CHAPTER 13 Time was ticking. They were orbiting still. From her position in the hallway, she could see River throwing occasional glances in her direction. Zoë listened as Wash guided Shuttle 2 in for docking. Jayne would try to take charge and tell them to forget Mal and run. That plan was as natural to Jayne as breathing. How long did they have before they had no other option? Wash would know. They’d circled the planet once. Zoë could see the moon rotating back into view. River looked at her again, encouraging her onto the bridge with a raised eyebrow and a tilt of the head. Zoë didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Just prayed. Her prayer was interrupted by a burst of static from the radio. Shuttle 1 was calling in! “Mal, we got about half an orbit before they notice us gone,” Wash informed. “Shuttle’s being a bit sluggish. Can you slow down?” Mal answered. “Shi a, Captain. Mission accomplished?” “Not till we’re docked and running. And make sure—” The line suddenly went dead. The hair on Zoë’s arms stood on end. She pushed herself to her feet, tipping her head in to listen more closely. “Make sure what?” Wash asked, fiddling with the comm. “Mal? Ai ya! Huai le. Talk to me. Shuttle 1, Serenity, respond.” She couldn’t stop herself. Zoë dashed in, relieving River of the copilot’s seat and grabbing the comm from that side. “Sir?” Zoë called desperately. Nothing. “They hit?” Wash checked his readouts. “They’re not falling, just … drifting. Can you access their controls.” “Already on it,” Zoë said, her hands a blur on the controls in front of her. If you’d asked her later, she would not have remembered what keys she hit, but in that moment of desperation, her fingers knew exactly where to go. She hit the comm again. “Shuttle 1, this is Serenity, I’m taking flight control.” “Nice and easy,” Wash coached. “Bring her in.” Zoë grimaced as she tried to control the shuttle with paddle commands rather than a yoke. “That left thruster is out.” “Just hold her steady,” Wash soothed. “I’ll do the work.” Zoë steadied the shuttle, trying to keep it from pinwheeling from the uneven thrust. She cast a sidelong glance at Wash, whose face was shear concentration. “There is a reason we don’t dock big to small,” Wash muttered to himself. Zoë couldn’t help but smile, proud of his skill. “We have contact,” Zoë informed as Wash expertly brought the ships into alignment. A moment later, the shuttle bounced and was nudged off. “No capture.” Zoë steadied the shuttle as Wash tried the dance again. “Clamps ready?” he asked. This time, the shuttle locked in easily. “We have capture!” Zoë exclaimed. “Kaylee, how’s that seal?” “Looks shiny from here,” Kaylee answered. Zoë afforded herself only a brief sigh of relief before standing up and heading for the docking port to see what had happened to Mal. “Get us out of here,” she ordered as she went. Wash watched her go, staring wistfully after her. “Nice flying baby,” he whispered. “And me?” River asked, still standing behind the copilot’s chair.

*~*

The Infirmary had become so crowded that Simon was outsourcing to the neighboring quarters for beds. Inara, being mostly dead, was his first priority; then Jayne with his fresh bullet wound, Mal who was unconscious for reasons he had yet to find, Book with his bruised ribs … Saskia had broken out of her restraints, but had only made it as far as the couch, pretending that was as far as she wanted to go. Zoë was on her feet assisting him in nursing the crew back to health. He expected to see Kaylee peaking in once they were on their way, but figured that she was busy conjuring methods to multiply their fuel stores for the journey. River wandered into the Infirmary, making it far too crowded to work. Simon was perplexed by Inara’s condition and wished Mal were awake to tell him how he found her. “River, you need to leave,” Simon said, taking a moment to bandage Jayne while he pondered Inara. River ignored him, reaching into Mal’s coat pocket. “River, leave,” Simon repeated. She said nothing, merely handed him a slip of paper with a few pale blue crystals in it. “To help with Inara,” River explained. Simon furrowed his brow, read the note, examined the crystals, and knew how to help. “Thanks mei mei,” he said, rushing to start an IV drip. It would take days for Inara to recover, but at least he knew she would.

*~*

That evening, Saskia sat on the couch outside the Infirmary strumming Jayne’s guitar. Jayne lay on the couch beside her, doped and deliriously happy about the music, leg elevated, arm elevated. Kaylee laughed, imagining he was doing the hokey pokey. She’d just come from Shepherd Book’s bunk, where the preacher was busy recuperating with ibuprofen, an ice pack, and some fresh hot cocoa. Kaylee offered a cup of cocoa to Saskia who declined. Jayne was drooling too much to drink. Just inside the Infirmary, Mal was sitting up, smoothing his tousled hair. Simon had determined that Mal had suffered a mix of hallucinatory drugs and electric shocks. Inara lay on the center bed, her ripped dress replaced with a conservative hospital gown. Though it was difficult to see Inara like this, Kaylee was just glad to see her friend at all. How many weeks had it been since Inara had been kidnapped? Kaylee resolved to wash Inara’s hair that evening and keep her face clean, because Inara had done that for her. “When’s she gonna wake up?” Kaylee asked Simon as he and Mal exited the Infirmary. “Hard to say,” Simon answered. “A few days. A few weeks.” “But she will wake up,” Kaylee asked hopefully. “Yes, Elle saw to that,” Mal answered. “Elle was there?” “I think so… it’s hard to hallucinate a note.” “The note the Captain had told me the antidote she used and what she suspected Inara had taken. She meant to prevent a harmful drug interaction.” “Funny,” Mal commented. “She didn’t strike me as a medic-type when she was here.” Simon instinctively put his hand on his neck – something Kaylee noticed he always did when Elle was mentioned. “She struck me,” Simon said. “She definitely had expertise.” “She was a field medic during the war,” Jayne slurred from the couch. “Independents.” The three looked at him in surprise. Even Saskia stopped her strumming to listen. “So my girl is alive?” Jayne asked. “Seems to be. Though it could just be in name.” Jayne rolled his glazed eyes up to see Saskia again, requesting a song. Mal looked back into the Infirmary at Inara’s still form. “Doc, can we let her recover in her own shuttle?”

*~* Go to The Last Chapter!!!!!!! (aka Chapter 14)