24) Between The Noise You Hear, And The Sounds You Like
"That was a level of awkward I'm not lookin' forward to experiencin' again," Zoë commented as they walked up to the bridge.
"You're lucky you ain't experienced it before," Mal shook his head. He'd just keep to himself exactly how much he appreciated the sound of Carolyn's moans. That was not the sort of information anyone but him (and maybe Carolyn in some distant happy future) needed to know. And it for certain wouldn't help him concentrate on the issue at hand.
"I vote we send Kaylee or Jack, or even River to let Rick and Carolyn know about meals from now on," Zoë suggested. This was the first time she'd overheard those two in bed. But he'd had that sort of uncomfortableness once before and he was not keen to repeat it. Hadn't planned on it this time truthfully, just felt like walking down with Zoë.
"Well for sure I ain't doin' it again," Mal agreed and glanced at his oldest friend. They had about half an hour before dinner, time enough for what he wanted to discuss, or at least discuss what he wanted to discuss over the meal. She was closin' in on four months of being pregnant and it was about time they started to make some plans.
"Whatever you want to say sir, I'd appreciate you coming out and saying it," That even tone could mean anything with Zoë and damn near did.
"Right," Mal sighed. "It ain't escaped my notice that your belly is growing."
"I should hope not, considerin' the circumstances," She raised an eyebrow at him.
Mal shook his head and blessed whatever angel had whispered in the Operative's ear and suggested Serenity's hurt be patched up and quickly. When they'd picked Rick, Carolyn and Jack up on Paquin it had been their maiden voyage out of White Sun. Jayne had only left two weeks before and Zoë had only been about six weeks along. She'd barely been pregnant when they lost Wash.
Simon had very quietly and firmly told Mal that it was a gorram miracle that Zoë had stayed pregnant considering the wounds she'd taken. He'd said in no uncertain terms that if Zoë lost the baby, it was very likely that they would lose Zoë as well. Mal had no intention of letting that happen.
"I wanted to talk about somethin' that we all should be discussin' at dinner," Mal explained as they walked down the hall to the bridge. He shut the door and automatically checked their course before he sat and looked at Zoë. "Before that though, I wanted to ask you if you've noticed anything different about River in the last month or so?" The only good thing about knowing where Carolyn and Rick were and what they were doing was they wouldn't be coming onto the bridge and overhearing this discussion.
"Noo…" He liked that Zoë actually gave thought to her answers before she spoke. The slow considerate way she dragged out the word indicated she was reviewing the girl's behavior once more. "No, other than teaching Jack and giggling some when she and Rick talk. He flirts with her like it's some sort of competitive sport and she seems to enjoy it."
"Yeah," Mal rubbed his chin. "She ain't seemin' more absentminded to you?"
"River," Zoë's tone gave incredulous new meaning. "That girl doesn't forget anything. The way Simon tells it she can't. She remembers everything. It's just how her brain works."
"She's been losin' things," Oh he didn't like this one bit. If his little mind reading genius was having troubles again, he wasn't sure what they'd do this time. "Damn near burnt dinner a day or two ago. The burner was turned up full instead of low."
"Sir, River don't make mistakes like that," His oldest friend shook her head. "She never has. Even when she took a knife to Jayne it was on purpose."
"That's what worries me," Mal admitted. "She's been doing so well. I'm wondering if something else is bubbling up in her brainpan and throwing her off."
"Simon would notice," Zoë reminded him. "And you know he'd say something if there was a problem."
"Simon has a history of keeping things to himself when they're better off shared," Mal recalled a few things taking him by surprise that he'd have been happier bein' warned of.
"This isn't like hiding that his sister has triggers or that he was the one who broke her out of the academy," Zoë shook her head again. "He knows that if there's trouble, we face it together."
"Yeah," Mal sighed. "I guess all we can do is keep an eye on things."
She shrugged, "What was the other thing you wanted to talk about talking about?"
"Wha- Oh, yeah," He took a breath. "Simon's already said you're to be takin' it easy."
"And I have been. Sometimes feel like moss'll grow on me I'm takin' it so easy these days," Now both of Zoë's eyebrows went up.
"Ain't sayin' you weren't," He held up his hands in the traditional 'I surrender' position. Last thing he wanted was for her to get annoyed. "But there's gonna come a time it won't be easy for you to climb up and down that ladder. When the baby's born we can rig a basket and pulley system but that'll be a ways down the line I'm thinkin'."
"What're you suggesting," He hated that almost defeated look of resignation on her face.
"I wanna talk about this at dinner, get ideas, Simon's input, see how we can make this easier on you." Mal spat that out quickly, "You're my right-hand Zoë. I'd sooner cut off my arm than have somethin' happen to you and the baby. We've got a mechanical genius, a genius doctor and a genius witch assassin type. Plus the rest of us. Maybe we come up with some ideas for work that don't put too much strain on you."
"That sounds…like a good idea," She admitted quietly.
Well, that was something at least. He'd hate to have to go around behind her back and discuss this. It'd feel wrong and then implementing any ideas would be twice as problematic.
River gave him a look when he and Zoë came into the galley. "He is nearly late," She commented, and he could almost hear her irritation sizzling through the air like lightning.
"We ain't though," Mal reminded her genially. How'n the hell was he supposed to say 'hey little genius Albatross, is your brainpan boiling over or is something else going on' without even talking it over with Zoë as to whether or not he should bring the subject up at all.
"River," Carolyn was holding a book as she came through the aft door, Rick following her like a huge dangerous shadow. "Found this on the steps. Rick says you were reading it the other day?"
The dark-haired girl grinned, "Yes! Xiè xie, I wanted to finish it soon."
Carolyn simply smiled and put it next to River's place, "You'll have to let me know if you like it. I haven't read that one."
Rick frowned as he took his seat, "Where's Jack?" He looked around for the girl only for her to nearly crash into Mal's back as he pulled out his chair.
"I'd say we found her," Mal shook his head. "Inara comin' for dinner or no?" He looked at Kaylee as his mechanic took her seat next to Simon. Jack slipped into a chair on Rick's other side, forcing River to move down one place, taking her book with her.
"She was lookin' forward to it earlier," Kaylee beamed at Simon as he stood to help her with her chair and kissed his cheek when he seated himself again.
"I'm right here Mal," Inara's somehow sultry and elegant voice flowed through the air like rice wine. She stood for a moment, and it occurred to Mal that Inara always paused after she entered a room, as if to let everyone admire her for a moment before she continued moving forward. Not that there wasn't a lot to admire but he was starting to notice that a lot of Inara's ways were contrived to make her the center of attention. He guessed that was just a Companion's way.
"Oh good," Mal gave her the same smile he'd given River. "Wouldn't want you to miss out on one of Kaylee or River's meals." He watched as she took a seat at Kaylee's side, kissing the mechanic's head as she sat down. Inara had her good points and her affection for Kaylee was one of the best.
He waited until they'd all been served something River called spaghetti and meatballs. He didn't know how she'd done it but somehow, she'd found (or made, anything was possible) pasta. A tomato type sauce that tasted better than any tomato Mal had ever put in his mouth. And balls of ground meat (maybe? Again, anything was possible) the size of her fist that tasted better than anything made of rainbow protein should taste.
The first fifteen minutes of the meal were occupied with everyone filling their bellies with gusto and mumbling how good it was. Rick watched Simon, Inara and River intently as they ate and nodded after a moment, imitating them as they twirled the pasta around their forks into little cylinders of delicious noodle and sauce, punctuated with a piece of the meatball to hold the whole thing on. Sooner rather than later Kaylee was laughingly doing the same. Carolyn chuckled, shaking her head but gave it a try, so of course Mal had to make the attempt as well. Zoë grinned and shook her head, making the attempt before she discarded the fork for her chopsticks. Jack did the same despite Carolyn and Rick's example.
When they were all on more leisurely second helpings, and River had assured them that she'd made a lot so they could have leftovers for lunch tomorrow, Mal took a sip of his tea and regarded his assembled crew (and Companion). "Now that we're all ready to converse as well as eat, got somethin' we're needin' to discuss."
Thankfully his crew gave him their attention, and Inara looked at him with that polite way she had. He always got the impression that she didn't usually find much of what he said worth listening to, despite her expression of courteous interest.
"Ya'll might've noticed Zoë's in the family way," He began.
"Yeah," Kaylee beamed at Zoë and Carolyn smiled. River's expression seemed to eclipse them both, dark eyes tender and her mouth curved in one of her sweetest smiles.
"We really couldn't miss it," Jack commented. "What with the turnin' pale an' all."
"Won't be easy getting in and out of your bunk when you're nine months along," Rick added cutting right to the heart of the matter.
"Exactly," Mal agreed. "In order to make this as safe and easy as possible on Zoë, I want for us to throw some ideas around, see what we can do."
"Kaylee and I have been working on a portable cortex, a dedicated sourcebox," River glanced at her friend/sister-in-law (almost).
"It's almost ready, so Zoë can do work from anywhere, even if she needs to lie down," Kaylee added. "River an' me've just been workin' to make it lighter."
"We get some hinges and pipe or wood, can make a foldin' table, use it as a meal tray or for the cortex," Rick suggested.
"We could also take one of the walls down in the passenger quarters, make a larger room for Zoë and the baby," Carolyn suggested thoughtfully. "Until you were at the point where you could go up and down that ladder again."
River and Kaylee exchanged looks and Kaylee tilted her head thoughtfully while River nodded. The whole thing would be a lot more impressive if Mal didn't know River was psychic. "We could make a little elevator," River suggested. "To go up and down with the baby to your bunk."
"All we'd need are some lockin' pulleys, some cable an' a basket," Kaylee agreed.
"Biggest question is where's Zoë gonna be most comfortable, best able to move around," Rick's voice skewed towards thoughtful as he wound more noodles around his fork. "Don't do any good to set her up in the passenger quarters if she's gotta be on the bridge constantly."
"So, let's put some thought into that," Mal suggested. "This ain't gonna be solved tonight, but its somethin' I want us all to keep in mind."
"I'll look into the types of activities that could become problematic as the pregnancy progresses," Simon's calm when dealing with any medical problem or emergency had never been more welcome.
Mal nodded, with what he was sure was a relieved smile on his face, "That's a load off my mind Doc."
Author's Note: Soo…just a little bit of awkward for Mal and Zoë. That seemed likely, considering that fully half of the crew is sexually active. And just a little thought on how to prepare for the future.
Chinese Translations:
Xiè xie (to thank / thanks / thank you)
