Chapter Thee:

“Here’s the deal,” Mal told what was left of his crew as they sat, quietly assembled, around the Frye’s kitchen table. Almost the entire family had quickly, and pretty rudely, been sent home with assurances that, as soon as Kaylee was feeling up to it, they could see her. Al and Nora were upstairs, smothering their daughter with parental affection. The young mechanic, however, was presently the least of Mal’s worries. “Little Kaylee’s gonna be just fine.”

There was an audible sigh of relief, even though everyone had known that. They’d all seen Mal carry the girl in; she’d made a point to wave and smile at the crowd. She’d tried to tell them that she was fine, an assertion weakened by the fact that she and her captain stunk with the acidy smell of vomit and there was a bruise on her head that looked absolutely horrific.

“Local doc says she’s got a concussion. She’s gonna rest easy tonight and hopefully by tomarra she’ll be right as rain.”

“Speaking of doctors,” Zoë said, leaning forward. “Any clue as to Simon and River?”

“No,” Mal said. “They were taken by the governor’s guard. An’ I don’t have ta tell all’a you that the governor on this here planet was appointed by the Alliance.”

“So then we’re rid a them?” Jayne asked, just a little too hopefully.

“Jayne!” Zoë gasped, horrified. “Alliance will kill ‘em.”

“Or worse,” Mal said. “So’s we’re gonna find a way ta get ‘em back.”

“Isn’t Inara with the Governor?” Wash asked. “Could she maybe do something?”

“My thought exactly,” Mal said. “I sent a wave ta her shuttle, fer reasons that are pretty obvious I didn’t want it goin’ through official channels.”

“What if she isn’t in her shuttle?” Book asked.

“I’m waitin’ fer a reply for I start jumpin’ ta ‘ifs’,” Mal said. “Nara knows enough to check her messages. Plus it might just be that she’ll have a chance ta see Simon an’ River in which case she’ll be contacting us.”

“What do we do now, sir?” Zoë asked.

“Ain’t nothin’ we can do fer the Tams ‘till morin’,” Mal