Preacher's Prayer Ch. 2

Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me. Until Joss's movie comes out, I'm just entertaining myself and others.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Summary of ch. 1: Book, Wash, Inara, and Zoe have been taken by people after Book.

Mal crouched next to Simon. "Well, Doc?" Simon glanced at him, then at the man hovering a few yards a way with the large gun on his shoulder.

"There are no obvious injuries, Captain. I need to take her to the infirmary."

"If there's no injuries maybe she doesn't need to go?" Mal suggested with a hard look. He was desperately trying to let the boy know letting these psychotics on his ship was the absolute last thing he wanted to happen.

Simon shook his head. "No, there is something wrong, but it appears to be an aggravation of an older injury," he explained. "She is experiencing loss of sensation in one of her legs, but her pulse is fine. Also, she is experiencing some shock."

"Captain-dummy talk please?" Mal asked with a blank expression.

"Something is pressing on a nerve somewhere," Simon restated with a sigh.

Mal looked over at Nate, the apparent head of this group of kidnappers, vigilantes and psychos. The larger man was getting very restless and it was obvious from his demeanor that the outcome of Mayli's situation would have definite consequences for those he'd taken as hostages. Mal was not eager to have the man on his ship with a large number of armed men with him. "Fine, get Jayne to help you transport her."

"Well?" Nate asked as Mal approached him.

"The doctor thinks he can help her, but he needs to be back on the ship to do it."

"Let's go then." Mal put his hand on the other man's shoulder to stop him.

"Only you and one other can go to the ship with us. I'm not going to have you deciding that Justice needs my ship too." The taller man glared at Mal. His face gave Mal the impression t