Of Medals and Macaroons
Rated: G
Category: Double Drabble, Mal.
Spoilers: None.
Summary: A simple pleasure sometimes trumps a high honor.
Note: This one is all for Paula_Ch, who brought a bit of sweetness to my life. Thank you!
xxx
Somehow, word of his deed had reached Shadow.
And while he didn't think too much of it himself, apparently it made some waves back home.
Literally.
His mama had seen it on a news broadcast.
Truth be told, he was a bit embarrassed by all the attention.
He'd only been doing his job, yanking that boy out of the line of fire.
Still, though, he didn't mind the rewards his actions had earned him.
As he bit down into one of his mother's homemade macaroons, sent especially to the hero of the hour, he groaned and closed his eyes in delight.
When his eyes opened again, he scanned the paper in his hand for the hundredth time.
For bravery in the face of extreme circumstance, the 57th Overlanders present Malcolm Reynolds the Distinguished Service Medal and all associated honors.
Suddenly, Mal crumpled the paper and stuffed it into a pocket.
He'd been proud of it a moment before. Now, it seemed a trivial thing. A secondary trophy to his real prize.
He took another bite of macaroon and sighed again.
'After all,' he thought, 'you can't eat a medal. And even if you could, it sure don't taste like home.'