A/N Obviously, I've changed a few details and the order of some events I consider minor to fit with how I'm viewing this playing out. Nothing major but wanted to give everyone a head's up as to not expect a play by play of the episode. Also, I'm hoping the updates will come a bit quicker than one a week. This week has been crazy.
Disclaimer: Still own nothing.
Halfway to the infirmary, the intercom call had stopped Simon in his tracks. He turned around and made his way back to his room to shut the door and allow River some more sleep. Poking his head in, he saw she was already awake and was in the process of pulling her sweater down over her shirt. Smiling at the tousled head that emerged from the sweater, Simon spoke. "Good morning sleepy-head."
River looked at him with a small frown. "No time in space, not morning."
Feeling better now that she had seemed to have gotten a decent night's sleep, Simon couldn't resist another jab at his little sister. "Well genius, since we just got up, I'm going to call it morning. Come here, let me brush your hair real quick. It looks like a bird nest."
Fingering the tendrils that fell around her face, River scowled at him and begrudgingly sat on the edge of the bed and turned her back to him. Simon picked up the silver inlaid brush and brought it through her hair. It was a gift from Inara and was a very fine piece of craftsmanship. When Simon had asked to borrow a brush for River, he hadn't expected something so beautiful. Inara had given it to him with a smile explaining that she had several as gifts from clients but she preferred her own simple brush. She usually ended up trading excess gifts from clients for supplies anyways so Inara was happy to give this one as a gift. The soft bristles slipped through River's tangles, gently separating her long locks, smoothing down her hair and giving it a brilliant sheen. It probably wouldn't last long, but she did seem to enjoy the sensation and that was enough for him. Simon brought the brush through one last time and patted River's shoulder.
"Ok River, I think that's about the best we can do for right now. Zoe called the crew into the cargo bay. You can stay here if you want or come with me."
"Interloper...chameleon...wolf in sheep's clothing." River fretted before standing up. "I'll go with you." she said softly. Getting off the bed with her usual grace, she walked towards the door, glancing at him over her shoulder before walking out.
Simon followed her out with a bewildered expression on his face. What was that about?
Catching up to River before reaching the cargo bay, Simon walked through the doorway first coming to a halt when he saw an unfamiliar woman standing next to Mal. Nobody seemed to have noticed him yet and he ducked back into the hallway. Quickly stopping River's progress before she came into sight, he motioned towards the infirmary. River's eyes widened and she shook her head. Simon put his hands on his shoulders and whispered in her ear. "Mei-mei, trust me. There's someone else in the cargo bay, just wait in the infirmary, please? I need to make sure it's safe for you."
"Not safe for you." River simply stated. With a final look, she silently slipped in the infirmary, quietly closing the door. Simon happened to glance back and saw River's sad face staring out the door's window at him. He tried to smile at her but couldn't force this one. She studied him carefully, then stuck her tongue out at him. This did the trick and Simon smiled at this.
Simon briefly wondered if these instances of his paranoia would ever cease. Probably not anytime in the near future, he mused. He hoped River wasn't picking up on his paranoia. He wanted her to be aware of her surroundings and be safe but didn't want her to have to be distressed about anything she didn't have to be. As of now, she had showed some improvement but nowhere near what he was hoping to have done by this point. Some of the damage done to her may be irreversible but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to help her with what he could. But there was nothing he could do at the moment, so he tore his gaze away from the infirmary and walked into the cargo bay.
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Wife... Simon mused shortly afterwards. So, according to the young lady Saffron, Mal had married her in some village custom last night. Going through his notes in the infirmary, Simon snorted. If Mal's bloodshot eyes were anything to go on, Simon believed him when he said he didn't remember marrying anyone last night. Laughing inwardly, Simon could hardly wait to congratulate the captain and his new "bride" later. He was pretty sure Mal wouldn't shoot him in front of her. Maybe it was best to wait on that until he knew for certain. Regardless, Mal didn't seem to be in the best mood right now. Simon supposed having something like an impromptu marriage thrown on someone recovering from a hangover would do that to any person.
Glancing around, his eyes automatically darted to under the counter where River would hide and play while he worked. It was empty. For the moment, Mal and Simon had decided it might be best to sequester River in Inara's shuttle for awhile until they could get a better read on Saffron and what the plan to do with her would be. River was the one constant in his life right now and even though it was nice to get some time to himself, he missed the simple comfort her presence brought him. He would continue to work with her and try to make her better but no matter what happened as long as she was here with him now, that was enough. He had left her with some paper and colored pencils and she had taken to them quickly when he was leaving. When he left, Inara had taken a seat on the floor with River and was intently watching her draw, complimenting her technique with her usual grace. Inara promised to stay with River and keep an eye on her while Simon worked and the rest of the crew tried to figure out what to do about Saffron. She seemed harmless enough but Simon had learned the hard way about people not being what they seem. Gripping his pencil with that line of thinking, he thought of his parents not believing him about River, Dobson who turned out to be an Alliance lawman, and recently the people in that small village on Jiangyin who attempted to burn she and him at the stake. Right now, he could trust few people and really none that weren't part of the crew. He still kept a wary eye on Jayne. Simon couldn't be positive that Jayne wouldn't try to sell River and him out if it profited him but he had to try to trust the man. If he couldn't trust Jayne, he knew he could trust the captain. Coming back for River and he on Jiangyin was proof of that. With a sigh, he forced himself back to his work. Saffron may very well be a pleasant girl but for now, the risks outweighed any potential gains of letting her know too much. Plus, he had enough on his mind without adding to it.
A knock came at the door and Wash entered the room. "Hey Doc, have you got a minute?"
"Surprisingly as nobody has been shot in awhile, I do have some free time. What can I do for you?" Simon replied.
"I just wanted to stop by and let you know what's going on with Saffron and the captain." Wash said. "Mal wants to drop her on Beaumont which we should hit in a few days. He thinks it's ok for River to be where ever she wants to be out on the ship although he did mention specifically that I was to emphasize within reason. Mal doubts that they get many Alliance outstanding warrant bulletins where Saffron is from and where we're dropping her isn't a friend of the Alliance either."
"Well, that's great news. Saffron seems very nice, but right now I could do with a little less excitement and subterfuge after my last outing." Simon said with a wry smile.
"Being nearly lit on fire will do that to you, I imagine." Wash agreed with a smile of his own. "By the way, not that I mind but I seem to be missing two of my dinosaurs from the bridge. Any idea where they might be?"
Simon walked over to a drawer and pulled the plastic molded figures of a tyrannosaurus rex and stegosaurus out. "I'm sorry Wash, I've got them here. River snuck away from me yesterday and when I turned around she was playing with them and I meant to return them to you this morning. I've never understood her fascination with dinosaurs. She used to pretend the Independents used them against the Alliance. I feel guilty because she should have asked but I couldn't bear to break up her peace these past few days." Simon paused for a moment, thinking. "Can I purchase them from you? I don't have much cash on me at the moment but as soon as I do..."
Wash held up his hand, cutting him off in mid-sentence. "Wouldn't hear of it, Simon." Wash said with a grin. "You tell River to go ahead and keep those, I still have lots in Zoe's and my room. I'll just replace those from my stock. She has good taste with the T-Rex and stegosaurus. Two of my favorites. Perhaps I can even come down here sometime and play dinosaurs with her. Lord knows I can't get anyone else on this ship to use their imagination in any way."
Simon briefly imagined his infirmary overrun with toy dinosaurs in mock battles and Wash and River gleefully in the middle of it. He sighed thinking, the things I do for my sister... "I'm sure River would have a good time with that." Simon said with a forced smile. But it was certainly nice that someone wanted to do things with River and take time to spend with her. Kaylee, Wash, Inara, and Book had all gone out of their way to show kindness to River and Simon deeply appreciated it.
"Great. Anyway, just wanted to stop by and let you know about Saffron. We should also be able to pick up a job or two, keep us flying." Wash ran a hand through his hair and said, "I can tell you're still a little twitchy from River being out of your sight, so why don't you go fetch her? Probably do you a world of good." With a final smile, Wash left the infirmary.
Simon stretched briefly and decided that Wash was probably correct. He couldn't concentrate as well with River out of his sight and it wasn't fair that Inara was watching her for him. Heading into the cargo bay, he caught a glimpse of Book spotting Jayne on the weight bench, talking and smiling. Now those two are definitely an interesting pair Simon thought. He never would have thought a friendship between men from such different backgrounds could exist but Book had an air about him that put almost anyone at ease. Even Jayne couldn't find a problem with the preacher. With a grunt, Jayne maneuvered the bar back into position and switched places with Book.
"Simon!" Kaylee called out as she spotted him from the upper catwalk where she was talking to Zoe.
"Kaylee, hi..." For some reason, Simon still felt nervous around Kaylee. Her boundless enthusiasm seemed to increase when she was around him. She also had a talent for tripping up his tongue whenever he spoke to her.
Bouncing down the stairs, Kaylee came right up to Simon. "Don't see you much out of your infirmary these days, what's the special occasion?" She asked teasingly.
"I...uh, was on my way to see Inara." Simon managed to get out. "She was watching River for me while the captain was deciding what to do with the whole "wife" situation. He's decided that since Saffron is getting off soon enough that River doesn't have to stay in hiding any longer. Which is a good thing since there aren't any free rooms away from ours and River still isn't sleeping well..." Simon trailed off.
"Poor thing, I'm sorry about that." Kaylee's eyes were full of sympathy.
"Thank you for your concern. I'm trying my best but I only have limited information to go off of and I'm certainly not a specialist in neurology so I can only do so much." Simon's heart ached as his realization was voiced. He hadn't been very open with the crew and he felt some relief talking to someone about his struggles.
Kaylee surprised him by giving him a quick hug and smile. "I think what you're doing for River is sweet. Not many people would give up everything and continue to do everything they possibly could for their sibling."
"I never had to think about it. It was never a choice for me. It was the right thing to do and I'd do it over again in a heartbeat. She's my sister, my mei-mei. When we were kidnapped on Jiangyin, she told me that she understood what I gave up. That I gave up everything I ever had. I told her that she was everything I ever had. She is what I treasure the most. Not being a surgeon, the Core Worlds, or all the money in the 'verse. " Simon's eyes grew slightly watery at the memory but held his tears at bay.
Kaylee was silent a moment. "Wow, Simon. She's certainly lucky to have a brother like you. Must be nice to have someone care for you so much..." she trailed off.
Simon didn't seem to notice, still wrapped up in that emotional memory in what passed for a hospital on Jiangyin, when it seemed like River was herself again. Those moments might be few and far between but he would cherish each one of them.
"Umm...Earth-that-was to Simon?" Kaylee waved a hand in front of his face. "Mind if I come with you to see Inara?" she asked hopefully.
"Not at all." Simon snapped back to reality and replied with a smile.
At the entrance to Inara's shuttle, Simon raised his hand to knock while Kaylee strode in. With his fist only inches from the threshold, Simon looked at it and decided it would probably be ok to follow Kaylee in. The first thing he saw was River curled up on Inara's bed. Her eyes opened when she heard them enter and she smiled slightly. Simon returned her smile and went and squatted down by the bed. Kaylee walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes sneaking glances at Simon every so often.
"She drew for quite awhile after you left and decided to take a nap a short while ago." Inara had gotten up from her reading on the couch and had walked over to Simon and handed him a stack of papers.
Simon looked at her drawings, smiling at her natural talent displayed on the pages. "Mei-mei, these are incredible." Looking back to Inara, Simon continued.
"It's good that she's sleeping when she can. She seems ok to take naps but her nightmares seem to materialize when she sleeps for longer periods of time." Simon said with a smile as River rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Well, she still twitched at some points but there didn't seem to be much cause for alarm. I did catch her muttering something about poison apples though." Inara stated softly.
Simon frowned. "She mentioned something about that yesterday too in the cargo bay while everyone else was out. I know her thoughts can be disjointed but I wonder what's she thinking?"
"Thoughts are a kaleidoscope, wheeling images through the stream of time." River explained. "Shifts come about through a crack, unexpected, unwanted." She looked at Inara, "Remember the story, awaken with a kiss."
"Well, I guess that doesn't really explain much but if she hasn't had any nightmares lately then I'll take it. River, I think we've kept Inara busy long enough." Simon looked at River with a smile.
Simon stood up with a stretch and slight groan as he felt his joints popping. Reaching down, he took River's hand and gently pulled her to her feet. "Thank you again Inara. I shouldn't have to intrude upon your time again."
Inara smiled her warm smile. "It was no intrusion at all. River is a wonderful girl and I'm glad to help." Her lips pursed tightly before asking in a cool voice, "and how is the captain's 'wife' doing?"
"I haven't really spoken to her at all but Wash came and told me that the Captain plans on dropping her off on Beaumont. We should be there in a few days. Apparently Mal isn't taking to being a madly in love newlywed." Again Simon thought of his desire to pass on his congratulations. Remembering Inara's voice, maybe it really wouldn't be such a good idea.
"No, I imagine not." Inara's face seemed to brighten at the news. "Kaylee, stay with me for awhile. We have much to talk about. I'll make some tea."
Simon looked guiltily over in the corner where Kaylee had taken a seat. He had forgotten about her in his haste to see River and speak to Inara.
"Go on Doctor Tam, lots to do." Kaylee said with a smile that seemed forced and lacking her usual enthusiasm.
Simon and River walked out of the shuttle, Simon muttering to himself as the shuttle door slid shut. "Now what did I do?" River just looked at him with some combination of pity and disbelief, shook her head and skipped down the stairs.
"Hungry Simon, want lunch. Maybe leftovers from last night if we hurry. " She called out.
Catching up to his sister just before the dining room, Simon was surprised to see Mal, Wash, and Zoe sitting around the table. Wash and Zoe looked to be trying and failing at keeping a straight face as Saffron diligently served the captain his meal. Mal looked up to see Simon and River paused in the door way and mouthed "Not one word."
Simon caught a shift in River's body position out of the corner of his eye and looked towards her. She had a hostile expression on her face as she gazed towards Saffron. Simon had never seen his sister this way before and something about it unnerved him. He hesitantly touched her arm and when she looked towards him, her face had changed back into a blank mask. Still a little startled, Simon led River in and had her sit next to Wash while he went to find something to eat for them.
Simon couldn't help but think that this was certainly shaping up to be an interesting trip.