"Wash, baby help me up." Zoe said holding her hand out and she watched he grasped it, pulling her up to a standing position. "Thanks. I got it."
"You sure?" he held her waist, making sure she wouldn't fall.
"Yeah. Simon can you get the door open, captain won't be expecting us." Simon reached for the handle and tugged at it until the doors burst open.
"Got it." He smiled proudly,
"Nice, Doc." She smiled as River popped out from behind Simon.
"They came." Her eyes widened. "They've already come, we didn't stop them."
"Who?" Simon asked, "Jayne and Inara? No they've already waved us saying they're late." He explained, be her expression remained terrified.
"Cap'n!" Zoe yelled as they walked in, feeling the cool air on her face. "Life supports functioning. Looks like he was just getting ready to call us. Cap'n!" she smiled, relieved that their troubles were at an end, she had no clue what was ahead.
"I'll go check the engine." Wash said heading up the stairs. Zoe limped around on Simon's shoulder but stopped suddenly.
"You okay?" Simon asked, glancing at her face.
"What's that?" she pointed to a blotch of something on the grating.. Simon moved in closer and starred for a few moments before backing away suddenly.
"It's blood!" he gasped.
"MAL!" Zoe screamed at the top of her lungs and listened as it echoed, but here was no reply. aSh knew now. "Go upstairs, look in all the rooms you can, find Wash, tell him to help you. I'll wave the others to hurry up." Simon nodded and grabbed River's hand, pulling her towards the stairs.
He ran up as fast as he could, hearing Wash curse aloud. "What is it?" Simon asked.
"I don't know but the engine is covered in all of this go suh. I think it's blood!" his voice got higher. Simon sprinted up the stairs in a panic.
"Where did you set the button for him to press when he ot the catalizer?" he asked as he reached the engine room. Wash gave him a look of shock and he, Simon and River bolted out a door.
"It told you!" River shouted as they reached the room. Wash leaped into the engine sequal with Simon and River and their faces filled with horror. There on the ground, cover in blood and sweat was their captain.
"Zoe!" Wash yelled as Simon let go of River's hand and hurdled over to Mal. "Is he alive?" Wash approached with great caution.
"Barely. Help me get him up." Simon remained calm. From the vargo bay they heard the others enter; Jayne, Inara, Kaylee and Book.
"Get over here now! Wash yelled and heard the tramples of them coming up the stairs. Jayne was first. He stood there in the doorway a minute, registering the situation. Then came Kaylee who cupped her hand to her mouth and screamed a muffled cry. Book was assisting Zoe and they both ran over to ther dead captain. Simon spoke out of authority.
"I need someone to help me get him up, now." Book wrapped Mal's shoulder around his and Jayne did the same to the other side. Wash grabbed Zoe and the gang nearly ran to the infirmary, going as fast as possible.
"Is that Mal's blood?" Jayne noticed the handprint of blood smeared on the doors. They dragged him through the infirmary doors and laid him on the chair. Inara walked in a cursed aloud.
"Is he alrigh?" She ran over and placed a hand on Mal's shoulder.
"Everyone needs to just give him some space." Simon waved everyone to the other sides of the infirmary.
"Cap'n?" Kaylee spoke with tears streaming down her red face.
"Shepered, I need you over here with me." Simon demanded.
"Of course." Book steadily walked over to the unconscious Mal. "What can I do."
"Get me the scissors." Book took out a pair of pathetic scissors and placed them in the doctors hands. He began cutting away at the fabric until the wound was exposed.
"GOrram it." Jayne whispered as they saw the wound. "What is it?"
"Gunshot." Simon was focus and determined. "He's lost al lot of blood, I don't know how much I can do."
"Just do what you can, Simon." Kaylee sniffled.
"Alright Shepherd, hook him up to the heart meter and hand me gauze." Book scampered around the room for the supplies and handed Simon a handful of gauze. Simon softly place the whit efabric on Mal's gut and watch as it slowly filled with blood. He cursed at the face that Mal had tried to give himself a bandage- it only complicated the situation. Simon clamped down on the cound and Mal let out a sharp yelp. The room stood silent except for the beat of Mal's heat on the monitor. Zoe felt a tear start to fill her eyes. Simon poured alcohol over the bloody area. He and Book were hastily scurrying around the room for the supplies he needed.
"Dote him." Simon tossed the shot to Book who plunged it into Mal's arm.
"Oh god. He ain't breathin'." Kaylee cried loudly.
"Shepherd, give me a shot of prediline acusort." Shepherd retrieved a shot and handed it to the Doc.
"Is he gonna live, Doc?" Zoe asked, pretending like she wasn't crying.
"I don't know." He finished with the cleansing of the wound and started on the stitches. "It doesn't look good. I'm guessing he'd been there a long while before we got here. All I can say is neg—" the alarms started blaring suddenly and everyone jumped.
"What's that?"
Simon jumped up. "He's not stable!" he signaled Book to come over. "Hold this here." He point to the guaze on Mal's side. Simon ran over to Ma;'s upper section and opened up his shirt, showing Mal's well-defined muscles.
"He already gave himself a shot of adrenaline. I can't do it again, it might put him into shock." Simon finally began to panic. He looked around anxiously but realized there was no way out, the only option left was CPR. He placed his hands on Mal's chest and began shoving all of his weight down onto the crevace of his chest. Blow after blow and the heart monitor still let out a low beeping. The room was so thick of terror you could cut it with a knife. Everyone was on their toes, holding their breaths. Simon's heart raced and sweat began to form.
BEEP! The rhythmic steady beat of the monitor, the worst was over.
Everyone sighed with relief but knew well enough that Mal wasn't okay.
"That's great, he's fine now?" Kaylee asked.
"Not the least bit. He's worse. He lost too much blood and I gotta get some medication on him fast. Shepherd, dose up a shot from the bottle in the left drawer, another one from the top right one and another from the bottom left. Do it as fast as you can. Everyone needs to get out. Now." Simon demanded. He had calmed down, too.
"What? Simon?: Kaylee tried to pull the sympathy card. "I wanna stay here with the captain."
"I'm sorry Kaylee. You guys aren't helping him whliie you in here. I need to do what I can to keep him alive and right now that's getting all of you out."
"What about blood?" Inara asked, the tears were hot on her face.
"We need a donor." Simon said simply. Wash's hand raised.
"I'll do it. I'll donate." He spoke with a humble tone.
"Okay, I need Book to set it up after he's finished with the other needles."
Book had already hooked up Wash in a matter of minutes and the blood was being transfuted to Mal, whose face was so pale and dead, it didn't look like he was coming back. Simon's work was nearly finished; he had stitched up the wound after removing the bullet, he cleaned up the blood on Mal's torso, hands and any place there was blood. Now all he could do was wait and see what outcome laid ahead,
"I need air." Simon said while washing his hands. It had been about thirty minutes since he began working on Mal, and there were no signs of imrovement. He walked out of the infirmary and the gang mobbed him with questions.
"Is he alright? Is he going to live?" Zoe asked once Simon exited.
"I don't know. All we can do is wait now and hope for the best. Wash's still in there and I hope his blood helps." Simon looked at Zoe looked like a corps. "You need to sit down, over here." He showed her to the infirmary and pointed to a safe section on the counter for her to rest. She was exaughsted.
"Simon, please tell me you think Mal will be okay." Kaylee poked.
"I don't know. I just don't know."
Mal's eyes opened slowly. He peered around the room as he tried to registure his surrounds. He gradually rested his head to the side to see Zoe and Wash's back. They appeared to be having a conversation. Mal didn't understand why Zoe was lying down. He eyes flashed over in his direction and he stared back.
"Welcome back sir." She smiled, his eyes were only half way open so she wondered if he was able to even see. In the corner of his eye, Mal saw a few heads turn- no all of the heads turned. He was out of it.
"I go someplace?" he slurred drearily.
"Very nearly." Book Inara and Jayne stepped closer into the infirmary, cautiously they stood around the room, smileing down at Mal.
"We thought we lost you." Inara rested her hand on the tip of his foot.
He was still unable to make sense of it all, 'Oh I've been right here." More smiles and akward pauses, "Wash, you okay." There was some sort of blue thing wrapped around his pilots arm.
"Yeah Mal, I'm fine." Wash laughed, he looked almost proud.
"You gotta thing in ya."
"Yeaha." He smiled and looked down at the IV shunt in his arm.
"Try not to speak. You're heavily medicated and you lost a lot of blood." Simon was prepping something else in shot form.
"Oh…I thought I ordered you all off the ship." Nobody said anything, Mal turned his head to face everyone, eyes gradually getting wider as he comprehended everything. "I call you back?"
"No, Mal, you didn't." Wash's face changed now to pure concern.
"I take full responsibility Cap'n." it was Zoe.
"Decision saved your life." Simon unscrewed the cap of the shot with his teeth.
"Won't happen again, sir." She didn't seem quite tunned in either to Mal. He wondered if she was okay or if something had happened to her as well.
"Good." He stated his authority, but bounced back gratitude, "And, thanks. I'm greatful." She smiled, pleased she'd done good.
"It was my pleasure sir."
"Well, hey- you know. We'dda been back first cept thers sumthing wrong with 'nara's shuttle." Mal hadn't heard a word from Jayne until now, that was unusual. "She done sumthin to it, smells funny." Mal turned his head just in time to see Inara roll her eyes.
"I told you, that's incense." She'd heard it all day.
"So you say," Jayne protested.
"Hey captain." Kaylee, Mal had forgotten his sunshine. She was smiling, and Mal couldn't help but crack a grin. Kaylee made happiness contagious.
"Hey," he tried to lift his hand to wave but failed.
"You fixed the ship," her expression changed to a kudo's look. "Good work." Her Kayleeness beamed down on him.
"Thanks." He said pitifully, still wearing a slight dimple.
"Alright." Simon instructed. "I think the captain needs to rest."
"Yeah. Think the Doc might not be wrong 'bout that one.:Mal was going, sort of drunk talk invaded his speech. The medicine must've kicked in, "Just gonna need a few." Kaylee and Inara smiled, laughing at him. Mal smirked as he close his eyes. But sudden thoughts entered his mind, causing him to jump up- eyes jolt open. He needed to be sure this was real, 'Ya'll gonna be here when I wake up?" He was afraid.
Kaylee nodded and Book closed in the gaps between the two of them and patted Mal's leg. "We'll be here." He smiled.
A flow of serenity passed over Mal with these words. "Good." He smiled again., closing his eyes and resting his head back on the chair, "That's good." He could go to sleep now, knowing it was only a matter of time before he'd wake up with his crew. That was the most comforting feeling of all. He had family.