The Pillow
It had been a bad day. They were in the middle of nowhere on some dust-ball of a planet that he hoped he'd soon forget. It was the kind of dust that gets in every little crevice and hangs in your throat, but the more you cough the more gets sucked in.
"Highly unlikely given the ratios," her voice called from behind him.
"In my thoughts again?" he asked.
"Sorry."
"Weren't you s'pposed to stay on the ship?"
"Simon didn't notice that I left."
"That don't make it right, little one."
"Stir-crazy, Captain."
He chuckled dryly only to cough a bit more. The horses were kicking up a lot of dust as they trotted by.
"I reckon you might go a bit insane bein' locked away all the time."
"Can't be more insane than I already am," there was humor in her voice and it almost sounded like a song. Probably was, knowing her. "It is."
She started repeating dance steps she knew by heart to the music in her head. The cargo was being moved back and the only thing left to do was to hop in the mule and go home. Which brought up a thought…
"How'd you get here anyhow?"
"Walked."
"Walked? It's ten miles!"
"I danced here."
"You must be a mite tired then."
"I am."
"Let's go home, darlin'."
She followed him to the mule and climbed in the back with him while Jayne and Zoe were in the front. He felt her lean on him a bit, probably exhausted from her implausible walk to their position. But she was a dancer with machine training. Anything was possible with her.
"True, Captain."
She draped across his lap, and curled into a little ball.
"Readin' me a-"
"Sh! Pillows don't talk."
"But I'm not your-"
"Sh! River is tired."
He chuckled again softly. "I s'ppose you would be."
"You're a bad pillow. Always talking and moving! Be still!"
"Sorry, sweetheart. I'll try."
"Thank you."
He just smiled. Maybehaps it wasn't a bad day after all…
"Maybe not, Pillow…" she said quietly. "But you didn't dance ten miles."
"No I didn't."
"Speaking again Captain," she reminded him playfully. Sorry… "Apology accepted."