Simon stared at the sight of his sister lying next to the great hulking mercenary. She was cuddled up to him, her hand on his chest, her dress rucked up, so he could see her thigh. But that wasn’t the worst.

Jayne lying on his back, his body relaxed.

Next to his sister.

Naked.

Simon could hardly breathe. He stepped into the room and punched the mercenary as hard as he could on the jaw, all his body weight behind it.

“Wha …” Jayne sat up, shaking his head.

“How could you?” Simon said quietly, his face white with rage. “Taking advantage of my sister.”

Jayne rubbed his jaw. “What the ruttin’ hell are you going on about?”

“Get up.” The young doctor was vibrating, anger making his heart beat so fast he thought it might burst, if he was thinking at all. “Get up! When I kill you I want you on your feet!”

River had woken up. “Simon?”

Jayne slowly got to his feet. “Ain’t nothing happened here, doc.”

“Nothing? You stand there like that and say …”

Jayne glanced down at himself, and realised the towel had come off some time during the night. “You think I’d be stupid enough to do something with you just -” Simon punched him again, and he began to see red. “Doc, I’m trying to tell you -” The young man drew back again, but this time Jayne didn’t let him complete it. He jabbed out, catching him on the chin.

Simon staggered back, only stopping himself from falling by grabbing the door jamb. “Get a gun,” he said softly. “Go get one of those damned guns of yours.”

“Doc, you don’t wanna do -”

“Now!” Simon turned and headed back towards his bunk.

“Jayne, what’s …” River had sat up, her face a mixture of confusion and alarm.

“You stay here,” he said, smiling down at her. “You just … stay here.” He stepped outside into the corridor and closed the door, locking it.

“Jayne?” She was up and trying the handle. “Jayne!”

He ran to his bunk, grabbing a pair of pants and his gunbelt, buckling it on as he headed back down. Simon was waiting for him in the cargo b