The Takes place in BDM, after Miranda, but before the Engine Room Scene.

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon is a god. I am just a lowly priest.

Kaylee had been sick for about three days now, and Simon was starting to get nervous. She could barely get out of bed without feeling exhausted or dizzy within ten minutes. She chalked it up to stress, the events of Miranda still fresh, but Simon had other ideas. After finally cajoling her to the infirmary to run some tests, his suspicions were confirmed: Kaylee was infected with a virus when those Reaver darts struck her, causing her fatigue and other minor symptoms. He administered anti-viral medications, but he knew that unless she rested, she would just get weaker.

“You have to rest, Xiao Mei Mei” whispered Mal to his normally bubbly mechanic. Looking at her now, in the infirmary chair was breaking his heart, as she weakly smiled up at him, trying to assure him that she could finish up the repairs.

“Listen, Cap’n, my baby needs me right now, she gets awfully tetchy if I’m not there taking care of ‘er.” , she said weakly.

Mal smiled back replying, “Now how do you suppose to take care of her if your fallin’ asleep under the running engine?”

At that, Simon pushed another dose of medication into her IV and rubbed her hair out of her face, looking down at her the concern of a lover, not a doctor: that side of him knew she would recover soon. Mal looked on at this small exchange, his lips tightening, not wanting any man to lay hands on his Kaylee, the girl he regarded as a little sister. He defiantly did not approve of ship board romances, ‘specially where Kaylee and the Doc were concerned.

“The Captain is right, you need to sleep, I’ll be right here when you awake.” At that, she let out a sigh of relief.

“Me too”, Mal curtly interjected, not liking on bit the way the Doc was looking at his mechanic.

Kaylee slipped off into a deep slumber feeling the presence of two of the most important people in her life right now, and she was content.

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