"He's not gettin' any better." There's no blame in Kaylee's voice, no accusation. She's simply making an observation.

Somehow, it makes Simon feel worse than if she were angry with him (not that she has it in her to be mad at him for this-none of them do).

Mal has had two more seizures in the last thirty-six hours, and he's been bleeding from the nose and the gums. He's in and out of consciousness, and has a persistent high fever that Simon has been struggling to keep down. Even when he's awake Mal is confused, delirious. A few times, he's called out names that Simon doesn't recognize (Zoe says they're from their war days).

Mostly, though, he talks to Wash, when he's awake enough to speak.

Hills Fever. It had taken Simon an embarrassingly long time to diagnose-though, in his defense, it's a disease that's been near-eradicated for the better part of a century. Simon's not sure how, exactly, but Mal must have contracted the virus when they'd stopped on Three Hills two weeks ago. Not that the diagnosis helps much. There's no known treatment for Hills Fever, so all Simon can do is treat the symptoms as they come until Mal recovers. Fluids, fever reducers, anti-seizure meds…All of them are present on the ship in limited quantities.

Mal doesn't have forever.

The others have been taking turns sitting by Mal's side in the tiny infirmary. They'd finally managed to get Zoe to take a break a few hours ago, and now Kaylee is here. She isn't her usual talkative self. Simon would be lying if he said he didn't want some of that sunshiney chatter right about now, but he doesn't blame her for not being in the mood.

"You ain't been sleeping much."

Simon runs his fingers through his hair, letting his hand rest on the back of his head, and he sighs.

"I'm afraid," Simon says. It isn't something that he would have admitted so readily in his early days on the Serenity, not even to Kaylee. Those walls have long since been lowered. "I couldn't bear it if he needed me and I wasn't here to help."

Kaylee nods and to his surprise, one corner of her mouth turns up in the ghost of a smile. "You realize you could get from bow to stern in about ten seconds, right? She's a good ship, but Serenity ain't exactly big. I'd come and get you if anything happened."

Simon manages to offer a small smile, despite his exhaustion and worry. "I know you would. I really think it's better if I stay here, though."

Kaylee looks like she's going to argue with him, but doesn't get the chance. Mal stirs, a low groan escaping him, and his eyes open. They have the same vacant glassiness that's haunted them these last few days, looking around but not really seeing.

"Cap'n?" Kaylee says softly, putting a hand on the man's wrist.

Mal groans again, brow pulling down into a frown. "'m sorry," he slurs. His gaze is fixed on a point past Kaylee's head. "Wash, 'm sorry…"

He slips back into unconsciousness as quickly as he'd left it. A thin trickle of blood leaks from the corner of one eye, rolling down his cheek like a crimson tear. Kaylee looks up at Simon in alarm.

"Simon?"

"I know, I see it," Simon says, grabbing a clean cloth to wipe away the trail of red.

"Is he gonna be like this much longer?"

"I don't know."

xxx

It's when Simon falls asleep standing the next day that Zoe finally pulls rank and forces him to go to his bunk for a few hours' sleep. He doesn't think he's going to be able to actually get any meaningful rest, but his head has barely hit the pillow before he's out.

xxx

"Doc!"

Simon jerks awake at the sound of Jayne's voice and he bolts upright, heart pounding. "Is he okay?"

Jayne's eyes are wide. "You best come quick. He just started shaking."

"Another seizure?"

"I think so," Jayne says. He sounds nervous.

Simon follows him to the infirmary at a near-run. Zoe is already there, standing next to Mal, and she looks up as Simon enters. Mal is shivering, and he's drenched in sweat. It takes a moment for Simon's frantic mind to settle as he realizes what's happening.

"It isn't a seizure," he says.

"It's not?" Jayne says. "Are you sure?"

Simon nods, and he could almost laugh with the relief that floods over him. "I'm positive. Look." He points at the monitor. "His fever's breaking."

"That's good," Zoe says slowly. "That's good, right?"

"Yes. Yes, that's very good. I think…" He takes a deep breath and feels some of the tension that's built up these last few days leave him. "I think he's going to be okay."

xxx

Mal blinks heavily, frowning when he sees Kaylee's worried face hovering over him.

"Hey, Cap," she says. "You in there?"

"I'm here," Mal says, voice scratchy. Simon is at his side in a flash, fussing over him. Mal largely ignores him, instead shifting his focus to where Zoe and Jayne stand in deep discussion. "What're you two talkin' about without me?"

Zoe looks up and smiles. "Good to see you awake, Cap'n. We were just discussing the best way to go about restocking our medical supplies. You nearly cleaned us out."

Mal blinks in confusion. "Did I?...What happened? I remember goin' to the bridge, and then…"

"That was four days ago," Simon says. "You've been very ill. Hills Fever. But you're past the worst of it, now."

"Hills Fever," Mal repeats slowly. "Huh. Never got the shot for that one. Family doc said I was allergic."

Simon lifts an eyebrow. "Well, that explains why you got sick. Are there any other allergies I should know about?"

"Don't think so…Gorram, I'm tired."

"Yes, well, you've been through a lot. You need rest."

"That sounds like a good idea," Mal says, closing his eyes. He quickly opens them again. "What about medical supplies?"

"We can figure that out later," Zoe says. "You should do as the doc says."

"You're not the boss of me," Mal mumbles. He looks around, scanning the room for the remainder of his crew. "Where's River?"

"She's on the bridge," Kaylee says. "I can go get her."

Mal shakes his head once. "No, no. Let her be…" He closes his eyes. He can't shake the feeling that someone is missing, but he doesn't get much time to dwell on it before he's fast asleep.

xxx end