Title: None so blind

Pairings: Mal/Simon. THIS IS SLASH. You have been warned.

Spoilers: All of the show, not the comics or movie. Set a few months after OiS, and Inara has left.

Rating: PG-13 building to R

Genre: Drama. Hurt-comfort

Length: This is part 1 of 10ish

Summary: An injury puts Mal out of commission and forces him to realise that sometimes you have to trust that even when you can't crawl, there's those that will carry you.

Archive: Just ask.

PS: The slash doesn't actually appear for a few chapters, and even then its not gonna get explicit until near the end. Also, this is my first Firefly fic, so be nice and review please? *hopeful smile*

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‘What happened?’

Blackness. A clatter of familiar voices, barely audible over the ringing in his ears and the burning ache down his left side.

‘Job went south.’

Still blackness. Couldn’t open his eyes.

‘I can see that, Jayne. Can you be a little more specific!’

This voice was sharp, and instantly recognisable. Simon, in full doctor mode. Why couldn’t he see?

‘Safe went off. Booby-trapped. Cap’n pushed Zoë’n me away, he got hit hardest.’

‘I thought we had the codes,’ Simon said.

‘So did we.’

Zoe. That made three. Where were the rest?

‘What happened out there!’

‘Is the Captain gonna be okay?’

Wash. Kaylee sounding terrified.

‘One down, four to go.’

River. Back to crazy-talk it seemed. Or maybe the pain had addled his brain so much it just sounded that way.

‘Could everyone be quiet please? I need to work.’

‘Seems like you could use a little space too, son.’

‘Oh God.’

Book. Simon again. What was wrong with his eyes? And why had everyone shut up all of a sudden? It hit then. He screamed.

‘Mal!’

‘Captain.’

‘It’s okay, just lie back down.’

‘Please, Mal!’

‘Captain, I need you to lie back down.’

Simon’s voice the only calm one left. Not calm enough though. A