it didn’t make sense to him, and though he tried to push it to the back of his mind and pretend that it wasn’t important, even the most complex operations could not take his mind off them. What did River mean?
Of course, his parents didn’t empathise at all; they never did. They were fully supportive when it came to careers and finances, but when Simon thought that their daughter was trying to tell them something, they just wouldn’t listen. It was at this point that Simon’s faith in the Alliance began, almost inconceivably at first, to fade away. River was trying to tell him something in these letters, but he couldn’t work out what it was. However, he was sure that it wasn’t good, and something was happening to her; it was some kind of code.
Simon finally managed to crack the code and learn that the people at the Academy were hurting River and that she wanted to escape, but for two very long years he could do nothing but sit tight, continuing his work at the hospital while putting out feelers, to try and work out a way to rescue her, even if it involved going into Blackout Zones, places he had never been before. Eventually, and it was eventually, because it had been far too long, and who knew what they’d been doing to his sister in that time, Simon had a way to get her out. It wasn’t easy, but then, when are things really ever easy?
Simon had no clue what they’d done to her at the Academy, but he knew that it had made her different, that she was acting differently to how she had as a child. He also knew that by breaking her out, he had broken the law, although he hadn’t expected to be labelled as a fugitive almost as soon as he had got her out and stabilised her in what only can be described as a box. All the money he had earned as a surgeon was locked down, and his father disowned both of his children. Suddenly, for the first time in his life, Simon was on his own, and on a strange planet.
Of course, he wasn’t alone, because he had River, and he was determined that he would do everything he could to protect and look after her, until he could find out what had happened to her. However, he couldn’t stay planet-side, and as soon as they had landed on Persephone, he began to look for a ship that would take him away, so that he and River would be safe as possible. A ship that didn’t look like it was going to be too law abiding, in case anyone on board should find out what he’d done. A ship like Serenity.
Simon couldn’t say that he was particularly happy to be on a ship at first. It wasn’t the sort of life he was used to, that was for sure, and until the Captain decided to open the box containing River, he kept himself to himself. Of course, him finding River opened all sorts of doors that Simon had particularly wanted to stay closed, but he couldn’t do anything about that. Once the Captain, and the rest of the crew, knew their story, Simon was sure that they’d be thrown out at the next planet, left in the hands of the Alliance, but his skills as a medic came in useful, as they so often do, and he managed to secure himself a job on the boat, and River’s safety (he would never have let Kaylee die intentionally, because part of being a doctor means that it is hard for him to take away life, but it was a good bargaining tool).
It took a very long time for Simon to stop feeling like the outsider of the crew. His ultimate goal has always been to protect River, and even though she is now, finally, being accepted, he would hurt anyone that attempts to hurt her. However, he thinks that he can finally say that he’s found some kind of family out here in the Black; perhaps not the sorts of people he would have thought he’d ever meet, but good sorts of people all the same.
The Edge.
Something Unique: Although Simon finds it almost impossible to talk to anyone female, particularly if he likes them, and in general isn’t that much of a speaker, Simon has a sarcastic wit that usually only shows itself when he is faced with someone he doesn’t like, or someone very stupid. Because he is usually fairly quiet, the fact that he can be cutting with his words in a way that no knife can be is often a surprise.
Simon is also incredibly selfless, although he will never admit it, and as his family is the most important thing in the ‘Verse to him, he would give up everything for them, as he did with River, even though he and his parents no longer communicate. The fact that they have lost his respect doesn’t stop them from being his family, however, and if he thought that there was some sort of recompense to be had with them, his father in particular, he would certainly consider giving up the wonderful life he’s found for himself on Serenity in order to patch things up. He doesn’t think that he’d be able to stay on-world permanently though; travelling through space is something that’s too good for even him to give up.
Role Playing Sample: “Why is it always me that ends up getting hurt?” Simon moaned as he walked through the cargo bay, already warm from the hot air of the planet outside, towards the infirmary, rubbing his head as he went. It did always seem to be the case; wherever they went, it was almost inevitable that he would end up with some cut or bruise of one kind or another, generally through no fault of his own. However, he supposed that he was lucky that it simply was a bruise, and not a bullet hole; he’d saved the life of more than one person who’d been shot, but he wasn’t sure that he could do it for himself again; once was enough, and at least that had only been in the leg. Still, he’d much prefer these visits to other planets if they didn’t always end up with him needing to find something cool to put on his face to stop the swelling. Aside from that, he liked seeing all these places; most of them he had only read about before, and his parents certainly wouldn’t have allowed him or River out onto the Border like this, so it was an adventure. Perhaps he didn’t seem like the adventurous sort, but everyone had some taste for it, even if it was hidden away for most of their lives. Simon had only found his recently, after all, and now he couldn’t imagine not always being on the move. There were so many places to see, who’d want to be stuck on the same planet their whole lives?
However, the only place Simon wanted to be now was the infirmary; his head was throbbing and he knew that he was almost guaranteed some peace and quiet there. Whatever conversations were going on around the ship, people only came to the infirmary if they needed his help or were actively seeking him for something. And considering that there was probably some kind of stolen good to load into the ship now, he doubted that he would be disturbed for the time being, unless it was by River or one of the new passengers. At least he could say that this time, it hadn’t really been anyone’s fault that he’d been hurt. He’d just been tripped over by…well, he wasn’t sure who by. It wasn’t one of the crew, at any rate. Someone’s foot had come into his path and he’d not seen it, and he’d managed to bang his head against a rock. And it had hurt.
Rather more than he’d let on, but now he could do something about it. Squinting at the bright, white light of the infirmary, Simon proceeded to find a cold compress before sitting on the table; no-one else was using it, after all. There was something about the infirmary he liked, not counting the fact that he was a doctor and this was his closest link to any kind of hospital or medical facility – he did miss being in a hospital and around other doctors, although it wasn’t something that he was going to dwell on for a particularly long time, and not while he had such a headache. No, what he liked about the infirmary, in comparison to the rest of the ship at least, was that it was clean and organised. It was bright, there was no doubting that, but he always made sure that it was clean too, as there was nothing worse than treating someone’s wound with a dirty instrument and spreading infection, which ultimately could be worse than the wound itself. However, what he liked best about this room was the fact that it was organised; while the rest of the ship had the feeling that someone had just come along and dumped furniture in it, and decorated at some point later so that nothing matched, here everything that its place, and in fact, Simon became rather annoyed if anyone messed that up.
Feeling his head gingerly, Simon decided that there wasn’t much chance of his head swelling to the size of a moon, so he got up and began to put some of the things he had left out to dry earlier back where they belonged. It was only as he turned around to pick up his med kit so that he could make sure that it was stocked with everything he might potentially need it to have that he saw someone outside the infirmary, although they were standing in shadow and he couldn’t see who it was. “Hello?” he said, putting down what he was holding and walking to the door, needing to let his eyes adjust, as it was so much darker outside the room than inside. “Do you need anything?”
Face Claim: Sean Maher