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[badinlatin]

It was a 'clean' wound, if gutshots are ever clean.

That ain't hardly a mosquito bite

Mal is very heavily drugged, and feeling very much alive.

Owww.

But he is alive. He may even talk to you. The making-sense part? He makes no promises.

Comments

[gonna_live]

It is so totally a mosquito bite. And more besides.

There's a hand holding his. Kaylee's standing next to the bed, looking down.

[badinlatin]

There is head-lolling. Also, a drunken - no, drugged - and sleepyvoiced "Wèi."

Mal's hand is only limply resting in Kaylee's, no traditional strong grip.

[gonna_live]

"Look at you."

Resting is fine. Kaylee's grip is firm.

"You hurtin' at all?"

[badinlatin]

"Not yet."

Mal knows enough that the 'yet' should be there.

A groan then, an attempt at some sort of imperceptible movement which fails rather spectacularly to Mal's mind, but probably just looked like a groan for the sake of groaning to Kaylee. "Doc came."

[gonna_live]

She squeezes his hand. "He's good at that."

Silence for a moment.

"You cold at all?"

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

What is the sound of a very pregnant, very angry ex-soldier-turned-first-mate storming into an infirmary?

Whatever it is, Mal's hearing it.

"Sir?"

[badinlatin]

"Wèi, Zo'."

Jaw tightening as Zoe enters, there is some vague sense of movement to appear more captainly, which falls flat as Mal remembers being captainly involves not having a hole in your chest.

Damnit.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe leans against a cabinet, relaxing some now that she's got Mal in sight.

Some.

"Simon get you fixed up okay?"

[badinlatin]

"Mmm. I do pay 'im for somethin'."

Was surprised he came.

"Didn't mean to shoot myself. Or let War do it."

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

"...War, sir?"

This being Milliways, Zoe is somehow left with the feeling that might not be just an eccentric name.

Her jaw tightens a bit.

[river_meimei]

River hates infirmaries.

At some point, she's there anyway, tucked silently between a chair and a cabinet with her back to the wall.

[badinlatin]

Mal's not exactly the biggest fan of them ever, so River is in good company.

After the minute or so it takes Mal to notice River's presence, there is a "Sorry," directed to nobody in particular. Maybe the ceiling tiles, who knows.

[river_meimei]

River's head lifts fractionally in what might be surprise.

She starts to nod a little, and turns it into a headshake, her eyes dropping.

"No," she says softly to the floor.

[badinlatin]

"You shouldn't've had to come get me like that."

Still to the ceiling tiles.

[river_meimei]

A pause. River doesn't lift her head, though her eyes shift to look at him.

"It's not relevant."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

There's a wife-type Companion entering the infirmary and gently sitting on the edge of the bed. She takes his hand and rubs it lightly.

"You know, gunshots are really not attractive, despite what you might think." Her light tone is betrayed by the brightness of her eyes.

[badinlatin]

"Yeah." Dry swallow. "We all know I'm not the fashionable one in the family."

Mal doesn't look quite straight at Inara so much as behind her, above her. Just...not straight at her.

"Hi."

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

"Hi yourself."
A beat.

Softly, "Do you want to tell me what happened?" She's looking at their hands, hers still gently stroking his.

[badinlatin]

"Got shot." That part's easy.

"It was War. Red. Same person. Thing. [I don't know, Inara.]"

This part is...much harder.

[ff-ambassador.livejournal.com]

"War?" Inara looks confused, then slightly afraid. "Please tell me that's someone's nickname."

The pressure on his hand increases a bit.

[simon_doctor]

Late in the night, and almost no light in the infirmary, and the iron grip on his shoulders might be an awakening from a nightmare or it might be the continuation of one --

"Hold still. Mal. Hold still."

[badinlatin]

Can't flee, can't run.

Mal cries, "They held me. They made me watch.

He spasms into consciousness, feeling hands Wash can't be on his shoulders and the beeping of the monitors and gorramit he can't rutting move.

[simon_doctor]

"Mal. Can you hear me? Hold still. You're going to pop your sutures."

[badinlatin]

Sutures what now?

There is an abrupt and altogether disturbing halt to Mal's attempts at movement. Then, one eye opens, and squints.

"Doc."

[simon_doctor]

"Yes."

Another moment passes before he releases Mal's shoulders.

"You were having a nightmare," he says very quietly. "It's a side effect of the medication. I'm sorry."