Author's Note: Chapter 2 of 8. This originally was all supposed to be wrapped up by end of the next chapter. Heh.
Summary: River's life is in Jayne's hands while Simon does everything he can to get to her--Everything. Things are about to go horribly wrong.
Choices
"We are never prepared for so many to die. Do you understand? No one is. We expect a chosen few. We expect an occasional empty chair, a toast to dear departed comrades. But the war goes on. And the men die. The price gets ever higher. Some officers . . . can pay no longer. We are prepared to lose some of us . . . but never all of us. Surely not all of us. But, that is the trap. You can hold nothing back when you attack. You must commit yourself totally. And yet, if they all die, a man must ask himself, will it have been worth it?" - The Killer Angels.
Fractures
"I ain't--" Jayne growls in frustration before River cuts him off.
"You won't walk away. I know I'm not supposed to touch them. They'll kill you if you don't."
"You ain't gettin' no gorram--"
"Just promise, you can't tell him." She says this last through gritted teeth, the stubborn petulance of a child demanding her way.
Jayne searches her face, his death grip on her arms relaxing.
"Jayne Cobb--" A fed calls from outside, gunfire having ceased for the moment.
"Give me one gorram minute!" he roars back, then gives her one more hard stare.
Reaching to his side, he pulls a tiny pistol from a hidden holster, handing it to her.
"No, not that one. That one."
He passes her the larger one, giving her a wry look, but still a little nervous.
"Time's u--"
Jayne stands and shoot the fed through the throat and drops back behind the pool table as the rest open fire. River whips around and drops a man coming from the back. Jayne spares her an awed glance.
River herself looks deeply troubled.
***
"Wash, get to the bridge." The pilot gives one last horrified look at Mal, clamping his mouth firmly shut, and turns, running inside the ship.
"Mal, you can't let this happen!" Simon dogs Mal's heels as he strides back into the ship, grabbing his arm as they pass the inner doors.
Mal shakes him off violently, clenching his teeth, "Ain't nothing I can do to stop it, and don't think for a moment that I don't want to rush right on over there, son."
"And what about Kaylee? Are you leaving her for dead too?" Simon faces him, blocking his path.
"It's a wait and see." The cold endless depth of Mal's dark gaze is matched only by the fury emanating from Simon's.
"Don't objectify her to make yourself feel better!" Simon backs away, murder in his eyes, before he storms off.
Mal watches for the direction the doctor heads. His expression of rage and disgust over an uncontrollable situation is replaced by one of alarm.
He hits the comm fast, "Wash, you on the bridge yet?"
"Yeah Mal."
"Good. Lock the doors. Don't open 'em for anything. When Zoe and Book get here, tell them to sit tight."
"Where will you be?" Wash is confused by the imminent danger intoned by Mal's voice.
"No thing or body, Wash. Keep it locked down tight."
"Mal?" But Mal is walking away in search of Simon.
Mal walks quietly through the cargo bay, his right hand hanging loosely by his gun. He stops by the open door, on the top landing looking down at the infirmary. Through the window he can see that it is empty, a cabinet door is open, items spilled on the counter and the floor.
He scans the lounge before he descends the steps, pushing past the infirmary doors to give it one last look before heading to the passenger dorms. He gives it a quick look and, satisfied, turns about. Simon stands before him, arms raised.
Before Mal can react, Simon brings a heavy pipe crashing down upon his head.
***
Jayne fires his last round, discarding the weapon and pulling out a tiny pistol. River's hands are shaking, tears streaming down her face as she drops another faceless fed as he tries to stand.
"So many souls . . . so many . . . just one . . ." she sobs.
Jayne gets winged as River fails to cover him, "Gorramit! What the hell is wrong with you, girl?!" He grabs the gun from her, returning fire, sparing her a glance as she covers her ears, chanting,
"Kraig . . . Camil . . Sandor . . . "
"River!" Jayne spares her a furious glance as he continues to carefully drop his targets, conserving the remaining ammunition.
"It's not . . . Worth so many."
Jayne snarls at her, baring his teeth as he drops behind the overturned pool table, pressing his back against the green. He exhales loudly through his nose.
"Gorramit . . . what now guai?!"
She looks at him through her tears, pleading, "No more."
"No-- what? I can't do this without you. We got four plus . . . " he bounces the heavy gun he took from her, it's nearly empty. "One chambered, wuh de tyen, ah. We got five rounds left."
"I ain't got time for this," he shakes her, trying to press the gun back in her hand. "We can do this, but I need you watching my back, dong ma?"
She shakes her head stubbornly, "No . . . no."
The footsteps draw nearer, crunching broken glass. Jayne casts a nervous glance over the edge of the pool table, and then to the back door. Finally he looks to River, tears still streaming down her face.
He says quickly and quietly, "Look, there's six of them left." He grabs her face, inadvertently pressing the large gun ageist the side of her head, making her look at him, "When there's one, you head out the back."
She puts her small hands over his, pushing them and the gun away.
"Seven more for one. It makes no sense." She looks steadily at him, her tears abated but her face still wet and sticky.
"No more," she commands one last time.
He hears footsteps cautiously nearing just outside the window, a rustling at the back door. Jayne looks one last time at the heavy gun in his hand before placing it gently down on the floor.
He concedes, pissed as all hell, "No more."
***
From his knees Mal stumbles up, dazed, hands bound behind his back with gauze.
Simon wraps his arm around Mal's throat, hauling him up the rest of the way. He holds a syringe near Mal's neck, unwrapping his arm as Mal stands on his own. For good measure Simon unholsters and unsafeties the gun from Mal's hip, holding it to the captains head with his free hand.
"Either one will kill you instantly," Simon menaces, "Unless you help me get River."
Mal, grimacing, "Ain't how it's gonna happen."
***
Through the front and back doors, half a dozen of the remaining feds rush in, all but the commander training their weapons on River and Jayne. Jayne holds his hands out wide as he and River stand, facing each other.
"This ain't how I imagined ending." Jayne gives River a resentful look.
"River Tam, this is Commander Santa Jauna. Hands where we can see them!"
River keeps her hands hidden between their two bodies, sniffling a bit, her cheeks wet.
"How then? Thrilling heroics?" she asks.
"Tsai boo shr, in my bunk." Jayne smiles a dirty smile at her.
St. Juana and the other five watch as she leans in close to him, reaching up on tippy toe, clinging to his shirt, seeming to kiss his jaw.
She leaves a wet patch on his cheek as she whispers softly into his ear. His smile fades, replaced with a look of confusion.
Over her head he sees one of the faceless feds lowering his weapon.
***
"Mal?" The pilot's voice comes over the comm.
"Hi Wash." Mal's tone is deceptively light.
Simon and Mal stand outside the door to the bridge. Mal has a look of deathly calm about him.
"Wash, open up." Simon presses the wall comm directly outside the bridge.
"Sorry kid, captain's orders. No can do." Wash is puzzled, complying with his orders without understanding the need.
"Fine, just take Serenity back to town." Simon is getting frantic.
"Ditto on that. Hey Mal, you wanna tell me why I can't open the door?"
Simon swears in confusion and says to Mal, "You warned him?"
Wash's voice comes back, "Captain, what the hell is . . ." the comm goes dead for a couple of seconds, "FYI, Inara is inbo-- "
Mal swears at his stupidity, realizing the consequences of the pilot's slip.
Simon takes a couple of seconds to realize what the older man already has,
"Right."
While Simon jams the door from the outside, Mal shouts so Wash can hear him,
"Tell Inara not to--" Simon strikes him with the butt of the gun and Mal stumbles against the wall.
Simon reaches to grab Mal, but the captain lunges bodily at Simon, who is knocked backwards against one of the ladders, dropping the needle. The doctor clutches at his abdomen, struggling for air. Mal is atop of him before he can regain his feet, but Simon unbalances him, sending him flying backwards onto the grating, crushing his arms underneath him. Simon stands on shaky feet, breathing hard, still half-doubled in pain. Mal kicks his feet out, and both lie on the grating stunned for a moment.
Mal rolls onto his stomach and begins to rise to his knees before Simon can recover.
Simon, seeing his own disadvantage, fires.
Mal twists over, slamming back down.
In the bridge Wash hears the shot. He grabs a gun out of the locker, racing back to the door only to find it barred from the outside.
Simon scrambles up, holding the gun on the still body of Mal.
Blood trickles from behind the doctor's ear, saturating his shirt collar, mingling with sweat that stings the abrasions on his back. Panting, he pushes the captain onto his back with his foot.
Mal heaves a breath, turning cold eyes on Simon. An ugly burn mars the left side of his face, over the cheekbone, from the close passage of the bullet.
Simon tiredly walks back to the bridge door, slowly bending down and retrieving the syringe, wiping his damp hair out of his eyes before thumbing the comm, voice trembling slightly, "Wash, you want to open up now?"
Inside, Wash steps back, grabbing his hair, the useless gun still clutched in one hand, chanting to himself,
"Oh shit oh shit oh shit. This is not happening."
He shakes his head, not responding.
Simon waits a moment,
"Wash?"
He looks up at nothing in frustrated acceptance, and then turns back to the still prone Mal, determined to get his way.
"Get up."
***
"Hands where we can see them!"
"Try to stop death. Get burned," she says. "Remember, Jayne."
With that last, River steps backwards, raising her empty hands gracefully above her head, the back of her wrists together. Jayne gulps visibly, his nonchalance disappearing, fear setting in as he nods at her.
As River's retreat offers a clear shot of Jayne, all but one fed ready their rifles. As she quickly whirls to the side, Jayne seems to buckle slightly at the knees behind her now as she turns her back on him, closing her eyes. Just as quickly he falls forcibly backwards as he is fired upon.
River lets out a shaky breath in the flat silence following the din of gunfire. When she opens her eyes, she looks directly at the fed who hadn't fired, to her right. He grips the barrel of his neighbor's rifle, holding it aloft towards the ceiling.
Behind her St. Juana and two other feds witness Jayne's shirt blossoming red.
"Leave them something to come back for."
River blinks, tears escaping again. She is surrounded, bound, and led away, as she whispers to herself, "No more."
****
Inara pilots her shuttle over the empty grassland, Serenity within sight.
Wash is agitated as he tells her, "Feds got Jayne and River back at New Weston. That's all we know."
"Where's Kaylee? Kaylee was with them." Inara's concern and fear is overwhelming.
"I don't know, Inara," his frustration lashing out, "Just stay in your shuttle and keep it locked."
Inara suddenly realizes something, "Where's Mal? I want to speak to the captain."
She stares at the comm as only silence answers her. Twenty seconds till she docks with Serenity.
"Wash?" she asks, her worry increasing tenfold.
"I don't know," he answers quietly, his voice tight with strain.
"I don't understand, Wash. What aren't you telling me?" Fifteen seconds.
"Ni ta ma de," Wash rallies, his voice stronger,"Don't need to understand, just don't . . . don't let Simon in, don't listen to him, no matter what."
Ten seconds.
"In fact, I highly recommend you not dock. Stay away for a spell. At least till Zoe gets back to handle him . . . Inara?"
She ignores him as she begins the final countdown to docking, determined to reach Serenity and Mal.
***
Simon arrives with Mal outside Inara's shuttle.
Mal is unable to contain his anger at what the younger man is planning, "You've gone too far, boy."
"And you're not going far enough! You haven't even tried!" Simon pounds on her door with his foot. "Inara! If you don't o--" as Mal shouts at the same time,
"Woman, don't you dare open this--"
The door opens without further ado.
Inara stands there, staring at Mal, her lips parted in dismay at the burn across his face, at the blood on both of them, then to the gun in Simon's hand.
Simon stares in surprise at the ease of entry.
Mal mutters curses her for her stupidity.
Simon gathers his wits and injects Mal, "I'm . . . "
Mal realizes that Simon was bluffing on that count and gives him an incredulous look. Inara starts, concerned for Mal, but Simon holds her back.
He assures her, "He'll be fine," ushering her further into the shuttle. Simon keeps Mal's gun trained on him, not taking any chances.
As Mal leans heavily against the wall, he keeps his gaze steady on Inara, furious with her. He curses her one last time before Simon closes the door between them.
Mal pushes off, walking unsteadily only a few feet before he leans back against the wall, sliding down it in defeat, finally succumbing to the drug.
****
Inara settles her shuttle a discreet distance from the village. Her hands tremble from a tightly controlled fury as she shuts down the power. She shudders as she lets out a pent up breath.
Simon heads for the hatch but she hisses at him, "Not yet!"
She keeps her hands on the controls, ready to power back up and flee at a moments notice. "They may still be here," she clarifies as Simon looks askance at her.
Gratitude touches Simon's face as he realizes his rashness. Inara will have none of it, as she stares at Mal's gun still clenched in Simon's hand.
"Inara, I want to--"
"Don't speak, Simon. I'm not doing this for you." Her eyes flash angrily at him.
She finally decides that it is safe to leave and opens the hatch.
In the gathering dusk, they slip through the scattering of trees, watching for Alliance gunships, but the area is silent. As they enter the town, concealing their profiles against a building, Simon asks, "Which do you think is the tav--" Just as quickly he sees several spots on the ground where it had been soaked a dark crimson in front of a brick building, it's front window shattered.
Simon rushes recklessly across calling for River.
Inara curses him and follows.
***
Hidden in the brush, Kaylee crouches, shivering in her still damp clothing as the cool night sets in.
"You told me to go," she whispers softly, plaintively, "Please don't be mad."
From her vantage she can see over a meadow, where a small Alliance gunship rests. She saw River enter it, but they didn't leave. It waited, and so did Kaylee.
***
Splintered wood and shards of brick shift under Simon's feet as he steps over a puddle of blood in the doorway. Inara gives him a sharp look as he stumbles, making too much noise for her liking. She glances around at the inside of the tavern, the outer gloom mingling with the dim wattage of the tavern lights to make murky shadows. She watches the dark corners, the gaping darkness of a door at the back, the swinging door opening onto a back alley where more blood pools.
"They took all the bodies," Simon observes, more than a little rattled, "How do I know one of them wasn't hers?"
"Shhh."
Simon takes the hint and sweeps the room with the gun, his back to the front door. Inara then looks at the overturned pool table, peppered with bullet holes. Warily she begins to walk around it.
"Simon," she gasps, as she sees booted feet, rushing behind the pool table.
"River?" Simon asks frantically, rushing around to join Inara, where she crouches.
She breathes, "Jayne."
Inara kneels over the mercenary, prying his hand away from the ragged mess of holes in his upper chest and shoulder. Bright blood pulses out, coursing down his side and shoulder, puddling in the hollow of his neck.
Inara flinches, fighting back the bile that rises to her throat, "Who took her? Was it Alliance? Jayne? Jayne, listen to me."
Simon spares her a momentary glance of shock at her efficiency and ruthlessness.
Unable to remove the bloody rag from his grasp, she bundles her shawl and presses it firmly, causing a faint curse to escape his lips.
Simon eyes the growing pool beneath Jayne, seeing time slipping away.
"Where's River? Is she okay? Where did they take her?" Simon kneels, heedless of the warm stickiness soaking his pants. He grabs Jayne's face to look into his eyes, placing two fingers against his neck, the back of a palm to his forehead. He wipes a spattering of blood from Jayne's face and joins Inara's hands with his own when the bleeding refuses to stop.
"Jayne? Who was it that took River?" Simon continues to question him.
Jayne gives a dry rustle, which turns into a barely audible laugh.
Simon gives him an incredulous look, which turns to anger as Jayne begins to whisper in a scratchy voice.
"Sorry, doc . . . s'just me." He clears his throat.
"Yeah, Jayne, but--"
Inara cuts Simon off, whispering soothingly, "Tell us who took River."
Jayne laughs again, "You must sure be disappointed, Doc . . . risking your skinny ass . . . and she ain't even here."
Simon tries again, "Where's River?"
"River . . . s'always River . . . " Jayne's smile fades as he looks straight at Simon, "Would you ha' come . . . if she hadn't been with me?"
Simon doesn't answer.
Jayne wrinkles his brow, "Mal . . . he said he wasn't coming . . . "
Inara looks at Simon in accusation, "He didn't, Jayne."
Simon ignores Inara, "Focus, Jayne. Who took River?"
"Where's Mal?" Jayne raises a bloody hand to Inara's face, not hearing Simon. He stops before he touches her, clenching his fist as he realizes he almost got her dirty. She takes his hand and presses it back to his chest.
"I think I got shot . . . below the belt . . . I-nara . . ."
She gives a glistening smile, choking back a laugh, "Simon will fix you up once we get back to the ship. Now can you tell us who took her, please Jayne?"
Jayne sighs, his face growing paler by the minute, "No fun, 'Nara."
"Jayne!" Simon grits.
"You gonna leave me here?" Jayne asks quietly, looking at Simon.
"Shhh," Inara consoles him, "No one is going to leave anybody behind. We just--"
Jayne interrupts her, weak as he is, "Not . . . so sure about the doc here . . . "
He gives Simon a belligerent look, "I'm important to you now, ain't I? Take me back to Serenity . . . then I might remember . . ."
***
"Zoe?" Wash curses, "Where the hell are you?! Oh God oh God." Wash pulls at his hair, gets up and tries the door again. He curses again, and gets back on the comm.
"Zoe! Book!" He tries another channel, "Inara?" He hits the ship comm, "Captain? Mal?" He flexes his hands in futility, turning the volume on the broadband back up, listening to the Alliance chatter.
***
"Simon! Hurry. There's too many!" Her shawl is soaked, and the growing pool saturates her skirts. Jayne's head lolls to the side as he fades out.
Simon stumbles over broken and overturned furniture, his hand unconsciously going to his middle, "Just keep the pressure on him while I get some rags."
" 'Nara. . . "
She turns back to find Jayne awake again. He tries to focus on her, to keep his eyes open.
"Shhh. We're taking you home." She takes a cold, clammy hand in hers, feeling the faint, rapid pulse beneath the skin.
". . .where's Kaylee? . . . she never . . ."
Simon searches under and behind the bar, lowering himself with difficulty, looking for dishrags.
"Gotta get . . . leave . . . Only . . . three . . . only two ships left . . . still here . . . " Jayne grits his teeth.
"Shuh mu?" Inara looks frantically in Simon's direction.
"Stupid . . . " Jayne lets off a string of weak curses, breathing too fast, ". . . not my . . . "
***
The engine of the mule shuts off inside the cargo bay.
"I still don't see what's the harm in it Shepherd. He's a good kid. Good head on his shoulders. Heck, he's the most righteous one on this boat next to you." Zoe chuckles as she walks over to the panel, closing the cargo door. Book only looks at her, clearly not comforted by this thought. She comms up to Wash, "We're in babe. Are we just waiting on the two shuttles?"
"Zoe!" Wash's voice comes over the come, he is frantic, "Where's Mal, do you see Mal anywhere?"
***
Simon finds a bundle of clean rags behind some pitchers. He stands a little too quickly, and doesn't hear movement outside over his own painful gasp. Inara tells him to get down. He quickly drops, stifling an outcry of pain, pressing his back against the bar, his heart pounding, clutching at his stomach.
Three feds enter the bar.
Inara stands, her hands and the knees of her dress bloodied, as one fed looks at a photo in his gloved hand. "Inara Serra, you are bound by law in connection with the harboring of two known fugitives."
Inara calmly replies, "This is absurd Commander. Jayne Cobb wasn't a fugitive." At her feet, Jayne's eyes are closed.
"Miss Serra, you are to come with us now. I advise you not to speak." St. Juana gestures at the others and turns to leave.
"I demand an explanation as to what has happened he--" But they bind her hands and lead her out.
Simon closes his eyes, shaking, "This isn't happening."
***
"Wash, what in the 'verse happened here?!" Zoe runs her hands over her husband, looking for injuries.
"Fed's holed up River and Jayne. I don't know where Kaylee is. They got her too for all I know. Simon freaked, took Inara's shuttle back into town."
"And Inara?" She pauses in her ministrations, clenching her jaw.
"Yeah. She was kinda in it at the time."
Echoing from the expanse of the cargo bay, Book calls out, "I've found him!"
***
Kaylee watches as the last gunship finally flies away. For a moment she hesitates, frozen by indecision more than fear.
"River, what do I do?" The gunship finally disappears from view as an awful thought hits her, her breath catching, "They wouldn't -wouldn't leave me?"
On stiff limbs she clambers up, quickly leaving the safety of the wood-line for the open field, watching the darkening sky.
***
"Can you walk?" Simon looks outside, to where it is nearly black. The dim lights of the tavern making him feel far too exposed, spot-lighting him.
"Don't matter much . . . if we can't pilot that shuttle . . . outta here." The sweat of shock has reached Jayne's face.
"One thing at a time. We need you standing" Simon finishes securing the pressure dressing as Jayne fights to stay alert.
Approaching footsteps are heard and Simon fumbles for Mal's gun.
Before he finds it-- "Simon?" Kaylee's tremulous voice calls out.
"Kaylee!" Simon lowers the gun, gasping in great relief.
Fear and urgency return, "Where's River?!" He rushes over to her, taking her shoulders in his hands as she stares past him in shock, seeing Jayne.
Simon shakes her, "Who took her? Is she okay? What happened?"
She finally looks at him, turning a little green. "River?" She looks back at Jayne, lying still on the floor, "Is he . . . "
Simon is impatient, "No, he's gonna be fine, but I need to know what happened to River. How did you get away?"
At that Kaylee gives him a guilty look, but it is quickly overtaken by anger as she pushes him easily away from his grasp, "Not now," and she rushes to Jayne's side, who whispers to her.
"Don't . . . tell him."
She looks puzzled, but puts on a bright smile and coos at him, "Hey sweetie, shhh."
Simon stares at her back a moment before he makes his decision, "Help me get him up." He grabs Jayne's arm while she gets on the other side. Simon's face turns red as he bites back another scream, Jayne's full weight bearing down on him as together they all stand.
***
"He was drugged, " Book deduces.
"Yeah, because being beaten about the head copious amounts of times weren't enough. And what in the 'verse is that?" Wash indicates the burn.
Zoe doesn't answer, but shares a knowing look with the shepherd.
***
With Kaylee and Simon on either side, Jayne makes his slow way the short distance to the second shuttle, his shallow breathing marks their passage through the shadows.
They stop as a group when they catch sight of the shuttle.
Jayne whispers, his head a little more clear, "If they're smart . . . they posted someone at both shuttles."
Simon looks at Kaylee, who clings to Jayne in terror more than he leans on her for support, but he knows that Jayne can barely focus.
He relinquishes his aid, letting Jayne lean against a wall. As he begins to slide down, taking Kaylee with him, she squeaks, "Don't!"
Simon clicks the safety off of Mal's gun, walking silently around the shuttle. He hears a cough, stops, spots a pinpoint of orange glowing brighter in the dark shadow of the shuttle, fading and moving. He raises his weapon, taking a deep breath that hitches halfway. As the cherry rises again in the black and begins to glow brighter on inhalation, he fires on his own exhalation. The gunshot sounding too loud in the closeness of the night.
***
"We wait until the captain wakes up." Zoe stands, arms folded, next to the twinkling lights of Kaylee's room.
"Didn't I just say that?" Wash stands in the doorway to the bridge.
Zoe glances back at him, "Don't argue with me when we're in agreement, dear."
Book stands furthest from the bridge, and is clearly unwanted anywhere near it. "If they've stuck around long enough to grab Simon, along with River, I'd imagine that they'd leave with what they came for."
"I'm the pilot and I say we're staying."
Wash's authority goes unheeded as Zoe continues, still arguing the point, "We don't know what's happened, or what their intentions are. It's too dangerous, Shepherd."
"I cannot believe that you'd abandon your crew so easily."
"Nobody's being abandoned, but I'm not rushing in like some fool chin-wah tsao duh liou mahng . . ." she continues cursing.
Book looks past her, pleading for reason and sanity from the more approachable of the two, "Wash, we may be running out of time. If you only bring us in a little closer . . . " He takes a step towards Wash.
"Still too risky. Don't listen to him, Wash." Zoe shifts stance, moving directly in front of her husband, forcing Book to deal with her. "Do you want to try and take the bridge now, too?"
The shepherd grows angry, "It's too risky staying out here in the open like this. If they are interested in more than just River and Simon, don't you think--"
Wash puts his hand on Zoe's shoulder before she can reply.
"Look, Shepherd, I know your judgment has been sound in the past, but I have only one captain -- well, two, but that's besi-- and besides she's in agreement with the first one . . . and me! My last order was to stand my ground, and that's what I'm doing until Mal --!"
Book snarls back, "That order was borne out of self-preservation and a lack of --"
He is cut short as Kaylee's voice comes over the comm.
***
"Wash? Somebody?" Kaylee's voice quavers as she tries to hold it together.
"We need the infirmary ready . . . and . . . and meet us with the stretcher at the shuttle two hatch." Kaylee returns her attention to piloting under the threat of the storm.
"Kaylee? Who's wit--"
She clicks off the comm, cutting Wash's question short, unable to talk any further, let alone listen. Tears run down her face as she concentrates on the nav screen.
Behind her Simon crouches on the floor of the shuttle, continuing to monitor Jayne's blood pressure and breathing. He applies more manual pressure to the dressings to stop the bleeding as much as he holds Jayne upright his against the shuttle wall.
Jayne's head hangs, chin on chest, his breathing a little more shallow. As the shuttle turns, he raises his head, his face beaded with sweat. He glances around and recognizes Simon. He closes his mouth, swallowing, and looks away, self-rapprochement marking his face.
"I'm sorry," Jayne whispers almost inaudibly.
Simon stares at Jayne for a beat, not sure if he is lucid in this moment or not.
" 'Bout River." Jayne explains, his eyes focusing perfectly on Simon. The shuttle slows, and momentum is suddenly shifted sideways. As they touch down into the relative safety of Serenity, Jayne finally allows himself to fade.
Simon looks away, then back again, giving Jayne a chilling look, black eyes under dark brows.
"Yeah, well, this time it wasn't your fault."
Even as Jayne falls into oblivion, a look of fear passes over his pale face.
Simon stares at him steadily, pressing harder.
Outside, the deep blue sky grows black as clouds gather. A wind picks up, making the grass speak in hushed tones.
****
Kaylee stands outside the infirmary, her hands pressed against the glass, watching as Simon finishes up with Jayne. Her coveralls are stained brown, with some glistening patches of red where the blood hasn't dried yet. Wash opens the door as Simon washes his hands, staying in the doorway, awaiting the news.
"That's as much as I can do. Now it's wait and see. Keep the bandages clean, new I.V. to keep his pressure up." Simon towels off, staring at the floor, not knowing what to do now that he is no longer urgently needed.
Wash speaks up, "So Jayne'll be alright?"
Simon pauses, looks at Wash, "I didn't say that."
Zoe spares Jayne a glance, "Otherwise, it's simple then?"
"Simple," Simon agrees.
Zoe looks at him, unfolding her arms, "Sure. I can do that." Without warning she slams Simon against the glass, causing Kaylee to jump back into Book.
The shepherd brushes past her in an attempt to get Zoe off Simon.
Wash beats him to it, blocking him as he says to his wife, "Whoa, easy there killer--"
"He nearly took Mal's head off, DEAR." She looks at Wash for only a second before she turns back and shoots Simon a deadly look, who struggles for breath, his face turning an ugly shade of purple.
Wash speaks soothingly as he pries her fingers off of Simon's throat, "Then let's have Mal deal with him," he gives her a significant glance, indicating Kaylee. Zoe looks from her husband to behind Simon. Kaylee is inches from the glass, only a foot and one scared doctor from Zoe, looking at her in absolute horror.
Simon coughs raggedly as Zoe releases him, his face draining of all color as he clutches at his ribs.
"Fine, looks like it's a wait and see," she steps back, looking pointedly at Book, "Get him out of here."
As Simon slips past Wash, he sees that the pilot would very much liked to have strangled him personally.
"Zoe."
She sees that Book is still there.
"Wash," he continues, "It seems that with the arrest of Inara, none of us are safe, apparently. My judgment may have been rash earlier, but I suggest you heed my advice this time when I say it would be best to move Serenity closer to the New Weston. The Alliance will still be searching for the rest of us, and Simon especially."
"I don't see your point, Shepherd. Are you trying to get us pinched?" says Zoe.
Wash understands: "Use the heat of the town to mask Serenity's readings. Power down, slip under their radar."
"Or lead us straight into their hands," Zoe spits at Book.
Outside the ship the wind picks up fiercely, silent lightning flashes across the plains. A plaintive moan and resonant bass ripples closer as the storm approaches.
***
Simon sits with Kaylee in the common area, finally allowing the shock to set in over how things played out that day, and his own part in it. Kaylee slips her hand into his, offering comfort.
He looks at her in surprise, "How can you not hate me?" He tries to pull away, refusing her lack of blame.
She takes his other hand as well, squeezing tightly, "Weren't your fault--"
"Mal? Inara?" Simon condemns himself, "Everything else might have been outside my control, but don't pretend that--" He stops when she pulls her hands away.
He takes them back, almost encouraging her judgment.
Kaylee is torn, not knowing what to say first, faced with the truth of Simon's actions, and her belief in his good heart. She looks at their entwined hands, hesitating a moment longer before she quietly asks, "It was an accident . . . right?"
Simon stares at her, for a moment not understanding what she is referring to. He looks away when he replies, "Yeah." He raises his eyes to meet hers, "It was an accident . . . I . . . my finger slipped." He looks quickly away.
Kaylee gives a weak smile, accepting his answer.
"See, you was just trying to save your sister. You just shoulda had more faith in the cap'n. And you did go to get Jayne, too . . . an' . . ."
Simon doesn't hear her anymore, "She's gone again, they have her back now," he stares at nothing for a moment, "I don't even know where it is they took her . . . not that it matters . . . since I'm a dead man when . . . " He falls into silence, and allows Kaylee to wrap her arms around him. After awhile, he looks up, taking her face in his hands as he realizes, "They almost caught you too."
Kaylee looks away, ashamed, and sees Book watching them.
***
From the village of New Weston, the sound of Serenity's engines are drowned by the torrent of the storm that is now fully upon them.
Wash's voice comes over the comms, "Powering down now. Infirmary emergency only." The ship goes black within.
***
Zoe checks to see that the monitors for Jayne are green, and approaches the table where Mal lies, against the wall. The dim blue light giving him a deathly pallor.
She traces her fingers along the space of air where the bullet must have passed. Resting her hand finally upon his shoulder, she bunches the fabric of his shirt in her fist, then smoothing it out again. She reaches out with her other hand and lightly touches Jayne's. Not looking, hanging her head as she stands between them.
"Zo--" Wash is brought up short as she looks up at him, clearly anguished. She quickly looks away, trying to push down her unseemly lapse, dropping her hands to her side.
Wash takes a step towards her, "Zoe?"
"Don't," she says, her voice betraying her anguish, her hands raised slightly in defense.
Wash continues to approach, slightly afraid by this new side to his wife, unsure how to act. He reaches her, taking her into a loose embrace, looking her softly in the eyes.
"Hey." He gives her a nod and a moment of understanding passes between them.
She nods back, unable to speak, as silent tears roll down her cheeks. She touches his face, grief stretching her own face into an almost smile. She clenches her fingers into his short hair. Then, wrapping her arms around him fully, she holds onto him fiercely, cherishing him.
