Warnings: Altered timeline from 'Ariel', angst

Time period: Around 'Trash'

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

~

Simon’s tired, more than just tired even. His head’s fuzzy though he can’t deny he’s been sleeping, legs aching and he still feels cold no matter how warm they make his room at night. He can’t brush off the residual shakes from being inside that tank, not once or twice now, three times. Three confusing, disorientating, heart stopping times. One day he expects to feel surprise rather than the resignation that comes before he steps into the hole and splashes into water. One day he’s sure he’ll feel pain and shock as he hits nothing but metal bottom. It keeps him tense just thinking about when.

The operative is staring at him, making good on his word that he’ll see Simon again, making it clear that when they are together there’s nothing but civility and calm. He’s again offering Simon water, pouring it into a glass and this time Simon drinks it gratefully. The last day has done nothing but make him thirsty, surrounded by water he doesn’t want to drink. Water that could be soiled or salty, has his own bodily products in it when the hours have drawn too long and he’s felt pain in his bladder.

The days have bled into each other, nights never seeming long enough to give Simon true rest, stomach never all that hungry to eat anymore. Even if the food he’s given is closer to that which he had on Osiris than on Serenity, lush and rich, not mainly protein mush. Odd how he misses the mush now. ...

The operative is calm and collected, not showing the frustration he feels. The emotion doesn’t stem from Simon’s stubbornness. The man is impeccably mannered and were Simon's company more conversational than interrogatory the operative would enjoy it occurring more frequently. Maybe in the future when Simon’s mindset changes and the man becomes an asset and colleague. The operative's frustration stems from the ineptitude of the sources Blue Sun’s