River lifted her head, like a wild animal scenting the air.

“Honey?” Jayne asked.

“Ethan.” She was on her feet and running towards the sickbay.

---

“Give him to me.” Simon held out his hands as Freya and Mal stumbled down the stairs.

Freya handed her son over, and the doctor carried him into the infirmary. “He’s burning up, Simon. And I can’t wake him.”

Simon put the small boy on the medbed, grabbing different bits of equipment. “Open up his suit.”

Freya tried to oblige, but she couldn’t control the trembling in her fingers. Mal leaned past her, put his hands on hers, and moved them out of the way. He undid the small press-studs and revealed his son’s chest.

“Simon …” he said, his voice catching at the almost cherry aspect laid bare.

“Let me work.” He placed sensors on Ethan’s skin, then gently attached one to his finger.

“He was okay …” Freya said, wrapping her arms around herself. “The temperature had gone. And I looked in on him before …” She could hardly breathe. “Oh, God.”

Mal held her closely, feeling her heart beating wildly against his ribs.

River slipped into the infirmary unnoticed, and picked up the blanket from the side counter. Gently, almost without him being aware of it, she placed it around Mal’s bare shoulders. All his attention was on the still form of his son, lying like one of Bethany’s rag dolls on the medbed.

“What the diyu ’s going on?” Hank demanded, stepping into the common area from the cargo bay. “Kaylee demands Zoe goes into one of the shuttles, then …” His voice died away as he saw the activity in the infirmary. “ Shen sheng de gao wan ,” he whispered.

“Ethan,” Jayne said simply.

“Is it …”

“Don’t know yet.”

Simon was checking the readings. “His temperature’s way too high,” he said quietly, reaching into his supplies for a vial of milky liquid. He prepared a shot, then rapidly revised the amount taking into account the size of the patient, before stepping back to the bed. “This will bring it down,” he expl