"Please, I need help!"
Jayne had collapsed in the dirt in front of her. Under normal circumstances, Kaylee would have been able to drag him at least a few feet, but with her pregnant belly starting to show and the fact that she had been physically exhausted for what felt like years but was really just a few weeks, she didn't even want to try.
A man had stopped. "What's wrong ma'am?" The way he was dressed was a bit odd to her, but Kaylee didn't have time for that. "My friend, he's….he's hurt real bad. Very badly, I mean. Is there a hospital? Or…or a doctor? I'm staying in House Madrassa." She looked into his eyes for any sign of recognition. The man nodded. "I am a servant there. I must ask however, who are you a guest of?"
"Inara, Inara Serra. Now, please help me!" Kaylee knew that if this took any longer, she would start to scream. Jayne was bleeding and, given the fact that he'd been running, was probably being chased. And knowing Jayne, the people chasing him were probably to extract more then their due pound of flesh from him.
*
Inara sat stock still.
She heard the door open in the atrium of the hall. John Sturgis was here, no doubt for his weekly dose of young Companions, worshipping and fucking him. She clenched her teeth. She had been banished and he had been allowed to stay, to play here. She tried to relax. She thought of the Guild law which had required her to leave: he had been her lover previously, despite her inexperience. When she had turned him down for a second encounter, knowing that what she had done could result in her dismissal from her training. It was still infuriating. She thought of Kaylee, probably happily shopping. She suddenly couldn't wait for this to be over.
Not that she didn't relish the thought of absolutely destroying this man, tearing him to pieces; she was tired of being angry. She was happy on Serenity, really, truly content, something she thought she would only ever achieve at a ripe old age, retired and fat, living on Sihnon in a giant house in the great city.
The idea of leaving was becoming more and more tempting by the second.
But she continued to sit on the small pillow they provided for her, utterly still. She was ready.
The door to the room slid open.
*
Kaylee paced the wood floor in front of the House's infirmary. The door was shut. She had been pacing the hall for almost an hour. Jayne had been knocked out when they had arrived, but he had woken for a few seconds, when the servant, Kahn, had taken directed the hover-stretcher away from her, into the infirmary. She had been holding his hand and while he was being pulled away he woke for a moment and said her name. She hadn't wanted to let go of him, but she knew that she had to. As they pushed him through the door he'd kept looking at her, reaching for her.
Kahn had run back to House Madrassa and gotten the stretcher and alerted the medics of what was coming. Kaylee had waited for him under cover of the market, waking Jayne up briefly, compressing the wound in his side with her shawl. She had seen some men in uniforms she didn't recognize running down the main thoroughfare and she had fallen into a crowd, propping Jayne up against a closed booth.
Now, she was waiting.
*
Inara took a deep breath.
He entered the room.
"Sheydra, could you-"
And then he saw her face. "Inara! You…what…"
She had nothing to say to him. She took the small knife out of her sleeve and, in what felt like a singular movement, slashed his throat. He fell to the floor, his hands reaching for his throat, choking on the blood that was rushing down his larynx.
She had always wondered what she would say to him. She had found that she had nothing to say after all this time. She stepped over him, not bothering to watch as he died.
*
Kaylee nearly bashed into Inara in the hallway.
"Kaylee! What are you doing her? I thought you'd still be at the shops." She smiled at the younger woman. "Why are you outside the infirmary? Is the baby alright? Are you?" Kaylee gave her a strained smile. "I'm fine 'Nara. It's…it's Jayne. He's here." Kaylee continued to give her the strained smile. "Did you, uh…did you do your…thing?"
Inara nodded.
Kaylee hugged her. "Kaylee…"
"Yeah?"
Inara looked into her friend's face. She was upset, very upset by all of this. "What is Jayne even doing here? Where has he been?" There was some anger in her voice. Inara had been furious with Jayne for months. He had treated Kaylee very badly since Maddy's death and Inara, despite knowing how well her friend loved the man, honestly thought he deserved to be hung by his testicles, shot in the stomach and left for the crows to enjoy.
But none of this was betrayed by her expression. She held Kaylee and smiled at her, only wanting to comfort her.
*
The nurse came out of the infirmary.
"We've removed the bullet. It didn't strike any major organs, so in a few days he should be able to be up and about." The nurse smiled kindly at Kaylee. "You don't need to worry, we've sedated him to keep him from tearing his stitches. He should be awake in a few hours."
Kaylee smiled at the nurse, hoping her dread didn't show on her face. She had been powering through all of this on a rush of adrenaline, not letting her feelings get in the way, as that would have gotten Jayne killed. But now that it was gone, her wariness of Jayne had returned. She reached out, grabbing Inara's hand and holding it tightly.
It was going to be a long few hours.