White. Black.

Red.

People were screaming. He could hear them through the cotton in his ears.

He could hear them.

He wasn’t dead.

The red haze in front of his eyes started spreading out. The screaming became clearer.

Seemed odd to him that his eyes were open and he couldn’t see.

Someone was holding his face.

River?

The face above him sharpened.

Kaylee.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. Jayne. Say somethin’. Oh my God.”

Jayne blinked. Grunted.

Kaylee pulled his face against her shoulder. He could feel it shakin’. She was cryin’.

He let his head rest there for a minute. Let the blood get out of his ears and his eyes figure out what they was for. Let the feel of his cheek on her neck get in him.

Then he pulled away.

Hurt like hell.

It suddenly occurred to Jayne that he was bleedin’. His leg was bleedin’… dangerous close to little Jayne… and the bed was smokin’.

Gorramit, he’d been shot.

Kaylee took up a bundle of sheets and pressed it against the blood.

Jayne pushed her hand away and lifted the sheet. Looked carefully at the wound. Looked more like it was made by a knife than a gun.

Just a graze, then.

He put the sheet back down. Pressed against it himself and looked past Kaylee ta where River was standing. Her face was in her hands and her shoulders were shaking. The doc was standin’ with her. Mal was standing to the side.

He was still glaring at Jayne with cold eyes.

“It’s okay, mei mei. It’s okay.” The doc was cooin’ at River, strokin’ her hair.

River dropped her hands and looked at Jayne. She had blood on her cheeks. From her hands. Tears everywhere.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Choked-soundin’.

Jayne looked down at the sheet. The blood had soaked through.

***

She’d tried to explain. Tried while Kaylee brought Jayne back to life.

He was bleeding. She’d made him bleed again. So much blood.

She’d tried to explain that Jayne hadn’t hurt her. That she’d hurt him.

She’d