------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's Mal stomping past the infirmary screaming, "Jayne, you hurt my government trained psychic assassin, I will end you! I'm gonna need her help to land this boat tomorrow and keep the both of us from gettin' shot at!", that finally gets Simon's feet moving.
The two men have almost made it to the cargo bay door when River comes running over the threshold. She almost smacks right into them but manages to pirouette around their prone forms a bare second before impact and runs up the stairs towards the kitchen.
"River?" Simon asks tentatively as he watches her race away. He is still gaping after her when he feels Mal grab his sleeve and pull him roughly away just as Jayne bounds into the room and through the spot that the young surgeon had just vacated.
The hired gun is half way up the stairs before he turns around unexpectedly and jumps back down, 'I'm gonna cut 'er off at tha pass.' he thinks, an unholy smirk on his face, as he runs back into the cargo bay. Mal follows after him screaming the big man's name. Jayne is on the catwalk before the captain's yelling registers and he stops to throw a pleading look over the railing.
"Aw, Mal, she's gonna get away."
"Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng! Ain't like there's anywhere she can go! Now, get your pigu down here and explain to me why you are chasin' that skinny little thing all over my ship."
"Girl said sumthin' 'bout how she gets ta be tha Alpha dog cuz'n she's the toughest an' I'm aimin' to prove her wrong. Can I go now?"
"So you can beat-up my mei mei?!" Simon squeaks from the doorway.
"Your sister took out a whole army a reavers. I'm sure she can handle one mean ol' merc." Mal looks towards the new voice and is almost floored by the smile on his first mate's lips. He was sure that it had perished with Wash.
Jayne takes advantage of the captain's distraction and runs for it, pausing only long enough to yell, "She comes back this way, you grab 'er, Mal."
Mal is ready to yell at his retreating form and demand he come back, but Zoë stops him. "They're just playing, sir. Leave 'em be."
Mal gapes at her for a moment. "Your pregnancy is making you all sorts a tolerant, Zoë."
"I imagine it is, sir." her smile grows just a bit.
"When am I gonna have my first mate back?"
"The doctor says five months, sir."
"Five! Five?! Ain't she due to pop in three, Doc?"
"Well...Yes, but she's going to need some time to recuperate." Simon says, scratching the back of his head and staring after the mercenary.
"She's just havin' a baby. What's there to recover from? Ain't womenfolk been havin' babies since the beginning of time?"
"I'd like to see you try it, sir." Zoë smirks.
"Well...I can't."
"Actually, you could." Simon says absently, "Um...There is some incredible research being done with transsexuals involving gene restructuring and cloned organs..." The doctor begins to explain when he notices Zoë and the captain eyeing him.