PART 3
It was dark, and everyone had already returned to the ship for the night. He had bade River goodnight, under the watchful eyes of Simon, and was now on his way to his bunk. He stopped, Zoe's door was open. . .it was never open. He peeked in, expecting her to throw something at him for his intrusion, but the room was empty. His mind began to race. She wouldn't have. . .he thought silently, racing back through the ship.
He ran to the cargo bay, and the storage area where Zoe had stashed some of Wash's things. Mal threw the tops off the boxes. . . empty. He tried another, it was the same. "No, no no!" He yelled throwing the boxes across the cargo bay. He saw her moving away from the ship in the mule. . ."Zoe! No!" He yelled, scrabbling frantically for the controls to the airlock. It didn't open. He looked at the panel, Controls Disabled, a polite little light was flashing.
He smashed the panel with his fists, trying to make them open, by sheer force of will. Minutes later when they finally did, and he stumbled outside into the rain, she was long gone. "No. . ." he said desperatley, as raindrops mixed with salt water, and he slumped to the mud covered ground.