Inferno – Chapter Eight

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Simon had corralled the four injured members of the Frye family into the infirmary to treat their wounds. One man, the brother-in-law, had a moderate concussion, and Kaylee’s brother, Charlie, had a broken leg. The women were bruised and contused, but otherwise unharmed.

“I think everything will be fine,” he told them, finishing up. “You’ll need to stay off that leg for a few weeks,” he warned Charlie. “Once we’re in the black, I’d like to take the bone mender to it, but you’ll need a cast to support your weight and protect the healing bone.”

“I’d like for your husband,” Simon told Samantha, “to stay here overnight. We’ll need to keep an eye on that concussion. Everything looks fine,” he assured her, “but I don’t like to take chances. That cut on your arm was fairly deep,” he went on, “but there’s no permanent damage. The weave will help it mend quicker, and so long as you keep if clean and dry, it should heal fine.”

“Thanks, Doctor,” Charlie said for all of them.

“It’s just Simon,” the young doctor smiled. “And you’re welcome. I’ll talk to Zoe about getting you a passenger room, if you like. Or, if you’d rather, I’m sure we can set up something in the cargo bay, where you can be out and about. Either way,” Simon warned, “you’re going to have to be careful moving about.”

“Whatever you think best, Simon,” Charlie nodded.

“I’m sorry about Ethan,” Simon told them softly. “I’d only just met him. He seemed like a good boy.”

“He was,” Charlie nodded. “He shouldn’t have been there.”

“He volunteered to show River and Jayne where you lived,” Simon informed him. “So they could come and get you.”

“Well, your River and Jayne didn’t do a very good job looking after him, did they?” Samantha didn’t quite snarl.

“Sam, that’s not right,” Charlie told her quietly. “They were trying to help us. Keep that in mind.”

“And it helped us to get Ethan killed?” Samantha shot back. “T