That night, after Carsey was finished with Simon, Bucky returned him to his room holding the door open for him. Simon held back in the doorway a moment, afraid to face the others, afraid to face Kaylee. Bucky apparently didn't care about Simon's internal turmoil as, patience up, he shoved Simon through the door.

The first thing he noticed was Kaylee. She was sitting on the bedrolls and although her face was dry her eyes held evidence that she had been crying. Wash sat next to her, her hand in his. River sat beside them with her knees drawn up to her chin. They looked up as Simon came through the door.

"Kaylee," He hurried over and knelt down in front of her. "I am so sorry. It was all my fault."

"Simon Tam, don't you dare say that!" She took Simon's hand in her free one. "You are not responsible for what that mu gou bao jun does."

"Listen to her, Simon." Wash spoke up from the other side of Kaylee. "You can't blame yourself, she's playing you. No matter what else she makes you do, don't let her make you blame yourself for what she does."

Simon became even more self-conscious as he realized that they knew, or had guessed, more about what had been happening than he had hoped. He started as River stood up and came around and settled next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, "We hold each other. She pulls and tears, but we glue the parts back together, tighter. We save each other."

Simon wrapped an arm around his sister, resting his head on hers, as his other hand still held onto Kaylee's, and Kaylee's other one held onto Wash.

The next day when Simon returned to the clinic, he found Abigail there ahead of him. She was asleep on the bed with the baby, her body curled around him protectively. An untouched breakfast tray sat on the counter, an empty formula bottle beside it.

He checked the baby first; his vitals were strong, and he appeared to waken briefly as he felt Simon's touch. Simon then went over to check on the baby's mother. To Simon's shame he realized he didn't know her name. Her vitals were stronger than they had been the previous evening and she slept soundly.

He found his notes regarding the two patients on the counter next to the bottles. Apparently Abigail had been in the infirmary all night. She had made notes several times, including the vitals of both and times that the baby had been fed. Simon felt ashamed again. With everything that had happened the night before, it hadn't occurred to him to worry about whether or not any arrangements had been made for them to be taken care of after he had left the clinic. If things had been normal he would have never left them alone. If things had been normal, he would have been back at the hospital and they would have had the treatment they needed with around the clock care.

"You'd been called for if there'd been a problem."

Simon started, not having heard Carsey enter. He looked at her, "Abigail's still a child. She's smart and learns fast, but she's still a child. It could have become serious before she knew there was a problem."

"But it didn't."

He let it go. There was no sense in stirring anything up when nothing had gone wrong, and even if it had it couldn't have been changed.

Carsey closed the distance between them. She took the papers from his hands, her fingers rubbing across his as she did. Sitting the papers aside, she said, "Jackson's comin' for the baby around noon. Is it ready to move?"

"It should safe for him to travel." Simon answered tonelessly, not looking at her.

"Good. See that he's ready."

He looked up at her, "How can you..."

Something in her expression killed the question before he could ask it. Thoughts of the previous day flashed in his mind, and he looked away again.

"Just get it ready by the time Jackson's here." She turned and left the room. Simon pressed his palms downs on the counter, shaking with pent up anger.

"Doctor, are you ok?" Abigail whispered from where she still lay curled around the newborn.

Simon turned to her, smiling reassuringly. "Everything's fine, Abigail. Why don't you come eat your breakfast? The baby will be fine."

Abigail gingerly crawled around the baby and off the bed. She took the chopsticks from the tray and used them to take a bite, then she suddenly stopped and looked seriously at Simon.

"I'm sorry for you. That you're here. But I'm glad for me. I've never felt like I was doing anything before. I know you must'a had grand life afore you come here, travelin' and doctorin' and stuff. I can't imagine what that would be like.'

"I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't have said that I was glad you're here." She added after noticing the look on his face.

She couldn't know that the look wasn't because of what he was missing, but what he had missed out on. Simon never really felt like he belonged on Serenity, no matter what had happened. River did. But Simon always felt that Serenity was just a stop, that as soon as he figured out a way to help River, or to protect them from the Alliance, then they could begin to live again. Now he would give almost anything to be back on board.

"My baby, is my baby ok?" The voice was so weak, Simon almost didn't hear it. He walked over to the now awake woman, and leaned down so that she could better see him.

"He's fine. Would you like to meet him?" Simon stood back to let Abigail hand the baby to his mother.

She smiled weakly up at Simon. "He's beautiful."

He smiled back. "Yes, he is."

"There he is Jackson." Carsey entered the clinic, Jackson right behind her. "You got him ready, boy?"

Simon looked at them and the back at the mother and child; he had forgotten what was going to happen. He unconsciously stepped closer to them.

"Doctor, back away." Carsey warned.

He looked back down at the woman who was suddenly more alert as she looked back at him, desperation and pleading in her eyes. Jackson reached down and pulled the baby from the woman's arms as she started to scream. As he took the baby away, she tried to rise from the bed, screaming hysterically. Simon rushed to restrain her.

"Abigail," he shouted, "second cabinet, middle shelf, third vial from the left. Draw up 3ccs!"

Abigail hurriedly followed Simon's instructions as Jackson and Carsey left with the baby.

Simon simultaneously held the woman down and directed Abigail on how to inject the sedative into the I.V. He slowly rose up off of her as the medication took effect. He walked over to the counter sliding down it to sit on the floor, hands shaking. Abigail slid down beside him; he put his arm around her as she cried.