Post-Academy

[simon_doctor]

It's not ship's night yet -- hard as it is to believe, it's barely been an hour since everything ended -- but the infirmary lights are dim anyway and Simon has chased almost everyone out, in order to let his patients get some much-needed rest.

Crowley, though he looks the worst damaged of them all, is recovering the fastest; he's been moved from the secondary bed to a cot. Mal is asleep on the secondary bed; his color and breathing are already improved, and his heartbeat's strong. Inara sits half-asleep in a chair beside him, eyes closed, head canted against the wall, his hand clasped in her own.

On the main bed, Cuthbert's somewhere between a drugged unconsciousness and a more natural sleep. Susan sits beside him, awake but as quiet as Inara. Alain's gone to get coffee for her and himself; he should be back soon.

Simon draws a deep breath, and attempts for the third time to read the page of data from Dr. Lin's files that he's been staring at for ten minutes.

Comments

[gonna_live]

"Simon?"

She's there, hanging in the doorway, one palm planted on the outside wall.

She looks...like she doesn't know what to think.

[simon_doctor]

He glances up from the datareader, and there's something of that look on his face as well.

It's a moment before he says anything.

"Hey."

[gonna_live]

For a minute she doesn't say anything either.

The folks inside...Susan's only got eyes for Cuthbert, and Inara's only got eyes for the captain. For a moment Kaylee's the same way. She blinks back tears.

And Crowley...Crowley doesn't have eyes.

With a very soft, shaky sigh, Kaylee holds out a hand to Simon. It's almost a shy gesture.

[simon_doctor]

He throws a quick look around at his patients

(you're the doctor)

before rising to his feet, and putting down the datareader, and crossing the room to her.

Susan looks up as he passes, and then glances across to Kaylee.

[gonna_live]

She pulls him outside, and a little ways down the corridor to the common area to sit on the couch.

And then she says, softly still, "How're you doin'?"

It's a stupid question. But she doesn't know how else to phrase it.

[simon_doctor]

"...All right, I guess." The tone makes it clear he finds this odd.

"I mean ... we did it. We brought that place down. Saved most of the kids."

A pause, and he glances over his shoulder to look back at the infirmary.

"And Crowley says River and the others weren't on the station when it blew."

[gonna_live]

Kaylee blinks.

Crowley's from their time, not -- in the bar he's -- so he'd know --

Now Kaylee's hugging Simon. Tight.

[simon_doctor]

And he hugs her back, hard, but there's no joy in his voice when he continues:

"Which is the best news I've had in days. If it's true."

[gonna_live]

"But he's -- back there he'll know what's comin' -- what do you mean if?"

[simon_doctor]

"If they didn't come back, he knows it."

Very quietly. Very evenly. It's only logical.

"And if there was a risk of us making a futile charge back in after them..." He lifts a hand, lets it drop. "It would make sense to tell us they weren't in there. So we'd get moving."

Another glance in the direction of the infirmary.

"Or else he's telling the truth, and they're alive and well and elsewhere, and we'll meet them back at the bar."

[gonna_live]

"...he wouldn't lie about this. Not ever. You saw them flyin', didn't you?"

Kaylee sounds more like she's trying to convince herself.

[simon_doctor]

He nods.

But he's also seen Crowley lie before, not just with words but with his

(are you a man of faith, Mr Tam)

entire being.

"I don't ... I don't think he'd lie about this. I don't assume he's lying. I'm just ..."

His look at her is half apologetic, now.

"I don't think I'll really believe it until I see her."

[gonna_live]

It's not so much relaxing as it is giving way.

"Oh, Simon."

Tightening her hold on him.

Kaylee can understand that. It's a very small part of why she came down -- had to see for herself that he was okay. Safe. Not shot, or bleeding to death, or any of it.

[simon_doctor]

"...and I guess until then I'll ... pretend I believe she's safe."

He's trying to smile, and it's not working.

[gonna_live]

"Simon -- ài rén -- "

She rests the backs of curled fingers against his cheek, searching.

She doesn't know what to say.

(sometimes a thing gets broken)

[simon_doctor]

"Because if she's -- if she's not --"

It's not just the uncertainty about River. It's that primarily, of course, but it's also the stress and fear and exhaustion of the past few hours, the past week, the past three years. Nearly every waking minute of which has been devoted, to a greater or lesser degree, to making sure his sister is safe.

His face is crumpling, making him look about ten years old.

"-- if she's not, I don't know what to do --"

[gonna_live]

He looks about ten years old, and so far from home.

Kaylee can't tell him what to do. She doesn't know, either.

(can't be fixed)

She strokes his cheek, and she looks into his face (and it's different, seeing Simon at a loss this way; different, and frightening, and wrong), and she doesn't look away.

[simon_doctor]

And there comes the moment when he can't bear her regard any longer, and puts his face down against her shoulder.

Struggling for control, and not quite making it, and still struggling.

[gonna_live]

She holds him to her, one hand rising to slowly stroke his hair.

She told him once he didn't have to worry about behaving around her.

Kaylee turns her head, and kisses his temple, and rests her head against his. Barely audible: "Shh."

[simon_doctor]

And eventually he stops shaking, and his breathing evens, and he slowly raises his head.

"Xièxie nĭ, xin gan."

[gonna_live]

"Any time." Warm. A little worried. "You want me to go to the kitchen, see if I can scrounge up somethin' for you to eat?"

It's been a long day, and while it's nearly over for everybody else...Simon still has patients.

[simon_doctor]

He blinks a little, as though the idea of eating something is a strange and complex mathematical formula he hasn't encountered before.

"...maybe if there's any instant soup, or something ...?"

[gonna_live]

"I'll see what I can scrounge up."

She kisses his forehead, and stands.

"It's gonna be okay, Simon."

[river_meimei]

The doorway between the corridor and the infirmary shimmers, and suddenly leads somewhere else. There's a crowded bar visible, as River and Zoe step through, and then the door shuts and is Serenity again.

River's pale. Exhausted. Slumped a little. She's grimy and stained with tears and sweat and other people's blood, and there are dark circles under her eyes. She's wearing a long brown coat that's much too large for her, and clutching a black handkerchief in one hand, and dragging the poncho half-forgotten from the other.

But she's alive, and unhurt, and back.

[simon_doctor]

"...River?"

He does not remember rising from the couch, or crossing the space between them, or anything between seeing his sister and clutching her in a tight shaking hug.

"--oh tiānna, River, you're all right --"

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe steps back from River as Simon reaches her, and just watches them for a moment, a faint smile on her face.

Then, she heads over to the nearest comm.

"This is Zoe speaking. Just wanted to let everyone know that River's home safe."

The warmth in her voice says all the rest.

[river_meimei]

River finally lets herself relax fully. Finally. She was exhausted hours ago, and she kept going, kept moving--
let your love cover me
Now she just slumps against Simon, until his tight embrace is holding her upright. She wraps her arms around his waist, and buries her face in his shirt, and just clings.
like a pair of angel wings
She might be crying again, a little. But she's silent.

[gonna_live]

Everybody complains about demons.

Right now Kaylee is grinning so hard her face hurts.

And there are tears in her eyes.

She moves forward, but then stops -- let them have this. There'll be time later. The 'verse isn't going to be ending any time soon, after all.

Kaylee turns and goes to the kitchen to get Simon's soup, and maybe to see what else she can find. River's probably hungry, too.