They’ve all gone. Gone ahead of me. I'm the only one left. That’s not entirely true, of course. Ethan and Jesse, and their little ones – though they ain’t so little no more, with babies of their own – are still around, but none of my crew are here.

Zoe and Hank, well, they didn’t have enough time together. Married for less’n a year, and she’s killed on a job that went wrong. I couldn’t stop it, I wasn't even there, laid up in the infirmary with a bullet wound of my own. They came back to tell me, but I knew. Knew my Corporal weren't around no more. I grieved for her, but no more’n Hank. Didn’t take him long, either, to find a man willing to put a bullet into him. Just a bar brawl, he made some crack about the other guy’s face, and suddenly he’s face down on the floor, his blood soaking into the old boards. We went back, buried him next to Zoe. I kinda like to think he and Wash are arguing about her right now.

Kaylee went before Simon, too. He took her off Serenity when she was sick, down to a planet where they should have been able to help, with their great medical facilities, but they couldn’t do a damn thing. Brought her home ‘cos she wanted to die in space, in her ship, on board Serenity. Found ‘em together the next morning. I’ll always believe he died of a broken heart, not the hypo I found on the deck. Buried them next to little Beth, out on that mossy plain.

Buried so many of my friends.

Weren't enough left of Jayne and River to bury, though I said words. That transport going up like it did on their way back from honeymoon. Shoulda picked ‘em up, and they’d still be around to annoy me.

And Inara. She was sick and never told no-one. Had been a long time, since before she ever came on board. But it finally caught up with her. Me and Frey, we went to see her at the end, in the House on Sihnon. She was dressed in her best, lying in the bed, her face made up just right, her hair shiny and curling sweetly. It pained her a little, but the young man at her side made sure he