Things to Come

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Dear God, I pray for Inara.  She has such a giving heart, she loves so much, and yet, it seems she doesn't understand how much she is loved.  Dear God, I pray you show her that she is more than her body, her looks, her training.  I pray that you can make her see that what she does is wrong, not because of abstract rules and unmovable morality, but because she is too precious to put a price on.  Please, Lord, let her see that you covet her, long for her purity of body and spirit so that you can grow closer to her.  She is a good person, Lord, good and Kind and generous.  I praise you for her and I pray that she could understand how you see her, as far, far too valuable to be sold, no matter what the price.

*   *   *

            "My lips," Inara explained to the older woman at the cosmetic's counter.  "I want them to look fuller."

            "Well dearie," the old woman, who wore makeup as if she were a young woman, there by accentuating all the faults in her face, "You're lips look just lovely to me.  That's a very fine shade, do you use a brush?"

            "Yes," Inara said.  "But I'm wondering if maybe a lighter color, perhaps more defined lip liner, a shinier gloss . . ."

            "You know, sweetie, you're so pretty, if I was as pretty as you I wouldn't wear makeup."

            Inara forced herself to smile.  This was her fault, she really did know better than to ask such an obviously ignorant woman for beauty tips.  "Well, thank you for your time, I certainly keep it under advisement," she said pleasantly, turning around in something of a huff. 

This was the third store she'd visited and none of the clerks had been able to suggest anything to make her lips fuller or more beautiful.   Obviously her lips weren't perfect.  There should have been something she was able to do. 

As she walked out of the little boutique expecting to see Kaylee's eager face and River's somewhat dazed expression waiting for her at the door.  But they weren't there.  Inara stepped into the walkway a little further and scanned the area.  River and Kaylee were nowhere to be seen.  Perhaps if one of them alone had disappeared Inara would have been worried, but since they disappeared together, she was just annoyed.

She took another step out and looked again, finally she saw them (technically she saw the large bright red hooded jacket they'd bought for River too keep her warm) on the other side of the walkway in a shadowy ally between two stores. As the Companion got closer she saw that Kaylee was holding both the girls hands as River trembled violently. 

            "Shhh, shhh," Kaylee said softly, reaching up to stroke River's hair comfortingly.  "Don't worry, he's with the Cap'in.  He's fine."

            "What's the matter?" Inara asked softly as she approached. 

            "She's worried about Simon," Kaylee said, tossing a concerned glance towards Inara.  "Fer no reason I cen see."

            "He's scared," River whispered.  "And he's alone."

            "Hush," Kaylee soothed, pulling the girl into a warm hug.  "I told you, Simon an' the Cap'in are together.  Even if Simon is scared, he's not alone.  You'll see 'im soon enough, don' worry."

            "Kay," River muttered.  Inara could see it in the girl's eyes that she didn't believe a word.

*   *   *

            Simon was surprised most by the sound.  He fully expected the pain and the dizziness and even, to a point, the nausea.  Those were medical symptoms congruent with the injury he'd sustained.  But he never thought that he'd hear the low wet thud of a riffle but against his skull.  He was so surprised by the sound that he didn't notice the floor rushing towards him until he was flat on his back.  Simon blinked a few times and took several gasping breaths, trying to get the world to focus.  When he finally felt able he rolled over, pushed himself onto his knees and pressed his right hand over the bloody mess on his forehead.  "Ar'you tot'ly 'nsane!" He said. Even he thought his voice sounded slurred.

            "I don't take kindly to insults," Li'll Cash said.

            "Want I should hit him again?"

            "The sur'st way ta kill y'r fa'r 's t'hurt me," Simon said, trying to be coherent and feeling that he was failing.  He closed his eyes and forced every word out enunciating impeccably. "If you think I can help him with a concussion, you're wrong."

            "I jus' wanted you to know I was serious, hav' som'in ta think on while you're workin'."

            "Maybe severe beatings inspire grunt laborers," Simon said.  His breath was coming in heaves, he could feel blood pulsing out of the gash on his forehead, but he was able to force a sort of clarity of thought. Or, at least, what seemed like clarity of thought.  Adrenaline flooded his brain, mixing with the pain and fear and making him foolishly bold.  "But trauma surgery takes a great deal of concentration and a gapping head wound tends to be distracting."

            "I don't like bein' scolded by people's whos . . ."

            "And I don't like," Simon said loudly cutting Li'll Cash off.  "Being browbeaten when I have a job to do!  I want to save his life!"

            "Well, Doctor, if you say so."

            "That's what I'm saying," Simon voice was icy.  

            "Jes, you were askin' so many questions," Li'll Cash said, sounding reasonable and detached.  "I thou't your mind might'a been strayin' a might."

            Simon blinked: questions?  He tried to remember what questions he'd asked that had been retaliated so violently.  He'd asked when Old Cash had been discovered, what state he'd been in, who'd set the bandages and if they had the knife.  That's when he'd been hit.

            "So," Simon said very carefully, pushing himself up to a standing position.  "You don't know who did this."

            "I don' see how tha's any a your concern," Li'll Cash said.  "You keep talkin' and you are likely to find yourself on the floor again with another gapin' head wound."

            "Yes sir," Simon said softly and bitterly as he continued his examination. It was taking a good deal of his concentration just to keep his eyes focused, his hands steady and his feet under him.  Soon Izard would be back with his instruments and he'd have to perform minor surgery, mostly examining the damage and stitching together whatever had been ripped apart.  As far as wounds went, this one wasn't terribly bad.  The thick layer of fat seemed to have kept the knife from reaching and severely damaging the internal organs.  There was just so much blood. 

            But the man was running a high fever, which was odd, and he was jaundiced, which was odd, and he'd passed out, which was odd.  The whole thing seemed to Simon as odd.  He thought, for a moment, about pressing the button on the transmitter in his pocket.  He'd been assaulted, Mal probably would understand wanting to get out of there, and theses unusual symptoms certainly made the doctor's mind wonder if there was more foul play that was immediately apparent.  Simon decided to set his jaw and press on, if only he'd been able to keep his hands from trembling.

*   *   *

            River was curled up in a little ball, her red jacket wrapped around her legs, her hood pulled over her head so that the whites of her eyes were the only things visible in the darkness. As Kaylee modeled her dress she couldn't help but find the girl's stance unnerving.  If Inara was bothered by it, the Companion was hiding her malaise beautifully. 

            "Well?" Kaylee asked, letting her hands slide down her waist and hips as she felt the way the silk wrapped its way around her curves.  The dress was very simple, with a low v-neck, a sash around the wais, a back made entirely of pink silk straps.  The pink and green paisley pattern was plain and cheerful, the silk and lace accents were elegant, and it fit Kaylee like a glove.

Inara let out a low whistle,  "You look amazing."

Kaylee blushed and started chewing on her lower lip, "Really?"

"Yes," Inara said, pushing herself quite easily off of the stiff couch this boutique offered its clientele.  Inara had been sitting, watching a string of outfits as the engineer tried to decide what style, what color, what cut to get.  She'd tried on everything from long flowing dresses with ruffles and adornments to short tight skirts with revealing corsets.  But this was the only outfit that drew all the attention to Kaylee's ever smiling self, and not the clothes she was wearing. "What do you think?"

            "I think I'm gonna fall outa it."

            "You won't," Inara said, smiling.  "Unless, of course, you decide to crawl through Serenity's engine room in it."

Kaylee nodded, "But then I'd be wearing my jumpsuit, so it wouldn't matter."

Inara laughed.
            "Wa'da you think River?" Kaylee asked, walking up to the reddish bundle.  River didn't move.  Kaylee glanced nervously to Inara, who looked nervously back.  With a sharp intake of breath as Kaylee ignored the pain in her abdomen, she knelt down so that she could see through the dark overlap of the hood into the girl's eyes.  "Sweetie, Simon is fine."

"You look real pretty," River said softly.  "They want to kill him."

Kaylee suddenly felt cold all over.  "River, who would want to kill Simon?"

            "He's too smart," the girl said, trying to curl herself into a smaller ball.  "He's scared and he's alone."

            Kaylee had nothing to say to this, instead she turned to Inara, mouth opened, still reaching for a response.

            "We need to find Mal," the Companion said clearly.  "You look ravishing, Kaylee, really," She said, smiling graciously.  "We'll buy that and then we'll find Mal."

To be continued . . .

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