“I don’t know where these came from,” Wash said practically pushing the jar back into Zoë’s hands.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Mal asked stepping closer and leaning down into his face.

“What do you want me to say Mal? I don’t know, really. All I know is the crate I saw wasn’t filled with that.”

“How am I suppose to believe that? How am I suppose to believe anything you say anymore?”

“Why would I make this up? Mal, what could I possibly have to gain from this?”

Mal stepped back but just kept staring at him. Wash turned silently to Zoë for support. With one look he could tell he wasn’t going to get any.

“All I can ask is that you trust me Mal. I’ve never lied to you before. I have no reason too.”

Mal took a few steps towards him again, his eyes gone cold.

“Then why didn’t you tell me you were from Demeter?”

Wash hadn’t expected that, but he didn’t let him faze him.

“To be fair Mal, you never asked.”

Mal stopped, started to speak, stopped again, gave up and left the room altogether to angry to continue.

The quiet left by Mal’s exit was deafening. Neither nor Wash spoke or moved.

“You told him,” Wash said flatly looking mostly at his hands.

”Not exactly.”

Silence again.

“You talk in your sleep,” Zoë supplied, crossing the room and busying herself by re-shelving items. She couldn’t look at him, not yet anyway.

“What’d I say?”

”Not sure, Kaylee heard you. Something about Demeter and a box. You had a high fever.”

“So, from that he figured out I grew up there. Me saying Demeter and box,” Wash continued a slight chuckle in his voice.

“No. That’s when I told him. If I hadn’t he’d of thought worse things then you just living there.”

“Worse like what?” Wash said, his voice getting louder with each syllable, “What, does he think I’m some sort of spy?”

”Listen,” Zoë said growing angrier by the second, “if you would have told him yourself when you first came aboard this ship you wouldn’t be having this problem now.”

“If I’d have told him then I wouldn’t be on this ship now,” Wash nearly yelled.

Zoë couldn’t argue that. It was true and she knew it.

“Now,” Wash said as he slowly got to his feet, “if you’ll excuse me. I’m going to my bunk.”

Obviously in pain Wash made his way across to the door.

“You shouldn’t be doing this,” Zoë said irritated by his stubbornness, “you’re only going to aggravate the wound and hurt yourself more.”

“There are a lot of things I shouldn’t be doing,” he said without ever turning round to face her. With that he was gone.

As Wash rounded the corner he felt a sudden spasm in his back. The pain nearly brought him to his knees but he refused to cry out. He knew if he did there was a good chance the only person close enough to hear would be Zoë and right now he didn’t want her help.

“Wash?” he heard from above.

Until that moment as he found himself looking up at Kaylee, he hadn’t realized he was nearly crouched on the floor.

“Oh God, what are you doing? You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

“Felt like a stroll,” he choked out.

“Let me get help,” she said, concern etched on her face.

“No,” Wash shouted grabbing her by the arm.

“No,” he said again quieter having gotten her full attention back to him, “I’m fine. Really.”

The look on her face voiced her opinion.

“I just want to be back in my own room, okay?”

“Alright,” she reluctantly agreed.

“Thank you,” he said pulling himself up using the wall.

“But I’m going with you,” Kaylee added, “you don’t look like your going to make it three feet let alone all the way to your bunk.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Wash said managing a rough smile. The pain was killing him.

“I’m not joking,” Kaylee continued, putting her arm around him for support as they slowly walked the hall, “Wash you look bad. Does Zoë know you’re out here?”

Wash continued concentrating on putting one foot out in front of the other, ignoring the looks the mechanic was now giving him.

“Wash? It’s your back that’s hurt, not your ears. I know you heard me. Does she?”

”Yes, she knows.”

“And?”

”And what?” Wash said sharply stopping. His brow was covered with sweat and his back felt like it was tied in knots. He didn’t need this now.

“Nothing,” Kaylee said unable to hide the hurt in her voice. It wasn’t like Wash to snap at her, no matter what the situation.

“I’m sorry Kaylee, really I am,” he said place a hand on her shoulder, “This has been about the worst day of my life. Okay, take that back. Not the worst, but it’s definitely in the top ten. I just want to get to my room and be alone.”

She nodded her head and smiled before continuing helping him make his way. It took a lot longer then normal with Wash having to stop several more times to rest. The entire time they remained silent.

Having finally got there Wash plopped down on his bed with a sigh.

“Thank you Kaylee.”

“You’re welcome,” she said as she turned to go.

“One more thing.”

”Yeah?”

“What did I say to you, when I was out of it before and talking in my sleep?”

”You mean about Demeter?”

He nodded.

“It didn’t make a lot of sense,” Kaylee answered sitting on a stool near the door, “and mostly you were mumbling so I couldn’t make out a lot of the words. But you did keep saying ‘fair and golden Demeter’ and ‘through storms and waves’ and something about triumphing. Does that mean anything?”

Wash smiled a bit, “Yeah it does. It’s an anthem.”

Kaylee just stared at him not sure what he meant.

“It’s like a pledge or oath, but it’s sung. We had to sing it every day before and after school. I haven’t thought about that in a long time. Never wanted to hear that again, was I singing it?”

“No,” Kaylee laughed, “I might have really panicked if I’d heard you sing.”

“Yeah, it is a treat,” Wash laughed with her, “What about the box?”

“Oh that,” Kaylee said with more ease then before, “You said to ‘give her the box’ over and over again. Of course you didn’t say who ‘her’ was or where I’d find this box, but you were really persistent about it. Make any sense to you?”

It dawned on him all at once what he must have been talking about.

“A little,” he said quietly.

“Can I ask you…”

“What’s in the box?” he smiled.

“Wrong.”

”Why I left?”

“No. What’s Demeter like?”

Wash got quiet again and his face grew solemn.

“Cheap fruit.”

Kaylee wrinkled her nose at him.

“Nice to look at but rotten to the core.”