Mal sat hunched over in the lime green chair, his face in his hands, his fingers drumming against his forehead. Feeling miserable and blaming himself over what happened. He shouldn’t ‘a let her outta his sight – “Hell! I shouldn’t have brought her with me in the first place!” he muttered.

“T’ ain’t your fault, sir,” said Zoë, causing him to jump. She had come to see how he was fairing after doing the dishes.

“Hey Zoë”

Zoë sat down on the couch beside Mal whose shoulders were hunched in defeat, “Inara was goin’ out anyhow and he would ‘a found her on her own. Had it not been for you, he probably would’ve finished what he started.”

Mal ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

“She’s hurt Zoe and it ain’t her fault. I never thought about her getting’ hurt an’ I guess that’s what hit me most”

“If there’s any fault, it’s of that bastard – speaking of which, is he even alive?” she smiled, assuming the answer; the smile faded away as she remembered the mule skidding into Serenity with a shocked Mal trying to explain what he saw.

“No, I riddled him with holes. Painful death like that ta-me-de hundan deserved.” He seethed.

Zoe saw his eyes grey with anger and looking like might shoot someone or something again.

“You did good sir. Inara should thank you for being alive –“she didn’t get to finish the statement

He shot up and kicked the coffee table “Damnit!! Why is it that everyone that looks to me tends to get shot full of lead on a regular basis?”

Zoe was silent for several minutes; most likely she remembered how well he listened when he was feeling this way. He slowly counted to ten trying to get his emotions under control. As he neared the magic ten his gaze drifted towards Simon who seemed to be finally concluding his work.

“It’s Simon that Inara should thank for being alive,” he finished coarsely.

Zoe looked at him in disbelief. “You told me there was a full loaded and cocked pistol laying within arms reach of the bastard, correct? He would ‘a likely killed her after he used her,” she pointed out.

Mal nodded

“Then it’s my belief that he was aiming to do away with her after he had used her.” Mal agreed with her assessment and told her as much.

Mal finally nodded.

Zoe patted his knee before standing up.

“G’ night, sir,” she said, making her way out towards her bunk.

“Uh, Zoe?” Mal said catching her attention just as she stepped onto the stairs leading to the engine room.

She stopped walking and turned around facing him, eyes piercing his head with their empathy.

Mal gulped, remembering how Zoe’s compassion is had carried him though many a hard time and how seldom he had acknowledged it as one of her greatest strengths. “Thanks,” he said hoping she realized how deep his gratitude stretched.

“Don’t mention it,” Zoe continued up the stairs without looking back.

-------------------------------------------------------

Simon came out of the infirmary rubbing his eyes and forehead. Mal stood up.

“She ok?” asked Mal, eager to know how Inara was doing

Simon sat down on the sofa in the seat Zoe had so recently vacated. He looked exhausted. “She’s not out of the woods. The impact she sustained has caused two broken ribs and one broken arm. The bullet came close to her spinal chord but she’s lucky, it is not close enough to touch her spine nor did it do any serious damage. In addition, the nasty contusions on her head, lead me to predict that she will wake up with a temporary loss of memory.”

Mal felt hopeful for the first time since returning to the ship. “Can I…”

“Sure,” Simon said rising and gesturing to the infirmary. “I’ve got to catch a few zs, but I’ll have my beeper with me in case of, well just in case.” Simon pulled himself out of the chair and wondered in the direction of his bunk.

Mal prepared himself as he walked to the infirmary.

Mal let a long, colourful curse when he entered the infirmary. Inara was so pale; her face was whiter than the flour Kaylee spilled trying to bake cookies for the last Veterans Day. He pulled the stool beside her bed. and took her small hand in his only to discover they were a perfect fit. It concerned him that she was so cold, her hands felt as if they had been resting in a cool mountain stream for several hours Mal held her hands tightly willing them to warm at his touch as he sat staring at the machine breathing for her. He had to resist lifting her in his arms and crushing her as he cried in her hair.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, voice thick with emotion to her sleeping form. “’m sorry I didn’t come sooner ‘Nara – I wish I could ‘a saved you from even meeting that ta-me-de hundan.” He tried rubbing heat into her delicate skin, continuing to stare at the monitor bouncing up and down with the rhythm of her heartbeat.

“I know it’s hard but you gotta heal and wake up, ya hear?” He kissed her temple and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Yesu… I can’t live if anything happens to you and I swear, I’ll protect you for as long as I got air in my lungs.” Please wake up, baobei, please don’t give up on me now.” If anything came of this...if she never returned to him...god help him, just the thought of anything happening to her sent chills down his spine.

No response came from her. She just lay unconscious on the table, her skin was as pale as stone and her lips were blue.

Mal swore to himself he’d be there when she opened her eyes. He didn’t want her to find herself alone, not for one second. He pulled the other bed down from the wall. He slept with one eye open, ready and alert in case something happened, like some animal

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kaylee let out a huge sigh when they finally pulled the Captain away from Inara. Once she had safely secured him with Zoe and a big plate of food and instructions to eat something and shower up, Kaylee stepped into the infirmary to see how her best friend was doing. She was worried about her, Inara to her wasn’t just a common friend, she was the big sister Kaylee never had and the thought of Inara suffering saddened her to tears.

“Will she be ok, Simon?” Kaylee asked worriedly, taking Inara’s hand in hers.

“I think she’ll be fine physically, judging the progress she made last night – she’s breathing on her own now… but it will be hard for her emotionally when she wakes up. She’s been almost raped after all….” Simon said as he removed the tube from Inara’s mouth

“She’s breathing on her own. That’s good, right?”

“It is.” smiled Simon reassuringly as he leaned down to kiss Kalee’s sweet lips.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

After a shower, Mal returned to the Infirmary, He found Simon writing steadily on a chart hanging at Inara’s side; and he noticed that the tube was removed from her throat.

“Any news doc?” he asked

“Well,” Simon looked from Inara to her chart to Mal. “She’s made a surprising progress since last night. She’s breathing on her own and the bruises are healing nicely”

“Why ain’t she awake?” Mal asked harder and louder then he intended, but his worry wasn’t leaving him in control.

Simon sighed, “She’s been through a trauma and every person reacts differently, and sleeping is quite a common response. That and the addition of the surgical removal of a bullet from her? Often causes extended sleep. Resting is good for her.”

Mal nodded in understanding, his ‘Nara was healing well physically. If she could only wake up so that he could help her emotionally. “Could you tell when she’ll be waking up?”

“Not exactly, but if we’re lucky, it will be either tonight or tomorrow. If we’re lucky.”

******

Give me favourite kind of berries and I'll give you the next part, deal?