She Always did Love to Dance
PART 2
The shuttle docked and when the door swung open, Simon was waiting out on the catwalk. Mal had called back to the ship to say they wouldn't need a doctor, but something in his voice had made Simon's stomach drop. So he waited, Kaylee at his side.
Zoe stepped out first, briefly met his eyes, then looked away. She walked past and stopped behind him on the walks. Mal stepped out next, saw Simon and didn't look away. This was his duty as captain.
"Simon, there was an accident . . ."
Simon didn't hear anything else as a sharp ringing had begun in his ears. Then he saw Jayne step out of the shuttle, River's body limp and still, both of them covered in blood.
He heard Kaylee gasp and begin to sob behind him, he saw Jayne's face filled with pain, still red from crying, he felt Zoe's arms holding him back firmly, but he couldn't remember starting forward in the first place.
Mal was holding him back, too, his hands on Simon's shoulders. Mal's face was right in front of his. So why could Simon only see River?
"She's gone, she's been gone a while, hurting someone or hurting yourself isn't going to help, Simon . . . Simon? Simon, breathe!"
Oh right, that's what I'm forgetting to do, was Simon's last thought before he passed out.
Mal and Zoe scooped him up, "Jayne, let's go," and gave a pained look at Inara who, tears pouring down her own face, was holding on tightly to a sobbing Kaylee.
They went down the stairs, putting Simon down on the couch in the common room. Jayne walked into the infirmary and placed River on the bed. He walked over to the sink and filled a bowl with water, grabbed a few cloths and went back to the bed. He mechanically began to clean her up, as carefully as he cleaned his guns. Jayne worked his way over River's entire body, cleaning off every bit of dirt and blood that had stained her pale skin.
About halfway through Zoe walked in and placed a bundle on the edge of the bed. Jayne looked up to see River's favorite dress folded neatly with her hairbrush on top. He gave a tiny nod at Zoe and then returned to his self-appointed task.
Zoe checked on Simon who was still out and then went up to the mess, a tight smile crossing her face at the sight she saw there. Mal, Inara, and Kaylee were on the couch in the corner. Kaylee had cried herself to sleep, her head on Inara's lap. Inara's head rested on Mal's shoulder, his arm around her with his cheek resting on her hair.
Zoe passed by unnoticed and continued on to the bridge. Laying in a course for Haven, Zoe gently ran her hand over the spines of a plastic dinosaur, "Baby, we're bringing another angel to keep you boys company."
AN: This story is very cathartic for me and I wanted to get across the idea that everyone reacts very different to death. Please review so that I know I'm not just spewing therapeutic pseudo-fiction to make myself feel better, but legitimately putting out a story out of which other people can get something.