Chapter 4

Inara ran as fast as she could to the engine room, searching for her mother but couldn't find her, so she turned around and ran to the bridge. Before entering, she stood and listened for clues that her parents were there.

"What do you mean by, 'she's sick'?" Inara heard her father say.

"She's been sick her whole life, she won't get better, she will only get control, for the most part. It's difficult for her to be around people, she's… unpredictable." was Ethan's reply.

"Is it contagious?" asked Kaylee.

"No, just dangerous," Inara heard Ethan say.

"Dangerous, how?" asked Mal.

At this point, Inara knew that they were talking about Velia and somehow believed that she wasn't what they were saying she was, so she ran inside and grabbed her father's pant leg and pulled, getting everyone's attention. She spoke shyly but confidently saying, "She's NOT dangerous, she's sweet and kind. She will get better, 'cause she told me she will. When she gets better, we'll play together, 'cause she's my friend."

"'Nara, what'd I tell you about entering the shuttle?" reprimanded Mal who was sitting down in Wash's chair.

"I did what you told me to do, I knocked." She explained, and turned to Ethan saying, "Why'd you say she can't be 'round people?"

"She… It's the sickness… it hurts her, when she's around people." answered Ethan.

"Why?" asked Inara.

"'Nara, let's go fix Serenity." urged Kaylee, hoping to keep her daughter far from the strangers, especially the sick one.

"Ok, mommy, but I wanna show daddy my new doll."

"What doll?" asked Mal.

"Velia gave it to me, she said that her name was Maddison and that she was magic." said Inara.

"What… what do you mean magic?" stuttered Mal, he felt sucker punched.

"If you're mad, sad, or scared, and you tell her, she'll help you feel better." said Inara as she sat in her father's lap.

"Can I look at her?" asked Mal with his hand stretched out for the doll. Inara gave it to him with an enormous smile on her face. Mal looked the doll over, the dress, the hair, the hands, and the face. It didn't seem familiar to him, but when he looked at the soles of the doll's feet, he felt his face flush. Written in a ten-year-old handwriting was the initials MR. He quickly rearranged his thoughts and handed the doll back to his daughter, he figured that he would have to speak with Velia about Maddison, and soon, before he had a heart attack. He watched his wife and daughter leave, and then shortly after Ethan left. He stayed alone with his thoughts as he waited for Wash.

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When Ethan entered the shuttle, he saw his wife in the process of fighting the urge to kill everyone on the ship. Just another day in the life of a husband, he thought. He slowly approached his wife and took her in his arms. "So what's this about you getting better and promising to play with the child?" he teased.

"I never promised anything."

"She thinks you did."

"Well then, I'm going to have to get better, if I'm going to keep that promise."

Ethan broke the hug to look his wife in the eyes, when he saw that she was serious, he took her hands in his but felt something moist. He turned her hands over to look at them and saw four bleeding crescent marks on the palms of both her hands. He smiled at the thought of her tightening her fists to protect the small little girl. He dragged her to a small bowl of water and washed away the blood. "What will happen if you never get better?"

"I don't know," was all that she managed before crying. "You didn't tell them who or what I was, did you?"

"No, just that you were sick."

"Why, I am not surprised," she joked, "Thank you."

"It's not my secret to tell." said Ethan as he pulled her in for a hug.

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When Wash entered the bridge, Mal left Wash and went to find his wife. When he entered the Engine Room, he saw his beloved wife under the engine with Inara playing with her new doll on the hammock. Kaylee was softly singing to both Serenity and Inara, as she so often did. He called, "Kaylee," and saw her jump and bang her head against the engine.

"Ouch," she said when she popped out from under Serenity's heart. Mal helped her up and kissed her hair while stifling a smile. Kaylee saw him trying not to laugh and said, "Go ahead, laugh, and see if I care. Next time you get scared, I'm not going to defend you."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. He looked at her face; she had smudges of grease on her cheeks, forehead, and nose. For many it would've repulsed them, but he thought it made her look innocent, sweet, and cute. He bent down and kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. When air became a necessity, they could hear Inara laughing at them. They took a seat on the hammock, one on each side of their daughter and watched as she played.

After what seemed like half an hour, Serenity shook a bit and in the room they heard twinkling of wind chimes ahead of them. When he looked, he realized that he hadn't noticed that Kaylee had hung his wind chime across the hammock. He smiled, reached over Inara, and took Kaylee's hand. When another 30 minutes passed, he stood up, stretched, and walked out the door to check on his crew.

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When Mal strolled past the Infirmary, he saw Simon delivering a dose of medicine into River. When they asked his permission to marry, he was shocked, but somewhere deep inside, he knew it was coming. He couldn't very well deny them the happiness that he found, so he accepted. He saw River's eyes water and streak her cheeks and watched Simon gently wipe away the tears and tenderly kiss her. At that he entered, interrupting them, "Simon, Ethan finished explaining to me why his wife won't join us during meals. He claims she's sick, and I'm gonna need you to verify her illness."

"Her sickness is unique, slowly eats away at her," said River before Simon had a chance to talk. "Two by two, hand of blue, get her, hurt her, and make her yours, Experiment: 3466534, failure." She stood but her legs faltered and she landed on the floor, "Doctor, how can we make more of her? Onto Experiment: 3466535." All at once Simon took River into his arms and cradled her head. He watched as her eyelashes fell on her cheeks, soon she was sleeping peacefully.

"The new medicine forces her to sleep for about an hour after application; it quickly reaches the bloodstream and dulls control of the extremities." Simon explained to the Captain, after about five minutes, Simon looked up to the Captain and said, "I'll check on Velia, make sure it's not… problematic."

"Thanks Doctor, you need help getting her on the bed or is she going to sleep on the floor?"

"Thanks, Captain, but I can manage."

"Very well." And the Captain left the couple to go check on his first mate and the pilot.