Cut to exterior view of Serenity landing. It's night, but the planet seems to be sparsely populated and impoverished. Cut to the infirmary, daylight. Mal is lying down, just beginning to wake up. His coffee cup is set on a table beside him. Mal opens his eyes and sits up, confused. He looks around. He sees the cup of coffee next to him, gets up, picks up the mug, and throws it at the wall. He stalks out to the cargo bay, where the crew is assembled, seemingly waiting for him.
MAL
(angrily) Where are we? (silence) I said, where are we?
ZOE
(reluctantly) We're on Shadow, sir.
MAL
What?
ZOE
Shadow, sir.
MAL
I heard you the first time, dammit. insert string of Chinese that means something along the lines of "you goddamn bastards, how could you do this to me? Expletive Expletive Expletive I thought I said we weren't to stop here or anywhere else between insert planet and Paquin. Didn't I? Did I not say that? What made you think you had the goddamn right to take my ship under your control and land it without my say-so? This were the ancient seas, I could hang you all. I've a mind to shoot you for mutiny anyways.
KAYLEE
Cap'n…
MAL
Don't you dare speak to me, Kaylee. I know it was you talked the others into it.
KAYLEE
We had to Cap'n.
MAL
Kaylee, shut up.
INARA
Mal…
MAL
Don't say a word, not a gorram word.
Inara falls silent. Mal glares around the room.
SIMON
Maybe you should lie back down. It seems you don't stomach the sleeping drugs very well. Increased anger may be a side effect-
MAL
You steal my ship and then say I'm angry on account of the drugs you fed me? This ship is my gorram home.
Mal opens the door/lowers ramp, stalks away
JAYNE
(calling to Mal as the captain walks away)
Just so's you know, I ain't had nothin' to do with this!
KAYLEE
(to Zoe, looking out at Mal)
What's got him so riled over Shadow?
ZOE
It was his gorram home.
Mal is walking through a dry, yellowy wood. He is still fuming, and his footsteps are loud- like he's stomping through the forest. He doesn't seem to know where he's going- his subconscious is leading the way. He comes to the end of the trees to an empty field. There are rotting and falling-down fences around the fields. At one end, we can see the burned remains of a large house. A dormitory building still stands to the side of it. It is in disrepair. The paint is peeling, wood rotting, door falling off. Mal stops short. The camera, which has been following Mal, cuts to Mal's face. The camera turns back around for a view of the field. Now, the fences are new and whole and there are cattle wandering around in the fields. The house stands as it did before it was burned down. The land is teeming with ranch hands. They are all doing different, various farm tasks. A woman is baking; we can see her in the kitchen, through a large window in the front of the house. There is a row of pies cooling on the windowsill. A teenage boy (Teen Mal) is sauntering towards the house from the woods to the right of Adult Mal. Teen Mal walks up to the house, looking around furtively. No one is watching him. He crouches below the kitchen window and looks around again. He peers up into the window. When the woman's back is turned, he carefully lifts a pie off the windowsill. He turns to find a tall, lean (but muscled!) man standing right there. This is Jake. Teen Mal drops the pie in surprise. It explodes all over the ground. Teen Mal glares.
JAKE
(calling to inside the open window)
You've got a thief out here, Rosalie. I caught 'im out here filchin' one o' your pies.
Rosalie appears, leaning out the window.
ROSALIE
Mal!
She disappears again.
JAKE
That's the third time this month. Are you ever gonna give up your thievin' ways?
Rosalie appears in the doorway, brushing flour off her apron. There is a streak of flour in her hair.
ROSALIE
Malcolm Reynolds! Stealing again? I thought I raised you better than that!
(Teen Mal opens his mouth to speak.)
Don't make none of your honey-tongued excuses, now. Next thing out of your mouth had better be an apology.
TEEN MAL
But Ma…
ROSALIE
And you'll be spendin' the rest of the day inside, baking enough to replace that pie ten times over! I'll teach you not to steal my pies. Go on! Get inside!
Teen Mal grumbles and goes inside. Rosalie follows, with Jake trailing after her. Strains of conversation can be heard as they walk out of sight. The door stays open.
JAKE
Any chance of some o' that pie, ma'am?
ROSALIE
After supper, Jake. And none for you, Malcolm. Not 'til you learn not to steal.
Adult Mal stares after them. He walks forward, following them into the house. No one is in sight when Mal enters, although he can still hear voices from somewhere. He follows the sound to the kitchen. Teen/Young Adult Mal is lurking outside the door. It is clear that this is not the same day: Rosalie is not baking pies; she is in the middle of preparing a very large dinner for 40 men. Jake is behind her, apparently having just entered. They are both wearing different clothes. The room is dimmer than outside, and the window shows clouds, not the sun that was in the sky when Mal was outside just moments ago. Jake gently touches Rosalie on the shoulder. She turns.
ROSALIE
Oh, Jake. I'm glad to see you. Mary's sick and I told her she could have the night off. I'm swamped, what with trying to feed all you boys.
JAKE
Rosalie.
ROSALIE
I need Mal here to give me a hand. He won't like it, I know, but-
JAKE
Rosalie.
Rosalie looks at him, worried.
Stop pretendin' you don't know what I'm gonna tell you. You seen it yourself. The cattle are getting' sick, more an' more every day. We know you know, but no one wanted to tell you anyway.
ROSALIE
How bad is it, really?
JAKE
We ain't seen a thing like this before. They jus' lay themselves down all quiet-like and don't get up the nex' mornin'.
ROSALIE
Dead?
JAKE
Not yet. But, like I said, we ain't seen this before. Could be they'll get stronger an' could be we should put them outta their misery now.
Rosalie goes to the kitchen window. The sky is cloudy. Some cattle are wandering around, healthy. Some are lying down/collapsing.
ROSALIE
That's our income could be dyin' out there.
JAKE
That's our life, Rosalie. I wasn't but seventeen when I started workin' for your father, and I've been here ever since. Most of the other boys, they've the same story. What are we supposed to do without this job?
ROSALIE (With determination)
Who said anything about losing this job? I sure ain't gonna throw you out. We'll make it work. You just do your job and get those cattle better. Anything else happens, we'll handle as it comes.
JAKE
Will do, ma'am.
ROSALIE
Tell the others that the only thing I want them to worry about is making sure those animals get better. Let me worry about the money. If we go hungry, we go hungry, but we do it together.
JAKE
(nods, takes Rosalie's hand)
You're a mighty impressive lady, Rosalie. We all love you. I love you.
ROSALIE
I know, Jake, and thank you. Now go earn your keep.
JAKE
Yes, ma'am.
Kisses her hand, then sneaks in a kiss on her cheek.
Jake leaves. Adult Mal watches his mother sit, tired, for a moment. Then he turns in time to see Jake walk out the door, and then back in. Time has passed. Jake is wearing different clothes and looks more tired. He heads straight up the stairs. Mal follows him. There is a long hall. He follows Jake to one of the furthest rooms. Jake gently opens the door and goes in. Rosalie is sitting next to a bed. In the bed is teen/young adult Mal, who appears to be sleeping.
JAKE
How is he?
ROSALIE
He hasn't woken up. (She looks up) Do you think he'll ever wake up? Tell me he isn't going to die.
JAKE
The doctor said he'd get well, remember? He ain't gonna die.
ROSALIE
I don't give a fig about what the doctor said. We both know this ain't a human disease. You tell me. Tell me that my son'll make it through.
JAKE
You need to get out of this room. Get some fresh air. You've been in here goin' on three days.
ROSALIE
Tell me, Jake. Tell me that he ain't gonna die!
Rosalie is close to hysterics now.
He ain't gonna die. Tell me, he ain't.
Jake pulls her to her feet and wraps his arms around her in a hug.
JAKE
He ain't, Rosalie. He's a strong boy; he'll make it. The cows are getting better. If it's the same thing, he will too. It's all right, Rosy. He's gonna live. He's gonna live.
He wraps his arms around her, comforts her, etc.
Go rest. I'll watch over your boy.
ROSALIE
Don't let him die. Pretend that he's your son.
JAKE
Always have, Rosy. Always have.
They lock eyes. Jake shoos her out of the room and sits on the vacant chair next to Mal's bed. He sighs.
Adult Mal pulls himself away from the room. Looking down the hall towards the stairs that he came up, he sees Jake letting himself out of another room. Teen Mal is coming up the stairs. He approaches Jake.
TEEN MAL
Six have died since morning. All the healthy ones- they're droppin' like flies. Not a one of the sick is dead.
JAKE
All the healthy ones…that don't make sense. Why would the healthy ones be dyin'?
There are shouts from outside. Another has died
(Jake sighs)Go tend to your mother, son. Let me handle the animals.
Teen Mal looks at the door warily.
TEEN MAL
How is she?
Jake appraises Teen Mal, gauging how much to tell him.
JAKE
Alive.
Teen Mal nods and enters the room. Jake watches him go. As Jake turns and leaves by way of the stairs, Adult Mal follows Teen Mal into Rosalie's bedroom. This time it is Teen Mal sitting in the chair by Rosalie's bed, while Rosalie sleeps. Teen Mal is watching her intently. She moans and rolls to face her son. Her eyes flutter open.
ROSALIE
Malcolm…
TEEN MAL
Right here.
ROSALIE
Don't leave me, Malcolm.
TEEN MAL
I won't, Ma, I promise.
ROSALIE
Til the end.
TEEN MAL
That's a long time to stick around.
Later. Teen Mal is pacing the room. Rosalie is asleep on the bed, face pale, skin covered with the sheen of sweat, and breath shallow and ragged. The camera follows Teen Mal as he paces.
ROSALIE (from off camera)
(somewhere between a question and a statement)
Mal.
Teen Mal returns to the bedside and takes Rosalie's outstretched hand.
TEEN MAL
Still here.
Adult Mal seems to know what's coming, because he suddenly turns and retreats out the door. Behind him we can see Rosalie start to thrash. The worst has come. We hear her moaning. Teen Mal pleads for her to hold on a while longer. Adult Mal stands outside the door for a few moments, leaning against the wall. This has affected him greatly. Having recovered a little, Mal makes his way down the stairs again, only to hear more voices. Mal stops and listens at a door for a moment, then pulls the door open and enters.
TEEN MAL
You don't understand, Governor, we need help. Our animals need help, our people need help. What are you going to do about it?
GOVERNOR OF SHADOW
I'm afraid there's nothing much we can do. We have no way to deal with a mutated disease out here in these parts. We just don't have the technology.
TEEN MAL
The Alliance does.
GOVERNOR
I've tried, son. I radioed in our message yesterday morning.
TEEN MAL
Try again. Say it's an emergency. People are dying.
GOVERNOR
Son, people are dying all over the place. Such a high-flyin' organization doesn't have time for the likes of us rim folk. Not when there's a war brewing out here, anyway.
TEEN MAL
They really aren't going to help us.
GOVERNOR
No.
TEEN MAL
(becoming agitated)
There has to be something you can do! You're the governor; you're supposed to stop these things from happening.
GOVERNOR
What do you want me to do? Nothing short of joining the rebels- and winning- would make the Alliance bend to my will.
TEEN MAL
Then maybe you should join the rebels. People- My mother is dying upstairs.
GOVERNOR
(interrupting)
I'm sorry about your mother.
TEEN MAL
(ignoring him)
If I ran this planet, I wouldn't be sitting here on my goddamn ass doing nothing at all!
GOVERNOR
Now, see here, boy!
TEEN MAL
I'd be sending a delegation to the Alliance. Convincing them to send us the medicine. I know they have it. There are rumors of all sorts of things they have on the Core planets. The least you could do is pursue it.
GOVERNOR
There's no point. It won't save your mother anyhow.
TEEN MAL
Get out of my house. I'll do something myself, if you pompous old…
GOVERNOR
Now, SEE HERE! (he drowns Teen Mal out)
TEEN MAL
…won't do anything yourself. And don't be calling me 'son' anymore. I ain't your son any more than I am your friend.
Adult Mal leaves. He walks down the hall to the door. The quarrel is still heard, fading away, until Mal exits the house. It's a nice day outside, but not quite as warm and sunny as the day that Mal stole the pie. It's colder and there's a wind blowing through. Mal knows where he's going: behind the house. There, he finds a small crowd gathered around a freshly dug grave. Some of the people around the grave are sick; few are healthy and strong. Teen Mal supports a weak Jake. Sad music is playing (maybe a eulogy is read?) People drift away gradually, until Teen Mal and Jake are left. Adult Mal takes a moment to look at the grave marker and grieve, etc. He follows when Teen Mal and Jake leave, Teen Mal supporting Jake. They enter the dorms in which the ranch hands live. The atmosphere is much like Rosalie's room: orange/red, hot, sweaty, sick. Many of the ranch hands are sick and dying. Adult Mal watches Teen Mal lay Jake down on a pallet. Adult Mal continues on through a door on the opposite side of the dorms than where they entered. As Mal stands back to look at the house and the lands/buildings surrounding it, he sees Teen Mal running out of the dorm house. Distantly, in the direction that Teen Mal is going, can be seen and heard the Independence army drilling. The sound of a fire crackling brings Mal's attention back to the house. It is on fire; they are burning the bodies of the dead. Mal is mesmerized. Then he hears a screaming behind him. He turns to find River behind him, writhing on the ground. She is clearly distressed (as shown by the screaming and the writhing). Mal jumps into action, kneeling to try to calm her down.
MAL
River!
He grabs her by the shoulders and lifts her half-off the ground. She rolls around, limp.
RIVER
(not looking at Mal)
There's so much dying…
Mal stares at her.
RIVER
No, no, no, no. Help them. They're being consumed…they'll be gone soon. Help them.
MAL
River.
He shakes her. Her head snaps rigid, and she looks straight into his eyes.
RIVER
They're gone, now.
Mal looks back at the house. It isn't burning anymore; it is the same charred remains that he saw when he first arrived. He turns back to River.
MAL
You okay, lil albatross?
RIVER
Are you?