Chapter 7

Mal closed the door to the twin's room and leaned against the wall with a long sigh. Putting them to bed had been a challenge. Because of the virus they had slept throughout the day and because of that they hadn't wanted to sleep once bedtime had rolled around.

Since River had been exhausted and was sick as well Mal had offered to put both girls to bed on his own. Now three hours since he'd begun the bedtime process both girls were finally asleep.

After making his usual night check of Serenity Mal wearily walked to his bunk. River was already asleep when he arrived, but she wasn't sleeping peacefully. She was tossing and turning and mumbling under her breath. He couldn't make out most of what she was saying but he could definitely make out the words 'blue hands'.

"Hey bao-bei wake up yer havin a nightmare." Mal said softly. He knelt down on the bed and gently ran a hand across her cheek.

He pulled his hand back with alarm and then quickly felt her forehead. She was burning up, much hotter than either of the twins had been before bed. He jumped up from the bed and hurried to Simon and Kaylee's room. Finding the room empty Mal rushed to the infirmary where he found Simon looking into a microscope.

"Doc I think ya need ta come check on River." Mal said urgently.

When Simon turned around to face him, Mal could see instantly that he was as bad off as his sister was. His face was pale, beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his eyes were blood shot.

Simon stood up quickly and immediately slumped back onto the stool. He took some deep breaths and tried to stop the infirmary from spinning crazily.

"Whoa Simon take it slow." Mal instructed and grabbed the doctor's arm when it looked like he was going to fall off of the stool.

"I'm alright, just give me a second." Simon gasped. He took a few more deep breaths and then stood and moved to the sink and splashed his face with cold water.

"What's going on with you and River? Zoe and the girls ain't nearly this bad off." Mal asked.

"They only have half of the infected DNA that River and I do. The virus will move slower in them than in River or I." The doctor explained.

"Any luck with yer medical test thingies?" Mal asked hopefully and gestured towards slides and equipment.

"No nothing yet. I'm going to start going through the data stick information as soon as I'm done here." Simon answered.

"Mayhaps you should get some sleep first Doc. Ya look like yer bout dead on yer feet." Mal commented.

Simon began to reply but was interrupted by a fit of coughing that wracked his entire body.

"I can't. I have to figure out the base for the antivirus before we get the DNA." He gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"Well ain't pushin yerself too hard gonna make ya sicker?" Mal asked.

"Probably. But it has to be done." Simon coughed out.

Mal wanted to argue and order Simon to get some rest. But he realized Simon was right, there was no one else in the Verse who could do the research for the cure.

"I should come down and check on River, before I get started on the data stick." Simon said changing the subject.

Mal didn't argue and followed Simon out of the room. River had calmed down some by the time they entered the bunk, but she was still talking quietly in her sleep.

River opened her eyes when Simon sat down next to her and took her temperature.

"Simon?" She asked in confusion.

"I just came in to check on you. You need to take some more medicine mei-mei." Simon ordered and held out two pills for her to swallow along with a glass of water that had been beside her bed.

River obediently swallowed the pills and then gave Mal a smile.

"I'm alright ai-ren stop worrying." She assured him.

"That ain't like to happen anytime soon, but thanks for tryin ta make me feel better."

Simon stood up and walked to the door of the bunk. "I'm going to go get back to work. Come get me if you need anything."

"Simon I'll go through the data stick. That way you can focus your energies on making the antivirus." River offered.

"Are you sure you're feeling up to it mei-mei?" Simon asked doubtfully.

"Not really, but you aren't feeling any better than I am. Plus I read much faster than you."

Simon gave her a slight scowl but then smiled and nodded. "Alright you work on looking through the files and I'll keep working in the infirmary."

Mal left River and Simon alone to work and began to wander through the ship, suddenly feeling like sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. He found himself in the engine room an hour later. Like Kaylee he found the constant hum of the engine to be a soothing sound.

Because of the sound of the engine it took a few minutes before Mal noticed the sounds of crying coming from the other side of the room. He walked further into the room and found Kaylee sitting on the ground behind the engine with her knees pulled up to her chest. She had her head leaned onto her arms and was crying heavily.

"Hey now mei-mei don't do that." Mal said and sat down next to Kaylee.

She fell against him when he put his arm around her and continued to cry.

"Kaylee girl it's gonna be fine. They'll be fine." Mal comforted.

"You don't kn-know that fer sure." She sobbed. "I can't lose em both. I just can't. Not after losin the baby last year. I just can't lose Simon and this baby too."

"We ain't losin anybody. We're gonna figure somethin out I promise." Mal said. He tried to sound confident, but was afraid she'd hear the fear in his voice.

Kaylee nodded slightly but continued to cry against his shoulder. Mal couldn't think of anything else he could say to make her feel better. He knew just as well as she did how dire their situation was and he like her was in danger of losing his family. There weren't enough words in the Verse to make that kind of fear better.

"I just feel so helpless. I can't do nothin to help em." Kaylee whimpered.

"Hey you're in here makin sure Serenity is gettin us to Osiris as fast as possible. That's bout all that can be done right now."

Kaylee nodded again and sighed deeply. She stayed leaning against Mal like that for another ten minutes as her tears gradually tapered off. Finally when Mal noticed that she was beginning to doze off he roused her and pulled her to her feet.

"Go get yer husband and makin him go to bed. He's gonna work himself ta death fore that virus even has a chance a killin him." Mal instructed and gave Kaylee a slight push towards the infirmary.

Simon was still bent over the microscope when Kaylee entered the infirmary.

"Simon you bout ready ta come to bed?" She asked quietly so that she wouldn't startle him.

"I should really stay up and work on this Kaylee." Simon answered.

"Simon yer sick ya gotta rest ta keep up yer strength. It ain't gonna help anyone if you kill yerself workin too hard." She argued and pulled him up from his stool and towards the door.

"Yes but I really should keep trying to find the base for the antivirus." Simon protested.

"And yer work'll still be here in the morning. But it's late and you need ta sleep." She ordered and continued to pull him towards their bunk.

After forcing Simon out of his clothes and into bed, Kaylee began running a cold cloth over his face and neck, hoping to bring his fever down a little.

"You were right bao-bei, this is exactly what I needed." Simon mumbled.

"We'll be in wave range by morning. Are ya gonna wave yer father right away?" She asked.

"Yes, I think the sooner I talk to him the better." He replied.

Kaylee couldn't imagine how hard that conversation was going to be. Either Simon was going to find out that the only other parent he'd ever had had also betrayed him the way Reagan had. Or he was going to have to tell his father the truth about a great many difficult things. "What are ya gonna say to him?" She whispered.

Simon was silent for so long that Kaylee thought perhaps he had fallen asleep.

"I'm going to tell him the truth. All of it." He answered finally.