PART 5:

Mal slept awkwardly, sitting on the chair, his head resting against the side of the bed, his hand loosely holding Inara’s while she slept. His mind hovered just short of sleep, thinking about the softness of her fingers and how quickly she’d retract them after she awoke.

Inara stirred, sputtered haggardly, gripped Mal’s hand and jerked it sharply, unseating his resting head and causing him to bang his brow against the bed frame. A little dazed, Mal lifted his head and Inara jerked on his hand again. Shaking the fuzz from his brain, he focused on Inara and their eyes locked immediately. She could see! But clearly she was frightened, like the time she woke up and didn’t recognize him.

“Hey, ‘Nara, how are you feeling?” Mal soothed softly, cradling her face.

Inara moved her mouth soundlessly, fell a little deeper into panic, then placed a hand on her throat, sputtering and wheezing. Mal pressed the nurse call button by the bed, then helped Inara sit up and lean forward.

“Can’t talk?” he asked gently.

She shook her head.

“Can you breathe okay?”

She closed her eyes, breathing intentionally, placing one hand on her chest. Mal watched, frustrated by his own helplessness, knowing that this time, she wasn’t faking it.

“I think you got musical ailments – never wake up with the same one twice.”

Inara stopped wheezing long enough to make a face at him and he chuckled lightly.

“Good morning,” a nurse in pink scrubs greeted them, entering calmly. “How-”

“She can’t talk now,” Mal interrupted, not caring for pleasantries.

“That’s … interesting,” the nurse said, coming to the bedside, feeling Inara’s neck, asking her to cough, swallow, and say “ah”. Inara had caught her breath, but sputtered soundlessly when asked to swallow. The nurse went in search of a doctor.

Mal set himself in the chair, out of the way again, watching as Inara sat up straight, folded her hands, and waited patiently for the doctor. ‘Morning,’ the nurse had said. Mal thought briefly of his crew.

The doctor entered a