(no subject)

[simon_doctor]

River tosses her head on the infirmary cot and mutters, then subsides back into something that isn't quite sleep. Simon watches the monitors: heart rate, respiration, temperature, all unsettlingly normal.

When the captain's footfall sounds in the doorway, Simon turns quickly to face him.

"Outside," he says as quietly as possible, and moves for the door and the lounge down the hallway.

Comments

[badinlatin]

Mal is as stern as can be imagined when Simon moves out of the infirmary to talk to him.

Mal lets Simon speak first, eyeing him intently.

His eyes are wider today.

[simon_doctor]

They are.

He's keeping his voice as neutral as possible, though. "Would you tell me what happened back there?"

[badinlatin]

"Gorramit if I know, Doc," Mal returns, slightly less neutral. "I'm tryin' to square a deal with Fanty 'nd Mingo, and all a sudden I hear some o' the worst fightin' I've heard in a bar that wasn't anything to do with me, and I look out, and here's River like - like a bat out o' hell; she took out damn near everyone.

"Damn near took out me."

[simon_doctor]

"You didn't see ... did anybody speak to her, right before? Or ..."

[badinlatin]

"Not that I saw." Mal does actually try to not be biting, but fails. "I was tryin' to keep us 'nough coin to live off of, actually."

Mal is very much aware that this falls flat with Simon. But it's all Mal has.

[simon_doctor]

Simon's shaking his head.

"This isn't supposed to be happening..."

[badinlatin]

"I gathered that."

Taking the pause of a breeath, Mal utters, "I thought...with the gunslingers, this got worked off 'er."

[simon_doctor]

"I'd thought so too."

Simon's voice is thin, and a little cold.

[badinlatin]

"Where does this leave us?"

[simon_doctor]

More thinly still: "If I knew, I'd be telling you."

Simon's eyes are still a little wider than they should be, though.

This isn't anger. This is fear.

[badinlatin]

"There's got to be somethin' figured out pretty gorram soon, don't you think? I got nine eight seven people on this boat total, and I got to do what's safe for all of 'em."

[simon_doctor]

Simon nods.

"If ... we could find out what triggered the attack.... Is there any way?"

[badinlatin]

"Shi a - we're working on it, much to Zoe's chagrin."

Mal thinks of the last time he overheard a wave from Mr. Universe that Zoe was a part of. While altogether entertaining, probably not something Zoe cares for overmuch.

"We're workin' on it."