“Good, you’re all here,” Mal said as he stepped down into the galley, Ethan on his hip, Freya behind him. Even River was sitting in her seat for the first time since Jethro died. She was pushing her food around her plate until she caught Jayne’s eye and started to eat.

“Where else’d we be?” Kaylee asked, giving Bethany the spoon so she could feed herself.

“Just that I've got a little bit of news.”

“You ain't pregnant again, are you?” Jayne put in.

“No, Jayne, I'm not,” Mal said straight-faced. “And neither is Freya.” He slipped Ethan into the high chair next to him.

“Then what?”

“I've been talking to Monty –“

“Monty? Ooh, how is he?” Kaylee grinned. She really liked the old curmudgeon, and it had been a whole long while since they’d seen him last.

“Still pi –“ Mal glanced at Bethany and changed the adjective he was going to use. “Still killing himself with laughter that I didn’t call on him as a character witness when Saffron tried to have me arrested for bigamy.”

“I still don’t know why you didn’t,” Simon put in.

“’Cause all it’d’ve proved was that he was as much an idiot as I was. And wouldn’t’ve proved I weren't married to that po fu.”

“Monty’s not an idiot,” Kaylee said, defending her friend.

“Yeah, well, if he’d turned up he would’ve been.” Mal sighed, remembering the red-headed woman with absolutely nothing approaching affection. “Anyway, he’s agreed to let us take our ease at his place on Lazarus.”

“A holiday?”

“A few days,” Mal amended. “Just to recharge our batteries. I think we could all do with a few days down time, and it’s summer there, so –”

“Ain’t been there in so long,” Kaylee went on quickly. “Just that one time.” She turned to Simon. “Before you even came on board. It’s so pretty.”

“It’s a dump,” Jayne put in.

“It’s not so bad,” Zoe said.

Kaylee was bubbling over with excitement. “There’s a lake, and an orchard, and –”

“Can I finish?” Mal raised his voice.

“Oh, sorry, Cap’n,” Kaylee said, not at all sorry really. “It’s just I know Bethany’s gonna love it.” She grinned at him.

“Fine.” Mal glanced at Freya and saw the laughter she wasn’t hiding very well. “Anyway. He’s been spending a little coin on it, so the house isn‘t too bad. And yes, there‘s a lake and an orchard.”

“Fish? In the lake?” Hank asked.

“You like to fish?” Zoe asked in surprise.

“Well, I don’t get the chance too often, but I have been known to pick up a rod.”

Jayne made a face. “Yeah, but you gotta clean ‘em out. All those fish guts …”

“I can’t believe that,” Simon said, shaking his head. “I would never have put you at the squeamish type.”

“Ain’t squeamish,” Jayne insisted. “Just they’re cold, and the smell …” He shuddered.

“You ever fished?” Hank asked Simon, making a mental note to keep some of the guts back. Just in case.

“Occasionally. We had a competition one year at Medacad, see who could catch the biggest trout off Professor Logan’s house.”

“Did you win?”

“Yes.” He grinned. “But only because I cheated.” As everyone stared at him he went on, “The day before I went to the fish farm just along the river, bought the biggest trout I could find and left him in a catch net at the side of the bank. Then I just made sure I got that pitch the next morning.”

Kaylee was staring at him. “You cheated?”

“Well, Orlando was going on about being the best at everything, and I just thought he needed taking down a peg or two.”

“What did you win?” Zoe asked, intrigued at the hidden criminal tendencies of the most upright man on board.

“A Methuselah of champagne, which I shared with everyone else. So it wasn’t really cheating.”

“Yes it was,” Kaylee said. “And you’re supposed to be teaching Bethie to be upstanding.”

“On this boat?” Hank asked, indicating the assemblage.

“Doc, I’m beginning to think you fell in with the right crowd here after all,” Mal said, shaking his head in amusement.

“Daddy’s bad ‘nfluence,” Bethany said, her face very serious, making everyone laugh.

Simon stroked her hair. “I'm afraid you’re probably right.”

---

After dinner Mal followed Kaylee down towards the lower quarters, waiting until they were half way down the stairs before speaking out. “Kaylee, I got me a favour I need to ask.”

She looked up at him, Bethany half asleep in her arms. “Whatever it is, sure.”

“You don’t know what I’m gonna say yet.”

She grinned. “For my captain, anything.”

“Anything?” His lips twitched.

“Do I get a new pressured de-oxidiser out of it?”

“Is it expensive?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

“Well, guess you can ask anyway.”

---

Simon cut through the final fragment of plaster and removed it from Freya’s knee.

“Oh, that is so …” She scratched, a look of heavenly bliss on her face.

“Stop that, it’s disgusting.”

“You’ve obviously never had a limb in plaster before.” She found a place where a tiny amount of white still adhered to her skin and picked at it intently.

“I broke my arm when I was twelve,” Simon reported.

“Then you know what it feels like.” Frey was groaning with pleasure now.

“I was more disciplined.”

“No, he wasn't,” River said from the doorway. “He was itching so much he took one of our father’s letter openers and stuck it down the plaster. Only he let go.”

Freya watched as Simon’s ears turned the very prettiest shade of pink. “Did you want something?” he asked. “Or were you just being a brat?”

“Just being a brat,” River said equitably.

“What did he do?” Freya asked.

“Went outside and hung upside down from a tree trying to shake it out. Then he fell and broke the other arm.”

“I did not!” Simon was outraged at the sheer lying capability of his sister.

“Might have. If I’d pushed you.” She disappeared around the corner, suddenly feeling tired.

“She’s getting better,” Freya said. She looked at the young doctor. “I know it’s hard, and it will take time, but it’s best right now just to treat her the same as usual. Like you did just then.”

“I didn’t know if I’d gone too far.”

“Calling her a brat?”

“I don’t want to hurt her.” He paused, then said, almost diffidently, “How did you cope? With Alice.”

Freya knew he was going to ask. “I thought everyone should be as grief-stricken as I was. Only life goes on. People laugh and joke. And I thought they didn’t care.”

“Does River –“

“She knows we do. That’s why she’s trying to be normal. Well, as normal as she gets.”

“I hate to say this, but Jayne’s done her a lot of good.”

“He cares too.”

“So everyone keeps saying.” He busied himself putting away his equipment.

“But you still don’t trust him?” He gave her a sheer ‘Simon’ look. “Were you always this sceptical?”

“Not until I came on board this ship, no.”

Freya grinned at him. She nodded towards the crutches. “Can you pass me those?”

“No. Not any more. I think it’s time you moved on somewhat. You’re a lot stronger now, and all that physical therapy …” He reached into the corner. “Here.”

“A walking stick? You think I can get along with just one?”

“Take it slowly, and yes. Freya, you’ve improved beyond my wildest hopes. Most of the scars are fading, your body’s virtually normal … keep going like this and you’ll be running rings around Mal before he knows it.”

“Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“Frey, I'm your doctor. And your friend. I do the best I can.”

“Which is pretty good.” She looked at him askance. “And you? You don’t seem to be throwing up quite so much.”

“No, that’s going off.” He laughed. “You know, I will never scoff at morning sickness ever again.”

“I think we’ll all be pleased about that.”

“All done?” Mal asked, stepping into the infirmary.

“All done.” Simon held up the plaster. “Would you like to keep it?”

“Ah, no thanks, doc.” Mal raised his eyebrow. “People do that?”

“I did.”

“You were twelve,” Freya pointed out.

“What?” Mal looked from one to the other. “Something here I need to know about?”

“Absolutely nothing, captain,” Simon said. “Go. Take her away. I have work to do before we get to Lazarus.”

“Too late, doc. That’s what I was coming to say. Hank’s piloting skills are getting too good for us, and we’re gonna be landing in about half an hour.”

“Then please let me get on with it.”

“Do we have to have the I'm the captain so what I say goes chat again?”

“Dear God, please, no.” Simon’s voice was deadpan.

“Good.” Mal helped Freya off the medbed. “Hey, what’s that?” he asked as she put her weight experimentally on the walking stick.

“She’s doing really well, Mal. It’s time.”

“Anything we need to do?”

“Yes. Go!” He made shooing motions with his hands.

“We’re going,” Freya laughed. Then something occurred to her. “How did you get it out?”

“I was much more scientific. I attached a magnet to a piece of string and –“

“Went fishing?”

“Almost as satisfying as winning that competition.”

Mal sighed. “I give up. No-one on this boat is sane any more.”

“Takes one to know one,” Freya said, surprisingly managing to get out of the infirmary too fast for Mal’s slap to do more than stroke her ass.

to be continued