CHAPTER 14

The Infirmary was getting crowded. Zoë reclined on the side bed, her foot propped up. River curled up on the bed and fell asleep next to Zoë. It was an unusually intimate position for the two, but given River’s behavior of late, they were just glad to see her calm. Kaylee lay on the central bed, doped to dull the pain, waiting her turn as Simon tended to Zoë.

“Baby, you okay?” Wash asked, hurrying in and taking Zoë’s hand.

She kissed him as calmly as if the doctor were treating a mosquito bite.

“She’ll be fine,” Simon answered, strapping a brace onto her foot. “The bullet nicked the bone. I’d tell you to stay off of it for a few weeks, but you wouldn’t listen.”

“She needs to stay off of it? I can keep her off of it,” Wash assured quickly, and then turned to Zoë. “Sweetie, you are hereby confined to bed.”

“You can’t order me around,” Zoë challenged, playfully nuzzling Wash. “I outrank you.”

“Rank has nothing to do with it. I have other tactics.”

“Yes, and we don’t need the demonstration here,” Mal said curtly, entering the Infirmary. “Wash, where we headed?”

“Persephone at the moment, Captain. Figured we could use a little re-supply and find work. Were you thinking some place different?”

“I thought we might head for Stolte,” Mal answered. “See if we can make a contact about this Osiris run. If the job is still there, we can make a good bit of money. A trip to Osiris might also give us a chance to unload that Lassater that’s burning a hole in my cargo hold.”

“I’ll send them a wave.” Wash kissed Zoë’s hand before he let go and then headed back to the bridge.

Simon tended to Kaylee’s wounds; he did his best to swallow his anger at her attackers. She was covered with bruises, welts, and lacerations. He had yet to find any broken bones, but as far as Kaylee was concerned everything hurt, so it was difficult to assess the true damage. At the moment, he was checking for breaks along her torso.

“How is she?” Mal asked.

“She’s in a lot of pain,” Simon answered, cautiously. “Some o