Prompt #27- Caring

Oxygen deprivation could do strange things to a man, Jayne thought as he watched the overhead lights flicker. A man who was usually grounded could see all sorts of weird stuff when his brain hadn't gotten itself enough vital air.

Like seeing Mal haul his ass out of the airlock and drag him by one arm down the hall to the med bay.

Ain't no way Mal coulda picked him up, no matter how mad he was at him.

Like seeing Zoë peer over his body, her face worried and caring.

Zoë just plain didn't care about him and that was that.

Like feeling weightless and landing on something soft, realising he was in the med bay.

A guy as big as Jayne didn't float and Zoë'd sooner walk over him as help Mal carry him to the med bay

Like seeing Simon hurry into the medical bay, concern etched on his face as he ran professional hands over Jayne's face and shoulders, questioning a confused Mal.

"Jayne done locked himself in the airlock," he answered and Jayne knew he'd never do something as fool as that.

Simon's hands reached for his tools and Jayne wondered whether it was the lack of adequate breathing material that made him think Simon was being gentle with him because it was definitely his deprived state that made him think Mal's hand was gripping his shoulder in a friendly way.

Must have also been why Jayne saw Zoë come in with the O2 tank from storage and hook it up for him and why Kaylee's face appeared at the door, giving him a big smile.

"Just a small accident," Mal said and everyone gave him a sceptical look.

"I'll need to monitor his vitals," Simon was saying as Jayne decided that now was a good time to go to sleep, when he could imagine all these people cared about what happened to him. It was a nice dream and he'd be all kinds of sad when it faded.

"Yeah, I guess you will at that," Mal chewed on his lip. "Mayhap River can be of some use here. She can watch over him while you collect your Doctors bag from Kaylee's room, and no I don't wanna know why its there. You won't need to stay with him all night; I can look in on him now and then."

"Okay," Simon agreed. "I'll get River to be with Jayne for now."

Ain't no way Simon just agreed to let River stay with Jayne and ain't no way that Mal would agree to them being in the same room, much less alone.

Yup, thought Jayne as he slipped into sleep, oxygen deprivation made a man see and hear all kinds of things.