A/N: The next installment - thanks again to Leiasky for the beta. Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think ... I'd hate to leave you all in suspense ...

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A NEW BEGINNING, ch. 17: Vigil

***

With the seven of them on board Regan’s small, but well-appointed transport, conditions were a tad cramped. Simon was set-up in the small infirmary, a room even tinier than the one on Serenity. Kaylee was beside him, having never moved as she had affirmed. The children, both of them shocked into silence, stood beside her, Daniel on one side, his hand up and resting against his father’s shoulder and Rylee on the other, leaning into Kaylee’s side and trying not to look at Simon’s ashen face, but unable to look away.

Regan watched the scene from the doorway, giving the family the space they needed. River appeared at her side, even as they both felt the ship lift off and into the sky. Jayne had decided that staying in the cockpit, where he could keep an eye on things was where he was needed at the moment, and although River knew it was not necessary, she’d let him be.

Leaning her head against her mother’s shoulder, River sighed as she felt a few more tears drip down her face. “It’s good you came,” she said quietly.

Regan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I guess it is.” In silence both women watched as Kaylee again began whispering to Simon, both of her children standing so close, it was impossible to tell where one of them ended and the next began. “They’re both Simon’s?” Regan asked the question, although she didn’t need too. The boy’s striking dark hair and brilliant blue eyes were an exact replica of her own son at that age, while the little girl’s dark hair and brown eyes were a carbon copy of the daughter standing beside her.

Nodding, River said, “Yes. Daniel is almost five and Rylee is almost four.”

“Daniel and Rylee,” Regan murmured, working the names over her tongue. Looking to her daughter, she said, “I’m glad I got to meet them.”

River nodded and felt her heart break a little more for both of the children. Rylee was getting more antsy as the seconds ticked by, the distress and pain coming off her mother and father wreaking havoc on her new and young abilities. Daniel on the other hand could not have been more still, his face an expression of grave stoicism, considering all he had seen in the past few hours. With the hint of a smile, River realized how much the siblings were like she and her brother.

“And their mother?” Regan asked, pulling River from her thoughts.

Her eyes resting on Kaylee, River felt more tears come and swallowing thickly said, “Kaylee. She and Simon have been together for almost six years now. Except for when …” River didn’t finish the sentence knowing the memory would only cause her mother more pain.

“Except for when your father and I stole his life.” Regan finished the statement bitterly, again wondering how she could have been so foolish. As she watched the young woman administer to her son, watched the way she held him and looked at him, the way her eyes conveyed all the emotion that one person could possibly feel for another, Regan’s own eyes welled with tears. She had taken that away from her son – love – and she had taken it away from this poor young woman who was doing everything in her power to not lose control.

Clearing her throat, Regan was about to say something, when Rylee finally bolted across the room and threw her arms around her aunt’s waist. Burying her face against her belly, Rylee murmured, “Aunt River, I can’t take it no more.”

Smiling sympathetically at her, River leaned down and lifted the girl into her arms, cradling her against her chest. “I know, baby,” she murmured, her lips pressed to the side of her head. Giving her a light kiss, River asked her, “Maybe we should sit outside for a bit? Clear our heads?”

With tears welling in her eyes, Rylee nodded once and then, sighing, leaned heavily against her aunt, already feeling a little better. With a sad smile to her mother, River moved with the girl out of the room and Regan was again alone to contemplate the scene before her. As Kaylee let out another audible sob, Regan moved into the room, sitting at Simon’s other side and taking his hand.

Burying her face in her hands, Kaylee could feel the light pat of Daniel’s hand against her shoulder and it only made her feel worse. Raising her head, she looked into his blue eyes, noting how he had kept his own tears in for as long as he could, but now, at her obvious pain and all the confusion, he could no longer keep them at bay and they had started to fall steadily down his smooth, pale cheeks.

Picking him up and bringing him into her lap, Kaylee held him tightly. “Mama, is daddy gonna be okay?”

“I hope so, baby,” Kaylee told him, her voice muffled as she buried her head in his hair. “I hope so. We just gotta have faith.”

“In people?” Daniel finished, used to his mother’s favorite saying.

Glancing up, Kaylee finally met Regan’s gaze and nodded once as she said, “Yeah, sweetie. We just gotta have faith in people. And in your daddy, that he’s gonna pull through this.”

Daniel snuggled in closer to her, exhausted and spent from all he’d been through and within moments, despite the uncertainty and the emotion whirling around him, he was asleep against her.

Kaylee breathed a sigh of relief as she felt her son’s body relax and knew that sleep had taken him. Continuing to cry silent tears, Kaylee rested her cheek against his head, keeping one hand around his back, while reaching out her other to again hold Simon’s.

Not knowing what to say, Regan was content to sit with them in silence. She wished she had words of comfort to offer the girl, something to let her know that she was grateful her son was loved, grateful that he had a loving family and a life that was full of more than a job or money. But she couldn’t say any of those things – she hadn’t earned the right. She hadn’t been his mother for quite some time and she had no right to be proud of his choices or his successes, because everything he had, he’d accomplished without her or his father’s influence.

“Thank you.”

The voice was small and hoarse, but as Regan lifted her eyes to follow the sound, she found Kaylee’s bright green eyes regarding her steadily. “What?” she asked, convinced she had misheard.

“I’m sorry for what I said before,” Kaylee admitted, already feeling shame for being so ready to dismiss the woman who could very well have saved her husband’s life. “It was wrong o’ me.”

Smiling tiredly at her, Regan told her, “No, dear, unfortunately, it was only too right of you. I deserved your mistrust.”

Kaylee held her gaze for a moment more and then, turning her eyes back to Simon, she rocked her son and sat in silence with her newfound mother-in-law.

***

By the time Jayne decided there was no reason for him to be in the cockpit away from his wife, he found River sitting quietly with Rylee across from the ship’s medbay. Sitting beside her, Jayne rubbed a light hand against Rylee’s back and looked deep into River’s pained eyes.

Knowing the question that was about to grace his lips, she whispered, “She’s having a hard time filtering it all out. We needed some space.”

Nodding once, Jayne told her, “I can go.”

Grabbing his hand, River pulled his arm around her and leaned against his strong chest. “I didn’t mean you.”

Jayne pulled her tight, noting that Rylee was sleeping in her aunt’s embrace, her tear-stained face flushed as she breathed in and out through her mouth. “She gonna be okay?” he asked, concern welling in him for his niece.

Closing her eyes for just a moment, River murmured, “Yes, she’ll be fine. It’s just going to take some time.”

Sighing lightly, Jayne leaned down and pressed a light kiss into her hair and then whispered, “And what about you?”

River’s eyes opened slowly even as she felt more tears come. How would she be? She wasn’t certain anymore. Ever since she had seen Simon shot, she had felt as if her entire world was spiraling out of control and it filled her with uncertainty and shame. Shame because she had avowed to Simon that he needed to let her go, but when push had come to shove, it had been her selfishness that had caused her brother and her sister to be estranged in the first place; caused Simon to look for solace far away from those who cared for him, causing him to be vulnerable to that hundan who had once called Simon ‘friend.’

Sighing heavily, she did not look up into Jayne’s concerned face, knowing his gaze would just cause more shame to strike at her heart. It wasn’t fair of her to rely so heavily on her brother. He had his own life with his own concerns and so did she. And, she had Jayne – a man she knew would die to protect her and would suffer any hurt to keep her safe. Her words to her brother from just a day before rang in her head: Letting me go, doesn’t mean you love me any less. It just means we’re growing up. It’s time for me to be an adult, Simon.

“I’ll be okay, Jayne,” River finally answered, unwilling to voice any of her concerns, especially given the circumstances. She would, eventually, have to tell him what was happening, talk with him about ways for her to move past her reliance on her brother. But not now.

Gazing down to Rylee’s still sleeping face, River pressed a kiss to the girl’s forehead and leaned more against her husband. “We’re all going to be okay, Jayne.”

They sat in silence like that for a moment, neither of them saying anything, until Regan interrupted them. She hadn’t meant to happen upon them, but as she emerged again from Simon’s room, the small shuttle left little space to quietly pass by and so, with a sheepish smile that did nothing to hide the worry in her face or the tears in her eyes, she sat on a bench opposite her daughter, the fairly large man and her granddaughter and regarded them all calmly.

River met her mother’s eyes, knowing that even as concerned as she was for Simon’s well-being she was also concerned for her daughter’s. It was the reason she’d come in the first place. Turning her head slightly against Jayne, River said to her mother, “I’m okay, mother. Really.”

Blinking back more tears, Regan nodded once and averted her gaze, uncertain that she could mask the pain she felt. When Simon had called and asked for her help, all Regan had been able to think of was her baby girl, suffering through something so tragic. And now, seeing her with a child lying against her, even though the girl wasn’t hers, Regan felt immense sadness for River’s loss.

Turning back to meet her daughter’s unblinking eyes, she asked evenly, “Are you sure?”

Tilting her head back to look at Jayne, she was not surprised to find his blue eyes trained on her. Pressing a light kiss to his cheek, she again looked to her mother, and said, “I’m fine, we both are.”

Pausing again as her mother collected herself River sat up, and finally made introductions. “Mother, this is my husband. Jayne Cobb.” Looking to Jayne with a devilish grin he had seen a few too many times, she told him brightly, “Jayne, this is my mother, Regan Tam.”

Clearing his throat, Jayne smoothed his hands against his pants and then extended one towards the very regal woman. “It’s a pleasure to meet ya, Mrs. Tam.” His voice trembled just a bit from his nerves, but Regan, too schooled and cultured to say anything, simply ignored it.

Taking his hand, she shook it firmly and met his gaze. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jayne.” She looked from her new son-in-law’s face to her daughter’s shining eyes and felt the same gratitude for the man across from her that she felt for the girl sitting at her son’s side. The fact that both of her children were loved filled her with a contentment she had never known. “I’m sorry it had to be under such dire circumstances,” she continued, dropping his hand and sitting back.

Waving away the apology, Jayne sat back as well, obviously relieved and told her, “Nah, this ain’t nothin’. We been a lot o’ situations lot more dire than this.”

Regan smiled at his words and his syntax, knowing he was probably the most original person she would ever meet; which made him perfect for her daughter. She watched the two of them again for a moment, noticing how River absentmindedly stroked Rylee’s back and how Jayne made sure his hand was never far from River’s arm, or shoulder, or face, touching her gently, with the ease of a lover. Wistfully, Regan sighed, remembering a time when she had known that type of love and wishing, for just a split second, she could know it again.

A sound from her left startled her and Regan looked over to meet the blue eyes of her grandson squarely. Smiling at his sleepy expression, she greeted him. “Well, hello there.”

Looking between this very strange lady and his aunt and uncle, Daniel remembered his manners and said, “Hi.”

Then, once the lady had smiled at him again, he hurried over to sit beside his aunt, his hand protectively going out to his sister who was starting to wake. Regan watched them, slightly bemused as they tried to cram themselves onto the small bench, while she sat with plenty of room all by her lonesome.

“How’s your mama?” River asked the boy, meeting his piercing blue eyes and feeling tears welling as she did.

Shrugging, he said, “’Kay, I guess. She won’t leave daddy. She says she’s gotta stay with him.” River nodded once and then watched as Daniel’s eyes darted over to her mother and back again. Lowering his voice to a still-audible whisper, he leaned in and asked, “Who’s that?”

Smiling at him, River reached her hand around and placed it lightly against his back. “That is your grandmother.” River looked to her mother, noting how she had sat up a bit straighter, biting her lower lip in anticipation of the introduction.

Skeptically, Daniel looked back to the older woman and then to his aunt and shook his head. “Nu-huh, grammy’s back on Harvest.”

River tried to swallow a small giggle that rose in her throat as she said, “No, sweetie. This is your grandmother Tam. She’s your daddy’s mom.”

His eyes widened, a shocked expression, replacing his pained one; no one ever talked about his father’s parents. With a dazed look, he turned back to face his newfound grandmother. Remembering to be polite, he closed his mouth, which had swung open to hit the ground, and said to her again, “Hi. I’m Daniel.”

Hardly believing she was meeting her grandson, the little baby her son had spoken of so many years ago, Regan smiled at him, and fought to hold in her tears of joy as she said, “Hello Daniel. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Rylee stirred in River’s arms, whimpering slightly. Sitting up with her, River started to shush her, and Regan watched as Daniel’s concern for his sister instantly changed his demeanor. His hand was to her back, his lips to her ear, whispering to her gently, soothingly as she had a bad dream.

“Ry, you okay?” he asked her, keeping his voice low.

“I’m okay, Danny,” she answered back, the pain in her voice not lost on her big brother.

Glancing to his aunt with big eyes, River pressed a kiss to his cheek and said, “She’ll be fine, we’re just going to go lay down for a bit, okay?” Looking to her mother, River stood with the girl in her arms and asked, “Is there someplace I can take her?”

“Of course,” Regan said, moving to stand, but with a light hand, River let her know an escort wouldn’t be necessary.

“I’ll find it,” she told her, smiling warmly. Throwing a look over her shoulder, when River’s eyes again turned to her mother, they were dancing with a new spark. “You stay, get acquainted.”

And with that River moved towards the back of the ship.

Daniel and Jayne both studied their feet nervously and Regan could relate. She had no idea what to say to either of them, and although she knew it was rude to let a guest sit in silence, she didn’t really know her options at this point.

But luckily, Daniel’s curiosity got the best of him. “Why haven’t I met ya before?”

Looking up at him quickly, Regan saw a look of pure innocence play across his features. Smiling as she remembered Simon looking to her in much the same way, many, many years ago, she said softly, “It just wasn’t the right time.”

Daniel seemed to absorb that answer and when he didn’t press her further, Regan found her courage bolstered. Speaking to him, she said, “Daniel, can I ask you for a favor?”

Throwing a quick look to his uncle, Jayne shrugged slightly and so, the little boy looked back to his grandmother and shrugged in return. “Guess so.”

Her eyes twinkling, Regan leaned forward a bit, and said, “I’d like you to tell me story.” As Daniel’s face again turned wary, she added, “The story of your family. Can you do that?”

With a wide grin running across his face, Daniel sat back on the bench and started his tale, his audience of one completely enraptured.

***

Kaylee could not remember ever being so tired. Her body ached and hurt in places she had never known before, the exhaustion of her mind and spirit causing a fatigue to permeate her entire being. But she would not relax; she would not sleep, not until she knew Simon was well, not until he opened those blue eyes and looked to her again and she would know he was back for good.

Sighing heavily, Kaylee watched a few of the monitors his mother had on board. With River and the pilot’s help, she had managed to hook him up to a few of the machines, the most important one containing the IV drip of alfentanil into his system to keep his pain at bay. She knew that were he awake, Simon would not approve of the medication, he much preferred other forms of pain meds, ones that were gentler on the body and non-addictive, but Kaylee had been faced with no options, and so she had simply acted.

Now, gazing into his ashen face, she felt that bone weariness extend to her heart. She couldn’t do this, she couldn’t be without Simon again, it just wasn’t in her. Especially not with their new baby on the way. She felt better, touching him, her hand over his, despite the coldness of his skin, the lifelessness of his features. Stifling more tears, Kaylee pressed a kiss to his cheek and told him, “Simon, please, bao bei, I need you to open your eyes. Just for a minute, ‘kay? I just need to see those eyes.”

She cried more and let her head fall to his shoulder. She had no reason to believe he would come around. The pilot, who had some rudimentary medical training seemed to agree with the doctor back on Harvest that the situation was fairly grim. But Kaylee could not believe that – she could not admit that there was a chance her husband would die, even though she felt the cold harshness of that reality biting at her.

“You know, there’s a whole bunch o’ stuff, we still gotta do,” she told him, trying to keep her tears from her voice. Affecting a conversational tone, Kaylee looked down at him. “A lot o’ stuff. I mean, well, we gotta take ‘nother trip, like we did when we went to Santo, jus’ you an’ me, that was shiny. And Rylee, you gotta be ‘round when she starts likin’ boys, ‘cause I ain’t near as frightening as you can be.” A slight giggle actually escaped her mouth as her mind formed the mental image of her husband a little over ten years from now, staring down some poor teenage boy who’d had the audacity to try and date his daughter.

“An’ there’s Danny, he’s gonna be a doc, just like you, but you gotta teach ‘im everythin’ you know first,” Kaylee continued. “An’ the new little one. Who are they gonna be? They can’t not have a daddy.” Her voice again broke, even as she tried to contain her tears. She was getting desperate now. She had no idea how long they’d been on the ship, but Simon had not opened his eyes since they’d carried him out of the field and Kaylee feared that the more hours that ticked by, the worse his chances of recovery would become.

Placing a light kiss to his lips, Kaylee sobbed slightly against his mouth. Pulling back, she whispered, “Simon, please. Wake up for me. Please.”

His eyelids fluttered just a bit, but it was the only sign Kaylee needed. Sitting up straight, she again grabbed for his hand, clutching it tightly to her chest. “Simon, sweetie? Can you hear me?”

“Kaylee.” His voice was barely recognizable, faint and raspy, but it was music to Kaylee’s ears.

Kissing him lightly, she gently caressed his cheek as she whispered, “Yes, sweetie, I’m here. You’re gonna be okay.”

“Where?” The drugs, coupled with the immense pain his body could not stifle, made words nearly impossible, but he had to be sure she was all right, that his family was all right.

His eyes opened to the smallest of slits, but that little wedge of blue brought tears of joy to Kaylee’s eyes. “We’re okay, sweetie, I promise. We’re getting you help.”

Simon was too far gone to have any idea if that was true. His mind was a fog, thick and unrelenting and while he wanted to demand she tell him everything, he knew he would again be lost to the darkness of unconsciousness.

"Where are they?"

Her brow furrowing, Kaylee continued to run her hand down his cheek as she questioned, "Who, sweetie?"

"Daniel and Rylee." His mouth worked overtime to form the words. His children’s faces floated before his eyes for a moment, before the sound of their anguished cries at seeing him shot roared in his ears.

Biting her lip, Kaylee did not know if telling Simon the entire story was the best idea, given his current condition. Instead, she said, "They're fine, honey, just try and stay calm, okay?" She watched as his chest had started to rise and fall with an urgency that was causing some of the machines in the room to beep frantically. “Shh, it’s okay. They're with your ma."

His eyes flew open at this new information and Kaylee tried to soothe him even as his drugged body tried to fight against her. "No - not safe can't be - trusted."

Kaylee’s eyes quickly filling with tears of panic and fear, she kissed his cheek again and ran a light hand through his hair, hoping to soothe him. "Shh, Simon, they're fine, I promise. We're okay, we're all gonna be okay, sweetie. You just gotta rest, save your strength."

Simon knew he had little choice but to heed her words. He had to trust her, trust that Kaylee, the strongest woman he had ever met, would keep his children safe, while he was physically incapable of doing it himself. "Love you,” he murmured as his eyes again drifted close, the tug of dreamless sleep too tantalizing to pass up, even for the beautiful woman at his side.

"I love you too.” Kaylee’s words came out between a few sobs and as she again felt Simon’s hand go limp in hers, she cried more, this time throwing herself down on his chest, and wailing loudly, unable to suppress her anguish.

***

Neither Daniel nor Rylee had any way to determine how long they had been on this fancy new transport with their disheveled family. Both children only knew two things: their father was possibly never going to wake up again and their mother was possibly not going to survive that.

While Rylee had been spending a lot of time with River, trying to hone and harness her abilities, Daniel had been spending time either at his mother’s side or with his uncle, just trying to keep his mind off of all the horrible outcomes this situation could result in. He found, that while he liked being able to sit with his mama, knowing that he somehow helped to ease her sadness, he could not stay by her side for very long, as his eyes inevitably drifted to his father’s pale face, causing anxiety and fear to rage within him.

It was late again, the transport’s lights dimmed for sleep. Rylee and Daniel had been given one of the guest rooms to share, the room’s walls lined with two identical bunks. Daniel hadn’t been getting a lot of sleep, and tonight was no exception – tossing and turning, he could not get comfortable, even after pounding at his pillow for a bit, which had always seemed to work before. Finally, flopping onto his back with a heavy sigh, he stared at the ceiling and tried to blink away the hot tears of anger and sadness he felt welling there.

“Danny?”

Rylee’s voice was so small, so quiet, that at first he was sure he had imagined it. Turning his head in her direction, he saw her sitting up on her bunk, her back to the wall, and her big brown eyes focused on him. Rolling onto his side, he said quietly, “I thought you were asleep.”

Shrugging lightly, she averted her gaze and murmured, “I was.”

With a bit of guilt and a whole lot of shame, Daniel realized his emotions had probably been what had awakened her. Rolling out of bed, he crossed the small room, and climbed up next to her. Taking her hands, he whispered, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to –“ Pausing, he wasn’t at all sure what the proper term was. Frowning, he looked back to her and asked, “Think? So loud.”

She smiled tiredly at him and sighing, leaned her head against his shoulder. “S’okay. Everyone’s been thinking kind of loud.”

Nodding, Daniel supposed that were true. Shifting so his back was to the wall of her bunk, they sat in silence for a moment, until his sister finally said in a small voice, “I’m scared.”

Releasing a barely audible sigh, Daniel again closed his eyes against his own fearful tears. “I know,” he whispered. Taking a deep breath, he finally admitted, “Me too.”

Looking up to him, Rylee’s face shone with love and understanding, not the fear or disappointment he had assumed he’d see once he admitted to his baby sister that he had no idea what to do or how to fix it.

Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she wrapped her arms around him and he hugged her back. With another little sigh, she murmured, “I know.”

***

By the time they arrived on Greenleaf, Simon’s condition had gone from horrible to dire. Regan had waved ahead, requesting the top doctors on staff and throwing enough credits at the problem to garner private rooms, a full complement of nurses and anything else Simon may need or want as they tended to his injuries.

While Kaylee had tried to stay awake for the ride, she managed to sleep fitfully for a few hours at a time, never straying from Simon’s side despite the pain in her lower back. She did however refuse to eat which had everyone on board worried. Kaylee knew that she shouldn’t be so foolish, that were Simon able to open his eyes, he would scold her for risking her health and their baby’s, but she could not bring herself to swallow down anything, as she watched him slowly get paler and paler.

River had tried to approach her a few times, but Kaylee had simply kept her silent vigil, stopping only to hold or comfort her children who could not possibly understand what was happening. Rylee’s moods swung sporadically from melancholy to joyous and River had her hands full trying to aid the girl in understanding all that was happening.

Daniel, in sharp contrast to his energetic sister, simply stayed close to his mother, only leaving her side to sleep or eat. His dark-haired, blue eyed visage was a constant comfort to Kaylee, as it had been so many years ago, when he was the only reminder of the man lying before her now.

As the transport glided to its appointed landing platform, there was a flurry of activity, throughout which Kaylee stayed by her husband’s side, whispering words of comfort to him, clutching his hand as the nurses and doctors rushed in and about, trying to assess his injuries, trying to make him stable enough to move. Kaylee only stepped out of their way when she was ordered to do so, and found herself backing against a wall on the other side of the room.

With no anchor, nothing to hold onto, she felt her fatigue consume her, moving up her back and through her chest to rest in her head and neck. She was so incredibly tired, the fear-induced adrenaline that had been coursing through her veins having worn off days ago. Now, all that was left was a dull ache. A sharp pain in her abdomen drew her attention to the little life she knew was growing there. With fresh tears in her eyes, Kaylee’s legs, unable to support her any longer, slowly bent, allowing her to sink to the floor.

As she felt her bottom rest against the cold metal and watched through half-lidded eyes as Simon’s body was carried from the room, she felt a tiny hand ghost over her shoulder. “Mama?”

It was Daniel’s voice of course, her constant companion, her only solace. Trying to turn her head to look at him, Kaylee felt the encroaching darkness of unconsciousness and knew she would pass out before she could say a word.

As Daniel watched his mother’s eyes close and her body slump back against the wall, a cold hand ran up his spine and curled its bony fingers around his heart. With tears he could not fight welling in his eyes, he turned his head and yelled loudly, “Aun’ River!”

Getting ready to follow her brother’s stretcher off the ship, Rylee’s whimpering form in her arms, River heard her nephew’s pained cry. Tensing at the sound, she dumped Rylee into Jayne’s arms and bolted back to the boy. Turning into the room, the sight of Kaylee, passed out and pale caused River’s heart to leap into her throat. She could not believe that Simon would have survived the trip only to awaken and find Kaylee suffering as well.

Rushing to her sister’s side, River shook her shoulder slightly, and called to her. “Kaylee! Kaylee, wake up!”

There was no response and River had not expected one. Glancing over to Daniel, her heart broke for him as the fear and confusion that had graced his features for the past week etched itself ever deeper into his young face. “She won’t get up,” he whined, his tears falling steadily. River held out a hand to him and he circled around his mother to fall into her arms, just as Regan appeared in the doorway.

Assessing the scene instantly, she turned back and barked a command. Within a minute, more nurses and doctors had entered the room, another stretcher at their side and soon Kaylee’s small form was hoisted on top of it, following the same path as her husband’s had only moments before.

River rose slowly, Daniels’s still sobbing form in her arms and, trying to quiet him, moved out of the shuttle, following Kaylee and praying silently the whole time she would not have to explain to her brother what had become of his wife.

***

And the angst just keeps on comin'! Let me know what you think!