Chapter 17: In which Kaylee leaves a lasting impression
"Mr. Comworth, Governor, sir, please. Give me chance ta explain as much as I can. If after I'm through ya still wanna hold me and torture me, or, whatever, I guess ya can, I mean," She laughed nervously, "I ain't got no power ta stop ya. But, please, just . . . just try ta listen, and understand, and see it from Simon's point of view."
"That is a very tempting offer, young lady," the governor said formally. "I'll have to accept it."
"Be careful, Kaylee," Simon warned. "Don't . . ."
"No worries, Hon," the girl said, smiling at him with built up confidence. "I can tell a story."
"Well," Comworth said, "Go on . . ."
Kaylee took a deep breath and dove headfirst into the untold tail of Simon and River's life on Serenity.
"Ya know River's nuts, right?" Kalyee started. "I mean, ya'v talked ta her, and such?"
"Yes." Comworth said.
"Then, ya know why he took her," Kaylee said, encouraged. "Why he had ta."
"I'm beginning to grasp his position," Comworth said. "Although, it is not as easy as you make it out to be."
Kaylee didn't seem exactly sure what that meant, she glanced at Simon. He had nothing to offer her so she took another deep breath and plunged into her story.
"Our ship, it's a freighter, never docks the same place twice. We was docked in one particular place when Simon came up and booked passage. It was the oddest thing, he was stickin' out of the crowd like a sore thumb, ya know. Lookin' all cagey and determined. When he talked ta me, 'cause ya see, I'm the one in charge of the passengers, well, he was all business. How much, how far, how fast. Didn't even notice me, didn't notice the ship, didn't notice the other passengers.
"Weren't half way to our destination when the pilot notices someone's makin' a transmission on the cortex, signaling an Alliance cruiser. Now, I don't think I'll be betrayin' too much when I tell ya that our Cap'n, he fought for the Independence in the war. I mean, he's not the kind of man who goes out an picks a fight over it no more . . . well, least not often, but still . . . he don't like the Alliance. As I understand it, he went out ta see who was sendin' the transmission and he found Simon, lookin' after this big ol' box he had in the cargo bay."
"Big old box?" Comworth asked, clearly confused.
"It was River," Simon said, interjecting into Kaylee's story. She sent him a charming smile and relinquished her role as storyteller graciously. "When I had . . . the men who told me they'd saved River, they sent me this little slip of paper for a warehouse on . . . on a planet far away from the core. They told me that I could pick her up any time in the next two weeks, but the sooner the better. They said the government was already hunting for her.
"Well, I left immediately, as I'm sure you know. Got as many credits as I could and I disappeared. I traveled under a false name, went to the place they suggested, handed this . . . man my slip and they gave me a box. And I looked at it, this huge, gray box, and . . . all I had was the foolish hope that it was River inside it. All I could do was assume that it was. I took the box and I grabbed passage on the first ship I found, the first ship that would take me away, quickly, that wouldn't ask and wouldn't tell."
"A box?" Comworth asked, clearly confused.
"It, it was a cryo box," Kaylee clarified quickly. "I didn't know till after, I don't know that anyone did . . . I mean, any a the crew. I'm sure Simon . . ."
"I hadn't had much experience with them," the boy said, surging his shoulders helplessly. "I . . . I didn't know . . . it could have been a dog, for all I knew. It could have been the wrong person, you know, some other kid, not River. It could have been empty. I didn't know until . . . until he opened it and she came out. I wanted to cry for joy, seeing her, but she was so, so frightened." He smiled sadly to himself. "I thought it was just the shock of the situation. I thought it'd go away."
"And out of the kindness of his heart this captain said he'd hide the both of you."
"Ah . . ." Simon stammered.
"Part where I was shot kinda got skipped," Kaylee said. "Can I tell it?"
"You were shot?" Comworth asked.
"Yeah," Kaylee nodded. "Tween when that transmission was sent and the box was open the guy who actually sent the transmission, this mole for the Alliance sent ta track down River, he shot me. Kinda on accident."
"Was he trying to shoot Simon?"
"He weren't a very good mole," Kaylee said, shaking her head, as if she pitied poor Agent Dobbs. "Anyways, I was shot real bad and Simon, he saved my life."
"I made a deal, with the captain," Simon said quickly. He felt it was very important that he remembered how this story had really happened. He didn't want to let himself forget to whom he owed his safety at any given moment. "He wanted to turn me in. He knew the box, the box with River in it, had something to do with the whole mess, he would have turned that in too, just to avoid trouble. But Kaylee was bleeding to death. And I . . . I could save her. But I wouldn't, not unless they agreed to hide me."
"That was hardly honorable," Comworth said, sounding a little angry.
"I know," Simon nodded.
"It weren't his fault," Kaylee said quickly.
"Kaylee, you don't have to . . ."
"I do," Kaylee said. "I'm startin' ta see that your all about explainin' yourself but ya don't want ta defend yourself. Simon, ya saved my life, and ya saved Rivers. You gave up everything for her. How many times ya saved the captain's life? Once? Twice?"
"Well, he was . . . I mean, his wounds if left untreated could have . . . but I'm sure--"
"And ya've saved Zoë's life, and the preachers."
"No," Simon corrected. "I was being burned at the stake when the Shepherd was shot."
"A shepherd was shot?" Comworth gasped and then, realizing, added, "Burned at the stake?"
"Mr. Governor Comworth, sir," Kaylee said, turning her lovely brown eyes to appeal to the older man. "Simon's done a world of good for our ship. We want him back."
"I told him he could go back," Comworth said. "An offer which still stands, if he wants to take it."
"Oh," Kaylee said, clearly surprised. "Well, that's real good then, ain't it?" No one said anything. "Simon, why didn't cha go?"
"The offer was for me, Kaylee, not for River."
"Not for River," the girl said slowly. "What, what'd happen ta her then, if . . . not for River?"
"She'd be sent back," Simon said.
"Back?" Kaylee asked, making no pretences about sounding and looking upset. "Ta the Academy?"
Simon nodded.
"Ya can't sir," the girl said passionately, turning again to the governor. "She's just a kid. Serenity ain't perfect, and it ain't always safe and it ain't a fancy school. But it's a place where no one's gonna hurt her. Please, sir, we done so much ta try an' keep them, Simon and River, I mean. Ya gotta let us keep them."
"You seem to think of them as an inseparable unit. I've told you, you can have Simon."
"Simon won't come without River," Kaylee said shaking her head. "Ya want one, gotta have them both. 'Sides, we all want River anyways."
"Why?" Simon asked. He'd always assumed he was the useful one and the others tolerated River. Even Kaylee, who seemed to like his unusual sister, he suspected of being friendly out of obligation more than actual warm feelings. And if that was the case, he thought no less of the girl for it. He was just grateful that someone other than him was willing to be her friend.
"She's sweet," Kaylee said, as if the answer was obvious. "She laughs, she dances, she looks pretty in pink."
"She cuts herself in riverbeds," Comworth observed.
"And do you love her the less for it?" Kaylee asked him.
"No."
"Then why are you surprised we don't either?" she said candidly. "'Sides, Cap's got a weak spot for all things forlorn. Cap'n'd die for River, Simon too."
"That's easy to say," Comworth said. "But I find it hard to believe."
"He's done it," Simon said, "Well, at least, very nearly. Perhaps it'd be better to say that he's proved it."
The Governor looked at Simon, examining to boy as if he hoped to find some evidence of falsehoods in Kaylee's account on his face. When he didn't see what he'd expected, he turned to Kaylee. "Miss Frye, I'm going to ask you a question. Will you answer it honestly?"
"Ah, yes sir," the girl said, glancing once again to Simon.
"And, Simon, you are not allowed to say a word. Understand?"
The governor's tone could not be disobeyed. Simon nodded silently.
"Miss Frye, I want you to consider a proposition. If I were to convince you that this was the best place for Simon and River, what would you do?"
"I already know it ain't," Kaylee said uncomfortably.
"Supposing I told you I could clear away all of Simon's legal troubles and he could return to working in a hospital treating patients. And River would be given the best medical care money can buy, she would not be sent back to that school, but instead lead a normal life."
Kaylee glanced over to Simon, to see if this offer was legitimate. She'd been under the impression that whoever was pursuing River wouldn't quit until she was captured and dragged back to her Academy. But that was the impression River had given her, and River was exactly the best judge of reality. The Governor of a planet was an important man. He could do many things and smooth many paths. But Simon just stared at his Godfather with scrutiny, as if the question was unfair and a trick. Still, he didn't say anything.
"I'd, ah," the girl cleared her throat. "I'd be real sad 'cause I know that's what Simon wants, more than anything. I know that's what he'd choose. And so, I know, they'd stay, and I'd leave, and I'd miss him, both of them, but then, that's life, ain't it?" She tried to smile, but failed, and looked all the more sincere for the failure.
"Well," Comworth said, taking a deep breath. "I don't see that there's anything to do but let you go, if that's the case."
"Let her go?" Simon said suspiciously. "You mean, release her?"
"She hasn't committed a crime," Comworth said. "At least, I have no evidence of one. And, contrary to popular belief," he glanced sidelongly at Simon, "I am dedicated to having justice served on my planet."
Kaylee looked over to Simon, who was as confused and hesitant as she, "Don't misunderstand," the young doctor said cautiously. "We're both grateful for this . . . gesture. But, if you were just going to let her go, why arrest her in the first place?"
"Just because I care about justice, doesn't mean I'm not a politician," Comworth said. "And I'm not beyond planting a 'trap to catch' you, as you said."
"What is it that you think you've caught?" Simon asked.
"The elusive truth about the past few months," Comworth said. "And with that in mind, I intend to--"
What he intended to do was never revealed, for at that moment the door to the office opened and River bounded in, laughing joyfully.
"I told them, I told them," she said, running directly towards Kaylee and throwing herself at the girl, "Rainbows only come out on gray days. The sky smiles when it cries."
"River," Kaylee choked out, a little surprised, as she tried to stand and untangle herself from the young girl's affectionate embrace. Out of respect, Simon and Comworth stood as well. "It's good ta see ya."
"River," Simon said, "What are you doing here? You were supposed to be with the doctor."
"She was with the doctor," Gabriel Tam's voice said from the doorway in a tone so sobering and superior that Simon and Kaylee blanched and turned towards him attentively. River, oblivious to the tone, turned and smiled at her father, slipping one hand in Kaylee's.
"Until she threw a fit," Gabriel continued. "Insisted on finding Maylee, was it."
"Ah," the mechanic stuttered. "Kaylee, sir."
"Reginald, who is this?" Gabriel asked, motioning vaguely in Kaylee's direction.
"She's my friend, Daddy," River answered quickly, usurping the governor. "Simon loves her."
For about twenty seconds Simon was convinced that the only sound in the room was that of his rapidly beating, panic stricken, heart.
Simon tried to say his sister's name, scold her, but it got stuck in his throat. He felt like he should apologize to Kaylee, but he couldn't bear to do it in front of so many people. He felt like he should explain how simply wonderful she was to his father and godfather, and then clarify that he might love her in the sense that he admired her, and adored her, and cherished every minute he could spend with her, but he really wasn't 'in love' with her, per say. But before he could say or do or explain anything, his father stepped forward.
"Now, what was your name?"
"Ah, Kaylee."
"Kaylee? You don't have a last name?"
"Frye," Simon supplied. If he couldn't spare the poor girl an interrogation, the least he could do was share the burden. "Kaylee Frye."
"Actually," Kaylee said, glancing at Simon. "My full name's Kaywinnith Lee. Do that make a difference?"
"A great difference," Gabriel said, laughing snidely. "I assure you. And where did you two meet?"
"Don't make fun of her," Simon snapped. "You don't even know her."
"Is River telling the truth?" Gabriel demanded. "Do you love this girl?"
"It's none of your business how I feel about anyone," Simon asserted.
"I'm your father. If I'm going to have some prairie harpy for a daughter-in-law –"
"Gabriel, hold your tongue," Comworth snapped. "Simon is right, you don't know this girl. You have no call to speak of her in such a derogatory manner, as she stands here to hear you, nonetheless. You should be ashamed of yourself!"
"I'm not going to play the gentleman for some diow kai dz who doesn't even have the decency to put on airs when she's in the presence of the Governor."
"Perhaps you should be a gentleman, Gabriel, not play one," Comworth said, his voice low and rumbling.
"Don't leave," River said, ignoring the tension between the two older men and turning to Kaylee. The younger girl's large brown eyes looked sad, like she was about to cry. "I don't want a broken family. If you leave you'll come back, and if you come back we'll leave and not come back. Everything will break and crack and they'll be raining and no rainbows."
Kaylee turned to Simon. She looked like she wished she were invisible, or far far away, or anywhere but sanding in a room listening to older, richer, more important people bicker over her. Simon wished there were something he could do to comfort her, but he hadn't a clue what that something would be.
"I'm sorry," he told the girl softly.
She looked at him, saintly forgiveness in her eyes, and smiled. At that moment, River's assertions were absolutely true; he loved her with all his heart.
"Simon, River," Comworth said, drawing the youngest Tam's attention away from Kaylee. "Perhaps you should return to Dr. Westland."
"I suppose so," Simon said, turning back to get one last idyllic view of Kaylee in her pretty denim jumper and bright yellow raincoat. He had a strong feeling that this would not be the last time he'd see the sweet mechanic, which was a sad realization in its own right, but if it was, he wanted to soak up ever detail of her appearance. He dreaded forgetting.
"I don't know if I want to say goodbye," the girl said, turning to her brother. "I can't choose."
"This is going to be one of those things, River, where I don't think we have a choice."
"That's existentially inaccurate," River said sullenly.
"Come on," He said, taking his sister by the shoulders and leading her towards their father. River didn't let go of Kaylee's hand until the very end, when holding on would have meant breaking her arm.
Gabriel sighed a sigh of relief and, in a way, finality, "It was very interesting meeting you, Miss Frye."
"Yeah," Kaylee said, nodding coolly. "Glad I got ta meet you too."
"It's not fair," River cried as her father and brother pulled her out of the room. She was looking over her shoulder at Kaylee, standing timidly alone. "Why can't we be fixed, be whole?"
Simon
didn't look behind him, he didn't turn and say goodbye, just in case it really
was goodbye and this truly was the last time he'd see the most amazing and
delightful girl he'd ever known. There
was too much he wanted to say, best not to say anything at all.
"I don't know, River," he
told his sister softly, choking back a sob as the heavy door to the governor's
office closed behind them. "But you're
right, it's not fair."
* * *
The crew of Serenity was sitting in a small, smoky bar. There were no windows in the bar, which was just as well, because the weather outside was nothing to look at. Gray rain, made all grayer by the soot and grime that coated the neighborhood in which Mal had chosen to lodge: rain that Mal had felt sure was a bad omen back in Sweet Well. His feeling had proven true, a fact which gave him no comfort.
"Gai sz!," Mal spat. "And you're sure?"
"I saw it with my own eyes," Book said.
"So now what?" Jayne asked. "We gonna break them all out?"
"Don't see that we have much choice," Zoë sighed.
"Breakin' Simon and River out of their comfortable guests rooms was gonna be hard enough," Mal sighed. "I don't much like the idea of breaking someone out of a barracks guarded by half a dozen armed men."
"What about Inara?" Wash asked. "Could she maybe . . ."
"What?" Mal snapped. "Lure them all away with a seductive dance? Offer them all drugged wine while batting her pretty brown eyes? No. Inara's no good. Anything she did would betray her position, we'd end up just having to snatch her out, too."
"So, then?" Book asked. "What do you plan to do?"
"Don't know," Mal admitted. "Give me the night."
"Think you'll come up with a plan?" Jayne asked.
"I think I'll have to," was Mal's glum answer.
* * *
Inside the governor's office, Kaylee took a shaky breath and tried not to cry. She was still aware of the governor's presence, in fact, she was probably more aware of it than she had been when Simon was in the room with her. It was silly and prideful, but she didn't want to cry in front of him, and yet, there seemed to be very little she could do to stop it.
"Come now, Miss Frye," Comworth said very kindly as he leaned over his desk towards her. "Everything will be all right."
She looked at him and tried to smile, "That's awful kind of you to say."
"You really do love them, don't you?" Comworth asked kindly. "Both of them?"
Kaylee nodded. "They're my friends."
"You and Simon?" the governor prompted. "Are you any more than just friends?"
Kaylee blushed and looked down at her feet. "That ain't a fair question," she muttered.
"Why not?"
"Cause it's not a question I can answer," she said.
"River said Simon loved you."
"River says a lot of things," Kaylee observed. "Don't make a one of them true."
"You don't think he does."
"I think," she said very carefully, "that he thinks he can only love River."
"Where does that leave you?"
She smiled up at him with wisely sparkling brown eyes, "Alone, with his godfather, in a quite room on a rainy day."
Comworth laughed. "I'll escort you to the villa gate. Would you like someone to make sure you get back to your noble captain all right?"
"I can make my own way, thanks," Kaylee said, feeling more comfortable with the old man, the Governor of her home planet, by the second.
He escorted her out of the office and took her down halls that she hadn't seen during the tour, leading around to a back gate that let out in a secluded alley. No one, she was assured, would see her leave. The whole time he talked softly and kindly to her about Simon, about what he was like as a child; how he was always eager to be with the adults, but quickly got bored of their conversation, so would sit and read quietly to himself while the other children played. She heard about how gullible he was, he'd believe every word that came out of River's mouth, and there were many instances when she took advantage of that fact. When they reached the gate, Comworth paused.
"You're from here, aren't you, from Newhope."
"Yep," Kaylee said. "Born and raised. How'd ya know?"
"Accent," he said. "Dead give away. It sounds more familiar to me now than the accent from my home back in the Core."
"Well, I'd just like to say, that me and mine always thought you did a real nice job governoring."
"Thank you Miss Frye," Comworth laughed. "I don't suppose you'd take a message back to yours."
"'Course," the girl said seriously, noting a serious tone in his voice.
"Tell your captain that I understand."
"You understand?"
"I've seen River. I've talked to Simon." The seriousness in his voice had shifted slightly into sorrowful gravity. "I understand what's been happening these last few months. And, though it breaks my heart, I condone it."
"Are, are you sayin' you'd let them go?" Kaylee asked.
Comworth nodded.
"What 'bout that thing where you could get Simon a job at a real hospital, and River . . ."
"That's not going to happen," Comworth said curtly. "Not ever."
"But you said . . .?"
"I wanted to know how you felt about them, really." The Governor explained, looking off into the darkness of a rainy twilight. "On your ship, Simon is able to help people and he has people that care about him. River, apparently, has people that care about her; enough even to steal medicines for the child. I assume that was a fairly risky undertaking."
"More for River and Simon then for us," Kaylee said honestly. "They got snatched, them and . . . and one other."
"And the Captain saved them?"
"Yep."
"Heroically."
"I don't know 'bout that. Simon sure was impressed."
"Simon," the governor muttered. "He is a great one for showing gratitude."
"Your gonna miss him, ain't cha?" Kaylee asked sadly. "More than I would of."
"I will miss him."
"I'm sorry," Kaylee said earnestly.
"Miss Frye, I've imposed on you greatly today, would you allow me to do so once more?"
"Wha'da'ya need?" Kaylee said, fully intending to give the gregarious man anything he asked for.
"Watch after Simon and River for me."
She laughed, "Aw, I'd do that anyways."
"No, you don't understand," he said. "For me. As a natural citizen of Newhope, you have every right and reason to communicate with your governor on matters that concern you and him."
"You want me to spy on Simon?" Kaylee asked.
"No, dear, I want you to tell me how he's doing. Assure me that he's happy and cared for, River too."
"I can do that," Kaylee said. "I'll be real subtle, too. 'Case they read your mail."
Comworth smiled and, somewhat spontaneously, leaned forward to kiss the pretty young mechanic on the forehead. "You are kind and genuine and good. If this is the life Simon has to lead, I'm glad he can lead it with you."
"Well," Kaylee said uncertainly. "What with River and all . . .we're not, I mean . . . we haven't . . ."
"Don't crush an old man's hope for his godson," Comworth teased. "I can dream my boy will learn to appreciate one of Newhope's natural beauties."
Kaylee blushed so brightly her cheeks hurt.
"You should probably get back to your captain."
"Yeah," Kalyee said, nodding sadly.
"It was very nice to meet you Miss Kaywinith Lee Frye," The governor said, extending his hand. She took it, expecting to shake, but instead he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it elegantly.
"Nice ta meet you too, sir," the girl managed to say without breaking into bashful giggles.
"I look forward to our correspondence."
"'Course," She said, taking back her hand as she backed, awkwardly out the gate and into the secluded ally. "And thanks."
"Now, don't forget my message."
"You understand," Kaylee repeated, as she turned and started running as fast as she could to the meeting place, hoping against hope that they hadn't yet mounted a rescue. "He understands," she told herself again and, for some odd reason, she had to try very hard not to cry.
To be continued . . .