In contrast to the almost frenetic activity of the previous few minutes – Mal driving the mule into Serenity’s cargo bay, Freya ready with a stretcher to transfer Hank into the infirmary, Simon and River removing the pilot’s clothes as quickly as possible – the next hour seemed to move through treacle.

Simon was fully prepared to have to order Zoe out of the cool blue room, but was surprised to realise she was nowhere to be seen. “Where –”

“With Ben,” his sister said quietly, pulling on a pair of white latex gloves.

“Of course.”

River knew, and still didn’t say, that Bethie and Ethan had the other children in her room, but Ben needed his mother right now, just as much as she needed him.

Mal helped take off Hank’s armour, idly wondering what would have happened to his pilot if he hadn't been wearing it, considering, then stepped back.

“You need me,” he murmured to Freya as she removed as much of the blood from Hank’s chest as she could, “you just yell.”

“I will,” she responded just as quietly, concentrating on not disturbing the flowering of emergency foam bandage that emerged from the wound.

It’s bad, isn’t it? he thought carefully.

It’s not good. She glanced up into his face. “He’ll be fine, Mal,” she said, giving the lie easily.

He understood. Thinking was one thing – she never lied in her thoughts to him – but maybe saying it aloud would make it true.

“Ready?” Simon asked, looking from River to Freya, visually checking the bags of blood, saline and other supplies ready for use.

They both nodded, but it was River who said, “Ready, ge-ge .”

He took a deep breath, then used a scalpel to open an incision alongside the solid foam.

Mal watched for a good long while, as always quietly amazed at his luck in having such a man as Simon Tam on his crew. Without him he didn't doubt that most of them would be the worse off, quite possibly dead, and while things had happened because of his presence that had changed all their lives, at least for the most par