Disclaimer: Firefly and I have nothing to do with each other.

Right and Wrong By KaySky Part Twelve

It had been a long night, a long morning. Simon was sure he did something wrong. He checked the test results three times. They were right.

“How’s the exam going?” Mal appeared in the doorway of the infirmary.

“I’ve finished, but I found…”

“I’ve got a pretty good idea of what you found. Just wanted it confirmed.” Mal walked into the room running his fingers across the cold steel countertops. “I don’t think Vincent knew.”

“Who’s going to tell him?”

“Seems right coming from the doctor, but wouldn’t seem wrong coming from the captain either.”

Simon could tell Mal was stressed. Everyone on Serenity had been through a lot. As much as he didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, he didn’t want the Captain to be either. “I’ll do it.”

“I never said…”

He looked into Mal’s eyes. There was a hint of respect in them. Something he hadn’t seen before. “Just check on Kaylee for me. She could probably use her captain about now.” Simon laid a white sheet over Anya’s body and headed to the holding room. This was the part he always hated about being a doctor.

* * * *

Book had fallen asleep in a chair beside Simon’s bed. Mal walked over and gently touched the Shepard’s shoulder. “I can take over. You should try getting some rest in your own bed.”

“I think I will do that.” Book got up leaving his chair for Mal. “She’s been asleep most of the afternoon. A few nightmares here and there, but nothing she couldn’t work through.”

“Thanks, Shepard.”

Mal’s heart ached as he looked at Kaylee. Her forehead was hidden underneath a bandage and her cheeks were bruised. Even her soft lips had been cracked and swollen. He couldn’t see under the sheet, but he knew there were lots of bandages. His eyes watered thinking about every time Vincent had run his knife across her body. Vincent would pay for his actions. Mal would make sure of it.

* * * *

“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you here.” Vincent said. “I thought Mal would rather do the honor of killing me himself.”

“I’m sure Mal will be the one to kill you.” Simon said as he walked into the room. “I’m just here because you should know something.”

Vincent raised his eyebrow. “Okay…”

There was no easy way to say what Simon had to say. The fact that he had to say it to Vincent didn’t make it any easier. “Anya was pregnant.”

Vincent starred at Simon in shock. "Pregnant?" Darkness consumed his soul. Anger flowed through his veins. Sadness emerged from his eyes. “She…she never told me. Did she know?”

“She was about three months along. I’m sure she knew. Mal thinks she knew, too.”

“It’s mine.” A tear rolled down his cheek as he lowered his head. “What I said before about her being…she wasn’t. We were far from friends, but we needed each other. We both wanted nothing more than leaving our past behind and having someone else come along for the ride…it’s nice. As for pursuing other relationships, neither one of us liked commitment nor was there a need to look elsewhere for sex. Pretty much sex was the only thing keeping us from leaving each other.” He brushed the tears away and looked up at Simon. “Sex is a great outlet. All of life’s disappointments and even life’s joys can be channeled through sex.”

Simon thought he had a point. Sex was a distraction. He was so apprehensive about being anything more than a friend to Kaylee because he was afraid he would turn her into his personal distraction. All his bad days, all River’s bad days, he could have easily channeled them right through her body. He didn’t want to do that. He cared too much to use her like a cheap whore. So he kept his distance. He and Kaylee eventually grew to become close friends overtime. Then one day they grew to be something more. He didn’t see it coming. He just felt it. It wasn’t a distraction.

“Guess, I know why she got herself killed.” His fists tightened as he talked. “After everything that has went on between her and me these last couple of weeks and especially since last night…I couldn’t of brought a baby into my life either.” He punched his open hand with his other fist. “Doesn't make it any easier finding out I was a dad. It still hurts. If I had known…”

“Vincent,” Simon’s voice was filled with compassion. He hated everything Vincent had done to Kaylee, but he wouldn’t have wished this on him. Dieing a painful death is one thing, the feeling of losing a child is another. “There is no point in going through the ‘what ifs’. As hard as this may be you need to accept it.”

“I could have taught my son to play ball just like his old man did in school. It would have been nice to have that chance.”

“You can still have that chance.” Simon knew he was giving Vincent false hope. There was no reason in the 'verse Mal would keep him alive.

“Are you kidding me? Your captain would be ought of his mind to keep me alive. I wouldn’t.”

“Well, the captain is anything but predictable.” He hated lying. He knew it was wrong to give Vincent false hope, but sometimes people do things they know are wrong.

“Find him for me. I’d like to speak to him.”

Simon nodded as he left Vincent to mourn the loss of his child. Simon couldn’t help feel sorry for him as he shut the door behind him hearing sounds of tears in the background.

* * * *

Kaylee woke up screaming.

“Hey, hey,” Mal said as he positioned himself on Simon’s bed. “Don’t let those dreams get the best of you.” He pulled her into his arms. “It’s over now.” He kissed the top of her head.

“Cap’n, what are you going to do with Vincent?”

“Not sure yet, meimei. Can’t see how we could let him go. He knows about River. Can’t trust him not to try something again. I can’t just let him go. You understand that, right meimei?”

Kaylee nodded in Mal’s arms as his shirt soaked up her tears. “What did Anya say to you before…”

As much sadness as it would bring to Kaylee, he knew she had a right to know. “She was pregnant. She said something about how she had to make sure she couldn’t hurt anyone else, especially her baby. She must have figured the only way to protect her baby was by not letting herself live to give birth.”

Kaylee’s heart was overwhelmed with so much feeling. Her words seemed to be lost.

“It’s not a good feeling when a friend stabs us in the back. As much as we’d like to hate them for it and even though we might never be able to forgive them, it’s still okay for us to not want anything bad to happen to them. But sometimes the bad does happen and there ain’t nothing in the ‘verse anyone coulda done to stop it.”

“Hey,” Simon said as he entered his room. “How’s the patient?”

“I bet tomorrow morning we’re gonna have to pry her away from tinkering with that engine. She’s sweet as honey, but stubborn as a mule. Keep and eye on her, Doc.” Mal got up from the bed, gently placing Kaylee into a comfortable position. “I’m going to take care of Vincent. You stay here and listen to the doc. And remember what I said.” He gave her a kiss goodbye knowing he was leaving her in safe hands.

“I think its time for another dose of pain medicine.” Simon said as he moved closer digging in his med kit. “It’ll just be a little sting.”

“Simon,” Kaylee’s voice was soft and gentle. “About what you were saying to me earlier, it was real sweet.” Her cheeks had swollen and it stung a bit to smile, but Simon being with her took all the pain away. “Probably the sweetest thing you ever said to me.”

He smiled back as he finished giving her the injection. “Well I’m glad I can finally say something right.”

“Simon,” she held her arms in the air motioning as if she was a toddler wanting to be picked up. “Can you hold me?”

He situated himself of the bed and pulled her close. His body was warm and inviting. Kaylee hoped it would always stay that way. She didn’t flinch when she heard the gunshot echo from the holding room. She felt safe. She hoped she’d always feel safe in Simon’s arms.

The End.