Author's Note: I appreciate all of the reviews, it makes writing this so much more fun. Here's the next installment.
"Simon, you have to wake up," Kaylee gently shook him.
He muttered and then his eyes fluttered open. He looked around a minute and then she saw him remember everything. "Are you okay?" He reached for her.
She smiled, her expression pained. "I'm fine, but you need to come over here."
He allowed her to help him to his feet. He wavered a bit and then his head seemed to clear a bit. "What's going on?" he asked.
"There was an accident." She led him outside where Mal was kneeling between two figures.
Simon looked down at the two bodies carefully laid out. "Oh my god, River!" Mal moved out of his way. Simon was by her side in an instant. "What happened?"
"You were in danger and there was no time, she would've died had I not," River muttered, tears pouring down her cheeks.
"She jumped in front of a bullet," Mal replied squatting down between River and Zoe."
"And Zoe?" Simon ripped open River's dress from the wound. There was blood every where.
"I don't rightly know. I can't find any injuries and River saved her from the bullet. Maybe it was the knock to the ground."
"I'm going to need…"
Kaylee interrupted. "Jayne and Inara went to Serenity to get supplies and Coral said she'd help out too."
Simon nodded. "How long was I out?"
"Not but a minute or two." Kaylee sat on the other side of Zoe.
"Captain, I need you to put pressure here so I can look at Zoe."
Mal rearranged himself so he was on the far side of River so he wouldn't get into the doctor's way. He applied steady pressure to the still gushing wound and watched as Simon checked over his first in command. He admired Simon's cool head in any situation like this but he could imagine what was going inside as his sister started to bleed to death. He had experienced similar sensations when Kaylee had been shot and when Zoe had been knocked unconscious and it had been unclear whether she would ever wake up. People thought of him as cold-hearted but he was the Captain, he had to keep everyone moving; always moving.
He heard the mule and then the sound of heavy foot steps behind him.
"Here ya go, Doc." Jayne set the red bag in front of him opening it up.
"Thank you," Simon pulled out what he needed and went to work with Mal assisting.
Mal released his hold on River's wound and leaned back on his heels. He felt a hand on his shoulder squeeze him gently. He didn't have to look up to know who was standing behind him. He leaned back and felt her legs against his back. She adjusted to support her weight and some of his. Her hand moved from his shoulder to his head where she stroked his hair in a soothing manner.
The sound of horses approaching ended their moment and Mal stood up abruptly. He turned and was standing toe to toe with Inara. She looked a little shaken by his sudden movement. He was memorized for a moment like he was almost every time he saw her. He side stepped her and moved toward the newcomers but before she was completely out of his reach, his hand gently squeezed hers, his fingers lingering in the warmth of hers only for a second. It was over as quickly as it started but Inara's hand tingled from the feel of him.
"It took me a while to track down the doc and then we had to go back for his supplies, but I see your doc is already working," Coral and her doctor ran toward them.
"I'm sure the he wouldn't mind some assistance."
The new doctor knelt down next to Zoe. Simon glanced over his shoulder. "She was pushed to the ground."
"Are they're any medical conditions I need to know about?" the new doctor asked.
Simon hesitated. "What's your name?"
"Branson."
"Simon." He let out a long sigh. "She's about three in a half months pregnant."
Branson nodded. Simon turned back to his sister who was now medicated and the bleeding had slowed. "She's going to need blood; we should get her to Serenity. I can't do much more out here." Simon looked up at Mal who was staring at Zoe with heavy unease. "Captain?"
"Yeah, just tell us what to do."
The patients and the doctors were loaded onto the mule, Mal drove, the others followed by horses.
"Sir?" Zoe's voice came from beside him.
"Welcome back, Zoe." He felt a sigh of relief. "You gave us quite a scare."
She moved to sit up. "What happen, sir?" Zoe was staring at River who was in the back stretched across the two doctors.
"She jumped in front of the bullet." Mal steered the mule onto Serenity. He helped the doctors get River to the infirmary and he ordered Zoe in there as well when she tried to go a different direction.
Mal attended to Zoe. "Does anything hurt?" he asked.
"Just my head, I must've hit it when she pushed me down." Zoe was watching the doctors work on River. "She saved my life," she murmured.
"I'm fairly certain she saved your baby's life."
Zoe snapped her attention back to Mal. "Captain?" she asked uncertain.
"You should've told me, Zoe."
"How do you…"
"That's my fault," Simon offered from the far side of River. "Branson here needed to know if you had any medical conditions. You do. I'm sorry for outing you."
"You were doin' your job. I know you had my best interests at heart." She leaned back against the wall. "I'm sorry, sir."
"What the hell are you sorry for?" Mal gave her a sharp look. "I want you to know that you can come to me with these…"
"I hadn't planned on keeping it," she interrupted.
Mal's eyes couldn't hide his surprise. "Oh."
"Now I don't know what to do."
"Zoe, I swear to you that me and every member of my crew would lay down their lives to protect that child."
"Haven't enough people laid down their lives?" Zoe's eyes flickered over to River. Mal's gaze followed hers.
"I wish I could've saved Wash for you, for everyone," Mal murmured. "Doc, you holler if you need me." He stalked out of the infirmary and into the sitting area outside. Coral, Inara, Kaylee and Jayne were all standing watching through the infirmary windows.
"They gonna be okay, Captain?"
"Zoe seems to be all right. I'm not sure about River. I want to be kept updated." Mal turned to Coral. "Can I have a word with you?"
She nodded and followed him into the dinning area. "This is a beautiful ship, Captain."
"That she is." Mal glowed with pride. "I'll take your job, but I'll need a ship because I'm not moving this one until I know my crew is out of danger."
"There's no need, Captain, I can try and find…"
"Ain't no one going to go up against Niska, he's a crazy son-of-a-bitch. Your time is running out and I know him a bit. Plus you've been a help to me and mine and I owe you. We've got two days to figure out how we're going to stay alive."
Coral nodded. "How many will be going?"
"You and me and maybe Jayne. I'm thinkin' the fewer the better. We can sneak in and hopefully sneak out and get the hell out of there."
Coral nodded her approval. "I'll get the blue prints that I acquired and I'll show you what I had in mind."
"Mal, we've got company." Jayne's voice rang through the halls of Serenity.
Mal entered the cargo bay to find half a dozen lawmen standing inside. "What can I do for you, gentlemen?"
"It seems you were seen shooting my son." The Sheriff cocked his gun. "We don't stand for murder in these here parts."
Mal swore in Chinese under his breath. "How about self defense or defense of my crew who he put a bullet in?" He trotted down the stairs. Jayne cocked his gun standing from the level above and Zoe was on the other side.
"That was the way it, Sheriff," Coral announced. "Your boy and his bandits were holding up Bay Carter's store again and taking hostages and plannin' some rapin' and beatin' I do believe. Dennis ain't nothin' but a heathen and you ain't never been able to put a stop to him, well now somebody did."
"You know these men, Coral?" the Sheriff asked.
"I do, sir."
"They's good men?"
She nodded again. "They're here to give me a hand in a situation and their crew was pickin' up supplies when they were just tryin' to give the town some business and mind their own."
The Sheriff lowered his gun and Mal let the tension out of his shoulders.
"I was sorry to do the shootin', Sheriff, but I ain't gonna lose any crew."
The Sheriff nodded. "He was my son and I loved him, but I suppose you did this community a favor. You won't be bothered. Let's go, boys." And they were gone.
"That was a might too easy," Mal said turning to Coral.
"He means it. He hasn't been able to do anything about his son, because he was his son. Now it's takin' care of and he understands what his son was."
Mal nodded. "I appreciate you puttin' in a word."
"Ain't nothin'."
"Simon?" Kaylee's timid voice came from the doorway of the infirmary.
He turned around to face her. "She's through the worst but it's important that she wakes up soon." He approached her, wiping the tears from her cheek and pulling her in close. "She's a strong girl," Simon said for his own benefit as much as Kaylee's.
"You okay? This must be…"
"I'm in doctor mode, if I go into big brother mode, I'm afraid I will be a basket case."
Kaylee felt safe in his arms. She glanced over at River's still body and then tucked her face in the crook of Simon's neck.
Simon saw Mal approaching. "How's she doin', Doc?"
Kaylee gently pulled out of Simon's arms and left the infirmary.
"She's stable but if she doesn't wake up soon…"
Mal nodded. "And Zoe?"
"Mild concussion but she's fine."
"And her condition?"
"The baby's fine as far as I can tell. Heart beat is strong."
Mal walked over to River. He leaned over and whispered something to her. Simon was touched by the Captain's attachment and kindness to his sister. Since Miranda, he seemed to have a special likeness for her. He had been tolerate of her and even let her fly the ship occasionally. Simon would never understand how they ended up so lucky to find Serenity and her loyal crew. Even Jayne seemed to take a liking to the girl.
"You tell me when something changes," Mal ordered as he stepped out.
Zoe was sitting in the pilot's chair of Serenity when the Captain entered the bridge. She turned in the chair and looked at him. "River?"
"Still out."
"What was that girl thinkin'?" growled Zoe.
"The same thing you were when you pushed Kaylee out of the way during that explosion."
Zoe's gaze didn't waver. "I'm stronger than she is…I…"
"I expect the girl did the math and figured she could save you and your baby."
Zoe's hand instinctively went over her belly. "I'm alone in this, sir. How can I possibly…"
"I don't know much, Zoe, but I know that you and Wash loved each other and I know that you wanted kids and I know that you'll be a great mother. I also know that it's going to be difficult but you've got people here to help, you've got…family."
"Not to mention built in baby-sitters when you and the Cap'n go on jobs," Kaylee said as she entered the bridge.
Zoe gave her a soft smile.
"We can all pitch in," Inara said following Kaylee. "I'm probably the only one on this ship who has ever held a baby let alone taken care of one."
Zoe laughed, tears forming in her eyes.
"Plus, if it's a boy you can name it after me," Jayne boasted leaning in the doorway.
"It's girl, thank goodness."
"You can still name her after him," Mal put in.
Everyone laughed, except Jayne.
"How do you know it's a girl?" Kaylee asked.
"River told me." She looked around at all of her friends. "I appreciate what y'all are sayin' but I just don't know if I can…" she trailed off.
"We're not sayin' you have to, we're just sayin' we're here." Mal put his hand on Zoe's shoulder. It was an odd gesture for them but they both seemed to find comfort in it.
Eventually they all parted ways and left Zoe to sit with Wash's dinosaurs and his memories.
Mal was washing up when someone knocked on his door. "Yeah," he said as a way of telling who ever it was to enter. He saw a pair of legs coming down the ladder that he knew right away weren't Jayne's and doubtfully Zoe's. Inara's face peered through the ladder at him. She stepped down into his room.
She was staring at him. Mal glanced down over his bare torso and feet. His pants hung loosely on his hips, they were the most comfortable to sleep in.
"I'm sorry; I didn't realize that you were…" Her eyes turned to the ground.
"That I was what?"
"I can come back."
Mal smirked when she turned from him. "Nonsense. State your business."
Inara didn't move for a moment. Finally she turned around and her eyes met his. "I'm going with you."
"What are you…no, you're not!"
"Mal, you need more than two or even three people. Simon needs to stay here with River. Zoe shouldn't go with her recent injury. Kaylee definitely shouldn't go. Jayne and Coral aren't enough. You're going to need at least one more…since an army is out of the question."
Mal put his hands on his hips. "The three of us will be able to handle…"
"Mal, it took two more crew members than you have to get you out of there last time. What makes you think it's going to be such a piece of cake?"
"I don't think there's gonna be cake, most likely I'm gonna get shot, but that's okay. Coral has done us a couple kindnesses, I think I can help her out and if it means getting at Niska for that time he tortured me to death and took my ear, then I'm okay with that too."
"Mal," she started.
"No, you ain't comin', Inara. I let you come today. You can help with the next job."
"You can't keep doing that." She stepped forward poking him in the chest.
"Owe, woman! Doin' what?"
She poked him again. "Protecting me. I'm a big girl I can take…"
"Why does every woman say that? Like us idiot men don't already know that." Mal grabbed her hand as she tried to poke him again. "It's not about you bein' willin' and able. It's about us not bein' distracted. You already mess up my concentration on a daily basis, put you on the job and I'm distracted twice as much because if you get shot or hurt I ain't never gonna be able to forgive myself and I'll probably be so concerned about you I'll get my own gorram self shot."
Inara stared at him.
He opened her fingers with a gentle nudge from his own and he wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her closely. "So you see it's for my own benefit more than yours," he murmured.
Inara's arm was pressed against his bare flesh and they were both quickly heating from the inside out. "You always were self involved." She felt his breath on her cheek.
"You are the most frustrating," he started muttering in Chinese, "woman I have ever met." He didn't release her hand when she tried to tug it free. His other hand came and cupped her cheek. Mal ran his thumb over her supple, bottom lip. He was hypnotized by her mouth. He could feel her shallow breath and smell her spring scent. He felt himself leaning closer.
"Mal!" Jayne yelled.
Inara sighed and Mal rolled his eyes. "What, Jayne?"
"The girl's awake."
Mal released her when she pulled her hand away again. She headed for the ladder. He followed her around and just as she stepped onto the first step he grabbed her upper arm and yanked her around. He pressed his mouth to hers. Inara gasped in surprise and leaned back against the metal ladder. Mal's arms snaked around her waist and pulled her to him. Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck and she arched into him.
He slowed the sizzling kiss and pulled away from her reluctantly. "I've never been one for moments." He started up the stairs leaving a very light-headed and dizzy Inara behind.
"Sir, we've intercepted a wave from Pecorino, the local Sheriff was checking up on a Firefly class ship that landed there yesterday. Seems there was a shooting and the Sheriff lost his son. There's no identification on whose ship it is but…"
"Ah, you think this might be Serenity," Adelei Niska smiled. "This is most excellent. It is time; Mr. Reynolds understands my true wrath."
"There's more, sir. It seems Coral has been running this moon for the last three years."
"My Coral?"
"Yes, sir."
His smile grew. "This should make for a very interesting visit."
To Be Continued...