In Serenity, Simon was trying to administer as best he could to Inara. Inara wasn't as bad off as she seemed when she arrived, but she was in mortal danger. He saw to her, stitching up what he could. Simon was especially proud of his sutures, and used the tiniest ones he could find to prevent Inara from scarring much. As he finished, he didn't think they'd be to noticeable, but, women, he had found, had a different point of view of these things.

"You're not a mirror, Simon." River said, as she assisted, something she had done more and more lately in the infirmary.

"I don't mean to be, mei mei. I just want her to feel comfortable with carrying on her...profession, should she choose. Personally, I don't think I could."

"Which is why you're not a companion." River smiled.

"I suppose not.", Simon added after a moment, checking Inara's vitals.

* * *

Adelai Niska found himself in a precarious situation, again. He found the crutches he hated so much in the bottom chamber, but he knew that leaving the compound right now would be suicide. All it would take was for the wrong someone to spot him, and this cursed metal leg, for all its tricks, was quite heavy. He hobbled over to the exit, well concealed as it was, and waited. If Malcolm Reynolds came down the escape tunnel, Niska was through, and he knew it. He tended to trust in a higher power when such times came to pass. He had not been led wrong so far.

He looked out the exit again, and saw the strangest thing. An Alliance officer in undercover apparel. After years of seeing such things, Niska thought the Alliance could find a better way to cover their officers.

* * *

Shang swung an elbow around Book's last punch and nailed the preacher on the back of the head. Mal watched this, horrified. He had been knocked cold from such a hit before, and from Jayne's grunt, he could tell that sympathy for Book was a crew wide phenomon right now. Book had taken a few rough punches, and