Hey Folks, so sorry I got my chapter sequence out of whack. It's fixed now and I'll post more tomorrow.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no pay.

Thanks To Jacqui, Josh and to Rion, my own personal BDH. You guys are the greatest.

Rating: PG-17, angst

Remarks: Set after “Objects in Space”. Inara has departed from Serenity and things on board ship are getting more difficult. Click on my name to read the backstory. They’re all backstory.

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Leaps of Faith

Chapter Twelve

Mal wants to get well away from the Alliance arms they’ve dumped and the carnage left behind. They need to take on supplies, better antibiotics and fuel cells for the ship, so he has Wash move the ship to Brandemere, fair-sized town a couple hundred klicks north. It’s a place they can sit tight, rest up and nurse their wounds for a while.

Mal looks down at his unconscious merc, thinkin’ Ai ya, he looks bad… “How’s he doing, doc? He’s been out a long time.”

The young physician is hesitant. “Well, Captain, it’s a serious wound and we don’t have an especially comprehensive set of supplies and equipment here. I’ve been keeping him sedated to manage his pain and to reduce the stress on his body.”

Mal studies Simon’s expression, seeking the truth of the situation. “Will he be able to get around and function like he needs to?”

“If he can beat this infection, then, yes, I think so. But Captain, it’s going to be a long haul…”

++++

Confused images swirl through Jayne’s mind: beatings from his drunken father; his ma’s gentle touch; jobs he’s done; firefights and bar brawls; making love with Kaylee. He mumbles in his delirium, unaware of what he says. Periods of deep pain punctuate this fevered fugue, alternating with short moments of groggy consciousness. During these, he sees the changing faces of his crewmates, most often Kaylee,