Altered timeline from 'Ariel', angst, hurt/comfort

Time period: Around the end of ‘War Stories’

Thanks to lvs2read for the great beta and thunder_nari for the great beta and spurring me on.

Mal stumbles as they help him back on board, inwardly cursing as his ribs grate and breath catches. He hates feeling helpless, wants to be striding up the ramp showing his crew he‘s well and good, but the hands supporting him feel real good at that moment. Really Wash is the only one actually helping him, taking most of the captain’s weight, Zoe just stands at his side. She doesn’t help hold him up, can see he’s grateful to lean on Wash and perhaps the both of them need it. She does stand close enough for her shoulder to brush against him, enough for him to shoot a bleary glance at her and attempt a wobbly smile.

“How we doing?” She calls back to Jayne and Book who bring up the rear, the merc’s cursing a little, taking the opportunity to shoot holes in anyone that twitches and it’s the Shepherd who answers, saying a silent prayer for the men’s souls, redeemable after death if he didn’t figure they deserved it before.

“All clear.” Book calls to her, locking the airlock doors behind them and avoiding the corpses that litter the dropped ramp.

“Kaylee?” Mal’s voice is gruff, glancing around, eyes bright with pain as he squints. “Simon? Inara? River?”

Zoe’s tense now, eyes glancing at the dead men, face down unable to see where they were hit. Kaylee’s not a good shot, never handles a gun; she had to be looking right at them . It isn’t an agreeable thought, imagining how close Kaylee must have been to them, wondering how she managed to catch all three unaware…but before Zoe can think too much on it Kaylee’s there, holding River close, stopping her from wandering.

“Oh god,” Kaylee’s let go of River, the horror from earlier leaping up anew as she stares at Mal, sees the bloodied mass where his ear had been. “He gonna be okay?”

She addresses them all, voice so small that Zoe can’t help but answer ev