simon_doctor | (no subject)

Mal rolls his eyes. "Yes, pronouncing Sdlo--sidleony--aw hell, gimme a break, huh? It was my ma."

He smiles. "Well, congratulations in any case."

Mal smiles in return. "Thank you.

"Just never thought I'd be lying in the process o' declaring with someone. Don't seem proper."

Simon sobers.

"I suppose not."

"Imagine I don't need to tell you that though, Do---Simon."

"...I don't intend to marry Kaylee under an assumed name."

Slightly snappish, "That ain't what I meant. I meant about the hiding thing. You always take things so damn literal with me."

Mal winces after his tone drops off, feeling much too awkward to say anything else for a second.

More level now, "Don't suppose now's the best time to mention that I'm invitin' the crew to the temple with us."

It's as close to a 'Sorry for flipping a shit' as Mal gets.

"... that's ... an honor."

He's a bit taken aback by it, honestly.

"Thank you."

"Mmm. You're welcome."

You're on my crew.

A silence falls between the two until Mal asks quietly, "Was there something you really did want to talk to me about besides the hospital bit?"

"...Yes."

Simon steps around the chair and sits down on it. "Kaylee said she was going to speak to you. About ... what happened with Early."

"And she did. 'Fraid I got her more 'n a little angry with me during the telling of it, but she told me."

Mal avoids any mention of Dream in the situation.

Simon's shaking his head, almost unconsciously.

"We have to do something about him."

"Ya ain't weak. Wouldn't've hired ya if you were. You keep this ship floatin' - my home and my heart, in case that part was missin'."

Mal grunts. "Been pretty much shut out o' what I'm wanting to do, but I want to talk to Bernard about it."

"...And what would that be?"

He looks like he's got a pretty good idea, though.

Mal waves his right hand to dismiss the question if not so much to hide the vague tremble of his gun hand.

"No matter, anyway - did you have any other suggestions I should hear of?"

"...Suggestions? No. I just ..."

Reluctantly: "I don't know what to do."

"That'd make two of us then," Mal responds, adding 'Obvious' to his list of nicknames.

Letting a pause lengthen, Mal finally picks up his book again and passes it to Simon.

"Ever read The Red Badge of Courage before?"

Simon takes the book and glances at it, a little dubiously. "I don't think so."

"Read it once a long while ago."

Ain't proud to have scars.

"Bar ga' this copy to me. Apparently she maybe thought I needed to be reminded o' some things." Not really elaborating, Mal continues, "All you can do is the best with what you've got. I'll talk to Bernard, see what can be done. 'S all I can do, much as I'd like to see it different."

A moment's time to think, then an eyebrow quirk. "Has River come across Jubal at all?"

"No, not since the first day he was here."

A pause, then uneasily: "As far as I know."

Mal shrugs. "Girl's allowed to have her own life, I imagine. So long as she knows we're all around for 'er for help and all that, I mean."

"...Do you really think River's capable of having her own life?"

Mal doesn't know really how to respond, so he tries for as kind a tone as Simon's probably ever heard him take.

"I think she's capable of tryin'. Miranda's out o' her brain, she's got friends and family. If she don't get to try, I don't know what all the pains we felt were for."

"Neither do I."

His voice is low, and a little tense.

How you farin' with that, Doctor?

With an eye wiser than 33 years old, Mal tries to figure out what is going on with Simon at the moment and fails.

"Somethin's eatin' at you, I feel it."