"Sir?" Zoë's voice was accompanied by the static of the com.
"I know Zoe. But we can't pass this by. Could be substantial coin over there." Mal moved his arm to unlock the hatch and the whirr of compressed air gushed out at them as the hatch swung out. Each of them prepared for the worst, but when they were greeted with an empty room an audible sigh came from each of them.
"Stay on guard." Mal warned. "We poke our noses around, see what's worth taking. No lingerin"
All three entered the abandoned med-ship on guard.
Mal motioned for Jayne to go to the left and Zoe to the right, while he continued on forward. The com in Mal's suit switched on and he heard Zoe say, "Sir, other than the power, nothing is wrong with this ship. Supplies, machinery, everything is still intact"
They made quick work of searching the level they were on and gathered together by the lift doors.
"Mal, this place is givin' me an itch. Maybe we outta just think about gittin'." Jayne's voice was insistent.
"There's a not so small fortune on this level alone. Sides Jayne, when have you ever turned down a profit?" Mal walked into the lift and the other two followed.
As Zoe and Jayne turned to face the closing doors of the lift, Zoe, completely serious, said, "Mayhap Jayne's growin' a conscience." She turned to face Mal, somewhat awkwardly because of the suits. Mal stared at Zoe and Zoe at Mal and the only movement was that of the lift itself. Jayne just arched one eyebrow and twisted his mouth up in a confused expression. Zoe and Mal could only hold straight faces for all of four seconds before both erupting into ill restrained laughter.
Jayne rolled his eyes and said, "Ha ha"
It seemed that all the bound up tension they had was now giving them a case of the giggles. Even Jayne was holding back a smile until the lift doors opened and what they saw silenced their laughter instantly.
Every expression dropped from their faces as they looked out at all the bodies that littered the floor and furniture. "Guai guai?" Mal uttered just barely above a whisper.
"Sure, Mal. I'll send him right over." Wash hung the receiver back on its hook and stood to leave the bridge. He quickly made his way to the infirmary and when he descended the stairs he could see Simon on a stool right beside Kaylee. Wash let a little smile spread across his face as he stood in the doorway and looked at them. Simon was propped up on his bent right arm only inches from Kaylee's face and his head hung heavily on it from where he had fallen asleep in that position. In his lap, his left hand loosely clutched Kaylee's chart.
Wash admired Simon's devotion for a moment and then walked over to him gently shaking his shoulder to wake him. Simon groggily shook his head and rubbed at his eyes, "I fell asleep"
Wash let out a humorous breath of air before his countenance turned serious. "Turns out our abandoned med-ship wasn't so abandoned"
"They found survivors?" Simon sounded hopeful.
Wash shook his head 'no' and Simon sighed, "So then they don't need me"
"Actually, Mal wants you to suit up and get over there right now." Simon looked at Kaylee and Wash continued, "I'll be here to watch Kaylee." Simon stood and exchanged her chart for his red bag on the counter and opened his mouth to speak but Wash interrupted. "And River." Simon nodded once and made his way aft.
As he approached the locker where the suits were kept Simon saw Shepherd Book prepping one. At his questioning look, Shepherd explained, "I know you don't care much for these, son. Thought I'd help"
"Thank you." Simon's voice revealed his fatigue.
Book helped Simon suit up in a comfortable silence but before he moved to place the helmet on his head he hesitated. "You're a very extraordinary man, Simon"
Simon's brows rose high up on his forehead and he questioned, "Extraordinary?" His tone quickly turned cynical. "Right. River's getting worse everyday. None of my treatments are working as I'd hoped. And Kaylee…I don't know if I'll be able to…if there's brain damage…" Simon pulled himself out of his rant. "I'm far from extraordinary."
"Man is a selfish creature." Book retorted. "S'not often that he will choose self sacrifice"
Simon looked at Book and with a gleam of 'duh' in his eyes he argued, "I didn't have any other choice"
The shepherd just smiled as he raised the helmet to above his head. "You just proved my point for me, son."
Simon knelt over one of the bodies with the most bewildered look on his face.
"So?" Mal asked impatiently.
Zoe, Mal and Jayne stood hovering over Simon while he examined the latest body.
All three waited anxiously for Simon to speak.
The Doctor leaned back and his eyes glazed over while his brain assessed and reassessed, evaluated and reevaluated, and shuffled through everything he discovered.
"Doesn't make any sense." Simon muttered.
"Mal I told you this weren't right. I'm done askin' questions. We need to git back." Jayne's voice was harsh through the com.
Mal just ignored Jayne's little outburst and waited for Simon to diagnose.
Jayne continued his diatribe. "Shoulda just kept on going. Doc cain't even tell us what they're dead from"
"I can." Simon halted Jayne's rhetoric. "It just doesn't…it's not…they shouldn't be dead"
"Be plain, Doc." Mal said on edge. "What did this"
"Influenza. They all died from the flu." Simon's voice was coated with disbelief.
"Didn't they find an inoculation for influenza like two hundred years ago?" Zoe chimed in.
"They did." Simon agreed. "Everyone gets it at a very young age now. These people shouldn't…I'd like to take some samples back to study"
"Jien tah-duh guay!" Jayne took a step forward. "There ain't no way you're bringin' that on"
Mal sliced his hand through the air silencing Jayne. "That really a good idea?" he asked of Simon.
"I'll take every precaution. I may be able to diagnose more accurately"
"Fine. What about…all this?" Mal gestured at all the equipment they wanted to salvage.
"Assuming we've all been vaccinated?" Simon waited for them to nod their heads and then continued. "Our bodies are immune. Should be completely safe if we sterilize it all"
"Take your samples then, Doctor. Posthaste though, dong ma?" Mal turned to Zoe and motioned for her and Jayne to start moving equipment.
Jayne complained, "If any-ruttin'-body would just listen to me"
Zoe hefted up one side of a very large bulky machine with Mal. "Who would wanna do that, Jayne?"
Jayne grunted at Zoe and then they each proceeded to go about their tasks as quickly as possible.
River walked into the infirmary and didn't even acknowledge Wash's presence as she looked around at every possible surface in the room. She walked up to Kaylee's side and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
Wash tilted his head to grasp at what she was saying.
"…can't obliterate…keep in there…" River placed one hand gently on her forehead for a mere moment and then removed it, standing up. She turned and walked right back out of the infirmary.
Wash looked at the now empty doorway and then back at Kaylee and then back at the doorway with a look of utter puzzlement. He just shook it off and repositioned to record Kaylee's vitals like Simon had instructed.
liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze fuh ur-tze - Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey
Guai guai? - What the hell?
Jien tah-duh guay - Like hell!
And if you don't know 'dong ma' by now…tsk tsk
MORE TO COME in chapter 8 Comment guys. Lemme know what your theories are, what you liked and didn't like. It'll only make me a better fic writer. Thanks.