Chapter Four

When Mal arrived at Simon's quarters, he found the situation of the past few months quite reversed; Simon was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands, and River had her arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him.

"River," Mal said, and she looked up. "Would you step outside for a few minutes? Go entertain Kaylee or somethin'."

River didn't argue. She stood and headed for the door, but on the way she stopped beside Mal and looked at him.

"You'll protect him?" she asked quietly, and though Mal thought it an odd question, he nodded.

"I will."

She seemed satisfied. She left, and Mal closed the door behind her. Simon didn't look up.

"You got a problem with the plan, Doctor?"

"It's suicide."

Mal stepped closer. "You implyin' that I can't handle this job?"

"No, no," Simon said quickly, stuttering to find the right words. "It's just…that's a big risk, you know?"

"Well, your other option is to go for the surgery," Mal said, pulling up the chair from the desk and sitting down. "Do you know how they do that kind of surgery on the outer planets?"

Simon hesitated, uncertain. "Uh…well, no. I guess I don't."

"If you're lucky, the doctor will have an office or agree to use the ship's infirmary. If not, they'll just crack you open on their own bed," Mal explained calmly. "They'll use a butcher knife to slice you open, and once there's a big enough gap they'll stick their hand in and dig around till they find what they're lookin' for. Oh, and you'll be half conscious through all this. Doped up, but aware."

Simon just gaped at Mal for a few moments. "Are you…serious?"

"Oh, dead serious."

"Don't they have any kind of medical training or licensing out here?"

"Most learn the trade from their dad."

"That's…that's crazy."

Mal smirked. "More crazy than sneaking into an Alliance building, in my opinion."

"You found the building?" Simon asked.

"Pulled a few strings, did some digging…the office we're looking for is a research facility in orbit around Osiris."

Simon's face paled. "We're going to Osiris?"

"We're going to Osiris. You're not," Mal said. "We're landing on one of the moons, where you and your sister will stay put while me, Zoe, and Jayne borrow a transporter and get into that facility."

"I should go with you."

"And walk right into their hands? I don't think so."

"I got you into this."

"And as your captain, I'll make sure we all get out of it in one piece."

Simon looked at Mal with a kind of amazement on his face. "I get you into all this trouble and you're still putting yourself in worse situations to help River and I. Why?"

Because I care about you. "Because you're on my crew. I'd do the same for any crew member."

Simon didn't look convinced, but he didn't get a chance to question further; they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"Captain!" Jayne's voice boomed from outside the door. "I wanna talk."

Mal sighed and stood up, opening the door. "So talk."

"Have you seen the security on this place we're goin'?" Jayne asked. "Bio ident, cards, armed guards, alarm systems, not to mention-"

"I'm well aware of it," Mal said.

"Then why are we goin'?"

Mal's expression hardened. "Because a member of my crew is in danger, and I plan on keeping him safe."

"He weren't even crew till a couple weeks ago," Jayne pointed out, and Simon stood up.

"Can this argument go somewhere else? Please? Because I-"

"Shut it, Doc, before I put a bullet in it," Jayne snapped, and Mal practically snarled, stepping between Jayne and Simon.

"What did I tell you about your attitude toward the doctor and his sister, Jayne?"

"That was before you started turnin' down jobs to save 'em five times a week! We gotta make money, Cap'n, we ain't been doin' that since we got them on board!"

"Are you questioning my commands, Jayne? Cause that could end with you out an airlock," Mal said, his hand going to the handle of his gun, and Jayne didn't take long in cocking the rifle he held.

Simon knew this could get ugly. He stepped around Mal, trying to put himself between the two as they stared each other down.

"Would you two calm down? I think if we just-"

Neither Mal nor Simon saw it coming. Jayne lifted the gun and slammed the butt of it on Simon's chest, knocking the young man to the ground. Within moments, Mal had taken the butt of his gun to Jayne's head, knocking the mercenary out cold.

"Simon," he said, kneeling on the floor next to him. Simon was writhing in pain, his hands clutching his chest. "You okay?"

"J-Just a…blunt force…it's…myocardial contusion…oh, god…" Simon said through gasps, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You're gonna have to speak English," Mal said, moving Simon's hands and unbuttoning the first few buttons on his shirt. He winced as the quickly-bruising skin came into view.

Zoe appeared in the doorway, probably pretty confused at the sight before her, but she managed to not show it for the moment.

"What happened here?"

"Difference of opinions," Mal said, helping Simon to his feet and leading him over to the bed to sit down. "Let's put Jayne in his room and lock it up."

"Yes, Captain," Zoe said.

"You gonna be alright, Simon?" Mal asked, and Simon nodded numbly.

"Just a bruise. I'll be fine."

It had been two days. Simon had done little more than work in the infirmary and read medical journals that they'd come into possession of on the last planet, and he was pretty happy with that. After the incident with Jayne, he was pretty set on avoiding everyone.

When Wash announced that they'd landed on the moon and everyone involved should prepare for departure, Simon finally wandered from his quarters. He headed up to the bridge, made sure everyone was off doing other things, and then stepped inside and walked to the windows.

There it was. His past laid out before him, and what could've been his future, were it not for the Alliance's tendency to meddle with people. He would've been there, right now, maybe head surgeon, hell, maybe head of the hospital.

His chest ached, and he wondered if it was the bruising or the longing for a normal life.

"Nice scenery."

Simon spun around, and he let out a sigh of relief when he saw that it was only Mal.

"Don't sneak up on me like that…"

"Wasn't sneakin'. You just weren't payin' attention," Mal said, walking forward to stand beside him by the windows. "You went to school here, right?"

"College," Simon said, looking out at the planet. It hadn't changed much at all.

"Mal!" Zoe's voice came down the hallway. "We're ready to go, let's make this fast!"

Simon sighed, and Mal hesitated a few moments before turning around to leave. A few steps from the door, though, Simon called out his name. He turned, and the doctor shrugged and glanced down at his feet.

"Be careful," he said, and then he quickly added, "I don't want to have to treat any bullet wounds when you come back. It's taxing on the supplies."

It was a weak attempt at a joke, but Mal chuckled all the same. "Will do, Doc. You just keep watch. Wash and Kaylee will be goin' into town for engine parts, but they shouldn't be gone long."

"Right."

It was only a half hour into the operation when Simon knew things had gone terribly wrong.

He'd used the ship's radio and River's expertise to tune to an Alliance military channel, and he was listening to the idle check-ins and such when an all-points-bulletin came on- one about a possible break-in on the orbiting research facility.

"Should we take them down, sir? Over."

"Negative. Wait for backup. We'll take them by surprise on my word, over and out."

Simon looked around helplessly. How was he supposed to contact them? Or Wash and Kaylee? Somebody had to warn the team that they were about to get ambushed.

"River!"

He rushed downstairs to where his sister was, his whole body feeling quite numb, though his heart was beating in his throat.

"River, you can fly the transporter, right?" Simon asked, even though he knew she could- he'd seen her do it before. "I need you to take me to that facility. I have to warn them, they don't have any time left."

River seemed surprised but nodded, and while she made her way up to the transporter, Simon dug around in the cargo bay and found a gun. Stashing it in his belt, he took the steps two at a time and got in the shuttle.

The flight there seemed to take forever. Simon wondered if he was already too late; if the ambush had already gone down, if they were already taken prisoner. Or maybe he'd get there only to walk into a trap.

He had to try, no matter what. Mal and the others were doing this for him, he wasn't about to let them die doing it.

As soon as they were docked, he opened the door and stepped inside the corridor. No guards; they must've been elsewhere, preparing or carrying out the ambush. River started to follow him out, and he gently pushed her back in.

"No. You go on back to Serenity, I'll come back with the others."

"No, Simon-"

"Don't argue with me this time, please, River," Simon said, but he knew she wouldn't give it up easily. So, instead of arguing more, he gave her a more firm push away from the door, closed it, and pressed his hand down on the button to sever the docking procedure. The transporter fell away slowly, and he turned and took off down the hallway.

Where are they?

He heard the sound of gunfire. That, he figured, was the best way to find them- follow the gunshots. He was too late to warn them, but hopefully not too late to help.

He turned a few corners before he finally saw the situation- Mal, Zoe, and Jayne held up in a room full of computers, hiding behind equipment between shots. The soldiers were being very careful not to hit the electronics when they fired; the stuff must've been quite important.

Mal stood up to fire, and one of the soldiers off to the side lifted his gun and took aim. Without thinking, Simon reached for the gun in his own belt, lifted it, and fired in the soldier's general direction, the kick of the gun cutting into his thumb. The shot hit the guy in the arm, knocking him down, and Mal's eyes widened when he saw Simon standing behind the line of Alliance soldiers.

Jayne started shooting again and Simon jumped aside, hiding around the corner again as gunfire ricocheted off every surface. Soon enough, though, the gunfire fell completely silent, and Simon looked around the corner to see every guard down.

"Simon, what in the gorramn hell…" Mal started as Simon stepped over the bodies to get into the room.

"I heard their bulletin on the radio. I was coming to warn you," Simon explained. "I was…a little too late, I guess."

"Saved my life, good enough for me," Mal said, and then he heard footsteps in the hallway. "Let's find a way out, people. We got what we came for."

Gunfire again. Mal yanked Simon down behind a desk as the bullets hit the metal around them.

"Stay down, Simon. Don't you move an inch," he ordered, and then he raised up long enough to get off a few shots and duck down again. From Simon's position, he could see where Jayne had taken cover, a desk further toward the door and lower.

He winced as bullets the desk he was hiding behind, but Mal didn't flinch. He only waited a few moments, and then returned fire. Simon heard a cry of pain from Jayne, and then the gunfire once again ceased.

"I have to go help him," Simon said, trying to see Jayne, who'd fallen.

"Stay put, it may not be over," Mal said, looking over the top of the desk.

"And he may be dying," Simon hissed, and then he stood up to go to Jayne's assistance.

He didn't have any time to react between the sound of the bullet leaving the gun and when it felt like a sledgehammer hit him in the chest. He stumbled back against a row of computers, at first not sure what had happened- and then he brought his hand to his chest, and it came away soaked in blood.

There was no pain at first. Just shock. But when the pain came, Simon was gasping, sliding down to the floor, his entire body shaking.

He heard someone scream his name, more gunfire, but it was all fuzzy. Didn't matter. Just voices now, like River's voices, saying everything all at once and not making a bit of gorramn sense.

"Simon? Simon, you hang in there, you hear me? That's an order."

Something suddenly pressed down on his chest and a scream tore from Simon's lips, and he blinked a few times to see Mal over him. He shuddered, practically convulsing in the pain, able to taste the blood in his mouth and throat.

Massive hemothorax…cardiac tamponade…so many…but I can't…

"Ssh, Simon, don't try to talk," a female voice said. Zoe.

"But…I-I wasn't…"

"Save your strength."

It's bad.

"River. You n-need…to…she'll…"

The pressure on his chest increased, though the pain was fading fast. "Don't you say that, Simon, you're gonna be there to watch your sister. Hell, I think you're the only one who can understand what she's sayin' half the time anyway."

Beyond that, Simon didn't understand anything else. He was cold, so cold, and he couldn't make sense of anything. His neurons fired random impulses, memories…in the throes of death, probably.

Ran all this way to die with a bullet in your chest.

"We have to get out of here, sir. There'll be more coming," Jayne said, standing guard near the door, his shoulder bleeding from a bullet graze. Mal nodded, watching as Simon slipped away, now unconscious. He picked up the young doctor as gently as he could, trying to keep pressure on the wound at the same time.

"Back to the transporter. They don't know which one we came in on," he ordered, his voice hoarse. They started walking back toward the shuttle.

"He needs a doctor right now, Mal. He's going to bleed out on us."

"You think I don't know that?"

"I know you know that. Serenity has no other doctor, and he can't fix that himself."

"What the hell would you suggest then? An Alliance doctor who'll rip out that chip and leave him for dead?" Mal snapped, holding Simon closer to him.

Zoe shook her head. "I have an idea. You'll hate it, but there's no Alliance involved and it may save him."

All it took for Mal were the words 'it may save him'. "Let's do that then."