DISCLAIMERS: Firefly and its characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I'm merely borrowing them for a little nonprofit fun.

SPOILERS: Pre-Serenity

A/N: Okay, this is my first attempt at a Firefly fic (I've written fanfic before) and my first time posting here. Special thanks to the wonderful Kacey and Em for their corrections, suggestions and support.

SUMMARY: Everyone has a bad day. A toothache and a bungled job bring trouble for a member of Serenity's crew.

Just One of those Days

…………………………

Jayne winced as he attempted to take a bite of bread. With excessive care, he shifted the food to the other side of his mouth and chewed slowly. Ordinarily, Jayne would be the first to finish his meal. It wouldn't matter if it were protein supplements or a feast of fine meats, he would devour everything save for the dish. As Jayne liked to comment, a man couldn't be none particular out in these parts. However, this morning's meal was a different matter all together.

"You okay, Jayne?" came the obnoxiously cheerful voice from the opposite side of the table. The owner of the voice belonged to the ship's pretty and exceptionally talented mechanic.

"Yeah," Jayne mumbled painfully. His entire face ached. Not a mild ache, but a deep, jarring pain that throbbed every time he tried to eat, sleep, talk, move... hell, breathe.

"Yeah?" Kaylee asked again, making sure she heard him correctly. "Jayne, half of your face is swollen and you can't eat without flinching. You don't seem okay."

"It's nothing. Just a gorram toothache," Jayne grumbled loudly, throwing his fork onto his plate. "Hell!" Jayne grimaced as he gently placed a hand on his swollen jaw. Kaylee winced in sympathy.

"Why don't you go get some rest, like Simon suggested," Kaylee said with a small smile. It was clear to everyone on Serenitythat it had become more than just a simple toothache. Clear, that is to everyone, but Jayne.

Her advice appeared sound and Jayne really didn't have the energy to argue. He hadn't slept well in days. The pain was incessant and radiated throughout his entire right half of his face. To make matters worse, the doctor had been rather tightfisted with his pain blocks as a result of a shortage in medical supplies and some comments about it not being a good idea with a mild concussion and all. Not that any of that mattered to Jayne. All he wanted was a little reprieve from the pain. Even with whatever alcohol he could get his hands on, he was still unable to get a restful night's sleep. With another wince, Jayne lumbered to his feet and walked toward his bunk, leaving behind a plate full of food on the table.

…………

Serenity was running low on supplies, fuel, funding-- basically everything. The captain and Zoe had been off ship for days, negotiating a job that-- as Mal said -- did not need the mercenary's brand of diplomacy. The others were likely still within the town purchasing supplies, seeing the sights and such. This meant that Jayne was stuck babysitting per Mal's orders. Despite Jayne's contempt for being ordered around, he knew that that he didn't feel up to assisting in the negotiations or spending his earnings in the local village.

Their last job had gone south rather quickly. This was the same job that Mal had promised would be a milk run. At the moment, Jayne was not a big fan of Mal and his gao se plans. As always, the heist hadn't proceeded as planned and some of the local law enforcement folks took an exception to having their bank robbed. It was the very same job that left Jayne with a mild concussion and sporting some bruising along the right side of his jaw. However, it was the awful toothache that started shortly thereafter that plagued him.

…………

Jayne awoke suddenly and for a moment, awareness remained just outside of his reach. As the lingering effects of the alcohol-induced sleep wore off, he could tell that he was in his bunk aboard Serenity surrounded by his beloved arsenal. Confused as to what woke him up, he sat up. There it was again. Several loud raps on the door were soon followed by the appearance of boots, as Simon climbed down the ladder into Jayne's bunk. The Jayne greeted the doctor with a rather menacing glare.

"I don't recall you asking for permission before entering," Jayne slurred while supporting the right side of jaw with his hand.

"My apologies. I knocked a couple of times, but didn't receive an answer," Simon replied as he moved toward the bed. With a small shrug, he continued, "To be honest, I wasn't sure if you would be awake or not, considering the condition that Kaylee said you were in this morning."

Jayne regarded Simon with a sour expression. Not sure how to answer that, Jayne settled for a small grunt that was quickly followed by another wince.

"I brought you something for the pain," Simon said as he gestured to the syringe in his hand.

Jayne was grateful for the injection and sighed with relief as the medication quickly acted to dull his pain.

"There's definitely more inflammation, today," Simon commented as he started to examine Jayne's face. "What type of pain are you experiencing? Sharp? Dull? Are there any secondary symptoms: Fever? Headache? Sensitivity to temperature and vibration?" Simon continued his barrage of questions as he gently probed along Jayne's jaw line.

Jayne quickly pushed Simon's hand away. "What type of pain!" Jayne snapped back. "Niu-shi! It ruttin' hurts. Ni ta ma de!" Jayne added with a grimace.

"So, yes to the sharp pain?" Simon's inquiry was met with an abrupt nod from his patient. The rest of the doctor's questions were answered with a nod, a grunt, a dark glare, or a combination of the three.

Not one to be deterred, Simon continued with his examination. "It appears as if there's a secondary infection. Can you open your mouth?" he asked as he pulled a small flashlight from his vest pocket. Jayne sighed and slowly attempted to open his mouth. Given the amount of swelling, Simon was only able to get a small view inside, but could easily identify the problem.

"It's abscessed," Simon stated as he studied the man before him. After a slight pause, Simon explained further, "There appears to be an infection in and around your right lower premolar. Come down to the infirmary and I'll start you on a regimen of antibiotics and some anti-inflammatory meds. They should hopefully resolve the infection as well as alleviate the inflammation."

"And if it don't work?" Jayne muttered, feeling rather miserable.

"Then it will likely have to be excised." At Jayne's blank expression, Simon added, "The infected tissue would need to be removed and possibly the tooth."

That solution was not high on Jayne's list of things he'd like to experience. Jayne had some first hand familiarity as to how this procedure was handled back on that rock where he spent his childhood. Sure, he'd been shot, stabbed, and beaten from time to time, but having teeth yanked out of his head was not for Jayne.

"The other medications are down in the infirmary. I think we should get a dose in you as soon as possible," Simon said as he walked to the ladder. With that, Jayne climbed out of bed and moved to follow him.

As they neared Serenity's small infirmary, they were immediately greeted by the ship's resident moon-brained girl, as Jayne often thought of her. She was perched in front of the infirmary's entrance holding a small bowl and spoon in her hands.

"What took you so long?" River reprimanded, as she followed Simon and Jayne into the small medical bay.

"River, mei-mei, is there something wrong?" Simon asked, clearly puzzled by his sister's presence.

Choosing to ignore her brother, she walked over to Jayne and handed him the small bowl with spoon. "It's starting to melt," she added as she gestured to the bowl. She fitted Jayne with a lopsided grin as she fidgeted eagerly with the hem of her skirt.

"Sit, eat," she commanded, as she all but manhandled Jayne (with bowl in hand) onto the infirmary bed.

"Um. What is it?" Jayne asked as he sniffed the contents, trying to determine if the creamy white goo in the bowl was food.

"Ice milk, silly," River responded with another grin. "I wasn't able to locate all of the ingredients, so I had to improvise quite a bit."

Jayne continued to poke and prod the substance with the spoon while River discussed the solidification process of ice milk. "It don't look much like ice milk," Jayne interjected.

With a sigh, River explained, "Frost is such a fickle thing."

"Why?" Jayne asked, still eyeing the homemade treat suspiciously.

"Simple, Jayne," River said with a matter of fact tone. "There's inflammation present in the periodontal tissues associated with your periapical abscess. I surmised that you were experiencing discomfort along the infected area radiating into your jaw and face." She paused for a moment, "It's cold Jayne and you haven't had breakfast. Your teeth might object, but your stomach still requires nourishment."

It was fair to say that Jayne was more than a little confused by River's explanation. Besides, contrary to what she believed, he wasn't all that hungry. Perhaps he had been earlier; but with the painkillers coursing through his system, he was tired more than anything else.

"Eat up!" River chastised, interrupting Jayne's train of thought.

Too tired to argue or shoo the crazy girl away, Jayne opted to sample some of River's "ice milk." After all, he figured what harm could it possibly do?And with that thought, he brought the spoon to his mouth.

Satisfied that her patient was eating, River bounced on her bare feet and left the infirmary without another word.

Simon had been casually watching the scene unfold while preparing Jayne's medications. Secretly, he was pleased with River's rather thoughtful gesture and absolutely surprised by Jayne's willingness to accept the offer. However, after years of being subjected to

River's homemade concoctions, Simon had known that the substance would not be edible. And, not surprisingly, almost as soon as Jayne tasted the "ice milk," he spit it out.

"Gorram! That's awful! Is that crazy sister of yours trying to kill me?" Jayne grumbled, barely coherent, while spitting a bit more into the bowl.

Simon laughed. "I should have warned you. River may be brilliant in countless ways; however, cooking is not something she has … a natural ability with," he offered as a slight apology.

Using well-honed skills, Simon quickly administered the injections and set up the infirmary so that Jayne could get some rest. As Simon left the infirmary, he took his sister's attempt at "ice milk" to be properly disposed.

…………

It was late in the day, and Serenity was still located on the outskirts of the small mining town of Harshaw. The majority of her crew was still off ship finishing up their assigned tasks or just enjoying the time on land.

"Gorram. Son of a bitch! Where's Jayne?" Mal shouted from Serenity's cargo deck.

"I take it the negotiations didn't go as planned?" Simon asked mildly as he walked down a flight of stairs.

"No, they went fine; got the job. Except, you see, we go to pick up the cargo, only it ain't there," Mal retorted. "Know where Jayne is?" he asked again, clearly annoyed.

Simon tilted his head in a slight nod. "Yes, he's in the infirmary. He has an abscessed tooth."

Mal let out a disgruntled sigh, running his hand over his face in frustration. "Qing wa cao de liu mang."

Then just as determined as before, the captain moved at full stride towards Serenity's small medical bay with Simon in tow.

"You awake, Jayne?" Mal barked towards the recumbent mercenary.

"Yeah, Cap'n," came the mumbled response from the bed. Jayne had heard the Captain boots as he stomped into the room.

"Good. Get up and let's grab what you need. Zoe's waiting for us," Mal ordered, not wasting time on explanations or additional instructions.

"Captain, I don't think it's a good idea. He has a rather extensive infection," Simon interjected. "Look at him, he can hardly talk."

"I don't need him to talk," Mal interrupted quickly. "You can walk, right? Shoot?" Mal fixed his gaze on Jayne, eyeing him intently. Jayne matched Mal's gaze with equal intensity. Despite the bruising and swelling, Jayne appeared lucid enough. And that was good enough for Mal.

"Yeah," Jayne answered as he rose from the bed, appearing more or less stable as he stood.

With a nod, Mal turned to leave the room, but found his exit obstructed by Simon. "Captain..." Simon started. Standing with his arms folded across his chest, the doctor was appeared a little perturbed with the situation before him.

However, on this particular day, there was no one in the 'verse that Mal was not genuinely annoyed with. And the good doctor had certainly earned a spot on that list. "They've got something that belongs to us. I aim to get it back, Dong ma?" Mal returned sharply as he strode out the infirmary, pushing past the doctor.

…………

It was a cold, crisp night in Harshaw, which seemed to help clear away the lingering fuzziness and lethargy that had clung to Jayne. Though the painkillers were slowly wearing off, the cool air offered a small reprieve to the severe burning that he felt along his face. As they hiked to the rendezvous, Mal quickly relayed the highlights of what they were up against. Jayne could easily understand why Mal was so damned pissed about this whole situation.

The job was simple. A local entrepreneur wished to sell a crate of antique tapestries dating back to a more genteel, more civilized era. The tapestries were considered priceless, and a buyer on Persephone was more than willing to pay a high price for them. It was supposed to be a trouble-free job. A simple, hun dan exchange! Deliver goods to the buyer and get paid handsomely. However, the Powers That Be, Fates, or whoever disagreed. Nothing could ever be that simple for the crew of Serenity. According to the Captain, a small group of local miners had taken issue with the aforementioned local entrepreneur. Apparently, they decided that robbing the man of valued possessions would be an excellent way to voice their displeasure. As Mal explained it, the solution to their problem was straightforward-- get back the goods and shoot anyone who got in their way.

They reached the rendezvous point around midnight. The moon was high in the night sky and bathed the dusty wasteland in a warm, yellow glow.

"Captain… Jayne," Zoe greeted, standing near a set of large oak trees. Beyond her shoulder, they could clearly see a small shack and stable not 15 meters from their position.

"Wow, Jayne that looks really painful," she added with an exaggerated grimace. She quickly moved a hand to cover her mouth trying to suppress a laugh. Jayne narrowed his eyes, clearly ready to retaliate with a snide comment of his own, but Mal's well-timed interruption quickly stopped him.

"They still in there?" the Captain asked, glancing towards the rundown wooden shack beyond them.

"Yes, sir. Four of them, poorly armed, and no sentries on duty. The cargo is situated along the southern portion of the shack," Zoe returned. "Very amateur-like, sir. It looks like they just wanted to draw attention to their cause," she said as she turned to face the captain.

Mal raised his eyebrows slightly, looking rather bemused. "Zoe, are you suggesting we try to approach them, all friendly-like?"

"No, Captain, I've been thinking we should send Jayne over there and try to scare them out." Mal and Zoe shared a laugh, while the mercenary grumbled something unkind about the two of them.

"Not sure if that'll work, even though Jayne does look mighty horrifying–like with all of that swelling," Mal commented, as he gestured to the scowling man standing beside him.

Zoe answered with a quick grin before the discussion moved on to the more important matters at hand, like reacquiring the stolen cargo.

The plan was overly simplistic, but they had used it before during the Sutter's Port job with some success. Mal's cunning strategy: create a distraction, lead those gorram idiots out, and if all else failed-- improvise.

Jayne was delegated to the task of distraction, which all things considered, he preferred. As he walked around toward the back of the building he set up several small charges to explode on a time delay.

He swore again. Setting the timers had proved to be more of a challenge than Jayne anticipated as he struggled with his shaky hands and blurring vision.

Tzao-gao! Jayne cursed under his breath. The mercenary winced again as he noticed that the pain in his face had intensified greatly. "Gorramit to Hell! Stupid painkillers wore off," Jayne grumbled, struggling to place the last charge. As he slowly trudged over to his position, he started to wonder why his body felt so very off. Too thick, too uncooperative, and too tired.

Unfortunately for Jayne, he made it only 20 steps before the nearest charge went off. He could feel himself go airborne before hitting the ground with a hard thud, succumbing to the darkness on impact.

…………

His return to the conscious world was met with a feeling of heaviness. Thankfully, it had kept the sensation of pain at the outer fringes of Jayne's awareness. It was like someone had laid a thick blanket over him, Jayne reflected as he struggled towards consciousness. He could hear voices now, more clearly than before. Much to his annoyance, the voices appeared to be talking about him. He groaned softly, attempting to move his uncooperative limbs.

"It looks like he's waking. Jayne, can you open your eyes?" asked a familiar voice.

Jayne slowly opened his reluctant eyelids to find a pair of dark eyes peering down at him.

"Shh… Careful. Try not to move around too much," Simon said evenly. "You're aboard Serenity."

Jayne blinked again, trying to take in his surroundings. His eyes slowly confirmed the doctor's statement. He was lying on the bed in Serenity's infirmary with a small blanket draped over his legs. However, how he ended up in that bed currently eluded Jayne.

"What… " Jayne croaked out painfully, quickly realizing that talking wasn't such a wise idea. He genuinely felt ill. There was a fierce throbbing in his head that radiated down into his face. Jayne licked his lips, trying to gather up enough moisture to ask again. However, his mouth was just too dry and he couldn't seem to get the words out.

Sensing this, Simon walked over to the bed and handed him a small cup of water. Jayne shakily brought the cup up to his mouth, spilling only some of its contents onto himself along the way.

Jayne cleared his throat. "What happened?" he asked again, as he handed the empty cup over to Simon.

"You don't remember?" Book asked.

Surprised to hear another voice, Jayne slowly turned his head towards the Shepard, who had been standing outside of his peripheral vision. Jayne briefly thought on the question and shook his head in response.

"According to the Captain, something went awry and you were grazed in a small explosion," Book briefly explained. "But not to worry, the Doctor here says you will be all right."

"Yes," Simon added, "you suffered a concussion, contusions, and a small laceration-- but there appears to be no permanent damage."

An explosion, Jayne pondered on this as he tried to sift through his jumbled memories. The drugs left him feeling confused, almost drunk. He vaguely recalled there being a job, but beyond that everything was a blur.

"I gather we're lucky you have such a thick skull," the Captain said from the doorway.

Jayne turned his gaze to Mal and inquired, "Job? Paid?"

Mal nodded his head and said, "Yep, miners surrendered after your little light show. The tapestries are on board and the buyer will be meeting up with us shortly. In the future, it might be best if you kept yourself a bit further way from things that explode. But all's well that, well… you know… ends."

Jayne slowly rubbed his face, struggling to take everything in.

"I had to excise some of the infected tissue around your tooth. As long as you rest, the residual inflammation and fever should subside in a day or so," Simon said while taking Jayne's arm to administer another injection.

"Ah, good, he's awake." Announced a cheerful River, as she gracefully moved around the Captain, carrying a small bowl in her hands. "I brought you more ice milk. Think I may figured out how to keep the frost"

Jayne scowled at the sight of another River Tam concoction moving towards him. "You need to eat," River said gently as she scooped up a spoonful.

Jayne angrily noticed that the others were clearly enjoying his discomfort. With a garbled curse, Jayne closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep or die. Either option worked for him. So long as he'd be free of that ruttin' crazy girl and her gorram iced milk.

……………

Thanks for reading!

Translations

Dong ma?: Understand?

Gorram: Damn

Gorramit: Damn it

Hun dan: Stupid

Gao-se: Crap

Niu shi- Cow dung

Ni ta ma de: Mother humper

Mei-mei: Little sister

Qing wa cao de liu mang: Frog humping son of a bitch

Tzao gao- Damn it