Spin Me 'Round, Carry Me Down... Part 5: ~ LUXURY ~

Sometime early the next day, Kaylee was positively blissful luxuriating in a hot bath just inside the hatch of the shuttle. River had somehow managed to rig a heating element for the water and connect it into the shuttle's damaged systems. Ingenious, really, she mused happily.

She opened her eyes and glanced over River's way. The other girl was sitting on a small crate, legs pulled up, arms crossed on her knees, chin resting titled to the side a little on her crossed arms. The girl was just looking at her with a lazy sort of peaceful and satisfied look on her face. The proud maker admiring her handiworks, Kaylee guessed, understanding the feeling well and kind of liking seeing that look on her friend's face for some reason. Probably the relatable reason again.

Kaylee closed her eyes once more and lay back, a small hum of contentment leaving her lips.

River had insisted Kaylee be the first to get a bath, even though Kaylee could tell River was secretly longing for one also. River's standing order was for her to just let herself soak in the tub for a while after getting in. To loosen up her sore muscles before washing and to help in the healing as well, she'd told her in so many words. And Kaylee had to admit, it was very much doing the trick. She felt yards better for the relaxing soak. The water's soothing heat seeming to penetrate her skin down to her bones and relax her. She felt downright lackadaisical in fact.

It was some moments later that she heard a soft shuffling motion and felt River's lithe fingers touch her forehead and move aside a bit of her hair. Kaylee opened her eyes and saw River's dark brown eyes looking to hers from the side of the tub she'd made. "No falling asleep." River admonished softly.

Kaylee laughed. "Aye, aye, Captain River."

"A captain without a ship is no captain at all, according to conventional maritime wisdom." River pointed out is a soft and lackadaisical voice, gently smoothing her hand through Kaylee's hair again.

"Says the girl sitting in a ship." Kaylee joked.

"Not mine." River denied. "Ours now. Until Inara gets back."

Kaylee was silent, the reminder of their absent friend, likely lost to Reavers, putting a damper on her mood some.

"Don't be sad?" River asked softly.

Kaylee made an effort to smile for her. "I'll try not to be."

"Tired and true, that's the crew of the Serenity.'' River smiled a small smile back.

Kaylee laughed in spite of herself. "You say the darnedest things you do... But you always seem to know how to make me smile, don't you?" Kaylee asked back with a growing affection and appreciation.

"It's not hard." River pointed out. "Serenity told me the first time we met, there's a treasure of smiles inside you Kaywinnet Lee Frye. You give them away too easy, that's why there are so many." River traced her fingers down the one of Kaylee's cheeks lightly, before withdrawing her hand and blinking.

Kaylee felt a shiver of something go through her at the touch. "Got a way with words too, I see." Kaylee said a little uncomfortably, feeling self-conscious for some reason.

River smiled at her. "I made you nervous." She said it like she'd uncovered a secret and was happy about it.

"I'll make you something, you don't cut it out." Kaylee said back jokingly.

"Promises, promises." River brushed it off and raised herself up on her knees. "I need to wash you now, and I should start with your hair. You were smelly." She informed her, retrieving one of Inara's specialty soaps to start the task.

And suddenly, Kaylee was nervous again, but she quickly shook herself out of it and told herself she was being sideways. River's hands were running shampoo into her hair and massaging her scalp with a caring that was almost sensual. Kaylee couldn't help herself, it felt just so blissful. Even better than when Inara had helped her with it that one time before this big to-do they'd went to. "Your hands are magic." She complemented River dreamily.

River didn't reply, apparently too absorbed in her task.

The back washing went real nice too, but it got a little awkward again when River had to wash her legs and such. Kaylee had just decided to close her eyes and try not to shiver so much at River's sure and gentle touch. She was, at current, trying to think of other things, like ways to maybe repairs the shuttle once she was up and able again. Not that River had said there was much chance of that. Her crewmate had described the problems with the shuttle to her in fact, and Kaylee had been forced to admit that it sounded pretty gorram grim without the necessary replacement parts and such. Still an all, Kaylee though, it wouldn't hurt to crawl inside it and have a second look, now would it? Not that they'd be able to leave Opal with only a shuttle of course, they weren't meant for extended space travel after all. But if they had to go anywheres, like back to the city for supplies or such, or if (all heavens forefend) the Reavers came back for some reason, it could come in real handy to be more moveable than only a pair of legs would allow.

It was in the midst of these thoughts that Kaylee realized she smelled something, and it was a something her mind instantly put a label to too. "Ohmygosh." She spoke in a little of a hushed voice, her eyes flying open. "River, the ship's burning!" She exclaimed, sitting up straighter.

River looked up from washing Kaylee's feet and looked around, sniffing the air. "You're right." She confirmed, letting go of Kaylee's foot and getting up to look around, apparently trying to sniff out sign of where the burning smell was coming from.

Kaylee made to try to get out of the tub, making sounds of straining when it hurt and ached to try moving like that without her ribs being bound up tight like they usually were. "River, help me up." She asked.

"Stay there." River instructed distractedly, having found a fire suppressor canister. "The demons have nested in our house." She narrowed her eyes and got to all fours in the corner of the room where a hatch was located. She sat back on her knees and opened the hatch, sliding her body down into it, despite the small amounts of smoke coming up from it.

"River!" Kaylee cried, watching the hatch with increasing worry. She was swearing at herself inside for being so useless as she was and praying to whomsoever would listen that River would be alright. A fire, any fire, aboard ship was nothing to laugh away after all. They had a way of getting out of hand when you least expected it sometimes. Flames hit the wrong system? Burned the wrong active component? Fwoosh! The air could catch fire down there. Ship could even blow up if it caught the engines or the fuel wrong...

She heard coughs and saw River emerge from down below before long though, face and arms dirty looking. She hoisted herself out and lay over on her back. "Kaylee?" She asked blankly.

"Yeah?" Kaylee replied.

"I think I need a bath." She lamented.

Kaylee laughed, the relief rushing through her making it even more funny to her than it really was.

to be continued

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