"Ow! You did that on purpose!"

Simon sighed. It was his considered experience that the more macho the patient, the bigger a baby they were about pain. The only patient worse than Mal was Jayne. This tended to prove out his theory.

"Yes Captain. I am pulling the stitches tight enough so that your insides don't come tumbling back out for no reason other than to annoy you."

"Ha! I knew it!" Mal felt smugly superior.

Right at that moment, River came floating into the infirmary. Unusual for her, as she mostly avoided the infirmary like the plague.

Simon looked concerned.

"Mei-mei, is everything OK?"

She nodded slightly as she walked over to Mal and lightly touched the scar on his ribcage that was a gift from Atherton Wing many months ago.

Mal tried to flinch back, looking slightly alarmed.

"Hey now, little one, none of the touching, dong ma? I'm too old for ya. 'sides the doc might come after me with a scalpel."

She just smiled.

"Did you know, Captain, that the quickest way to a man's heart is between the third and fourth ribs?"