User Profile

This Journal is intended for use in the hearts_andminds it is not intended to infringe in anyway. Simon Tam belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy and Sean Maher belongs to himself.

Simon was born and raised on Osiris, a Core World planet with major Alliance ties. His parents, Gabriel and Regan, were affluent, well connected people who lived for their appearance as the perfect family. Two bright, talented children, good investments, perfect marriage, immaculate home; the Tam family lived a charmed life.

From a young age, Simon's family hoped he would have a future in medicine he accepted this without question, becoming a dedicated student. His attention to his studies was only distracted by his little sister River who would correct his spelling and cajole him into playing imaginative games of make believe.

Simon is very gifted, and he was accepted to the best Medical Academy on Osiris and graduated in the top 3% of his class. He promptly moved onto a medical internship, which he completed in a mere eight months (as opposed to a year), and is licensed to practice medicine. From there, he became a resident trauma surgeon at one of the major hospitals in Capital City.

Around the time he was finishing his internship, the Tam family was made aware of an elite Alliance-sponsored school called The Academy that River was keen to attend. Simon began receiving notes from River a few months into her schooling, littered with spelling errors and mentions of parties and families that did not exist. Eventually, Simon realized that River was writing in code, asking him to rescue her.

After their parent dismiss his fears as simply being a result of missing his sister or paranoia he begins to ask questions on his own. This prying and frequent visits to restricted areas of Capitol City result in him being arrested, much to the shame of his father and family.

He is unable to help her for two more years, having to finance her rescue secretly and do his best to put an indiferent face on for his family. He is eventually contacted by a group of men from an underground movement and spends a large amount of money funding their rescue of River. As part of the plan, he manages to infiltrate the Academy and smuggle her out. She is placed in cryogenic stasis to make them less obvious and he is left with nothing except his medkit and a broken little girl.

He books passage to one of the rim planets on Serenity and instantly rubs the Captain the wrong way with his city dandy manners that are out of place in the largely uncivilized world outside the core. Through a series of unfortunate events the crew becomes aware of River and the Tam's status as fugitives. After proving himself and because of the need of to stay on the move, Simon accepts the offer's of a job as ship's medic on Serenity and settles into a routine of patching up the common place scapes (and bullet wounds) of the crew and trying to figure out a treatment that will give him back the little sister he remembers.

Given Simon's status as a fugitive, it is possible he lost his licence to practice. Nevertheless, he serves as Serenity's resident doctor and by the time they returned from Miranda had become an integral part of her crew. Armed with a full awareness of what River is capable of, she is in fact a highly sofisticated human weapon, and his own mortality Simon embarks on a new journey: trying to find his own life, while still trying to give River back hers.

Despite his initial appearance being that of someone cool, detached and haughty Simon possesses an incredible capacity to love. His love for River is a deep, selfless love that has defined his life and shaped his choices. Even if her brief periods of madness make her vulnerable, Simon knows exactly what his sister is capable of. He's seen it first hand. River is meant to be a living weapon in all forms. Despite this he is as protective of her as he has always been, perhaps more so, and she remains simply his mei-mei.

Serenity's Captain once asked him what a man like him would kill for, his answer was River. He is tense, but surprisingly calm even when turning his back on the ideals he planned to build his life on by refusing Kaylee treatment or robbing a hospital. He is resourceful and determined, focused and resilient, all traits he has had to learn to rely on to keep River safe. He is more affected by the loss of his old life than he lets show wrapping himself in his polite manners as a shield.

It may seem odd but he doesn't really think of their lives as separate things anymore (if he ever did), he and River. His life is hers because he's given it up to give her one back. Simon won’t admit it aloud, but there will probably never be anyone else he will love more than River. He won’t admit it out loud because it means he will never be happily settled down; his mind will always stray to his sister, and he will never be able to concentrate or focus long enough on anything else to make it last, or make it even work.

He has demonstrated very clearly the lengths he is willing to go and what he is willing sacrifice for her. He placed his own life in danger to save her from the Alliance. He sacrificed an affluent life and bright future for her, and as she tells him, found her broken. As a result a part of him is broken as well.

Friends (207):

Friend of (40):