The course was set and they were well on their way. Jubilee would take roughly a week to reach under normal circumstances, but Mal, being his usual self, wanted to go the long way, meaning a week long trip was turning into an eighteen day adventure on the far side of space.

Eighteen long days. What was worse was Zoë had begun to act differently around him. Wash had been surprised to find so much animosity in her that morning on Medea, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad or to last this long. She was ignoring him. Worse then that, she had been avoiding him for two days now. It was going to be a long trip.

He sat in the pilot’s chair just staring. Nothing had happened, that’s what killed him. He’d told her that, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. He didn’t know why it should even matter if Adrienne and him had had sex. It wasn’t like there was anything going on between Zoë and him. He didn’t owe anyone an explanation, especially her. That didn’t explain why he felt he had to give her one. It was so confusing. His head was starting to hurt just thinking about it.

“Hey,” Kaylee said from the doorway, startling him from his thoughts.

“Hey,” Wash said, trying to sound normal, like he hadn’t been up here moping.

“Still not talking huh?”

Wash gave her a look, but then relented and just nodded.

“She’ll come around. She can’t stay mad forever.”

“I don’t know why she’s mad in the first place,” Wash sighed, “besides, I think Zoë is exactly the type that could stay mad forever.”

Kaylee just laughed, and then looked at him seriously.

“You don’t look good.”

“I shouldn’t, I feel like crap. Haven’t been sleeping right is all. It’s nothing.”

Kaylee leaned in closer to him and placed a hand on his forehead.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I think your running a temperature. You should go rest.”

She sounded worried.

“I’m fine,” he said, “really. Just been thinking too much. My brains not use to it so it’s overheating.”

“It’s not funny Wash,” Kaylee