Simon stretched, feeling tendons and muscles popping in his back. He’d not done anything quite so physical in a while, and it felt good.

Mr Boden leaned on his own axe and smiled. “You’re going to ache in the morning.”

Simon laughed. “Well, that’s one of the good points about being a doctor. I can self-medicate.” He glanced down at the pile of logs already split into a handy size, and the heap still waiting to be done. “And I think I may have to.”

“You didn’t need to help,” Mr Boden pointed out. “My wife will be furious with me if she finds out.”

“She won’t hear it from me.” Simon pushed his damp hair out of his face. “And if she does I'm more than happy to say it was for my benefit. When I was at Medacad, then at the hospital, I was used to doing physical activities when I was off duty. Hiking, climbing … even cycling. But on board Serenity it can be … well, difficult at times.”

“I understand.”

“I've even sneaked time on Jayne’s work-out bench,” Simon admitted. “After I’d disinfected it first, of course.”

Mr Boden dropped his head to hide the grin. “From what Miss Inara has said, I didn’t think there was enough food available to get fat.”

“Not fat, certainly not on the quality or quantity of food we have sometimes.” Simon looked down at his body. “Just out of condition.” He picked up his axe, placing a new log on the chopping block. “I needed this.” He swung, and a satisfactory thwock rebounded through the garden as the two halves fell to the ground.

The other man smiled as he took a firm grip on the wooden handle, and for a long while there was just the double counterpoint of wood being cleanly cleaved, rhythmic and hypnotic.

Inara stood in the doorway, watching the two men work. Simon had actually stripped down to his undershirt, and she could see his muscles flexing with each stroke, the sweat beading on the fine hairs on his arms. She’d thought before how much he reminded her of Sam, the same strength in a slim body, but now she realised he was his ow