Inara was a beautiful creature. She had finesse and grace to rival any companion and used them to her advantage. Like a panther hunting through the jungle or the lioness on the plains, she could sneak up on a man and pounce upon him without warning. Just one of the wiles that Captain Reynolds disliked about the woman.

Especially now when she stood at his shoulder peering at the bloody sink.

“You should be more careful, Captain,” she said softly, causing the man to jump in his own skin. Inara turned to gather her tea. “We wouldn’t want blood to sully the kitchen.” She smiled and waved her eyelashes in that ever so subtle way.

“Yeah? Best inform the Doc then.” Mal kept his palm under the cool water. The knife slice was superficial, but hurt like fire. “Seems shoulder stabs with pool cues get precedence over captains.”

Inara paused in her preparation. “Is it serious?”

Mal shook his head. “Only in Jayne’s mind.” He huffed. The dumb bull had just stood there with the wood dangling out of him then flashed his most happiest of smiles. That little jab had earned the perpetrator the full on Jayne Cobb special. Of course, the stab them with a cue stick man wasn’t likely to remember it after the head crunch he had sustained.

However, the level of yammering and belly-aching about how cut up Jayne was made the trek back to Serenity less than pleasant.

The boiling water brought Inara to her tea and she gracefully mixed the ingredients. She looked at Mal’s hand, becoming red with the cold. “Do you need some help?”

“You offerin’?”

Inara rolled her eyes and picked up her tray. “Mules have nothing on you, Mal.” The Companion exited the galley as River arrived. She inspected Mal’s hand. “Did the knife win the argument?”

“Funny, li’l Albatross.” Mal shut off the water and shook out his hand before grasping the nearest rag and holding it firmly to his wound. “Don’t go thinkin’ that just ‘cause you can pilot as good as Wash that ya gotta take up his knack for comedy.”

River smiled as she glided towards the exit. “I’m not the only funny one. Look at the platypus.”

“The plat-y-who?”

River giggled, but said nothing more

Gorram girl made as much sense as a fox in a henhouse.

Tightening his hold on his injured palm, and still trying to decipher what that girl had said, Mal decided to head to the infirmary to see if Simon had finished with Jayne yet. His palm was beginning to throb and he was most hopeful for a smoother to dull it some. He stopped on the last step when he saw Zoe looking through the window, her face tight. Mal peered through the glass.

Simon was hunched over Jayne’s prone form, his concentration intense. Kaylee was there, too, handing over and holding onto whatever Simon needed. Seemed a bit of overkill to Mal’s way of thinking.

“Zoe? What’s goin’ on?” He stood next to her.

“Jayne’s hurt.”

“That I can plainly see and did hear much of whilst comin’ home. You care to explain why the Doc’s all bent over and lookin’ for the world like he’s in the midst of heroic medical saving?”

“Can’t breathe,” River chimed in from the couch.

Mal looked to the girl. “Say again.”

River stared intently at the operation. “Popped the balloon.”

The Captain looked to Zoe, his face filled with confusion and hoping desperately that his First Mate could fill in the crater sized gaps in his understanding of the girl.

“Jayne’s lung collapsed, Sir.”

Mal blinked. “Huh.”

A/N: Evil of me to end this way? You'll have to let me know. If there's interest, I might continue this on. And if someone wants to give a challenge, I'll take that into consideration.