Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Firefly characters or am in any way connected to the show.

Characters: Kaylee/Simon, but all the characters do make an appearance.

Summary: Kaylee is still hurting and Simon can't figure out why. The pain killers should be dulling her pain, not making it worse. Will Simon ever figure out the source of Kaylee's true pain?

Medicine for the Heart By KaySky

Chapter One: The Headache

One year. It has been exactly one year since Simon Tam stepped aboard Serenity. Yep, one year exactly today and he still hasn’t even kissed me. Heck he’s barely even made any physical contact. Sure, if I am bleeding or something than his hands are all over me. But that’s only in a doctor/patient relationship. Ya think he would it least “accidentally” brush his hand against me in the “wrong” places or something…but nope…totally professional and proper. Kaylee thought to herself as she worked underneath the engine.

She was so consumed with the frustration in her thoughts that she didn’t even hear anyone enter into the room. “Working on the engine?”

Startled, Kaylee jumped up, forgetting she was underneath the engine. “Lashi!” On her way up, the corner of the engine sliced into her head.

Simon quickly came running to her side. He kneeled down, lifted her chin up with his hand and began examining the injury. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just coming to see if you wanted…..” The wound was bleeding and Simon could tell the metal had poked into her too far. She could have a possible concussion and would definitely need a tetanus shot and stitches. “Let’s get you to the infirmary.”

It’s just a bump on the head. You can kiss it and make it all better. Before she had time to speak her mind, Simon had whisked her up onto her feet. He wrapped his arm around her side, being her crutch as he started walking her towards the infirmary.

Her head hurt…a lot. But she didn’t notice the pain. She was too busy enjoying the feeling of his arm around her. Especially the feeling of his hand touching her bare skin. She was so glad she had caught and ripped the side her shirt on the stairwell earlier that morning. Clearly, her clumsy subconscious was preparing for this.

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“Alright, you are all stitched up.” Simon took her arm and began giving her a syringe of something to dull the pain. “This should help with the pain and make sure not to bang your head on anything else hard and metal.” He shot her a slight smile.

Oh, I’d like to bang myself into something hard alright. “Okie dokie.” She said smiling back with the biggest grin ever. If only he could tell what I was thinking.

Simon turned around to the sink to clean his supplies. He has a nice butt. Oh gosh, I can’t go on like this. It…HE…is driving me crazy. I have never wanted…craved…NEEDED… sex this badly. I must think of a plan.

Before Kaylee’s slightly drug induced thoughts could continue, they were interrupted by River. “Serenity’s heart is hurting…hurting more than she’ll tell.”

Kaylee wished she had a place to hide at that moment. How does she always know what everyone is feeling? She could now feel the throbbing pain coming from her head. It least she didn’t say what exactly I was hurting for. Kaylee placed her hand over her heart almost as if she was trying to comfort it.

Simon turned to his sister with a confused look and then he glanced at Kaylee. It took him a minute but he finally made the connection that his sister was referring to Kaylee. “Let me give you something stronger for the pain. I didn’t realize it was hurting that bad.” He reached into his med kit looking for some pain pills.

“That won’t help.” River said. “Only works on repairing the outside of her. Doesn’t help fix the inner parts.” She turned around and walked out of the room.

Simon looked at Kaylee again and could tell something else was wrong. Her face wasn’t shinning bright like it always does. Her hazel eyes seemed to be missing their twinkle. Sure it could just be all the pain…maybe a side affect of the medicine? Simon thought to himself. Or…maybe…yep… could be that River was on to something. Simon paused a minute trying to recall if he had said anything stupid in the past few minutes. “Is something wrong….Did I do something… Did I say something?” He sat down next to her on the bed and took her hand in his.

Yeah. Stop sending mixed signals. In Canton you call me pretty. But than later you say you’d never sleep with me. I’m pretty again when standing next to a mutated cow. But than you say I’m your only option. Sure we have almost kissed. Like right before Jubel Early came… or about a month later when we knocked into each other late at night in the hall. But nope… Nothing ever comes of anything. With tears starting to form in her eyes, she pulled her hand away from his and tilt her head down in hopes Simon wouldn’t notice. “I’m tired. I just need some sleep.”

Simon could tell she was crying, but he wasn’t sure why. He got the impression that Kaylee didn’t want to talk about it either.

To Be Continued…

Translations: lashi = shit