Mal slid the doors to the infirmary closed, leaving Serenity's unfortunate new "guest" in Simon's capable hands.

Guest, the Captain thought wearily, gorram stowaway if you ask me. Why is it they all find their way to this ship? The fugitives, the outcasts, mysterious preachers, troubled young women? He sighed heavily and rubbed his tired eyes. "It ain't never simple, is it?" He muttered to no one in particular.

"Captain?" Mal turned to face Kaylee and the rest of his crew. "Is she gonna be ok... I mean... she's not ok, I know that. But will she... heal," the mechanic stammered.

Mal looked closely at Kaylee before answering. She was pale, almost ghostly, and her eyes were wide from the horrors she had seen. Of course Kaylee would be feeling this more than the rest, Mal mused. All though the mechanic had seen her fair share of bloodshed during her tour of the black, cruelty for the sake of cruelty was some what new to her. Sure she had seen Mal when he was rescued from Niska's skyplex, and she had been terrified that Early would make good on his promises to her. But seeing it like this, up close and personal, and in a young woman so close to her own age no less, seemed to be reeking havoc on the poor girls thoughts.

"Simon seems to think so," Mal answered. "At least physically. She seemed calm enough, but we don't really know how stable she is, with what's been done to her."

Kaylee visible relaxed a bit and nodded. If Simon thought she would heal, she would heal. He knew what he was doing.

"Sir?" Mal turned towards his first mate, nodding slightly to encourage her to continue. "What are we going to do?"

He regarded her silently for a few moments. "The job. We're getting paid to do a job, we gotta make good."

Zoe looked taken aback by this answer. "Do you think that's wise sir?"

The Captain sighed heavily. "Don't know much about wise Zoe. But the way I figure it, best not to upset a man who's capable of doing... that" he pointed behind him towards the infirmary, "to one of his wives, by not delivering the cargo he's paying us to deliver. Besides, Jayne's right," the mercenary looked up, apparently surprised at being called right, "we don't know her. Don't know how much of her story is true. For all we know she did that to herself."

A soft clicking indicated Simon had joined them, shutting the infirmary doors behind him.

"There's no gorram way she did that to herself Mal, and you know it!" An irritated undertone laced Simon's words. "She wouldn't be capable of inflicting that much damage without passing out from the pain and blood loss. And pulling out her own intestines," he shook his head in disgust, "it's not possible."

Mal knew what he was doing. It was what he always did. Inara had accused him of as much before they parted the last time. Her words still echoed freshly in his head: "No, don't you dare Malcolm Reynolds!" She poked a finger sharply at his chest. "I won't let you make me the bad guy this time. It took both of us to get here, and making me the villain won't simplify anything!" Of course he had tried to blame it all on Inara, to ease the hurt. And he was doing it again by pretending to not see what was right in front of him. If he didn't see it, if he didn't believe her, he could dump her on the closest moon and not look back, not feel guilty. He rested his forehead slightly in one hand, rubbing his temple where a headache was beginning to brew.

"Fine," he said to Simon, "she couldn't have done that to herself. But that still don't mean what she says about Rawley is true. And even if it is true, who's to say she didn't deserve it...?" In an instant all eyes were on him and he knew he had gone too far in his need to simplify the situation.

"Do you really think that sort of malice is justifiable at all... sir?" Zoe's voice was quiet but dripping with disdain.

Mal had the decency to look embarrassed, but he wasn't giving up that easily. "It's not, not in any circumstance, I know that. I just... I'm trying to..."

"Trying to turn copper into gold." River's ethereal voice spoke for him. The Captain followed the voice to where River was standing, right in the middle of the crate they had found Josephine in. "It's not that simple," she said.

"It never is," he mumbled to himself, despite how much he wished it could be.

River climbed out of the crate and made her way towards the rest of the crew. "She speaks truths. Some in halves, but truths still."

"Are you sure?" Mal questioned the young reader, who's only response was to arch an eyebrow and wrinkle her mouth in audacity at his needing to ask.

"Fine," the Captain raised his hands in defeat. "We'll help her. I'm going to assume Rawley knows by now that she's gone. But he probably won't figure she would risk her life climbing in that crate. The best way to stay off his radar is finish the job, dong ma?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Good, we're in agreement."

Mal turned and walked towards the infirmary. He looked at the woman on the table, still unconscious. "I just hope you all know what were getting into," he spoke, his back to the others. They were all silent for a few short moments.

"Captain?" Mal turned to face Kaylee. "She didn't have anything with her, in the crate. Do you think we should see about getting some other clothes for her? The one's she's wearing are a mess. And Simon had to cut up her shirt."

He smiled slightly at Kaylee, she was too gorram kind for her own good. "I think that's a fine idea. Why don't you, Zoe and River see what you might be able to spare and get 'em together."

Kaylee nodded and made for her bunk, Zoe following quietly behind her. The mechanic stopped suddenly, causing Zoe to almost run right into her.

She turned back to the Captain. "I'll bet Inara left some things Jo could use, she wouldn't..."

"No!" Mal spoke a little too quickly and angrily at Kaylee's suggestion. Embarrassed, he added softly, "...she ain't here to ask." But Kaylee had gotten the message and left the room quickly.

He turned back to his pilot, frowning. "River, before you go looking through your things, find the closest civilized planet or moon." He looked at Simon. "We're gonna have to stop for medical supplies." The Doctor looked at his feet, blushing slightly for forgetting his duties. Turning back to River, Mal added, "and then set a course for Acorus. I'll be in my bunk." Mal followed Kaylee and Zoe to the crew quarters while River made her way up to the bridge and Simon went to check on his patient.

Only Jayne was left standing near the cargo bay, a frustrated expression on his large face.

"And what in the gorram am I'm supposed to do?"

Simon studied the whirring machinery in the infirmary. Everything seemed normal. He could here Jo breathing, slow and somewhat labored, but evenly nonetheless. Quietly he picked up her wrist and checked her pulse. A little fast, but not dangerous, he thought. He quickly checked the stitching he had done on her back and found it to be holding satisfactorily. He walked towards the doors, removing his gloves as he went. There was nothing more he could do for her until they had the medical supplies. At least then I'll be able to dope her up properly and she can get some real rest, he thought. Feeling a twinge of guilt at his earlier folly on Persephone, he left the infirmary, shutting the doors behind him.

He found himself walking absently in the familiar direction of Kaylee's bunk. The door was open, and he could hear her moving about below, but he called down to her before entering. "Kaylee? You in there?" The rustling noises stopped abruptly, but he didn't receive an answer right away.

"I'm here." Kaylee's voice was thick from tears already shed, and Simon hurried down the ladder to her.

He found her kneeling next to a box in the corner. A pair of old coveralls in one hand and a short dress in the other. She had been crying, Simon could see the tear stains on her cheeks from where she had hastily tried to wipe them away. The look on her face broke the Doctor's heart. She looked so lost and so afraid, and Simon knew instantly that he would do anything within his power to ensure she never looked like that again.

"Shenme shi?" He asked as he knelt in front of her

She looked at him with fresh tears in her eyes. "It's just, I don't have anything nice to give Josephine." She shook the coveralls angrily. "All I got is old work clothes with grease stains on 'em and," she shook the other fist that clutched the small dress, "and ugly old dresses that ain't fit for nobody, she deserves something better," Kaylee sobbed.

Simon reached forward and pulled her into his arms, stroking her back in slow circles as he let her cry. "Shhh, xin gan, I'm sure she'll appreciate anything you can give her as long as its clean. And I happen to like your 'ugly old dresses' you know."

Kaylee's sob turned into a small laugh as she slowly calmed down. They stayed that way, quietly kneeling in each others arms in the corner of her bunk for a few moments.

"Simon?" Kaylee spoke softly.

"Hmm?"

"How could someone do that?" Simon pulled her closer to him, kissing the top of her head.

"Wo bu zhidao... I just don't know," he answered truthfully.

"But what if..."

"Shhh, don't even say it," Simon interrupted her. "Don't even think it. Nothing like that will ever happen to you, do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I won't allow it."

Kaylee turned her eyes to meet Simon's. "You would protect me?"

Simon nodded and Kaylee reached out to run a finger down his cheek. "And I'll protect you," she started to smile, but it quickly became a frown as she thought of the young woman laying in the infirmary. "And Josephine?"

Simon nodded. "We'll protect her too."

Kaylee leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Simon's mouth in response.