Simon was on his feet and about ready to run toward River’s body, when Jes and Zoe got ahold of him and yanked him down flat onto the ground.

“Stay flat, Osirus, or I’ll be down one medic!”

Simon was still struggling, which only made Zoe grab him harder.

“She’s right, doc. Don’t want to be a target for the duck hunters. Follow behind us, but keep low!”

With that, Mal and Jes took the lead in staying as low as possible to get out to River. By the time Simon got there, Jes was already cutting away River’s dress with the trauma shears. Despite the obvious hole made in the fabric by whatever hit her, Simon couldn’t see any wound on her body.”

“She wasn’t hit!”

Mal looked over grimly at Simon.

“Oh no, son. She was hit, alright.”

“But there’s no wound!”

Jes looked up from her work.

“All on the inside, Osirus. Nasty little thing called a jujube.”

“A what? Like the candy??”

Mal explained, “Yep, except nowhere near as sweet. Small bullet covered in gel that seals up the hole behind it. The toy surprise, however, is the little explosive charge inside the gel that goes off once it dissolves. And not a little boom either.”

Zoe nodded.

“Saw one take out an entire scout squad one time. Not a pretty sight, I’ll tell ya.”

Simon was horrified.

“Why are we sitting here? She needs to get into the OR…”

Jes stopped what she was doing and swept her arm in a circle to emphasize the entire camp.

“You see an antigrav chamber anywhere? That’s the only way that thing is coming out of her. If that thing gets even a whiff of oxygen once the gel is gone, it goes off, taking out not just your sis, but my entire OR.”

“How long until…”

“Generally takes about two hours for the gel to dissolve, but Buddha only knows how long those Neanderthals have been hoarding them.”

Kaylee had come running up once she saw the coast was clear and caught the last part of the conversation.

“Cap’n, I can kill the grav in Serenity’s infirmary. Ya can take her there, right?”

Mal was not thrilled about having a living time bomb aboard Serenity. On the other hand, he couldn’t exactly leave her here either. And no way in hell could they get her to a proper hospital facility with an antigrav chamber, what with her face splashed all over the Cortex.

Simon cut in.

“Captain, those suits just don’t provide enough dexterity to perform surgery.”

Jes stood and wiped off her hands on her pants. Again, Mal coulda swore he saw a look of sheer terror cross her face.

What in hell is it about being on a ship that’s got her so spooked?

A half grin stole across her face.

“Good thing then that you’ve got a healer who’s also a telekinetic then, eh?”