LOST CONVERSATIONS XIII

1. WHERE SIMON TRIES TO EXPLAIN TO THE CREW WHY RIVER AND HE WERE ABOUT TO BE BURNED AT THE STAKE IN “Safe”

INT. SERENITY, DINING AREA

The crew are all here eating except Book.

MAL

So, Doc, care to relate the exciting adventures of the Tam siblings?

All look to Simon as he pauses, wipes his mouth with a napkin.

SIMON

Well, ah, not much to say, really..

JAYNE

Not much to say? Looked like a lot to me. From the ship I could see plain as day you was about to be set on fire.

KAYLEE

(shocked)

What? No, they wouldn’t have done that, would they?

ZOE

Looked like it from the ground, too.

RIVER

It was a cleansing.

They all look at her.

SIMON

River...

WASH

A cleansing of what?

SIMON

It was a big misunderstanding. They took us because they needed a doctor.

INARA

How did they know you were a doctor?

SIMON

I’m not sure. I guess someone overheard someone call me doctor when we unloaded the cattle.

MAL

And you didn’t say otherwise?

SIMON

I figured that being a doctor might save us from some...terrible fate.

JAYNE

Yeah, there’s a whole lot worse fates they being a human torch.

SIMON

It didn’t start like that. I saw you leaving so..

ZOE

Thought we’d left you there.

SIMON

Yes.

JAYNE

Hey, now that ain’t a bad...

MAL

Jayne. Enough. (beat) We had to get help for Book.

SIMON

I understand that now, but at the time, seemed like you were leaving us behind.

KAYLEE

We’d never do that!

SIMON

At time, I thought we’d never see you again. (beat) So we helped with the sick and injured and they said they had a house for us. I thought it might be a place we could stay for a while, just to be safe. But it wasn’t.

MAL

Doc, you been beating about the bush now about why they wanted to kill you.

SIMON

(reluctant)

They thought River was a witch.

INARA

What? A witch?

KAYLEE

That’s...crazy!

MAL

I thought that old man was spouting scripture or something.

JAYNE

A witch? You mean River’s gonna fly away on a broom?

WASH

Yes, Jayne, and cast spells and turn us all into p