“Get the Laser Capillary, third drawer,” Simon shouted from beside the infirmary bed. Mal, not minding being ordered this one time, opened the third drawer and pulled out some strange looking instrument, that seemed to resemble a gun all too much. He handed it over to the doc, who immediately switched it on and began using it on his unconscious sister. Inara, Kaylee, and Zoe stood watching from the doorway, while Jayne stood huddled in the quarter, his eyes not leaving River. Kaylee barely noticed the tears coursing down her cheeks. Inara turned her eyes away from Mal’s worried face to the young mechanic, and put an arm around her. “She’ll be fine, sweetie. Simon’ll fix her up nice.” She wished she was as confident as she sounded. Mal gave her a comforting look, then went back to watching the procedure. Inara guided Kaylee away from the sight. “Come on, let’s give that boyfriend of yours room to breathe.” There was a sharp intake of breath as Simon pulled out the bullet from beneath the layers of tissue. He dropped it in a small bowl and went back to patching up his sister, trying his best not to feel emotion. Right now, he was the doctor, not the brother….and he couldn’t afford to be anything else. He turned back to Mal, as Zoe watched from the background. “She should be fine. I’ll call you when she wakes up.” It was a not-so-subtle order, but Mal didn’t seem to notice. He gazed at his young pilot for a moment, then turned and walked out of the infirmary, and bounded up the stairs towards the helm. He didn’t look at Zoe as he passed, but she knew what he was feeling even without looking in his eyes. With a comforting smile at Simon, she turned and followed Mal. He was in the pilot’s seat, pressing buttons and flipping switches, and she felt the usual jerk of pain at not seeing Wash in that seat. His silent, but jerking movements confirmed what she thought he was thinking. She put a hand on his arm, and he didn’t jerk. “All’s well, Capt’n?” she asked, and he knew what she really meant. He turned around in the seat. “I almost lost one today, Zoe.” The sadness and fear in his voice was something she was accustomed to hearing at a time like this. Luckily, there had not been too many times like this. “I know, sir,” she replied quietly. “another one,” he added. “That would’ve been three, if she’d…..I just, left her there, Zoe. Maybe I’m losin it.” “You know that ain’t the case, sir.” To anyone else, that statement would have sounded like just loyalty, but it wasn’t….it was much more than that. “It was all my fault. I led em into that, and it turned out to be the last time.” “Alliance was at fault, not you. They knew that. Wash knew that,” she added, and he finally looked her in the eye. “I never blamed you, sir. And I know he wouldn’t have wanted you to blame yourself…none of em would have.” “Bu..” “I heard Sheppard Book say one time, ‘I only bury the dead.’ You normally followed his words, sir…so maybe you should follow those too. River probably saved us all…no need in feelin regret about that.” He put his hand over hers. “Thanks, Zoe.” She smiled. “Your welcome, sir.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Simon?” Simon turned his head, and smiled at River’s big brown eyes. “Hey Mei Mei. How are you feeling?” “Good…got four of em Simon,” she said, grinning proudly. Simon shook his head in wonder, and couldn’t help a grin from escaping. “You did good, Mei Mei.” She smiled at the compliment. “You too,” she replied, and he glanced at her wound. He had been so relieved that she was going to be okay, that he almost had hugged her then. And he wouldn’t dare tell her that she could be up and walking in no time. She smiled suddenly. “Just did…can’t hide it.” He rolled his eyes. “This isn’t fair, no one else has a sister that can read their mind,” he said trying to put on an exasperated look. She grinned even wider. “yes…you’re lucky.” Her eyes shifted to look at Jayne in the corner, and he tried to hide his look of relief. She smiled, then looked back at Simon. “gotta talk to the ape now…go kiss Kaylee.” Simon looked at Jayne, confused, then back at his sister. She adopted a stern expression, and he raised his hands in surrender. “Fine!” he said, sighing. She grinned. He leaned over and gave her a kiss. “I’m glad you’re okay, Mei Mei,” he whispered. “Me too.” With a warning look at Jayne, Simon left the infirmary, closing the door behind him, but snuck around to the side window to watch. He imagined she just wanted to thank him for carrying her back to the ship, or something unimportant like that. But still, why had the mercenary stayed in the infirmary all that time? He didn’t like the situation one bit, but couldn’t dare refuse his sister’s look when she was injured like that. River watched Jayne as he straightened and hesitantly took a few steps foreward. She smiled. “Wait…wait for Kaylee.” He stopped, confused. From beside Simon, Kaylee bounded up and threw her arms around him. “Aw, Simon…is she allright?” Simon nodded, looking back through the window. “Yes…she’ll be fine.” Kaylee looked, puzzled, at where Simon was staring at, then smirked. “Aw, leave em alone. She jus wants to say thank you.” She put her hand in his, and he started to protest, until her lips met his. Slowly, a smile creeped on his face. She smiled back, and led him away towards her bunk. River smiled. “There…much better.” Jayne grunted, uneasily. He fidgeted in place, not knowing what to do with his hands. River tried her best not to laugh. “Got somthin to say…I’m waiting.” She gave him an expectant look. He didn’t respond, at first, and then his anger started to come back. “Ya shouldn’t have come out there….wasn’t a good place to be…ya could’ve…” “I know…you could’ve too….why I went…couldn’t let you get hurt,” she grinned, playfully. “It took a woman’s touch.” Jayne grinned at that, and took the remaining steps foreward to stand beside her bed. Not wanting to look at her face, he let his fingers trail down her slender hand, caressing the soft skin. She smiled warmly, feeling his fear. “Don’t worry…I’m fine.” He grunted. “Ya but ya could have not been…ya could’ve..” she waited for him to continue, trying not to laugh. He frowned, trying to come up with a reason to have missed her without actually missing her. “Couldn’t get no sleep for a ruttin long time, if anything happened to ya. Promise ya won’t do somin like that again.” The smile went away, and she looked down. “Can’t promise that…dangers…I’m a weapon….gotta save the ones I love.” Jayne grinned at her last words. “ya talking bout the capt’n or me?” She stuck out her tongue. “Love the big ape? Gross!” He tried to frown, folding his arms. “Hey, no name callin!” She cocked an eyebrow. “Crazy, moonbrain, girlie, gir..” “Awwright, awright! Won’t call you any of them names again, promise.” She smiled a sly smile. “So what will you call me?” he frowned, thinking, then grinned proudly. “Si Bea.” She smiled, and whispered the translation. “My girl.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “WHAT?” Simon shouted, loudly, and incredulously. River shook her head in exasperation. “Dirty mind…not what you think. We keep each other warm,” she said, and Simon put a hand to his head. “Please…you did not say what I think you said!” “We sleep together…with all our clothes on. I told you three weeks ago…and you agreed.” Simon stared, speechless. “I…you…you were talking about Jayne? Jayne? The big ape, mercenary..brain the size of a peanut, Jayne? JAYNE is helping you heal?” He sat down, afraid that he might end up on the floor from shock. The thought of his little sister…in..bed…with the ape? He shuddered. “He doesn’t touch me that way,” River said, shaking her head, then frowned, sternly. “It’s not sick…and you better be nice.” Simon shook his head, and River put a hand under his chin to make him look at her. “No touching!” Then, she skipped off towards the kitchen. His only thought in reply was, ‘you too.’ After a few moments, he heard laughter, and especially Jayne’s hearty laugh. Simon stood up, narrowing his eyes. “I’m gonna kill him.” And he stormed off towards the laughter. As he stepped into the kitchen, River stood up. “Got an announcement…Jayne and I have been sleeping together.” Every jaw dropped, including Jayne’s. He stared at Mal, who was looking the ultimate death glare at him. “Jii dan, seu we auots…I’m gonna die," Jayne swore. River turned around to Simon, her hands clenched into fists. “Stop it!” Her little voice carried such a loud echo around the room, that everybody paused in silence. Her eyes were fixed on her brother. “not crazy…not moonbrained…not a little girl anymore….can’t tell me what to do, Simon!” “I’m not gonna let that…that….ape…touch you!” “Gorramit, I ain’t touchin her!” Jayne shouted, standing up. He glared at River. “And we ain’t sleepin that way. I ain’t never laid a hand on her, not like that. Besides, she’s jus a girl.” River cocked an eyebrow. “Just a girl? Didn’t think so when we were fighting.” Jayne stuttered. “No..I..I didn’t mean…” he stuttered, but River only glared. “Your such a boob,” then stormed off down the hall, towards her bunk. Everyone was shocked at how River could make Jayne stutter, and was trying desperately to not laugh. Everyone except the Captain and Simon. “Ah, Si Bea,” Jayne said, then followed her out. Mal looked around at his crew. “Is it just me, or is my boat going mad?”