Author's note: I apologize if this chapter sucks. It's wanted to be horribly cheesy from the outset, and I've re-written it about a dozen times. This was the least cringe-worthy draft, but I've gotten so buried in the thing that I've lost the ability to tell if it works or not. And to top it all off, my beta is MIA. So, with bated breath, I'm just going to post it. Maybe I'll edit and re-post if I can figure out how to make it better, or if my readers have any suggestions ;) Enjoy...or not!

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“Thanks – for the understanding,” said Mal quietly after a few minutes.

The nurse looked at him silently for a long moment. Finally she walked over and sat down on a stool by the bed. Aside from the low humming of equipment, the room was very quiet. Mal couldn’t decide if that was peaceful or unsettling, but he was enjoying her quiet companionship.

Noticing his eyes drifting shut, he forced them open again and yawned, cursing the drugs in his system. The nurse looked deeply tired too. “Long shift?” he asked, trying to keep himself awake.

She nodded, yawning herself. “Always,” she said tiredly. “Pretty sure the cosmos has a rule against sleeping.”

“Get yourself locked up in here,” suggested Mal. “Get plenty of sleep then, let me tell ya.’”

“I might as well,” said Kelli. “Seems like I spend every waking minute here, might as well just crash out in one of the cells and spare the trouble of going home.” She raised her eyes and studied him quietly. “Life isn’t much fun for you, is it?”

Her words made Mal think. He hated being a prisoner more than he reckoned he’d ever be able to conjure up words to express, and the only things seemed memorable were hurts and losses. Why, then, were the images her words called up happy ones? Lying in the sun with Wash joking about margaritas, playing elaborate games with the other prisoners until they were all out of breath, eating brownies …..”

“You’re smiling,” the nurse said, surprised.

“I – yeah, I guess I am,” said Mal. He was silent