Disclaimers: Everything belongs to Joss, except for one character of my creation ----------------------------- **Mousing over the Chinese should reveal the English translations on most browsers. If not, translations follow the story. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inara and Kaylee were talking in the cargo bay the next morning when Simon came in and took the stretcher off the wall. “What’s that for?” Kaylee asked. “We’re moving the nurse back to the ship. Captain wants to leave for Boros, now that we know where her people are.” Kaylee and Inara walked with him down the hill to the clinic. “You found her family?” “Her mother found us,” Simon said. “’Waved during the night, actually.” Mal was already in the clinic. Simon had disconnected Alex and had her ready to go. The fluid samples and vials of Mal’s blood were on the counter, waiting to be sent to a lab for analysis. Inara addressed Mal. “So, we’re headed to Boros?” “Yeah, but we’ll get you to the training house first.” “Mal, you don’t have to make the stop, if you need to get her home,” Inara said. Mal shook his head firmly. “Inara, I already broke one promise to you, ain’t gonna break another. You’re our first stop.” He helped Simon lift Alex onto the stretcher. “Could use your help, though, long as you’re here. Grab that, if you will.” He gestured toward Alex’s IV fluid bag, then rolled up his sleeves before lifting his end of the stretcher. Inara frowned as she saw the bandage on the inside of his arm. “What’s that?” Mal looked down. “That? Oh, um—the doc took some blood, is all.” Inara looked concerned. “Are you all right? You’re not sick, are you?” Mal suddenly looked uneasy. “Uh, no. I mean, not really. I felt a little punk, is all, so he took a look. It’s nothin’.” Inara picked up Alex’s IV bag from the counter, intending to carry it out; and then her eyes went to the vials of fluid and blood beside it. She fell silent as she looked from the vials to the paperwork that Simon had begun to fill out for the lab. Mal and Simon glanced at each other and froze, watching her. Inara slowly turned around to face them, the comprehension of what she had seen clear on her face. Kaylee saw the look and her eyes widened. She looked to Mal, and his expression confirmed it. “My God,” Inara whispered, staring at Mal in shock. She backed toward the door. “Inara—“ Mal began, reaching out as if to stop her. She was shaking her head. Mal looked at her helplessly. She turned on her heel and silently exited. Kaylee started after her, then stopped in the doorway and turned back. “ Bie woo lohng ,” she said. She looked from Mal to Simon, shaking her head in disbelief. “ Sah gwa . Both of you.” She ran out the door. “’Nara!” she called. Inara was marching up the hill toward the ship. “’Nara!” Kaylee caught up with her, panting, just before she entered. Inara turned to face her, her eyes full of hurt. “Did you know about this?” Kaylee dropped her eyes. “I didn’t know about no test.” “But you knew?” Kaylee nodded slowly. “And the others?” Kaylee nodded again. “I feel like such a fool,” Inara whispered. She entered the ship and ascended to the catwalk with Kaylee behind her. Jayne was in the bay, and he opened his mouth. Then he saw their faces and closed it again. “You ain’t a fool.” Kaylee struggled to keep up with Inara, who was walking faster than Kaylee had ever seen her walk before. “You weren’t on the ship, is all. It happened while you was on Three Hills.” Inara hurried into her shuttle, Kaylee on her heels, and closed the door behind them. She muttered something in Chinese that Kaylee didn’t catch. “I have to get off this ship,” she said, throwing open a trunk and tossing clothing into it without bothering to even fold it first. Her eyes were glistening. “’Nara,” Kaylee implored, “Don’t be mad, please. Nobody wanted you to get hurt, is all.” “Really?” Inara snapped, a single tear swelling in the corner of her eye. “So that’s why he’s been lying to me, then?” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and swallowed hard. “I supported him going to rescue her. I’ve tried to be as helpful as possible, and I tried not to get in his way...” She wiped at her eyes again. “I backed his decision when Jayne and Wash were against him...I’ve been on his side all along...and he couldn’t even have the decency to be honest with me.” She slammed the trunk closed with a bang and said, half to herself, “ Rung tse song di ching dai wuo tzo .” Kaylee shook her head sadly. “ Sah gwa ,” she said under her breath with a sigh, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. “I love my Captain.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHINESE: Bie woo lohng = Commit a blunder of great magnitude Sah gwa = Fool Rung tse song di ching dai wuo tzo = Merciful God, please take me away. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go to Chapter 20.

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