"Nara...."

"Mal stay with me." As soon as they touched the ground, lying on the grates, she rushed over.

"Niska really worked him over." Hershel told her as he hung from the chain. "Keys are in his pocket."

Inara didn't question why his father was there as she rushed over and searched the body for the keys. Finding them, she went back to Mal and Zoe and unchained them.

"Whole lotta hurt went on in here." Jayne noted as he lumbered in. "Sorry it took so long, had to go back and clean up the mess Moonbrain left on accounta she didn't wanna kill no one."

"I don't need a progress report, get everyone out." She threw him the keys as River walked in. "River..."

"On my way." River went over and opened the cargo bay door, heading off to fetch her brother.

As the others went about their orders, Inara helped Zoe to her feet, and leaned over Mal.

"That's... whole lotta blood...." He said as he lifted up a hand to touch her, but saw the palm and fingers a thick crimson red. "Huh."

"Simon's going to treat you as soon as he gets here." She reassured, ripping the hem of her shirt and taking it to his leg as a tourniquet.

"But, Virgil.... they've been under his heel longer." The battered Reynolds swallowed thickly as the piece of fabric was lashed tight on his leg. "Somone's missin' a leg... 'smorethana.... few toes..." He winced as she helped him elevate his foot. "Meilin.... what..."

"She's fine, she's with Kaylee and Shan-shan..."

"Good... be some... terriblepain... if someone... hurt....." He met her eyes and smiled. "You sure are purty."

"Don't 'ave toloseblood... figur that out," Virgil slurred as Jayne helped him.

"Virgil.... shuddup..."

"Alright, we're here." Simon announced as he and the woman few knew came in with a stretcher. They quickly set it down as he turned to Jayne. "Jayne I need you and someone else to man the stretcher,"

"On it doc." He picked up one side as Hershel, who had been freed came over and picked up the other side. The merc looked at the older gentleman dubiously. "You sure you aint too banged up old timer?"

"Boy, I've been in a POW camp for over six years, let's not sweat the small stuff."

"Rising Sun crew is the worst." River immediately announced as she came in. "Jovie, Genevieve."

"We're going to need a second stretcher." Simon rushed over with his bag and stooped at Genevieve, checking her pulse. "Still alive but barely." He reached in and pulled out a portable oxygenation system, hooking her up to it as Jayne and Hershel came over.

River grabbed the youngest of the Reynold's boys. "Follow."

"Um.. ok.."

"Another bad pulse over here." Tasya announced as she stooped over Jovie. Suddenly an emergency medical bag dropped by her side, and she looked up to see River and some young man holding a second stretcher.

"Doctor's supplies from this ship."

"Alright, River take some of these supplies and look at that guy over there." She pointed to Sterling, who had his cybernetics strewn about him and was missing a leg. "Just glean from me what you need to do, alright?"

Zoe came over and took the stretcher. Though beaten and feeling the wrath of a laser wound, it wasn't enough to keep her from helping. "I got this."

River nodded, waited for Tasya to get some things out of the bag, and left with it. However before going to Sterling she stopped in front of Ezra, who was standing on one foot, and locked eyes with him, blocking out the chaos.

Ezra was taken back at her intensity.

She reached in the bag, pulled out a few things, and thrust them into his chest, he instantly grabbed hold of them on instinct. "Redeem yourself, patch up your big brother."

"Shenme?" He mumbled.

"Glean from the doctors. Patch. Him. Up."

Eyes looked upon her, suspiciously, fearfully though he did not know what to fear. Without a word he turned and went to Mal, reading the open minds of the doctors."

River turned and went to go help Sterling.

"Inara," Simon called out. "I'm going to need assistance in surgery, Tasya as soon as we get these people to my infirmary do you think you can triage in here?"

"Of course." She said between intubating the woman on the stretcher.

"Whatever you don't feel like you can patch send to me, everyone else use the infirmary here, it's in the same place as mine." Simon signaled the stretcher to be lifted. "Let's go, she needs surgery now."

Inara looked down at Mal, who was being treated by his brother. "I have to leave." She seemed unready to pull away from him.

"Don't worry." He said as he was given oxygen. "Ithink.... Ezra here's... gonna take realgoodcare.... me."

Ezra met his eyes, though he was wincing from his toe, he and his brother, who he had betrayed, shared a moment of silence. He bowed his head, swallowed, and went back to work.

"Go help Simon...." Mal squeezed her hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"KAYLEE." Simon called out as he was scrubbing his hands for surgery, Inara next to him doing the same.

Kaylee came out, flanked by a tiger as Meilin as on her hip and chewing on her own fist. "Simon?"

"Kaylee I need you to go to the Rising Star and see Sterling. I think Niska destroyed his cybernetics and they''ll need some fixing. Can you do that for me?"

"Never done that, but I'll see what I can do." She looked down at her drooling charge. "What about Meilin?"

"I'll take her if no one minds." Hershel said, confusing the mechanic. "I know a thing or two about babes."

"You can hand her over to him." Inara agreed immediately. "Hershel, Kaylee will tell you everything you need to know about Meilin."

"Alright." He obligingly took the little one. "Hi Meilin." He told the infant, smiling down at his grandchild.

Meilin gazed up with wide baby eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a team effort to save so many people.

No one seemed to know how many hours passed, or when the sun set or rose, those able bodied merely played their roles. On Serenity surgeries occurred until there were none to be had, with only a thirty minute power nap between working on a chest cavity and reinstalling a cybernetic eye for Simon, Inara and Kaylee. Tasya patched up those better off, and became in charge of those in post-op, getting them settled into the ranch house and making sure they stayed stable. Windows and gunshot holes were boarded up, beds were filled, as was the couch and Simon's medical beds were brought in and set up in the living room. Though putting people up on the ships seemed a better option, it was not. The ranch house could handle all of the people, and had a better kitchen as well as access to beds as crew bunks were troublesome getting people in and out of. Someone cooked, kept the patients fed and those working hydrated on coffee, and others worked on keeping the ranch running between the chaos.

When the last surgery was done, Inara entered the house less gracefully than usual due to fatigue. She found their home a hospital, but didn't care as she searched for someone she wanted to hug and coddle so.

"Miss Inara."

She turned to see Virgil lying on one of the hospital beds. "Virgil, you look sprier than before."

He looked at her with a sly smile. "Just wanted to tell you thanks, you were particularly radiant poised with your bolt thrower, the old bastard slain."

"Well you know us women, we're a force to be reckoned with." She came over to his bed and stared at the man who respected her, but one she would never fully trust.

"That you are. How are my crew?"

"They'll all live, Kaylee even fashioned Sterling a new leg. I think he fancies it, he says a mechanical pegleg suits the pirate in him."

"Good, I'm sure he'll cook you a fabulous meal as soon as he's upright."

"Look who's here." Hershel caught her attention, toting a smiling Meilin over to her mother. "Is that who you've been wantin'? Huh Little One?"

Meilin crowed happily and reached for her mother. While she liked the man who called himself grandpa, she wanted her mother.

"I missed you too my Xiao Xiongmao." Inara took her in her arms and showered her with affection, suddenly feeling more complete as Meilin was jabbering happily. Smoothing out the baby curls she dropped kisses on her head and hummed happily. "I'm home, I'm home." Patting the little back, Meilin settled down some, molding to her body as if she was never going to leave. "Thank you for watching her, Hershel."

"Was good to get to know her." He said fondly. "Can't say I did everything, one of your folk, Zoe, took over once in awhile."

"Still, thank you." She smiled as Meilin nuzzled against her dress, grasping onto it. "It's nice to have her be able to know a grandparent."

His mouth quirked. "And how did you come to know about that?"

"A rather touching capture," she explained "your son's a little too stubborn to let that information go."

"That's his mother's side."

Inara chuckled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

River enter the ship she had flown in on.

She brought food; a small amount of rice, some milk, eggs, what was leftover of the frozen vegetables and some precooked meat. Hearing the rousing laughter of a child, she found the two children wrestling on the floor, the girl winning.

"Feeding them." River announced as he came in from the cockpit. Setting the food down, she got out a pot to make the rice.

"Ow!" The boy yelped as he attempted to fight off his friend. She was a good deal stronger though. Still, he kicked her off, and rubbed his sore arm.

She tumbled back, shaking her hair out of her face. With a wild peal of laughter she got up and pounced on him.

"I know you have justifiable reasons for keeping us here," He began. "But when are we going to be able to talk to them?"

"Soon, let them rest, having you around won't particularly ease nerves. You are marked by the past. Just wait." She washed the rice, like how Kaylee and Inara had taught her. "They'll know soon enough."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright," Tasya came into Zoe's room, where the latter was resting in bed.

"I can help with the ranch." She told her.

"Simon saw your lung scans, Niska doused you with ice water and electrocuted you, not to mention the laser burns. On top of that you have a history of pneumatic problems and are a prime candidate for any infections in your lungs." She opened the bag, which contained various medications. "Limited contact with the cold, plenty of rest, steroids and breathing treatments are his orders."

"Aren't you a doctor too?" She challenged.

"I'm not the one in charge." Taking a needle, she drew out the dosage, then flicked the side and dispelled the trapped oxygen. "I'm just the one running post op." Signaling for an arm, she took it and swabbed the inside of her elbow with an alcohol pad. "Listen, I know you feel bored..."

"I feel useless." Zoe corrected, sharply, not even flinching to the needle. "Ever since I caught this, they don't let me work like I used to. I can't stay cooped up like this."

"Why don't you come out and talk with the others. They seem a chatty bunch." Removing the needle, she skillfully tacked a cotton ball down with her finger in it's place, and capped the needle.

"Tell the same stories to the same people, recollect on things that happened long ago when we were all young and stupid." Zoe said grumpily. "Unless there's alcohol involved, it's not fun."

"You want to talk to me?" Tasya fixed a piece of tape over the cotton ball.

Zoe fixed on her eyes, not particularly agreeing or refusing. "Would it be a one way conversation?"

Tasya began to put everything away. "I'd talk."

"You're not particularly chatty."

"Neither are you."

"Don't know you."

"Don't know any of you." She took out the scanner and programmed it for Zoe. "But I sense we could both use some form of exchange."

"Why would I need to talk?" Zoe's voice kept level, though hinting words should be carefully chosen.

Tasya paused, not knowing how it had become so quickly charged. "I'm... I'm sorry I just thought we could... talk, I didn't know you'd get so upset."

"Not upset..."

"Why don't you just hold still while I get your scan." She immediately closed herself off. The doctor was not one to talk, that much was true, but she sensed they had things in common, and were both in the same place in their lives. Someone to possibly confide in was a tempting thought. Though that had been dashed by their exchange. "Deep breath in... and hold it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mal was confined to his bed.

He had taken quite the hiding, and doctor's orders were for plenty of bed rest and little movement on accounta the collection of stitches he had acquired. As he lay there, reading a book as he was bored as hell in his own bedroom, he heard someone fiddling with the door. Looking up, the handle turned, and it opened.

Shan-shan padded in, pausing, staring at him, then letting out a chuff.

"No." Mal sat up straight in bed, wincing to the pain.

The tiger did not heed as she took a few steps and leapt up onto Inara's side, settling next to him and resting her head in his lap, pressing it against his stitches.

The captain groaned. "Shan-shan..."

"Roooowl." The mighty cat nuzzled him and licked his arm.

He let out a sigh, and absently began to scratch the pet's head. "I hear you really are a pussy." He told the cat.

Shan-shan shut her eyes and moaned happily.

"Ran away, cowarding at the site of unsavory folk. I thought I could count on you to protect the girls."

Shan-shan promptly rolled over to expose her chest and belly, reaching a paw out and touching the injured man's shoulder to explain what she wanted.

He obliged. "What am I gonna do with you? Huh? I figgured you'd help watch over the ranch when the drive came and us cowboys gotta take the beef to market. Now I'm doubting your ability. 'Bout as useless as a three dollar bill you're turning out to be.""

Shan-shan's mouth opened, and her tongue rather ungracefully slid out. A groan came forth as he scratched a particularly itchy spot.

"Do I need to give you two a moment?" Inara asked from the door.

Mal glanced up and stopped scratching the tiger. "Funny, oh great warrior woman."

"Never been called that before, though I must admit it does have a nice ring to it." She came in, balancing Meilin on her hip and a mug of tea in the other hand. Taking a seat next to him on his side of the bed, she relaxed some. "I thought my damsel could use some company, and some tea."

"Damsel?" He balked.

"You were in distress, were you not?" She shifted Meilin to her lap and used the other to give him the tea cup..

"I had the situation under control." He sipped the tea, using the hand connected to an IV.

"Right." She reached up and ran and hand through his hair.

"Well you helped, a little." He announced, begrudgingly, before taking another sip.

"Be glad I'm relieved you're here, alive and in one piece." She pressed a kiss to an ear. "More or less in one piece." There was a pause, and she watched as Mal sink back against the mound of pillows he was propped up against, his eyes weary.

"Tea's good, tastes sorta funny." He drank his tea, liping his lips and mulling over the taste. Mint, and somethin' that's all..." The brows furrowed. "Spicey? Honeyish?"

"I sweetened it with a little honey, but certain teas are known to have homeopathic properties." She leaned against the headboard as he drank his tea. "Hopefully it'll help you rest since I heard you're having trouble sleeping."

"Don't like being here all cooped up, big bed all to my lonesome, and I gotta ranch ta tend to..." Mal clasped a fist over his mouth as his yawn escaped. The tea was working, his aches seemed to go away, and his eyelids felt heavy.

"You were nearly killed." She pointed out, amusingly.

"Not even close.... Well not my closest." He handed her the teacup and let out a deep, tired breath. "Been lots closer, been worse and I walked away from it. Hell that time I was missin my ear..."

"You can tow the tough, tireless captainy line later, just relax while we fill in for you. Jayne, Simon Kaylee River and her friends as well as your kin and I are all able bodied and capable of helping out around here." She set the cup down up and set their yawning daughter on his chest carefully. The little girl was due for a nap, and clung to his sweatshirt as her small, chubby frame curled up with a yawn, "I figured you two could have the same nap schedule."

Mal held Meilin in place and dusted cat fur off of his fingers as Shan-shan moved over and stretched out on the other side of the bed. "How's she been?"

"Fine, Simon checked her out today just before we shut everything down, gave her her booster shots and is in awe at how remarkably healthy she is. She's getting ready for a growth spurt."

"That's good." He yawned. "And you? How are you holdin' with all these guests?"

Meilin yawned mightily, as the yawning was infectious.

"Fine." She let out a yawn herself. "Finished playing nurse for Simon and Tasya, tired and hungry but I think I'll survive. I just want my stubborn, injured lover to get some rest since that's what the doctor orders."

"Well you'll get that soon enough, seems the tea's working." His eyes fluttered. "Promise me if it's night when I wake up I won't roll over to a tiger, k?"

Shan-shan grumbled, as if she felt there was nothing wrong waking up next to her.

Inara chuckled. "As soon as I get some food I'll lay down with you two."

"It's a date." Mal sighed. "Though it lacks ambiance, it's a date."

"Didn't you know? I don't need ambiance when I'm with you." She pressed her lips to his forehead.

*** *** *** TRANSLATIONS/DEFINITIONS Shenme?: What? Xiao Xiongmao: Little Panda *****As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**