Simon tugged at a suture in Jayne's arm, trying to make his work as sturdy as possible. Jayne wasn't one to actually listen to warnings to take it easy. Nor was he one to fret about a day's events the way Simon was. He thought about the battered and exhausted Mal he'd just finished treating and the proud little smile on his face when he'd thanked Simon for his part of the mission.

The man I least want to become is proud of me. Now that's a disturbing concept. He satisfied himself that the hole in Jayne's arm was well enough repaired, and started tending to his more minor injuries, lost in thought.

Jayne's head jerked suddenly, and Simon felt the man's body convulse in panic. "You're okay," Simon said calmly. "You're back on Serenity, and you're going to be fine."

Jayne relaxed, looking around in confusion. "What happened? How'd we get out?" ___________________________________________________________

Wash lay in Zoe's arms, finishing his tale. "-so there's me, doing the world's worst job pretending like I'm not scared out of my mind while this go tsao de hwoon dahn ties me to a post, and Mal looks over all worried-like and tells me if I'm gonna to take up stripping, I'd better find a shinier pole and come up with some better dance moves."

He closed his eyes, the memory causing him to tremble slightly. "I was wound so tight, it seemed like the funniest thing in the world, and I start giggling. Can't stop for the life of me, and that proved a mite irritating to this unnaturally large fellow with a club. He landed the thing right smack in the side of my head, and that's pretty much the last thing I remember."

Zoe kissed him, poking lightly at the bandage on his head. "He was just hinting that you needed a better sense of fashion. You really do look stunning in white gauze."

Wash kissed her in return and wigged closer, relishing the feeling of being wrapped safely in Zoe's strong arms. The two snuggled in silence for several minutes as Zoe tenderly massaged his back, feeling the horrible tension in his body ease at last.

"I understand now," Wash whispered sleepily.

"What, baby?" Zoe asked.

"How you love Mal. Never quite got it before." He stopped, tears rising in his eyes. "I was so scared, more scared than I've ever been, and he just - he -"

Zoe nodded, brushing Wash's hair back tenderly. "Made you feel okay with the fact that you were going to be tortured to death and your wife was going to die in a heroic rescue attempt?" she asked with a wry smile.

Wash nodded. "I am glad that some of his bleaker predictions don't come true, mind you," he said with a weak grin. The smile left his face, and he looked soberly at Zoe. "What Mal said - about you coming to rescue us, and the whole part where you die - I don't want you to get killed trying to pull me out of some scrape."

Zoe pulled him close, burying his head in her chest. "Baby, I don't ever want you to be stuck somewhere thinking I'm not coming for you. If I get even the remotest chance to rescue my husband, I take it, no matter what."

He wrapped a strong arm around her and gripped her tightly, intensely. "I love my wife," whispered Wash, closing his eyes in contentment. ______________________________________________________________

"Looks like the good doc finally grew a pair and learned how to be useful for a change," grunted Jayne. "Might make an accounting for yerself after all."

Simon glared at him in grim exasperation. "I fix people, I don't murder them! I don't beat their heads into metal staircases. I became a doctor because I wanted to help people."

"What, fancy doctor's got blood on 'is hands?" Jayne asked mockingly.

Simon held up his bloody, gloved hands and looked at them with one eyebrow raised. "I'm a trauma surgeon, Jayne."

Jayne rolled his eyes. "Well, you were savin' lives. Ours."

"And in doing so, I violated my oath, violated every principle I've lived by." Simon tied off a suture and clipped the ends carefully.

"What so ruttin' important about that fancy oath of yours, anyhow? Just words, ain't it? Not like they's gonna let you practice any more, not that you's a fugitive an' all. Didn't they disembar you already - owww!" Jayne howled indignantly as Simon applied antiseptic to a cut on his chest.

"Disbar." Simon sighed, ignoring the outburst. "It's an ethical standard. Adhering to it is the only thing that separates me from the monsters that ripped apart my sister's brain, or from the thugs you people deal with."

"C'mon, doc, what you did was justified. They ain't, that's the difference."

"Every sort of monster feels justified in his actions, even the people who did this to you." Simon looked pointedly at Jayne, compassion showing in his eyes. "I swore never to use my knowledge to harm another human being, to dedicate my life to helping people. That's the difference. How'd their aim get so bad, anyway?"

"They was on horseback, shootin' when they'd ride past." Jayne looked away. "So you saved us from that, and your conscience is botherin' you?"

Simon raised one eyebrow with a dry smile. "No," he said gently. "I feel good about today. I'm not haunted by what I did, and that's what frightens me. It was....a rush. I enjoyed it." He looked at Jayne, troubled. "I didn't take any pleasure from hurting the girl who attacked me, or killing those men, and I wouldn't wish what you three went through on anyone. But -" he hesitated, wanting to delay the admission of what he knew in his heart.

Simon hung his head. "It it was fun, coming in to the rescue with guns blazing-" his mouth twitched in a wry smile "-even considering I can't shoot - and blowing a giant hole in the largest building I've ever seen and getting away with it. All this time, I've been looking at Mal thinking he's insane for getting into all these wild brawls and enjoying it -"

"So the gentle doctor has a dark side. We all do. Ain't nothin' to worry about." Jayne looked out of his element, trying to reassure Simon.

Kaylee entered timidly, looking at Jayne with concern written on her face. Jayne rolled his head to the side to speak to her. "You might not want to interrupt, the good doctor's balls is dropping."

Kaylee's jaw dropped, and a delighted smile crossed her face. "Oh - that's - nice. Can I watch?" she teased, walking over and wrapping her arms playfully around Simon.