Angelus' Corner

Thanks everyone who given me feedback/review, and sorry about the late update, life's a bit messed up right now... I starting to think I losing it, maybe the story is going a bit under… not sure… hope its readable.

This is what Simon thinks

Chinese Meaning (the way it is said in)

Tan Ah Oh god (in a positive way)

Gorr La Just enough (teasing)

Mei Mei Little sister

Ma De Damn (so close yet so far)

Xie Tan Xie Di Thank heavens (relieved and grateful)

Wo De Tan Ah Oh my god (how can be someone so dense)

xxxxxx

Part 3

"Umm, captain, you know this isn't very good for a patient, right?" Simon softly mumbled into Mal's chest. Not that he's complaining. He just wants to breathe some fresh air. As usual the captain never took notice of the advice given and continued on suffocating him, in a good way of course. All Simon could really do was lose himself into Mal's arms and continue breathing in his manly scent. Tan ah, he smells really good, this might be a good way to die.

"Captain, you know that what you're doing isn't very good for a patient, right? He needs to breathe?" River piped up behind the two men. Turning a slight shade of red, Mal reluctantly soften his hold on a very ruffled up looking doctor, and took a step back.

That was what I said, how did she know? Aww I was enjoying that.

"River…how long you been there?" Mal asked sheepishly.

"Gorr la," she giggled as she walked towards Simon to stare intensively into his eyes. Simon wasn't expecting such an intense stare from his sister, after experiencing a near death experience he was expecting another near suffocation, mental illness or not.

"Hey mei mei, how are y…" Before the doctor could finish his sentence, River smacked him across the face and stormed out, leaving a very shocked Simon in the infirmary.

After taking a few minutes to recompose himself, Simon finally asked, "What just happened?"

"River," was all Mal said.

xxxxxx

After River armed herself, she rushed out the cargo door, leaving Mal to care for her brother. Like water, she dodged the bullets and blades aimed at her lithe figure with grace as she raced towards the enemies' camp through the mist of battle. She made sure that all her friends got back inside the ship safely, anyone who stood in her way fell down from her blade within seconds, even the most war seasoned of mercenaries. Finally making her way into the camp, River let herself go completely. Letting go of the assassin's soul inside her, a battle that could have lasted for days was ended in a matter of minutes.

After regaining control of her body, River raced back towards the ship.

xxxxxx

"What do you mean by just 'River'," Simon questioned, "what happened to her?"

"Relax, nothing happened to her, other then her being the one to save our hides." Mal explained as he walked back into hugging distance. Before he could warp his arms around him again, Simon stopped him.

"Not yet captain, not yet. Tell me what happened first."

"Can I at least hold y…" Mal trailed off when he saw the look Simon gave him. "Ma de, alright, alright, I'll tell you. See when you got shot, River kind of lost it…"

xxxxxxxx

Simon laid on the exam table. Zoe, Wash and Book standing over him, doing whatever they can to stop the bleeding. Inara comforting Kaylee. Even Jayne was sitting on a counter, cleaning Vera.

Mal was silently sitting head down in the corner.

"Simon!" River scream as she ran into the infirmary.

"River, xie tan xie di you're okay!" Kaylee cried as she embraced her, "Where the hell you been? We were so worried."

"River, stay back," Book trying his best to stay calm for her, "We're doing the best we can."

"Simon says…hush mei mei, its okay… Captain will look after you… so will Kaylee and Inara and everyone else… Hush little River… hush…" River whispered.

"Of course we well, you know who else is going to look after you too?" Inara asked her calmly.

"Simon," Mal whispered just loud enough, " don't worry mei mei, we won't let him die. I won't let him die."

After a minute or two of silence cause by Mal's answer, River started up again.

"Simon says… Kaylee, get the portable medical kit in his room… Simon says…. Jayne, Wash, Book finish up the job, so we can leave this place… Simon says… Inara I need you to help Zoe… Simon says…. Zoe, you're doing great…Simon says…. And Mal… Don't leave…"

"River, honey, what are you saying?" A confused Inara asked quietly.

"Yeah, who do you think you are ordering me around, you little brat?" Jayne snarled.

"Jayne!" Kaylee yelled.

Slowly facing to the mercenary, releasing the death stare inside her, River whispered, "Go."

Without a word, Jayne fell off the counter. Picking himself up, he walked out, shortly followed by Kaylee, Wash and Book.

"Simon says… Inara, top draw, grab the adrenaline shot … Simon says Zoe keep up the pressure… Simon says, Kaylee I need that med kit now!"

After Kaylee returned, River placed the kit on the nearest counter next to her brother and removed several pieces of medical equipment. Taking the shot from Inara's hands, " Simon says, ladies stand back."

"Simon says, now inject the shot into his chest." River ordered as she administered the shot into Simon.

"Simon says, Inara get another shot, we need another." Taking the second shot from Inara's hands, as she administering it too, ordering, "Simon says, inject it now."

"Simon says, time is our enemy, I need you all to do what ever I say," River ordered.

For the next hours or so, River operated on her brother, constantly "Simon says" ordering herself, and the others to aid her.

Finishing, "Simon says, everything looks okay. Keep administering the analgesic for the next week or so, we can't have him moving or else his wounds won't heal properly."

"Simon says, Zoe sorry to make you wait, let me look at that arm of yours…."

Two hours later, after River finished attending to everyone, "Simon says, in the meantime, its safe enough for Serenity to leave atmo now…Simon says…River you need to sleep… Simon says… Mal… please stay with me…" After River said these words, allowing the tiredness to take over her, she collapsed gracefully into Kaylee into a deep sleep.

Not knowing what the hell just happened in the last few hours or so, watching Kaylee and Book take River back to her room to rest, everyone other than Mal looked relieved. Taking notice of the captain's current mental status, Zoe took charged and ordered everyone to leave the infirmary and prepare to launch.

xxxxxx

"So River… saved me… saved us… but how? How could she perform such an advance surgery with no prior medical training?" Simon said to himself as Mal finish telling the story, making sure to exclude all of River's 'Simon Says' orders for him to stay by the doctor's side.

"Beats me, you're her brother. Remember you yourself said she was gifted, maybe she read your medical text or something." Mal matter-of-factly stated.

"Don't take me the wrong way, I'm grateful to be alive, but still… how is it possible?"

"Dunno, maybe she linked to your mind and borrowed your medical knowledge or something. Won't surprise me considering the bond you two share."

"Now if you excuse me, I haven't showered for the last two weeks. So I think I might go have a change of clothes." Mal said as he made his leave.

"Hey… hey…. Hey!" Simon yelled at Mal to turn around.

"What?"

"Not yet."

"Not yet what?"

"I said 'not yet' captain, not yet."

"Huh?"

"Before after River left, when you tried to hug me… I said 'not yet'." Turning a shade of crimson as he explained.

"Come again?"

Wo de tan ah.

"Go… go shower or something…"

Lying back down as Mal went off to his quarters, Simon wondered if it's true if River read his mind. Does she know how he feels for the Captain?

tbc