Part Three

"So what next, sir?" Jessie asked, glancing sideways at her captain. "Rafe was supposed to be lookin' 'round for someplace else to lay explosives, though I guess that's gone out the window."

Rafe looked up from his digging and glared at her. "That part was called off on account of my bleeding, in case you've forgotten."

"Anyone tell you to get into an altercation?" Captain Scott demanded coolly. "They're obviously the kind for heroics, anyhow. Attacking one of them's just begging for trouble--unless it's done right."

"We're going to beat them anyway, aren't we?" asked Sarah, who was looking very pale and tired and picking listlessly at her breakfast. "I mean, do we have to do anything else? Doesn't seem like they're real strong or anything."

Captain Scott turned his gaze towards her, apparently checking a sharp word. "We need this job, and I'm not taking any chances. Now finish your breakfast or give it to the others--we don't buy protein for you to turn up your nose at."

"Sorry, sir," Sarah murmured, taking another few bites.

"They're close-knit, then," said Stern, the young man who until now had remained silent. "They'd probably go to lengths to save one of their own. Do you think...?"

The captain raised his eyebrows, nodding at the young man. "Can't say I disagree," he murmured, a grin slowly spreading across his face. He turned to the crew. "Think we've been going about this the wrong way," he told them, smile growing wider still.

"Sir?" Billy asked, confused.

"We outright attack one of them, they'll just hit us back, harder. We kidnap one, it's a headache. We attack their mine, they'll come and shoot us. If we put one of theirs in a situation of peril, though, one that takes up all their attention...well, that's a different story."

Sarah shoved her plate at Billy, who accepted it with pleasure, finishing up her breakfast in about two bites.

"The blond guy's usually the guard, during the day," Rafe said. "He'd be easy to take out."

Captain Scott nodded. "Jessie, you handle it. Rafe'll stay outside as backup, if you need it. Don't do any more than you have to--we may not be the heroes of this piece, but there's no call to make ourselves the villains, either."

"Antagonists we'll be, then," Stern said lightly. "What should be done with him?"

Jessie thought for a moment. "I'm thinking down the mine," she said, pushing her plate away. "I'll come up from behind, wrestle him down. They'll drop what they're doin', and scurry over t'try and pull him back up. No mess for us, 'n' no fuss."

Sarah stared at her. "But what if somethin' goes wrong?" she asked, worried. "We ain't murderers."

Captain Scott gave her a look and shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe not. But I plan on doin' whatever it takes to get this job. Live or die. Right now, it don't matter much to me."

By morning, Mal's fever had broken, and he was able to sit up and move around, which was just as well, as Simon had simultaneously gotten much sicker. Mal thought it probably hadn't been the best idea for the doctor to be wearing himself out when he was already infected, but there'd been no help for it that Mal had seen. He should've maybe ordered Simon to rest more, but Simon should have had sense enough to do that without being told.

Mal mixed up some more protein soup from hot tap water and returned to the bed. "Hey, Doc. Just have you some of this."

Simon turned his face away, his lips pursed lightly in distaste. "Don't bother," he whispered. He could now barely speak, the inflammation of his throat had gotten so bad. He had a high fever, but not quite so high as Mal's, and he was perfectly lucid.

"Hey," Mal said softly. "You got me through the worst o' mine, Doc. I'll look after you." He brought the spoon to Simon's lips again.

Simon rolled over onto his side, his back to Mal. "And maybe I shouldn't have," he murmured.

Giving up, Mal placed the bowl back down. He moved to sit so Simon had no choice but to face him again. "What's with the crazy talk, Doc?" he asked, confused. There was a fear in Simon's eyes that he had never seen before, and it was scaring him.

Simon just sighed and closed his eyes, wincing with pain. "If I die," he told him hoarsely, stifling a cough. "Promise me that you'll take River to Haven. To stay with the Shepherd."

Mal stiffened. "Hey. First off, ain't nobody gonna die. You took that same immune booster I did, didn't you?" Simon nodded. "And do I look dead? You'll be fine. Second, there some reason you think I wouldn't look after your sister? After all we been through?"

"Yes," Simon whispered. "After all we've been through." He didn't open his eyes, and his face was flushed and miserable.

"You wanna give me a better answer than that?" Mal demanded, genuinely perplexed. He knew Simon was sick and saying things he didn't mean, but still...why this?

"Please, just promise," Simon managed weakly. "I don't want to argue. I just want her to be safe. Please."

"Okay," Mal said finally, his voice still husked from the infection and perhaps something more. He didn't want the doctor getting himself worked up. Who knew how much worse he would get before he was better? "I promise."

Simon's eyes remained closed, and he didn't say another word.

Kaylee scrambled down the sloped tunnel, her arms filled with a tray. They'd started work before breakfast, as not even Jayne had been able to stomach the thought of breakfast at five, and Zoe had sent Kaylee back to make breakfast after an hour or two of work, leaving River to trundle the heavy wheelbarrows of ore back and forth.

"Here," she said cheerfully, setting down the tray in the chamber where they were working. "Made up some toast an' coffee and the last of that canned ham, and a can of pears--reckon we've earned it, after all."

Wiping his brow and throwing down his pickaxe, Jayne grabbed a plate of food without a word of thanks. Using a section of rock as a makeshift chair, he threw himself down and began to eat voraciously.

Zoe grabbed a plate gratefully, as did Wash. "Thanks, Kaylee," Wash said, gulping back a mug of black coffee.

River carefully parked the wheelbarrow and picked up a plate. Echoing Wash's thanks, she perched cross-legged on a rock and began to daintily pick at her food, stopping to examine it closely before she put it in her mouth.

"So this is the last day," Zoe informed them as she ate. "Fanty and Mingo're landin' tonight to see what we've done."

"Tempted to tell 'em most o' our time has been spent tryin' to keep that gorram crew away from our mine," Jayne grunted, rubbing at the scratch on his arm. "And keepin' 'em from killin' us."

Wash sighed. "I imagine that would impress them more than turn them in our favor."

Kaylee's eyes grew wide as she swallowed a bite of toast. "What if we ain't got enough ore for their likin'?"

"Might have more if some of us put some effort into breakin' rock, 'stead o' runnin' 'round like a gorram waitress," Jayne said harshly.

"Jayne!" Zoe's voice was sharp. She leaned forward. "Listen, ain't a soul here who's worked harder than you these last few days, Jayne." Her face hardened. "So don't make me kill you and leave you at the bottom of a shaft until we're done, all right?"

Jayne swore, finished his breakfast in a mouthful, then picked up his pickaxe and went off to work another chamber.

Kaylee's lower lip was trembling just slightly. "I can do some of the heavy work for a while," she said, very softly.

Zoe shook her head. "We got a system here, an' it's working fine. You and River just keep doing what you're doing. Hell, we probably got more than them already," she lied. "We've been working hard, while they're busy just thinking up ways to stop us from doing what we're doing."

"Exactly," Wash affirmed. "You girls are doing fine, I promise. You know the only reason Jayne's never choked to death is 'cause he never swallows his pride. Unfortunately," he finished under his breath.

Kaylee brightened slightly. "Well, I guess I'd better get back to doing what we've been doing," she told them. Gulping down the remains of her coffee, she turned to River. "C'mon, Genius. Let's get these plates washed up 'fore we head back down."

River nodded. "Can't leave a mess." She stood and followed Kaylee, plate in hand, up and out of the mine.

Wash threw his wife a lazy grin. "Nice to have some alone time," he winked.

She chuckled a little. "In a mine?"

"Hey, I like you dirty," he told her, leaning forward and kissing her dusty cheek.

Zoe gave him a proper kiss, then pushed him away. "Work, dear." She let him look disappointed for a moment, then said, "But tonight, you can give me a sponge bath, I promise."

His face immeasurably brighter, Wash headed back up to guard the entrance.

They worked solidly through the morning. Wash sat on guard, Zoe and Jayne did the actual mining, and River and Kaylee were tireless in hauling the ore, equipment, and refreshments for the rest of the crew. Kaylee had just come down with another pitcher of water when River stumbled, letting the arms of the wheelbarrow fall abruptly to the ground, a strangled cry rising in her throat.

Kaylee hurried to her side. "River? River, sweetie, what is it? Somethin' wrong? The fumes get to ya, or...?"

River shook her head vigorously from side to side. "People that don't belong. Think we're knitted, like a tapestry. Pull a thread, hard, make it all fall apart." She began to shake.

"Baby, you're not making sense--" Kaylee began, gripping her shoulders.

"Make sure we're not thinking, so they can win. Taking advantage." She breathed hard and glanced down into the deeper blackness of the mine, where Zoe was. "Pulling a thread." She turned back to Kaylee and stared deep into her eyes, willing her to understand. "They're hurting Wash."

Kaylee dropped her hands and gasped. "They--? "

River nodded. "The others. Think they're like us, but missing something." Spinning on her heel, she began to run towards where they had last seen Zoe and Jayne, her hair flying behind her, kicking up dust as she went.

Kaylee stayed where she was, anxious, knowing she should go to Wash now, but fearful. If they had guns, she couldn't...but Wash... She took a few uncertain steps, biting her lip miserably. She couldn't do any good, Zoe would--

Zoe was there in seconds, pushing past her roughly, moving towards the entrance to the mine with the sheer unstoppable force of a ship at full steam. Her face furrowed, she called as she approached the entrance, "Wash? Baby?"

A muffled cry was her only answer. By the time she arrived, Wash was half-stuffed inside one of the shafts. It was one of the ones with a long, dangerous drop, and he gagged, being manhandled in further by Jessie.

A swift punch and a kick to the gut got the woman off of Wash, but it also removed her support, causing Wash to slide further down the shaft. Only his hands, clinging to the edge, kept him from falling in. His eyes looked up in desperate fear. Zoe reached for him. "Baby, it's okay, it's okay..."

Just as she'd nearly gotten him, Jessie picked herself up, dragging Zoe back towards her by the hair. She threw her off balance onto the hard rock floor. Both of them collided painfully, gasping as Zoe struggled to move back towards the shaft.

When Wash's grip finally gave out, River's screams echoed through the tunnel like the uncanny wail of the banshee.

"Wash!" Zoe inched painfully towards the mine's opening. All she could see was blackness. "Wash!" Her voice rose frantically. "Wash, baby, can you hear me?"

Kaylee appeared behind River, her eyes wide. "Oh, God, Zoe..."

"Wash!" Zoe yelled once more, her voice echoing back to them.

"Can't hear you," River keened. "He's hurt, in the black, and can't hear you."

"We'll get him out," Kaylee said, trembling, her hand at her mouth. "We'll get him out, Zoe..."

Zoe said nothing, just let out a groan and curled in upon herself at the shaft entrance.

Jessie, wind knocked out of her from the force of the landing, watched from her position near Zoe, laughing.

Everything in Zoe seemed to stiffen, and she got to her feet. Whirling around, her face twisted into an angry mask, she gripped Jessie's head in one hand and smashed it hard against the rocks. River, hearing the sharp crack, twitched as though she had been shot.

"Knew we still needed t'keep an eye on you lot," Jayne roared, racing up behind the girls, panting hard. His eyes moved from Jessie on the floor to Rafe a few feet away. "You actin' as backup, 's'that it?" he shouted at the black man. His hand flew automatically to the knife still strapped to his waist.

As the two men began circling each other, and Zoe moved towards the mouth of the cave to hold off the rest of the enemy crew, River grabbed Kaylee by the hand, drawing her further back into the tunnel. "Come on," she whispered.

"But we gotta help, we can't--" Kaylee said, nervously, but allowing herself to be drawn.

"We'll help. Do our part. Our part isn't the same as theirs. Counterpoint." River stopped, making Kaylee face her. "Kaylee."

Kaylee looked at River, calming just slightly at the serious look in her friend's eyes.

River smiled. "Know a way down." She pulled on her mining hat, turned on the lamp, and began leading Kaylee down into the bowels of the mine, away from the fight. It was steep descent, and a tight squeeze for both at times.

"We ain't gonna be able to get him back out through here," Kaylee gasped.

River paused, then nodded. "You widen it, and bring the barrow. I'll find him."

"But if I can't find this again--River, you could get lost..."

River bit her lip, torn by urgency at getting to Wash and knowing that Kaylee, at least, would not find them without help. Then she reached in her pocket. "It was a present," she whispered, holding up a lipstick. "For you. Take half."

Kaylee took the lipstick and broke off a portion of the waxy cosmetic. "I don't--"

River grinned at her conspiratorially. "Make a path," she told her friend, holding up her own piece. Turning to the wall, she scribbled a pink line. "See?"

"Okay." Kaylee pocketed the makeup. She took River's hand and squeezed it hard. "Be careful, 'kay?" she told her, worried.

River nodded and squeezed back. "Tell Zoe not to worry." With that, she straightened her mining lamp and began to move further down the shaft and into the black, lipstick in hand.

River followed the map in her head, made over the past few days of exploring and looking for the richest threads to work. Urgency hurried her, but she forced herself to be careful, to keep marking the path, not to trip and fall. Kaylee couldn't get them both out.

She found him crumpled, right where she'd known she would, and she flew to him, tears in her eyes. "Wash..." She knelt down and started to pull his head into her lap, then stopped, remembering she shouldn't. Then she remembered that they'd have to move him anyway, and went ahead. She rubbed at the blood trickling into his fair hair with distressed, futile fingertips. "Wash, please," she whispered. "Don't. Don't." Her distress overcame her again, and a hysterical, sobbing cry escaped her before she managed to smother it.

"Have to wake up," she choked out. "You play with me, let me touch the dinosaurs and fly. Wash, please..." Her tears splashed down onto his face. Very faintly, he twitched.

River saw the movement, gasped slightly. "Zoe!" she called up the shaft. "Zoe, found, found, found, lost and found, alive, promise!"

Far above them, Zoe lifted her head as River's voice floated up. "Oh, dì yù," she murmured with relief. Pushing herself closer to the edge, letting Jayne pick up the slack of the fight for a minute, she shouted, "Kaylee! Are you nearly there?"

"Shiny!" a tiny voice rang back. "Followin' the lipstick."

Glancing at River's pink scrawls on the walls, Kaylee gripped the wheelbarrow tightly, stopping every so often to make a wider path with her pickaxe. She was sore, she was dirty and it was incredibly hot, but she pushed on, because Wash was waiting, and so was Zoe.

The scribbles began to fade the further she got. River had obviously worn the lipstick down to nearly nothing in her effort to ensure that Kaylee found them safely.

"River!" Kaylee yelled.

"Little further!" came the muffled reply. "Straight down, no more turns."

Kaylee finally found them, and her hand came up to cover her mouth. "River, he...is he...?"

"Breathing," River whispered passionately. "Has to keep breathing. Here, help me--gently. Like storks." She began shifting Wash towards the wheelbarrow. Kaylee immediately moved to help, and they arranged him as comfortably as possible with his limbs all hanging out, and Kaylee's sweater to cushion his bleeding head.

They moved him as carefully as possible, but it was clear that this part of the tunnel wasn't as stable as the rest, being less worked and poorly supported. River's face grew pinched and anxious, and the girls were scraped from rocks tumbling down.

Finally, Kaylee stopped. "River, you stay here with him. I can get...brought some rods down, just in case. I'll get 'em, rig up some supports."

River nodded, her face dusty and streaked with tears. "Hurry," she whispered. "Fear chokes too."

Kaylee nodded and slipped away into the darkness. River glanced back down at Wash. His breathing was impossibly shallow, and his head injury looked particularly nasty. She wanted nothing more than to wipe the blood away with a damp washcloth, but that would have to wait.

"Back," Kaylee panted, appearing at her side once more. "Got the rods, and metal sheets. Need you to push while I set 'em up in front o' you. Don't want any more rock to fall."

"Okay," River replied, gripping the handles of the wheelbarrow with sweaty palms. Maneuvering the makeshift gurney as carefully as she could, she began to push steadily uphill.

"Careful," Kaylee warned as the granite began to shift above their heads. As quickly as she could, she positioned sheets of metal and the bars to provide support for the uneven stone above them. Her face straining with effort and her hair matted with sweat, she gestured for River to continue forward.

It was a slow process as they went, River pushing Wash's body and Kaylee moving the supports from behind them to in front of them as they went. Both girls were mad with impatience, but knew that lack of care could cost them all their lives.

Twenty minutes later, they had gotten through the crumbling, tight portions of the tunnel to one of the main caverns. They loaded Wash onto the dumbwaiter as best they could, causing him to groan, though he still did not regain consciousness. Finally, they hauled Wash to the top, both girls exhausted and near to tears from effort and anxiety.

When they regained the entrance, things weren't much better. Zoe had taken out Jessie, but she and Jayne were now pinned down outside the entrance of the mine under a volley of gunfire from Captain Scott's entire crew. It seemed subtle tactics had been eschewed.

"Last rounds," Zoe muttered to Jayne as she reloaded. "We need to make a break for it, try and get 'em away from the mine. If..." She drew a deep breath. "Then the girls can get him back to Serenity."

"This sounds like one of those plans where we die," Jayne said in a furious undertone. "'member how I hate those plans where we die?"

"No one is dying today," Zoe barked at him. She glanced behind, focusing on the frightened girls and not the body between them. "Stay right where you are," she told them, trying to keep her voice steady. She ducked as another shot rang out, this one perilously close to her head. "Gonna start moving away, otherwise this whole thing'll collapse in on us. Don't come out 'til those bullets sound very, very far away. Then you make for the ship. Understand?"

River nodded, tears still in her eyes. She gripped the wheelbarrow more firmly and managed a smile. "Understand. No more blood today."

Zoe gave Jayne a sidelong glance. "When I say so," she told him. "We move further out, 'round the side. Don't stop firing. Make sure they're focused on us, and only us."

"Don't that sound like fun," Jayne grumbled sarcastically, lifting his gun and preparing to move. "Nothin' I enjoy more than actin' like bait."

"Would've thought you'd be used to it by now," Zoe grimaced, raising her own weapon.

They moved from their cover, guns firing as fast as they could while running for their lives. There wasn't much chance of them making it, though--the rest of the hillside was barren, and to reach cover again, they'd have to cross an open stretch of about five hundred feet.

A bullet grazing his thigh slowed Jayne further, and Zoe loyally slowed with him, trying to provide as much cover as she could. It was far from looking good, though, and Zoe was already mentally calculating the likelihood of Scott's crew allowing River and Kaylee to leave alive if Zoe and Jayne were killed. Seemed like even odds.

Just then, another shot rang out, a shot that came from a gun whose sound Zoe knew as well as her own heartbeat. Captain Scott crumpled to the ground, a hand pressed to his abdomen, and then Mal was striding purposefully toward them. Stern, Billy and Rafe soon scattered after a few well-placed shots. Tossing fresh pieces to Jayne and Zoe as he stooped to grab Scott by the collar, Mal took full advantage of the other crew's surprise at the sudden turn of events.

"Son of a bitch," Mal cursed, as he turned the man over, taking in the all-too-familiar face of the man who had once shot him and left him to die with no air, drifting in space. "Well, hell, that's damn near therapeutic." He began hauling Scott's groaning figure towards the shaft of the second mine, the one Scott's crew had been working.

"Sir," Zoe yelled after him, surprised. "Didn't expect to see you up and walking 'round."

Jayne came to stand with her, wincing and clutching his leg. "Though I can't say I much mind," he added.

"I'll take that as meanin' you're both glad to see me," Mal called over his shoulder, still dragging the injured man

"You could say that, sir," Zoe affirmed, hurrying to join him at the mineshaft.

Mal grinned and looked down at the wayward captain. "Got a real gift for messin' things up for me 'n' mine," he told the man. "Bet you didn't expect to see me still breathin'."

Captain Scott squinted up at Mal. "Captain Reynolds. You--you shot me, you bastard," he groaned, his hand still gripping his stomach. Blood was oozing between his fingers.

Mal gave him a hard, cold look. "Yeah, well, what's that you told me once? You'd've done the same." Without hesitation or mercy, he dropped the man down the shaft, turning to Zoe. "Kaylee, River, Wash?"

"In the other mine, sir. Wash is hurt. They did, uh...pretty much what you just done to him."

Mal nodded. "Get the stretcher for him, and send the girls back to the ship."

"Yes, sir," Zoe said, hurrying to obey.

Mal stepped out of the mine, staring at Scott's crew. Billy had already fetched Jessie from where she lay, and she was still breathing, albeit weakly, from where she was slung over his shoulder. "Well, he's down there, and y'all can fetch him out yourselves 'f you want him. But you lay a finger on any of my crew again, and you won't be fetchin' anybody, though, dong ma?"

Rafe glared at him and hurried over to join the rest, Sarah and Stern in tow. Staring down into the mine, he called, "Sir?"

"Gorramit to hell," raged Captain Scott. "Y'all get down here now and help me out. That understood?"

"Sorry, sir," Billy informed him hurriedly. "Gotta get Jessie back to the ship, y'know? She's hurt bad."

"And I've got a bullet in my gut, in case you hadn't noticed!" Scott yelled back.

"Sorry, sir," Billy repeated, a small smile tugging at his lips now. "I'm sure you'll figure something out."

"You sorry bastard," Scott seethed. "Rafe, get your ass down here and help your captain." He was gasping now, the pain clearly worsening.

Rafe looked down at him. "Wish I could, Captain," he replied mercilessly. "But I didn't sign up for none o' this." He chuckled bitterly. "Can't say you were altogether interested when their man knifed me, can you?"

Sarah looked torn. "Captain, I--I'm sorry," she said at last, looking down into the mineshaft. There was an expression of something like relief on her face, though.

Mal watched incredulously. "You call this your crew?" he called in disbelief. "They are terrible, terrible people." He shrugged, putting away any thoughts of assistance. His own crew needed looking after, and he'd had more than enough. Taking the "just in case" grenade out of his pocket, he hurled it into the mine, then ran like hell back towards Serenity. He didn't care to see how many of them made it out, though he could see, in the distance, Stern and Sarah trudging their way back to their own ship, and Billy beginning to dig himself out.

Zoe was waiting for him at the cargo bay entrance, still armed. "Doc's looking at Wash now--he fit to do that?"

"He'll do," Mal said absently, still staring at the other crew's mine, something dark and unpleasant tugging at his thoughts. He shook his head, grinning at Zoe. "I'm out of commission for a few days and you turn into miners and get yourselves half-killed? At some point, you're gonna have to explain to me how that looked like a good plan."

"Yeah," Mal said heavily, still staring hard at the caved-in mine. "Good day."

Outro

Fanty and Mingo between the two mines, surveying the impressive pile of ore in front of them. "Very nice," Mingo said, plainly impressed.

"Didn't think your crew had it in them, Mal," Fanty added, appraisingly. "What happened to the others?"

"Let's just say they didn't have what it took," Zoe interjected, smiling faintly.

"I see," Mingo said slowly, grinning. He paused. "You shot them all, didn't you?"

"Hey," Jayne pouted. "'T'were only that captain o' theirs. Rest got away all right."

"We ain't monsters," Mal told them genially. "Only resort to violence when the situation calls for it."

"Doesn't altogether matter, really," Fanty drawled. "Think you've made quite an impression here."

"Meaning we get the job?" Zoe asked.

"Meaning exactly that," Mingo replied, grinning at his brother.

"'Course, there's still the matter of gettin' paid for all that minin'," Mal pointed out, crossing his arms. "Wouldn't've thought you'd want it gettin' out that you and your brother don't play fair, would you, Mingo?" He noticed Jayne twitch beside him.

"How come you can tell them apart?" he asked, a little too loudly. "I sure as hell couldn't. Ended up puttin' a string on their ear and everythin'." He glanced at the twins. "Hope it didn't come off."

"Oh, that little thing?" Fanty cut in. "We found that days ago."

"I'm stunned," Zoe said dryly.

Mingo looked a little startled, however. "So you can tell us apart, Captain Reynolds," he chuckled, pulling himself together quickly. "Always said you were an observant man."

"But yes," Fanty answered. "Your crew will be well paid for their hard work." Producing a large purse of notes and coins, he handed it to Mal. "Never let it be said that we don't keep our end of the bargain," he tutted.

"'Course not," Mal responded, glancing at the coins before pocketing the money. "We'll be in touch, gentlemen," he nodded.

"See that you are," Fanty smirked. "Our contact will be out here to collect the ore within the next two days--I trust your crew can keep guard over it until then?"

"Oh, I think we can manage," Mal said easily.

As the brothers left, Zoe looked at Mal, gauging his mood. "You knew that captain, didn't you?"

Mal nodded curtly, turning back towards the ship. "'member the guy that shot me when the catalyzer blew, left me there to bleed to death?"

Zoe was silent, but Jayne jumped in hurriedly. "Aw, hell. I'd've shot him straight off, 'f I'd known that was him," he said eagerly.

Mal shrugged. "Wash doing okay?" he asked Zoe.

She nodded. "Yeah. River and Kaylee got him out just in time, kept him from goin' into shock, Doc says."

"Y'all did a good job," Mal said seriously. "Put folk like that to shame."

Jayne glowed. "Hey, Mal, what with us gettin' all beat up and wore out, we gonna see any shore leave soon?"

Mal chuckled. "What've you got in mind?"

Jayne pondered this. "Somethin' with women. And food." He paused. "Drink is good, too."

Zoe snorted. "Sounds ideal. To you, anyway."

"Well, that's the point, ain't it?" Jayne sulked.

"Soon," Mal promised. "Just like to get a bit more money together first."

"Well, I'll leave the two of you to your dreamin'," Zoe told them. "Best go check on my man."

"I'll come, too," Jayne added. "Make sure Kaylee 'n' the crazy one ain't hasslin' him too much."

Zoe turned to Mal expectantly. "Sir?"

"You two go ahead," he waved. "I'll join you in a sec."

Nodding, Zoe turned and moved onto the ship, making a beeline for the infirmary with Jayne at her heels.

Hurrying down the steps, she poked her head in the door. Simon was fussing over Wash, while Kaylee and River were perched on the countertop.

"Takin' good care o' my husband, Doc?" she asked, stepping over. She bent her head and stroked Wash's hair lovingly.

"He's going to be just fine," Simon said, turning his head aside to cough briefly. " Jayne can set up an extra cot in here so I can keep an eye on him."

"Sure," Jayne gruffly replied, leaning against the doorway.

"Oughta be restin' yourself," Zoe said, looking at Simon. "But I can't say I'm not glad you're up and about."

River smiled, squeezing Kaylee's hand. "Told you," she whispered. Both girls shone with contentment, though they were still filthy, scratched up and trembling with exhaustion.

Simon turned, catching the smile on Kaylee's face and returning it. "Kaylee, do you mind looking after River a little longer?" He opened one of his drawers, drawing out some small gauze bandages and tape to hand to her.

Kaylee shook her head, standing to accept the materials. "C'mon," she said to River. "Let's try'n rinse some of this fei hua off us."

River, catching Simon's worried glance, hopped down to follow her. "All better now," she said, though there was still something grave in her eyes.

Mal found them in the corridor and pulled Kaylee in for a brief, one-armed hug. "Hey, girls. Hear you two been savin' the day."

Tired, Kaylee leaned against him. "Zoe 'n' Jayne kept us safe. Real good to have you back, Cap'n."

He smiled and released her. "You go on and get some rest now," he said, patting River's shoulder to send her along after Kaylee, then proceeded towards the infirmary.

He stopped in front of the glass, taking a moment to look in at Zoe, Jayne, Simon and Wash. Simon's face was absorbed, and he'd said nothing of his words during the fever. Probably a product of delirium--he surely knew his sister was safe here. They were all safe, for as long as Mal could keep them so. Still, he watched from the outside, his face dark and abstracted as he considered his crew.

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