He’d been surprised and at the same time not surprised when they had landed on Persephone three weeks ago…and not taken off.

Mal had quietly turned down the various jobs that were offered.

The same way he’d kept them to prairie runs.

With Zoë heavily pregnant, a shoot out wasn’t any place they needed to be.

Still and all he could wish that Mal weren’t so damned determined to stand by her side.

The babies would be born in the infirmary, with the hospital nearby just in case.

But he needed someone who had a steady hand to assist him with the delivery.

And Mal was determined to hold her hand, putting him off the very short list of assistants.

Kaylee’d flat out refused, though he hadn’t asked…or intended to.

Much as he loved her, she just wasn’t someone he could count on to remain calm.

He’d been relieved when she’d refused, saving him from having to not ask.

He considered River, but she herself had told him to forget it.

That left Inara and Jayne.

Or rather that left Inara.

He’d been hesitant about approaching her.

She and the Captain were still dancing around each other.

He wondered if the crew had been as frustrated by his stupidity when he and Kaylee were still dancing around one another as he was with the Captain’s.

She was no longer a Companion.

Though he wondered if that was part of the problem.

She hadn’t left after Miranda, but she hadn’t renounced being a Companion.

Not that she’d had any clients.

But the wave that had been broadcast over the cortex from the Guild’s Central House declaring that Inara Serra was no longer a registered Companion and that anyone found dealing with her as such would no longer be welcomed by any registered companion had pretty much put paid to the possibility of any clients.

She hadn’t been upset, or even surprised by the wave, but the fact that she hadn’t quit but had been fired seemed to bother the Captain.

She stayed in the guest room she’d occupied since they’d “rescued” her, had taken over cooking, cleaning and dishwashing. The money for supplies had stretched farther than usual…though whether that was because Inara was augmenting it with her own coin, or just better at bargaining was in debate.

But he’d not wanted to approach her about assisting him, he was half afraid the Captain would be mad. And half afraid that she would be mad.

The simple fact of the matter was that he needed an assistant. River had slotted into pilot, navigator and back up gun (not something he’d been happy about), Kaylee was the mechanic and neither of them had the time or energy to devote to being his assistant.

Jayne, who had the time, was not really suited to the job. It wasn’t that he considered Jayne too stupid to do it…he wasn’t….he just wasn’t patient enough. Besides it was counter productive to train someone to assist him in patching up injuries when that person was consistently one of the ones who needed the patching up.

He had considered the Captain, but in the end had rejected him for the same reason.

Leaving him back at square one.

Asking Inara to train to be a nurse.

She’d not indicated any intention of staying, but nor had she left or said that she was going to.

He still wasn’t sure if he should say anything to her.

And who should he ask first?

The Captain?

Or Inara?

Either would leave him in the wrong.

So he just hoped to catch them together, when they weren’t arguing, fighting, or flirting.

Which is why they’d been here for three weeks and he still didn’t have an assistant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He’d been going back and forth in his mind for weeks and she was tired of it.

It was bad enough when she had to shut him and Kaylee out of her head.

At least they finished eventually.

This he fretted over constantly, the only respite she got was when Kaylee had him occupied or when he was asleep.

She knew why he was worried.

Saying anything to her before the Captain would anger him.

She could just hear him going on about it being his “ruttin’” boat and how he was in charge.

No matter that he was really just the figurehead, like Serenity herself was.

He may think that Kaylee was the heart, but everybody knew it was really him.

Kaylee was the sunshine, the smile, the bright side to every trouble.

He was what kept them together.

Kept them flying.

But saying anything to him before asking her would anger her.

She was her own woman and how dare he ask the Captain’s permission before having her do a job.

And it was difficult to catch them together and in a mood to listen to anything.

Though why Simon hadn’t simply asked them to meet him in the infirmary she didn’t know.

Smart he was…but he was such a boob sometimes.

Lucky he had her to take care of him.

She could hear him in the infirmary pacing, so she decided to take care of this her ownself.

Turning to the Captain who was sitting in the co-pilot’s seat beside her she said

“Simon needs to speak to you in the infirmary. He’s very worried about the birth.”

She waited until the Captain had left the bridge to pick up the com.

Inara was in her shuttle crying.

Smiling knowing that Inara had been crying too hard to truly hide the traces, she told Inara that Simon was very worried about the birth and he really needed to talk to her.

There, that took care of two problems at once.

Maybe now she’d get some peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was pacing trying to come up with a tactful way to solve his dilemma, when Mal and Inara both walked in.

Ignoring each other they spoke to him at the same time, running over what the other was saying.

“River says that you are worrying about the birth? And why’nt I hear this from you? This is my boat and my first mate we’re talking about here.”

“River said you had some concerns about Zoë, and needed to talk to me.”

Ah.

So his sister had decided to eavesdrop and meddle.

Sighing, he decided to talk to her about that later, now he had the two of them together…and somewhat willing to listen, so now or never.

“Actually that isn’t strictly true. There isn’t anything to worry about with the babies or Zoë, the three of them are doing fine. I was however worrying about the actual delivery. I am in need of an assistant, both for this instance and for future occurrences. I was hoping that Inara would be willing to assist now, and would be willing to be trained by me to act as a nurse in future.”

He could clearly see that she had been crying, her eyes were reddened and even now moisture clumped her lashes together.

He could guess why River had phrased it the way she had.

The Captain, once he got around to actually looking at Inara would not let well enough alone until she told him why she was crying.

Maybe she’d actually tell him the truth and something would come of it.

Inara nodded “Of course Simon, I am flattered that it’s me you want to assist you.”

She started to turn away, but Mal grabbed her arm

“Now wait just a minute here. This is my boat and I get to say whether or not I want a woman as was fired by the guild to be patching up my hurts.”

Inara, forgetting no doubt, her tearstained face glared up at him preparing to tell him exactly what she thought of him when abruptly Mal let go of her arm.

Gently he touched her check

“ ‘Nara? What happened that you were crying?”

She looked away from him and headed for the door, while Mal stood there and watched her go.

She had reached the stairs when Simon realized that the Captain meant to let her go.

Before he knew what he was doing, he’d reached out and pushed the Captain to the door,

“Go after her you idiot!”

Mal looked at him, raised an eyebrow and grinned, “You’re one to talk Doc.”

Mal rushed after Inara, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He had an assistant, and later today, or even tomorrow depending on how things went he’d start the training.

That taken care of he set about inventorying the infirmary, they were getting low on weaves, antibacterials and antivirals…he needed to see if he could get Mal to buy some medical supplies.

While he worked he allowed his mind to wonder, and as usual when he left it alone it settled on Kaylee.

Thinking of her reminded him of the ring he’d bought three months ago with his share of the bounty they’d inadvertently gotton.

Was it too soon to ask her to marry him?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She groaned.

What was the matter with him?

Did he ALWAYS have to obsess about something?!?