4. Silence isn't golden. If it's too quiet then trouble will ensue.
Wash propped his feet up on the console. His doing nothing was making him tired. He listened to the kids monitor and everything was quiet. Almost eerily quiet, but Wash shrugged it off. Soon he drifted off to sleep.
"Wash." Zoë called.
"Yes, wife." He said lazily as he stretched to wake up.
"Where the kids?"
Wash turned around to face his wife who was standing in the doorway of the bridge. "In their rooms taking a nap."
Zoë looked worried.
"What's that face all about?"
"Wash if I was resting, you were sleeping…."
Wash cut her off. "I wasn't sleeping. I thought I had something on the inside of my eyelids and I was just checking it out, to make sure. Can't fly the ship if I can't see." He tapped his finger to his forehead. "I was thinking of the crew's safety."
Zoë rolled her eyes.
"Nothing to worry about sweet-ums I got the monitor on. Listen… the sweet sound of quiet. The kids are fine."
Zoë looked at the monitor. "It's not on."
"What?" He examined the monitor and shook it a bit until a red light came on. "Oh." He said sheepishly. There was a crackling noise coming from the other end. "See static, kids are still sleeping. Nothing to worry about."
"Gorram girl!" Jayne bellowed. "I told you about coming in my buck, when I'm sleeping."
Zoë turned to face Jayne. "Whoa!" She stepped back. Zoë was forming a question but couldn't quite get it out.
"I don't want to talk about it." Jayne said rubbing his face.
Wash's face lit up when he saw Jayne. "You look enchanting. Big date?"
"Ha ha hi-lerious. Let's see how funny it is when I…" Jayne stopped his sentence when he saw Zoe's face.
"Jayne…I ain't finish making you pretty." Amina cried following Jayne up the latter. "Hi Momma Hi Poppa. I made Jayne pretty."
Wash and Zoë held on to each other to try not to laugh. "Princess, I have never seen Jayne look so handsome. All he needs is a feather boa and a tiara and he will be the prettiest man ever."
Amina beamed. Jayne stewed. "Stow it little man or I'll do some prettying up your face."
Wash wrapped his hands around Jayne. "Can't mess with perfect."
"Smell something burning?" Zoë asked.
"What are the boys doing?" Wash asked Amina.
"I dunno." Amina shrugged.
Wash grabbed Amina and followed Zoë and Jayne down the cargo bay. They stood at the top of steps. Mal and Kaylee were putting out a small fire while Mally and Gabe cheered them on.
"Can we do it again Goddaddy?!" Mally squealed.
"Pluhhhese! It was fun!" Gabe said.
"Everything alright Captain?"
Mal just looked up at Zoë and Wash.
5. Be specific. Leave no room for wiggle room.
"Honey, the boy does have a point." Wash said shaking his head. "You told him don't play with fire. You said nothing about blow torches."
Zoë looked at the melted toys on the floor, speechless.
6. If it's electric, sharp, shoots, prods, shakes, speaks, shiny, beeps, blinks, furry, pretty, shaves, sprays, glues, cuts, or child size keep it away if you value your life, limbs, and possessions.
Simon shoved some instruments around in a drawer. He scratched his head. "I thought I had it here?"
Zoë sat on the infirmary bed impatiently holding a make shift bandage on her arm. "Doc, you wanna hurry up? My wife is bleeding here." Wash said holding Zoe's hand.
Simon looked up. "I can't seem to find the electro weaver." He checked the other side of the room. "I was showing Shepherd Book how it worked." Simon stopped and looked at Wash and Zoë. "Mother of all flying blind ducks."
Wash covered his ears, "Doc! Language. Is that the type of bedside manner they taught you on that fancy core school?" He asked.
Zoë slightly smiled. "Problem Doctor?"
"Gabriel." Simon ran out the room. Zoë and Wash were close at his heels.
They walked in the triplets' room. Gabe had Mally on the bed. He was dressed up like Simon even wearing rubber gloves.
"Hold still Mally." Gabe commanded.
Zoë cleared her throat. The boys stopped and looked up. "Hi Momma." Gabe said sweetly. "I was just playing Doctor Simon with Mally." He smiled sweetly.
Wash motioned for Gabe to give him the electro weaver. He handed it over to Simon. "You know Doc you should keep track of your instruments."