Kaylee eats the grape ones first. She loves the slightly chewy, slightly crunchy texture of that first bite, the way the sugar tingles all over her tongue in sweet crystals. She'd separated the colors, and as she eats them she rearranges the remaining ones in bright designs on the chill white table.

She's taking her time with purple-number-seven when Wash wanders in, looking for a packet of tissues.

"Hiding your goodies from the rest of the crew, I see," he says, sternly. "You know, my mother always told me people who don't share their candy with the ship's pilot go to a special hell..."

It's not hard to draw him into the game, and soon he's constructed a fearsome stegosaurus on the table with the little moon-shaped tablets. Kaylee giggles and eats as Wash narrates the sugary dino's tale - but before it's done she's snarfed down the last purples, obliterating Sir Steg's spiky tail.

"Now, that's not fair," whines Wash. "I was just going to tell you how he lost his tail, but you beat me and now I've got nothing. It's hard being an artist, you know. You just destroyed a priceless -"

"WASH!" Mal's voice booms over the comm. "Are you gonna get up here and pilot or are we just gonna float through that approachin' cargo hauler? 'Cause I have a feelin' she's just as solid as she looks..."

"Comin' right up, captain," shouts Wash into the comm.

Wash feigns haughtiness as he leaves. He throws his head back and claims he has better dinos to play with.

Kaylee makes a bright sun out of the yellow, orange and red tablets, using the green ones to draw a smile in the middle. River drifts in - and who really knows why River drifts anywhere - and turns the design into a creeping crab. Kaylee laughs as she tries to pluck the green ones out of the heap and into her mouth as River deftly scuttles her creation around the table.

"Look, you've tossed a yellow one!" squeals Kaylee, tickling River to keep her from swiping the candy away once more.

"No, there were no mistakes," chimes River. "The crab was going to follow it down the side -"

"And how do you expect me to eat candy off the floor, missy?" chastises Kaylee playfully.

"They wouldn't have touched the ground," says River truthfully. "I had it all worked out."

"I hope you girls aren't ripping the place apart again," calls Inara from the door with a smile in her voice. "You know how the doctor feels about order in his infirmary."

Kaylee bites her bottom lip in consternation.

"Do you think he'd be mad?" she asks. "We'll clean it all up..."

Inara's smile broadens and she selects a tangy yellow tablet from the pile. "You'll have to find the other half of we first," she says, and that's when Kaylee realizes River has disappeared again. Inara chews on her treat - she's still graceful when she's eating candy! Kaylee thinks.

"What are you doin' 'round here anyway, Inara?" Kaylee asks, offering Inara more sweets. Inara declines with a gracious grin.

"I was just going to have a word with the captain about his habit of comm'ing the entire ship instead of walking three steps to find a person. I was interviewing a potential client when he interrupted us."

"Ooh, was he handsome?"

"As much as the next one," Inara confides. "I have to admit, I've been reviewing so many applications lately they've started to blur together. I can't seem to find one that - strikes me, in a constructive way."

Kaylee twinkles.

"Well, I'd hope none o' them strikes you," she quips. "The captain'd heap a whole lot o' trouble on him if he does."

"Don't worry," Inara replies. "Most of my applicants are above that." She is about to glide away she she returns suddenly to finally accept a second treat.

"These are very good!" she exclaims. "Where did you find them?"

"Oh, just around. Take the yellows, I don't like them."

Inara lets Kaylee scoop the yellow tablets - and the orange ones, for good measure - into a small plastic sack which Inara secrets into a hidden fold of her gown before departing.

Kaylee grins. The only color left is red - strawberry. The first one is nearly in her mouth, when -

"Where did you get those?!" cries Simon from the door.

"They were on the counter," she says sheepishly. "Looked harmless enough, the package said they were safe for little 'uns..."

"Where are the rest?" probes Simon.

"I ate 'em," Kaylee says, her voice quieting guiltily. "'Cept Wash and River had some, and I gave a bunch to Inara..."

"You just ate a month's supply of vitamins!" Simon groans.

"I thought they were candy," squeaks Kaylee.

"I knew I'd have to keep River away from certain things," moans Simon, "and of course Jayne isn't allowed in here at all, except in case of injury. But - I never thought I'd have to child-proof the infirmary because a grown woman can't keep her hands off anything shiny..."

"Simon, I didn't mean no harm," trembles Kaylee. "Why'd you have Moonburst-flavored vitamins in the first place?"

"River hates the syringe," explains Simon, "and she already takes so many pills...I thought they'd make it more, more pleasant for her, and I never know if she's eating enough, the way she acts at meals sometimes, when she comes at all."

Kaylee can't help a smile from creeping across her face.

"You bought your little sister kiddie vitamins?"

Simon huffs.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. It's just so hard - to figure out what'll make her happy, sometimes."

Kaylee leans over and rests her cheek on his shoulder briefly - a small gesture of comfort in simple contact. Simon's eyes widen.

"Kaylee, let me check you over. You could have overdosed on one of the vitamins in the supplement -"

"And what'll happen if I did? I'll grow superpowers?"

"The fat-soluble vitamins can build up in your body - when you accumulate too much, there are serious side effects..."

Simon grabs a finger prick and prepares to take a sample of Kaylee's blood, but when her hand is in his she stops him by squeezing his fingers as they hold her palm open. She looks deeply into his eyes, her own panicked and bright.

"Simon, I feel - I think I'm..."

"What is it?"

"I think I'm really healthy." She grins. "I think those vitamins might be hurtling me into a state of excessive health. Oh, doctor, save me before it's too late!" She jokingly throws herself into his arms, but their embrace lasts a little longer than an innocuous joke should have.

"Fine," he says, finally pulling away. "Just come to me right away if anything doesn't feel quite right - I can give you a read-out of the symptoms of overdose..."

"I'll comm you just as soon as I wake up blind," she says, sauntering to the infirmary door. "I hope I left enough to last River until the next port."

"Wait!" Simon cries before she disappears. He runs to catch her, a hand on her elbow. "Isn't...I mean, don't you - isn't strawberry your favorite flavor?"

Kaylee shrugs. "Let River have 'em. I'll make do."

Simon smiles and nods - the best thank-you Kaylee could want in such an awkward encounter - and Kaylee wends her way to the engine room. Once there, she sits back in her hammock and recalls the sweet explosion of candy in her mouth - and the smooth touch of his hand wrapped around hers. Better than candy.