Chapter 7: A Wrinkle in Time

“I ain’t eatin’ that!”

“Caroline, that’s breakfast. You don’t got much choice. What’s the Cap’n goin’ ta say?”

“Still ain’t eatin’ that.” Caroline responded to Kaylee pushing the protein porridge away. “It’s gross. Tastes like niu shi. An food taint that color. Ain’t natural, foods not grey. Only Alliance food is that color.”

Jayne looked up from sluping up his second bowl of mush. “I ’gree with mini-Mal; but, it’s food. Better then goin’ hungry.”

Caroline stuck her spoon in the bowl and pulled it back out watching the grey stuff slide off it in clumps. “I’ll go hungry then.”

“Xin gan, Cap’n said if’fn you didn’t eat it for breakfast you was eating it for lunch.” Kaylee said almost begging Caroline to eat. It had become the morning fight, the porridge. Simon had said that Caroline needed the vaccinations, vitamins, and minerals with which the protein was fortified. Golensa had been so paranoid about the Alliance that Caroline had none of the vaccinations that a “normal” seven year old would have.

“Nope. Ain’t eatin’ it.” And the set of Caroline’s eyes and chin made Kaylee and Jayne both think of Mal when he set his mind on something.

As a last ditch effort Kaylee tried a new tactic “Ya don’t eat it, Simon’s going to poke ya with needles. This has the stuff in it you need. I know how much you like being poked.”

Mal walked into the dining room looking a little grumpy. “Jayne, you just about done eatin’ us outta house and home? I need some help gettin’ ready for the meet.” He looked down at Caroline who had pulled the bowl back towards her, when she saw him enter the room, and was playing with her spoon. “Little one, don’t you go given’ Kaylee no problems ‘bout eatin’ breakfast, now, ya hear?” He leaned over and whispered conspiratorially in her ear “Stuff gets grosser when it gets cold.” It was nice not to have to be the bad guy for once. He’d have to thank Kaylee. Mal walked over to the coffeepot, and refilled his mug. It smelled