Inara blinked her eyes slowly while trying to adjust to the gloomy surroundings of what could only be a passenger dorm on Serenity. She hadn't known what exactly she had expected to find when she finally woke up but what she didn't expect was to be where she was. In the back of her mind she knew that she had hoped to see Mal, or at least Kaylee, but no one was around not even the doctor.
She eased up on to her elbows pushing back the blankets covering her as she did so. Glancing down she saw that she was clothed in a plain cotton nightgown, one that was probably Kaylee's. Inara let out a long sigh as she crawled out of bed, the gravity of the situation and the reason why she was back on Serenity forming fully in her mind. Almost unconsciously she moved her hands up over her arms, the bruises that had marred her skin were far less tender than before.
Her hands somehow found their way up to the jewel that now adorned her forehead. A jewel that had been placed there by the blue-handed men, the men who had seen fit to ruin her life. A device that she was sure was even now transmitting what was happening on Serenity. A system that had probably by now alerted the aforementioned men to the fact that Simon and River Tam were on board the transport. As much as she hated to admit it, there was nothing to be done for that now. Inara put all thoughts of doubt out of her head as she exited the cabin to go and find the rest of the crew.
Inara checked the rooms next to hers finding that neither Simon and River, nor Shepherd Book were in their rooms. This was not all that uncommon; the sight that met her as she walked into the common room outside the infirmary was slightly less common. Kaylee and River sat motionless on the couch, Kaylee looking extremely worried, as she stared into the infirmary. Wash and Book stood off to the side, looking grave themselves. Jayne sat in the big armchair staring blankly off into space.
Inara's mind quickly calculated who wasn't in the room, the doctor, Mal and Zoë. Please don't let it be Mal. She thought, hating herself for wanting Zoë to be hurt. "Mal?" She asked almost to herself as she ran into the common area, startling the rest of the crew out of their stupor.
"'Nara?" Kaylee asked looking up in surprise at the companion who was now rushing into the infirmary, her bare feet slapping on the deck plating.
Simon was bent over Mal's stomach with Zoë acting as nurse. Simon didn't even look up as Inara entered the room. Zoë on the other hand did look up her face betraying how bad the situation really was. Her face fell even more as Inara stepped farther into the room.
Inara quickly tired to regain her control, to pull the threads of her emotions back into place. Now was not the time to act like a weakling, now was not the time to act like something she wasn't in order to please the blue-handed men, now was the time to be the old Inara. The Inara who was steady and strong, who always managed to keep her emotions hidden behind either a mask or steady anger.
"What happened?" She asked Zoë softly not wanting to disturb Simon. Woe de ma, there was so much blood. There was blood covering both Zoë and the doctor, along with Mal's uncovered chest.
"He got shot up by a contact. Bullet tore up his insides pretty bad." Her voice betrayed no emotion as she helped the doctor.
Inara walked slowly behind her to stand at the head of the bed. Her hand reaching out to smooth Mal's hair out of his eyes, before finding a place beside his head. She was comforted by the steady beat of Mal' pulse, beneath her hand. "Will he be alright?"
This time it was the doctor who answered her. "I don't know." The sound of a bullet fragment hitting a metal try echoed through the room. Inara didn't look up, as she felt a chill steep through her. A chill she tried to blame on the fact that she was dressed only in a cotton nightgown.
Zoë looked up towards the Companion who was absentmindedly stroking the captain's hair. Why is it that with these two only show feelings when one of them is beat up, shot up, or in some other form mortal danger? She let out a soft sigh as she turned back to her work, hoping, not for the first time today, that Mal would make it through this.
"That's the last of it." Simon said reaching for a cloth to mop up the blood around the wound so that he could start putting in stitches. "I won't know anything more until he wakes up."
Zoë silently moved over to the sink on the far side of the room and began to wash her hands. As the blood pooled down the drain, she stole another look at Inara who had not moved from her position at the head of the bed.
"Inara do you think that you should be up and about so soon? With what you've been through these past couple days?"
"I'm fine, thank you Zoë." Inara replied wrapping her arms around herself, and taking a deep breath. "I'm fine." Weather it was a reassurance to herself or to Zoë, Inara wasn't sure.
The doctor finished up his stitching before turning to Inara himself. "You really should be sitting down at least." Simon knew from the moment that she had set foot in his infirmary; it would be pointless to ask her to leave. Instead he mentioned for Zoë bring Inara a stool.
As Inara sat Zoë placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll go see if I can get you something else to wear."
Inara looked up at her giving a small smile. A true smile, one without a shred of acting involved. Truth be told Inara had completely forgotten what she was supposed to be doing, forgot she was supposed to find out what was going on with the crew of Serenity and what they were involved in. Not that any of that mattered right now, the man who lay unconscious before her was the only thing that mattered.
Inara resumed her previous ministrations, trying unsuccessfully to keep Mal's hair out of his closed eyes, tracing his laugh lines with her fingertips, feeling more than hearing the whisper of his breath. Simon also continued his work wrapping a tight bandage around the Captain's abdomen.
"He should be awake in a couple of hours. I'm going to go get some sleep. When he wakes try your best to keep him still." Simon hoped that his voice didn't betray what he was feeling.
Inara nodded solemnly. "I will."
The doctor matched her nod, knowing that it would be a blessing if the man called Malcolm Reynolds ever woke up again. Now he only had to find a way to tell the rest of the crew that. With one last look back at Inara, Simon pulled the infirmary doors shut.
"Is the Cap'n going to be alright?" Kaylee asked as Simon entered into the common room. Her voice was cracking under the burden of worry she carried.
"I don't know; it all depends of if he wakes up soon or not." Taking a deep breath he continued. "Whoever shot him knew what they were doing; the shot was very well placed on their part. He lost a lot of blood, even with the transfusion from Wash."
He sighed as he saw Wash reach for Zoë's hand, trying to provide as much comfort as he could with a simple touch. Watched as Zoë moved closer to her husband, betraying no emotion just balancing a bundle of clothes against her chest. Book had moved over to the couch to enfold Kaylee in his arms as she sobbed quietly on his shoulder. River who sat behind Kaylee was rubbing her back making soothing noises, much the same as the ones Simon himself used on her. Jayne slouched further into his chair but made no other sign that he had even heard Simon's words.
"There is nothing more to be done tonight." Simon said after a pause not knowing what else to do, not knowing what he could possibly say to ease the tension in the room. He walked over to his sister placing a slight kiss on her forehead before heading to bed.
Zoë took this as her cue to get things moving in a different direction. She stepped out of Wash's comfort, pulling herself up straighter as she went. "Wash I want you up on the bridge, send a coded wave to Will, we have a report to file."
Zoë turned her gaze to Jayne. "I want you to see that all the supplies we picked up today are squared away." For once Jayne didn't put up any argument as he went about his business.
"Shepherd, if you wouldn't mind making sure that Kaylee gets to her bunk." At Book's nod Zoë placed a warm hand on the young mechanic's shoulder. "Don't worry Kaylee, Cap'n been shot up plenty worse before, and he always managed to pull through. That was before we had that genius doctor on board too."
Kaylee looked up at the first mate, her face wet and hollow looking even with the slight smile she wore. "That's right, ain't it?" She asked.
"Yup, sure is." With that Kaylee allowed Shepherd Book to steer her away from the common room. Zoë was left facing River who was looking intently at the closed infirmary door. "River honey, you best be heading to bed too."
"A sleep without dreams. They're going to change; change so they can't be turned back." River looked once to Zoë, before following her advice. Zoë decided that it was probably best not to try and decipher what the other girl had been trying to tell her, 'cause she wasn't entirely sure she really wanted to know.
Pulling open the door to the infirmary Zoë again took stock of the situation. Inara had not moved; she didn't even look up when Zoë entered the room. Strands of curly black hair brushed over Mal's pillow, while graceful hands fingered the spot just above where the IV tube that entered into his arm.
"I brought you some other clothes in case you wanted something warmer to wear." Zoë knew though that the pile of silks she clutched were no warmer, then what the Companion currently had on. "Plus I imagine you're more comfortable in your own things."
"Thank you." Inara said looking at Zoë, reaching out with one hand to take the offered clothes. The other hand she kept rooted on Mal, as if just her touch would somehow heal him.
She silently dawned the gold silk robe that had been worn by River when she first came on board Serenity. The bright colour contrasting with the paleness of the nightgown, providing an almost surreal effect.
Zoë herself moved forward stepping to the side of the bed taking on of Mal's hands in hers, as the Companion moved back to her stool. Both women didn't speak for what could be an eternity.
"He's not going to be alright is he?" Inara asked softly breaking the silence with a whisper, pressing on, before the other woman could answer. "And don't you dare lie to me."
Zoë's face softened considerably at her words. She may have had her doubts about why the Companion was back on Serenity, but she had no doubts as to what she was feeling right now.
"If he regains consciousness within the next few hours he should make a full recovery. If he doesn't then he probably won't wake up at all." Zoë said looking straight into the other woman's eyes. Watching as the tears formed before falling silently. Saying the words somehow brought the full weight of the situation down on her shoulders.
Mal wasn't just her best friend; he was someone who understood her like no one else. Better even then Wash, better certainly then her long dead parents ever did. But even then, there was more. Mal stood for a cause, stood for the best that the Independents could ever be. He may not have been the typical hero but he was a hero nonetheless. He was the man who had helped her get her life back after Serenity Valley, and that was a debt that she could never repay.
She could though continue what he had started, and pray that he woke up. Zoë dropped his hand, pulling herself up once more. She had work to do. "I'm sorry, Inara." She said casting the words over her shoulder as she left.
Inara stared at her retreating back before leaving Mal's side to close the doors. Moving her stool over to the side of the bed she allowed the last threads of her control to break away. Her sobs filling the room, her tears staining her robe before splashing down on to the bed sheet, that covered Mal's unmoving form.
