Freya had already cleared the cool room of as many people as possible, leaving only Regan standing by her husband, and herself ready to assist as necessary.

Simon pushed past Mal, waiting in the doorway, and started examining Gabriel, letting his professional skills take over, and keeping the anger he still felt towards the people in front of him banked down, only the faintest of glows still showing. Eventually, having taken scans and examined results, he straightened up, not having said a word to either of them.

“Something I need to know here?” Mal asked, stepping into the infirmary.

Simon turned to look at him. “He had an attack. A warning.”

“His heart?”

“Yes. The tachycardia was very high.”

“Tachy … that’s where it’s beating too fast to count?”

Simon smiled slightly. “That’s it.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

“He’s not going to die from it, if that’s what you mean.”

“Good. Hate to carry corpses around at the best of times.”

“You know, it’s very disconcerting to be talked about like this when I’m actually still here,” Gabriel said conversationally.

Simon didn’t even look at him. “Then we’ll talk outside.”

“I didn’t mean –“ Gabriel sighed as he watched his son take the captain out into the other room. Nothing he said was likely to make a difference now, he knew, but he had to try.

The rest of the crew drew back a little, giving the two men space.

“It was my fault,” Simon said quietly.

“How?”

“I …” Simon closed his eyes for a moment, centring himself. “I was arguing. I couldn’t see … it was my fault.”

“Sounds like maybe it was.”

Simon’s eyes flew open, and they fixed on Mal’s face. “What?”

“Oh, did you want me to talk you out of it?” Serenity’s captain pointed to himself.

“No, but I –“

“Simon, no-one’s gonna hold it against you if you get mad. You’ve had a long time to bottle this stuff up. But I’d be obliged if you didn’t kill your Dad before he tells us what he knows.”

“He’s not my father.”

“Fine. But it still holds, whatever w