"I don't know how I could have missed this," Simon said, pulling the bullet from Mal's shoulder with a pair of forceps. "How the hell did you carry him with a gunshot wound to the shoulder?"

"Was hopin' you could tell me that. Man weighs more than a ox," Mal grunted. "You tell a soul I passed out, I'm dockin' your pay."

Simon smiled faintly. "Adrenaline is the only explanation I can come up with. The human body is capable of amazing things when faced with imminent danger. There are hundreds of documented cases of people lifting automobiles to rescue themselves, or people trapped beneath them."

"Automobiles?" Mal raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Simon smirked. "You know, what people used for short-range transportation before there was a hovercraft in every driveway?"

"I never did pay attention in History," Mal smiled, although he might have been gritting his teeth against the pain of the disinfectant Simon was treating the wound with. "You gonna be okay?"

"You're the one on the table," Simon pointed out.

"You know what I mean. Ain't gonna be no trouble 'tween you an' Jayne?"

"Not as long as he treats River right." Simon finished bandaging Mal's shoulder.

Mal laughed. "Just you remember, like anyone else, they're gonna fight. Hell, maybe more than other folks, since ain't neither one of 'em quite right."

Simon snorted. "River says he makes her whole."

"Reckon that's the truth, then. I ain't never known the girl to lie." Mal stood. "Ta ma de. I almost forgot," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the huge diamond, grinning. "We got us some money to be made."

~*~

"Are ya in luuuuuuurve?" Kaylee teased.

"No," her cousin said, too quickly. "He's a nice guy, and Hannah likes him, but I've known him what? Less than 24 hours. We just... connect. We both lost the people we loved." She continued peeling the carrots she was working on.

"I can vouch for his character, if that helps," Simon put in.

"Helps what? We're just... we're nothing, but I hope we can get to be friend