Course of Action
Sweet Jesus, I pray now for Jayne. . . . Jayne, where to begin? I thank you, Lord, for him. He's saved my life many times. But still, Lord, he closes himself off, he auctions himself off, he pushes away everyone, especially those who would love him. Lord, I do not know what to pray for, so I will simply ask that you move in his life, however you will. Your will be done.
* * *
Mal and 'Puffs' were enjoying a leisurely cigar to celebrate their deal. They were good cigars, Mal had to admit, and good cigars were damn hard to come by. If he'd know he'd get a cigar out of the deal, he might have been willing to settle for ninety. "I like cigar's," Newvack said slowly, savoring the smoke that came out with his breath. "Because they are masculine. A woman can smoke a ciggie, but not a cigar, that's a gentleman's pleasure."
Mal, who had not treatises on any tobacco product, just sucked in another lungful and enjoyed the full, bitter, musty taste. "Hey, you know how to blow smoke rings?" he asked Puffs gamely. "I had'a man under me in the war, Grunt named Tinner. He'd always blow em ta impress the girls. Always meant to ask him how he did it."
"It's all in the tongue," Puffs said, demonstrating.
"Really, you, ah, you curl it?" Mal said, trying his luck. The smoke exited his mouth in an unimpressive cloud.
"The idea is to create the ring in your mouth and then let it float out."
"Ring in your mouth?" Mal said. He inhaled again and tried to create a ring of smoke with his tongue in the middle. He opened his mouth and, again, an unimpressive cloud floated out.
"It's not an easy trick to learn."
"Yeah," Mal coughed. The smoke had been in his mouth too long. He coughed some more.
"Didn't you know that smoking is bad for your health," Inara's ever-pleasant voice chimed over the Captain's shoulder. Mal, through his coughing, saw Newvack's eyes go wide as he beheld the beautiful Companion.
"Hey Inara," Mal said, wiping the tears from his eyes and wishing there was a pitcher of water near by. "I thought you were going shopping."
"We are shopping," Inara said, walking around the table so she could face Mal. "Kaylee's buying River some boots."
"Oh, about that, I got some money for . . ." he reached into his pockets to pull out a few of the bills he'd received from Old Cash's men.
"I don't want your money, Captain."
"Oh, it's not mine, it's the doc's, he . . ."
"Where is the Doctor?"
Mal leaned forward, annoyed. "What does it matter?"
"River needs him," Inara said.
"She must not need him too much if she's buying shoes."
"I don't have time for this. Where is Simon?"
Mal took a deep breath, "I lent him out."
"You lent him out?!" Inara said, enunciating every word with cold precession. "He is not a shuttle; you can't just lend him out."
"He could'a said no if he wanted."
"Did he know that?"
"As a matter of fact he did," Mal snapped. "What kind of lok chat do you take me for?"
"Oh, Mal, you're your own special kind."
"Hey," Mal said, not faining his hurt. "These men come up to me, say 'our captain's dieing you think we could use your doctor?' I said 'Yes.'" He took another puff of his cigar. "I's the only decent thing to do. I'm sure the kid's fine."
"And River's sure he's not," Inara clipped. "The least you could do is come and tell her what you did."
"Fine," Mal sighed. He took one last drag on his cigar before putting it in the ashtray. "It was a pleasure doin' business. Hope to again," he said to Newvack. "Crew emergency, you understand."
"I understand perfectly, Catptain Reynolds," Newvack said, standing to shake Mal's hand again. "I couldn't say no to her either."
* * *
"What killed him?" Li'll Cash asked.
"His treacherous son," Simon answered, slipping his hand into pocket and feeling for the transmitter. Kurt then quickly demonstrated to the young doctor that there was no such thing as a painless truth by punching the boy in the gut. Simon gasped and fell to his knees, his hand flew out of his pocket as he tried to catch himself and the transmitter slid across the floor. Simon watched it with a sinking sense of terror.
"Capi'n Reynolds wan' you to keep in touch?" Kurt asked as the small black box hit his boot. Simon didn't say anything, he didn't have the breath to speak. That was probably for the best, because his pathetic 'please don't' would have fallen on ears that thought such pleas aught to be punished with quick blows to the head. Kurt lifted his heavy boot and crushed the small plastic and mettle box. Simon heard a series of cracks which might as well have been his death knoll.
He was so distracted by the destruction of the transmitter that he didn't notice the drama going on directly to his right.
"Of course," Izard said, turning to Li'll Cash. "You Hong yan bing huai dan. You murdered your Father! Poq Gai!"
"No," Li'll Cash said calmly as Kurt and Vio aimed their revolvers at Izard. "You did, you baw lan jiao liu man."
There were four bangs, which drew Simon's horrified attention. He watched, wide eyed, as Izard's body hit the floor with a sickening thud. The Doctor wanted to do something but, despite all his brilliance and training, the only thing he could think to do was close his eyes and wait for the built that would kill him. It didn't come.
"On your feet, doc," Li'll Cash said, as Vio grabbed Simon's arm and hauled the young man to a standing position.
"What?" Simon gasped. "Too honorable to kill a man on his knees?"
"I don't give a damn how you die, Doctor," Li'll Cash said. "Jus' so long as i's slow an' painful, like my father's death."
Simon stared at Li'll Cash for a second and then shook his head, "Totally psychotic," he muttered. "Criminally insane."
"Gun dan," Li'll Cash, or perhaps just Cash now, spit and Vio hauled the dazed doctor out of the room.
* * *
River screamed. You could hear it up and down the street. People stopped too look at her, people got out of her way. The girl ran blindly, or so it seemed. Possibly away from the girl who was chasing her, but River had far outdistanced her pursuer. No one was quite daring enough to try and stop the crazed red, yellow and black streak, with the rather important exception of Captain Reynolds.
"Sha ya tou," The captain muttered, extending his arm and scooping her out of her path. "Hey there River, where you flowin'?"
Halted, just for a moment, was enough to jar the girl out of her mad panic. She clung to Mal's arm and collapse onto the ground in sobs. Mal was dragged down with her, so that he was kneeling over her. Inara looked on, very worried.
"Hush," Mal said awkwardly, stroking the girl's hair because it seemed like the only thing to do. "It's all right."
"They're killing him." River sobbed. "He dieing."
"Your brother ain't diein'," Reynolds asserted, pulling himself up and River with him. "An' I can prove it." He reached into his pocket.
"Mal you don't know where Simon is," Inara said. "How could you possibly . . ."
"I know exactly were Simon is," Mal snapped, pulling a little black box out of his pocket. "An' this here transmitter 'ill prove that you girl's are worrin' over nothin'."
"They stepped on Simon's," River said softly.
Mal, ignoring the girl, pulled the transmitter up to his mouth and pushed the button. "Doctor, your there? Doc?"
The only answer was static.
"Doctor?" Mal said, starting to feel a little uncomfortable. "Hen ga tsan, boy, answer!"
"I don't think he's there Mal," Inara said, her voice was trembling a little.
River, having had enough of this useless small talk, grabbed Mal's arm and started pulling him in the direction she'd been madly running, towards the docking ring. "Simon is dieing!" she insisted.
Mal opened his mouth to argue with her, point out that there was no way to be sure. All they knew was that, for some reason, Simon hadn't answered. It was possible that the only thing wrong was the doctor couldn't figure out which button to push to answer, or maybe he was in the middle of surgery or something and couldn't be bothered. But as he looked at River the girl's eyes looked back up at him and he could see nothing but clarity and conviction. He couldn't dismiss her.
Mal swallowed hard, trying to get down his pride and better sense. "You know where he is?"
River nodded fervently.
"Well, then," Mal muttered, "Lead on."
The girl almost smiled and started running down the street, dragging Malcolm Reynolds behind her.
To be continued . . .
(keep reviewing please!)