Chapter 20

“Kaylee, what’s going on?” The Captain asked his mechanic as he walked into the engine room “Wash said he’s losing control.” “The port thrusters are stuck, I need to work on them. We need to land and I need some parts” Kaylee looked up from under the engine. “How long? We’ll be at Tyco by morning, have to drop Inara off and they have a good shipyard there.” Mal bent down to look at what she was working on. “Well, three or five days at least. I’ll need Jayne and Wash.” She said as she scooted further back under the engine. “Jayne, what do you want Jayne for?” “Need him to help hold the thrusters, best saw horse around.” “Can you keep us going until then?” “Yeah, if there’s not too much turning.” “I’ll let Wash know.” With that the Captain left for the bridge. *** “Find everything you need Kaylee?” Captain asked, as Kaylee and Jayne came back on board. “Yeah, found lots of shiny stuff.” Kaylee just about glowed with the stuff she found in the junkyard. “Captain, we got a distress call from the mining camp on the other side of the planet. Seems they had a cave in and need medical help.” Wash’s voice came over the intercom “Their foreman wants to talk to you, ASAP.” “Does he know we got our self a Doc?” Mal asked as he came running on to the bridge. “No, right now it’s just able bodied people he’s looking for.” Wash moved so that Mal could talk to the miner. “What can we do for you Sir?” Mal asked the view port. “We need any help you can give us. We have a hundred wounded and no medic.” The harried looking man replied “Also, we need lots of water and food. We can pay you for your time and we have a line of credit at the company store.” The two bartered for awhile and agreed on a price that made them both happy and Mal told Wash to get the shuttle ready while he talked to the crew. He gathered everyone else in the kitchen he told them what was going on. “Simon, you and River will come with Zoë and Me to the camp.” Mal stated. “I’ll need someone to aid me and to watch River.” Simon was already headed to the infirmary to gather any supplies he might need. “Book, Maggie go help Simon with his supplies and get your own things, your coming with us.” With that Mal left the room to get his own stuff “Pack for at least five days.” He yelled behind him. *** “Five days! Your going away for five days?” Jayne watched as Maggie gathered some clothes “What the hell am I suppose to do with out you?” “Jayne, you did just fine before I got here. These people need help and I can help. It’s only five days.” Maggie put her bag down and kissed him. “Yeah, but gorram it, I need you here, got used to having you around.” He Returned the kiss in earnest. “Maggie, we’re leaving.” Mal yelled into the room as he carried his bag out to the shuttle. Wash had just come back after having it loaded with food and water. “Jayne, I have to go.” Maggie had to stop Jayne from going any further “It’s only five days. Do what ever you used to do” Maggie said as she ran down the ramp to the shuttle. *** “Five gorram days” Jayne mumbled as he held parts up for Kaylee “Man just gets used to sharing his bed.” “Hell Jayne, at least you got someone to share with.” “Still no luck with the good doctor there Lil’ Kaylee? Man’s a damn fool.” “Jayne, how sweat. Hand me that spanner, no the one to the left, no the other left.” “Just know I’ll get no sleep and hell, Wash is cooking dinner. Should of gone and left the Preacher here” “Book needed to go and comfort the families, can’t see you holding hand and being a comfort.” “I can comfort people.” Jayne looked hurt. “Jayne” Kaylee laughed “You are much better at intimidating people then comforting them”. *** “What the hell is this Wash?” Jayne sniffed the brown mush in his bowl. “I Don’t know, was something Maggie had started.” Wash put his bowl down and looked at Kaylee for support. Kaylee took a small spoonful “Maggie never served anything that tasted like this, any of those protein bars left?” She spat out the mush and made a face. Jayne handed her one of Maggie’s protein bars “Only six left Kaylee, we’ll have to ration them.” Walking away with the last of the bars, he ignored the look on Wash’s face. *** “Jayne, why the grumpy face?” Kaylee took the offered protein bar. “Couldn’t sleep, missed Maggie. Thinking the Captain is right about shipboard romances being a bad idea.” “Jayne! Don’t even think that.” Kaylee stared open mouth at Jayne as he walked away. *** “Jayne, Maggie’s on the line waiting to talk to you.” Wash yelled into the intercom down to the engine room. Jayne came tearing up the stairs “Maggie, How ya doing?” He waited for Wash to leave, then he caressed her picture. “Jayne, I miss you so much, if I wasn’t so tired I would never be able to sleep. Can’t believe how much I missed you in just four days. We have been working so hard, Simon most of all, we all rotate as helper, but Simon is always there” She smiled that smile at him that made his stomach flip-flop. “You look tired. You OK, Kaylee keeping you busy?” “Yeah, we’re almost done, Kaylee wants to have a little party in town tomorrow. When you coming home?” He tried to keep the need out of his voice, he didn’t want her to know how much he missed her, how he hadn’t been able to sleep “Wash has been cooking and it’s just awful. Kaylee and I have been living off those bars you made” “I don’t know when, soon I hope.” And she looked at him with all the want and need she felt and it went straight to his groin “I have to go back to work, I miss you Jayne and I can’t wait to get back home. Bye.” “Bye Baby.” Jayne said to the blank screen, stroking the monitor. He headed back down to the engine room, his mood getting blacker and blacker. “Kaylee, how much more we gotta do.” He growled, knowing he wasn’t mad at her and it wasn’t fair to her. Kaylee knew how on edge he was, so she didn’t take it personally. “I don’t need you right now, could you come back in a couple of hours?” “I’ll be in my bunk.” Jayne walked away, Kaylee smiled to herself. *** “Three more days? Are you kidding me? Who told you that?” Jayne fired out questions almost as fast as he did bullets. “Talked to the Captain this morning, he said things were going well, but Simon wanted to stay a few more days and check up on people.” Wash looked at Jayne with all the conviction he could muster. “I ain’t gonna last three more days and we don’t have enough protein bars. I’m gonna call the Captain.” Jayne started off towards the bridge. “No! Don’t bother the Captain, it will take them that much longer.” Wash jumped out of his seat and lead Jayne back to the table “Kaylee will be done this afternoon and then we can head into town for dinner. We can call when we get back.” Wash gave Jayne the last of the bread Maggie had made “Finish with breakfast and then go help Kaylee.”