In Sickness

"Have to run. Got to run. Can't hide. They'll find you if you hide. Have to run. . ."

Kaylee bit her lip and wrung her hands as she watched River's head toss, her sweat-stained brown hair sticking to her forehead. The young girl had taken ill after Mal had brought her back from the storm. She had seemed fine when she was taken to bed, but when Simon had checked in on her in the morning, she had been spouting gibberish and twisting and turning in a fever-dream. She had settled since then, but she had still gotten the crew worried—even if a few of them weren't going to admit it.

Simon was sitting on a stool beside River's bed, occasionally reaching out with a cool rag to mop up the beads of sweat that sprung up on his sister's face. Kaylee had half-expected him to do some special doctor method of helping River when she had taken sick, but so far all Simon had done was give River a shot of something and make sure she was tightly wrapped in her blankets. It was remarkably similar to what Kaylee's mother had done for her and her siblings when she took in sick, but Kaylee was reassured nonetheless.

"Come with false smiles and candied words. Don't believe them. They lie!"

Kaylee's frown deepened and she bit down on her nail even harder. She hated feeling helpless; there wasn't anything she could do to help River.

She turned in place and looked over her shoulder as the sound of heavy footsteps stopped outside the door to River's room. Jayne was leaning against the doorframe with a packet of protein chips in one hand. He was peering inside like the entire scene in front of him was some kind of show.

"She's really off her rocker." The mercenary said as he raised a protein chip to his mouth. He always had a flair for pointing out the obvious.

Kaylee folder hers arms and directed the full-force of her gaze towards Jayne. "You can come inside, y'know."

"And risk catchin' sick?" Jayne scoffed and another chip disappeared into his mouth. "I'm fine out here."

"She isn't contagious." Simon said as he leaned over River and adjusted her blankets. River muttered something under her breath, but Kaylee couldn't hear what it was. Simon didn't appear any more concerned than he already was.

"Even so, I don't get sick 'less I can't help it. I ain't been sick in years now." Jayne tapped his chest proudly as though he had just announced . . . actually, Kaylee didn't know anything else that Jayne would seem prouder about.

"That's quite an achievement." Simon rolled his eyes and dabbed the rag across River's brow. "Shouldn't you be with the captain? I thought he needed an extra gun hand."

Jayne shifted his feet. "The situation's delicate. Didn't want the guy intimidated."

"Which is why Zoë's gone too; makin' sure the capt'n don't put his foot in his mouth." Kaylee finished, a small grin forming on her face. She had seen the weedy-like client when he came to employ Serenity's services. He made Wash look as bulky as Jayne in comparison.

"Step on the bug—the bug will die. Please, no!" River thrashed around on her bed before Simon quickly settled her. "Step carefully in their special place. . ." River's words softened to shallow mutters, but her body still shook beneath the covers.

Kaylee looked at River, concerned hollowing out a hole in her stomach. Her smile faded and she bit her lip again.

"That mean anythin' to anyone?" Jayne's words were followed by a resounding crunch of protein chips.

"They're fever dreams. She can't help it." Simon smoothed back River's hair as he spoke.

"Wait in the shadows, spring when you're near. They get you. They always get you." River muttered, as if mocking Simon's reassurances. Her voice sounded a lot weaker, like it took all her strength just to mutter those words.

"That's unsettlin'." Jayne said, but his words fell on deaf ears as Kaylee stepped closer to Simon and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"She's gettin' worse, ain't she?" she looked down at River and her heart almost broke seeing the girl shaking weakly under the covers.

"Her temperature's worse." Simon said softly. "Usually I wouldn't worry, but space isn't the best environment for someone who's sick. I was hoping the worse would be over by the time we left here, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen."

"Ain't there anythin' we can do?"

Simon shrugged his shoulders and looked up at Kaylee. "There's a drug called Herovatte. It bolsters the body's natural chemistry and aids it in fighting off an infection. In the core it's quite common, and you should be able to buy it somewhere on this moon."

"So this drug . . . Herovatte . . . if we can get our hands on it, River'll get better." Kaylee felt a surge of hope enter her body—in fact she felt better than she had all day.

"It should. . ." Simon trailed off and his eyes widened slightly. "You're not going to . . .?"

"If it'll help River, then o'course I'm gonna do this." Kaylee took her hand off Simon's shoulder and all but bounced to the doorway. She looked up at the mercenary as she walked past. "You comin', Jayne?"

"On a venture full'a bravery, darin', gunplay and sexin'?" The sarcasm in Jayne's voice wasn't lost on Kaylee. "I got better things to do."

"Fine." Kaylee put a note of disapproval in her tone, making sure that Jayne knew she was unhappy with him and walked through the guest quarters and past the infirmary. She was going to find that drug, if it was the last thing she did!

If this were any other day, Kaylee may have been captivated by the dome-shaped houses and surprisingly green scenery on this little semi-core moon. The sun was shining hot and bright, but in the distance she could see dark grey clouds gathering over one of the moon's copious mountain ranges. If it wasn't for the furious, long-lasting storms, this moon would be a little place of paradise.

It hadn't taken her long to find the client's dome-home Mal and Zoë were paying a visit to—in fact it was rather hard to miss. The client had said it was the one halfway over the creek. Kaylee had walked along the so-called creek on her way here and if they called that rapid-moving, massive torrent of water a creek, she wondered what they considered a river.

The front door to the client's dome-home was just opening as Kaylee came to a stop near the narrow walkway that extended over the "creek" towards the dome-home. Mal came out first carrying one of those concealed and shielded cages used to transport small animals. Zoë emerged from the house after him, quickly followed by the thin and definitely nervous-looking client.

She couldn't hear what they were saying, but something out of Mal's mouth made the client wring his hands even harder than he was previously and quickly retreat back inside.

Kaylee almost cringed herself when Mal turned away from the dome-home's front door and suddenly froze as his eyes fell on her. She raised her hand and waved weakly, but remained where she was. Zoë had noticed her too, but appeared to have taken the whole thing in her stride.

It wasn't long before Mal and Zoë were crossing the walkway towards her. Mal's eyes never left Kaylee.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Mal exclaimed, shaking his head as he drew up in front of her. "I told you to stay with the ship; I have a clear memory of it. We don't know when the Alliance'll come a'callin', and I can't have my crew wandering about when we have to leave."

"River's sick." Kaylee said quickly, looking to Zoë for support, the older woman was standing beside Mal with her hands firmly behind her back, her face expressionless.

"I remember the vomit," Mal replied just as fast. "Doesn't explain why you're waitin' all the way out here."

"She's gettin' worse. Simon said a drug called Herovatte'll help her get better. Y'know space isn't the best for sick people, cap'n."

"How much worse is she?" Kaylee almost jumped for joy as soon as she heard Zoë's voice. She was one of the crew who had little inhibitions about challenging the captain, but it was always easier with a helping hand.

"Her fever's worse and she keeps talking all muddled." Kaylee ignored Mal's question about how was that any different from normal and continued, "Simon's worried. He puts on a brave face, but I can see it."

"Sounds like you don't have a choice, sir." Zoë said, the corners of her lips quirking as Mal's facial expression rapidly changed between anger, irritation, amusement and reluctance. "Let me take the . . . thing and you and Kaylee go look 'round town."

Mal opened his mouth to protest as Zoë took the cage from him, but wisely decided not to press the issue. He turned to Kaylee and furrowed his brow seriously. "You stick close, hear? We'll look 'round town for an hour and one hour only. The moment Inara gets back, we're leaving. Hero-drug or no Hero-drug."

Kaylee nodded and smiled widely. "It's called 'Herovatte'."

"And no backchat, either." Mal added as he began to walk alongside the creek in the opposite direction of where Serenity had landed. "I've just made a deal with an overtly jumpy fellow and my patience is wearing thin."

Kaylee noticed Zoë's smile widen considerably as she began to walk in the opposite direction of Mal. It was like a huge weight had lifted from Kaylee's shoulders. She always felt better when Mal was doing something. He was a rare person indeed.

She waited only a moment before walking quickly after Mal.