This story is a major spoiler for the unaired pilot. So, if you haven’t seen the pilot you’ll just have to assume that everything they’re talking about actually happened. I realize this excludes most of the readers, but I think everything you need to know as far as set up is explained in the text. If you have further questions, e-mail me and I’ll give you the whole scoop. Comments are not only welcome, they are coveted. And I didn’t come up with the characters . . . yada yada disclaimer . . .

THARAPY

"Hey Doctor," Kaylee said, sticking her head into the infirmary. "I’m ready to take the next step."

Simon smiled, not much, he never smiled much, but just a little. For Kaylee it was just enough. "That’s a pun," he said softly, nodding towards her. "It’s cute." Then he turned to River, who was curled up in the darkest corner the well lit infirmary had to offer. Kaylee couldn’t really see what the younger girl was doing, but it seemed like she had an assemblage of screws and nuts and bolts and bits of twisted wire all lined up like two armies marching towards each other. She was starring at them intently, almost as if she expected them to move.

"River,” Simon said, the girl didn’t look up at him. “I have to do some work. You gonna be ok for an hour?" His tone of voice made it clear he doubted she would. "I could bring Inara here, she’d probably play with you, or, or you could go to her. Or I could try and find Shepherd Book, he’s usually . . ."

"No," the girl said so softly that Kaylee barely heard it. "Queens gambit in four."

Simon smiled a little. "Ok, you just yell if you need anything or get scared. I’ll hear you and come running. All right?"

"Check in six," the girl muttered, picking up one of the twisted bits of wire and examining it. "The king dies. ‘The wonder is, he hath endured so long: He but usurp'd his life’."

"Right," Simon said, kissing her forehead and th