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Sam poked his head into the studio as quiet as a church mouse past a hungry cat and twice as wary of being caught. Not that he needed to worry about distracting the room’s current occupants, but he’d long since learned his lesson about interrupting, for all that it was his room. Then he tromped back down to where Dr. Meyers was waiting to report in.
“No, they’re still going at it.” He said, scuffing his shoe along the side of the building rather than meeting her eyes.
“Look Sam,” Maxine said, not unkindly, but obviously with her patience wearing thin. “This mission needs to go out and you know how the Major’s been about delays.”
“Unnecessary delays,” Sam responded. “We’re to avoid unnecessary delays.”
“Do you honestly think this is a necessary delay?” Maxine asked, her frustration starting to bleed through. “If that is the case, I would love to hear you update the Major in about 10 minutes when she calls over and we’re still not underway.”
“Look Maxine, you don’t know what they’re like when they are like this!” Sam protested. “It’s like they just get into this mood and it’s better just to let them… Get it out of their systems.”
He teetered off as she stared at him.
“Even if they have to do it in my studio?” Sam rallied, although he couldn’t help the note of uncertainty in his voice.
“Honestly Sam, do you want me to go?” Maxine asked, moving to step around him and enter the building.
“No!” Sam protested, stepping out front. “It’s embarrassing enough that I keep letting them chase me out.”
He took a deep fortifying breath, before finishing.
“I’ll go and tell them to knock it off. You just- Just get ready to come and back me up, so I don’t get caught with my pants down again.”
“I’ll keep a weather eye out for the Major then and call up if I see her coming.” Maxine agreed. “But I’ll be coming up in 5 anyways and you know they aren’t comfortable carrying on with me there.”
“That’s ‘cause they’re terrified you’ll join in, and we all remember how that ended up last time.” Sam retorted already making his way back up the stairs. “I swear none of us can keep up with you once you get going.”
He paused once he reached the door and squared his shoulders, before sighing and slipping inside.
“Look Eugene, I don’t care- That- that isn’t the way it happened!” Jack sputtered into his microphone and Sam couldn’t help his grimace at the thought of having to clean that. Again.
“You- you don’t get to comment on someone escaping certain death, ok?” Eugene countered, pointing his finger viciously. “That’s what I say happened and you can’t say otherwise.”
“I don’t need to say otherwise!” Jack countered. “We’ve both seen the movie, he was killed when they landed on Miranda!”
“Really?” Eugene asked. “Where’s your proof?”
“You know bloody well there isn’t any proof.” Jack said, looking to Sam like he’d be dropping his head onto the table in frustration shortly. “But that doesn’t mean you can just rewrite the story as you see fit!”
“Maybe you’re remembering it wrong?” Eugene crowed, sounding triumphant if anything. “I certainly don’t remember Wash dying. I distinctly remember that he survived and went on to have several of Gina Torres’ adorable offspring.”
“Oh my god,” Jack whined. “You can’t- That isn’t what happened!”
“Well,” Eugene drawled.
Sam froze mid-step as instincts usually only reserved for scooting past the walking dead kicked into gear. He had been sneaking over to cut the power for their broadcast, since usually they could be relied on to keep it on the air, as it were. But he should have known that Eugene had a sixth-sense for censorship of any kind.
“Let’s ask someone else!” Eugene carried on as if completely unaware of how Sam had started quivering. “Abel’s very own Sam Yao has just entered the studio ladies and gentlemen. Let’s see what he says.”
“So Sam,” Eugene said, in a clear and certainly not-at-all-threatening way. “Do you remember Wash dying in Serenity?”
“Wellll,” Sam began. “I think-”
“Major in 1!” Maxine hissed as she marched into the room, dropping her papers onto the desk in front of Eugene. “Put the fandom away gentlemen or it’ll be the cannon for all of us.”
Eugene snorted, but reached to turn off their mics while Jack pulled their notes together. “Just because the cannon says-”
“Do you want me to tell you -in detail- the likelihood of death following being impaled through the chest?” Maxine asked in faux innocence as she set up her workspace beside Sam’s paper explosion.
“You’re no fun,” Eugene countered, letting Jack help him up and support him to the door.
“Not at all,” Maxine agreed. “I mean, since there’s no way he survived, I’ve personally always been more caught up on what Zoey must have promised Wolfram & Hart to bring him back.”
“And a good afternoon to you too Major,” Maxine continued without pause as she acknowledged the Major stepping into the room. “Sam was just about to get in touch with Runner 5 and get us started for today.”
“Yes, yes,” Sam said, as he slid into his seat and waved goodbye at Jack and Eugene who were now having a vicious whispered conversation between them. “So Runner 5, do we have a mission for you today! You’re going to have to run like the wind on this one…”