MAL:

A rock exploded by Mal’s left elbow and he sidled closer to Jayne and the last of their cover. Mal didn’t have to tell Jayne to save himself. He figured the merc would do that anyway. He only wished there were time to tell Jayne to look after Zoë – look after the crew – before he did what he had to do. Would River hear what he was thinking when he died? If so, he should probably keep his last thoughts of Inara PG-13. He briefly wondered if Inara would come to his funeral, but kicked himself for stalling. No time.

Through the cloud of blasted rock and dust, Mal sprang into the air, ready to draw fire, but felt barely a graze before he was knocked to the ground again. The crunch of the jagged rocks against his spine sent him rolling away, and he crouched, taking in the scene.

Dust burned his eyes, teasing his brain with visions that could not be. Jayne was on his feet, drawing the fire, dying in exactly the way Mal had planned to a moment before. In an instant, Mal’s feet were running some place, he knew not where. Safe from the bullets, he presumed, but his eyes could see nothing except the seared image of Jayne being riddled with holes. Choking on the swirling dust, Mal fought to close his dropped jaw. As he dashed back to Serenity, he began to feel the throbbing in his injured leg, the scrapes along his side, the bullet hole in his shoulder. He had been ready for death a moment ago. Was he shocked because he was still alive, or because Jayne had saved his life?

The blood leaking down his body, mingled with Jayne’s in his mind and Mal feared he would pass out under the blistering sun. He could still hear the bullets flying, the shots blasting through the air, the exploding rock. Only there were no rocks exploding around him anymore. Sweat stung his eyes as he ran. Ran back to Serenity. He should not have let Jayne do that. He was the Captain. The Captain watches out for his crew. The Captain… Why?

His breath became shallower with each step and the world swayed between blinding light