Disclaimers : Everything belongs to Joss, except for one character of my creation

-----------------------------

**Mousing over the Chinese should reveal the English translations on most browsers. If not, translations follow the story.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inara and Kaylee were talking in the cargo bay the next morning when Simon came in and took the stretcher off the wall.

“What’s that for?” Kaylee asked.

“We’re moving the nurse back to the ship. Captain wants to leave for Boros, now that we know where her people are.”

Kaylee and Inara walked with him down the hill to the clinic.

“You found her family?”

“Her mother found us,” Simon said. “’Waved during the night, actually.”

Mal was already in the clinic. Simon had disconnected Alex and had her ready to go. The fluid samples and vials of Mal’s blood were on the counter, waiting to be sent to a lab for analysis.

Inara addressed Mal. “So, we’re headed to Boros?”

“Yeah, but we’ll get you to the training house first.”

“Mal, you don’t have to make the stop, if you need to get her home,” Inara said.

Mal shook his head firmly.

“Inara, I already broke one promise to you, ain’t gonna break another. You’re our first stop.” He helped Simon lift Alex onto the stretcher. “Could use your help, though, long as you’re here. Grab that, if you will.” He gestured toward Alex’s IV fluid bag, then rolled up his sleeves before lifting his end of the stretcher.

Inara frowned as she saw the bandage on the inside of his arm. “What’s that?”

Mal looked down. “That? Oh, um—the doc took some blood, is all.”

Inara looked concerned.

“Are you all right? You’re not sick, are you?”

Mal suddenly looked uneasy. “Uh, no. I mean, not really. I felt a little punk, is all, so he took a look. It’s nothin’.”

Inara picked up Alex’s IV bag from the counter, intending to carry it out; and then her eyes went to the vials of fluid and blood beside it. She fell silent as she looked fro