Chapter 2: Ice Burn

Simon lay on his bed flicking through his medical journals. He knew that he didn’t have any time to waste when it came to helping River but somehow he just couldn’t seem to focus. His mind was stuck on thoughts of Kaylee and how angry she had seemed when he walked in on her in the engine room. He hadn’t even looked up; she had just spat the words out and continued with her work. Simon was used to Kaylee getting angry at him but it was usually because he had said or done something wrong by accident and so he usually knew what to apologise for. This time he hadn’t a clue what he could have done and that left him feeling very frustrated. Why had she been so cold? He slammed his book shut and hurled it across the room in exasperation just in time to hit Mal in the head as the captain slid open the door to Simon’s room.

“Ai ya!” Cried Mal in shock “Ow! Watch yourself Doctor, throwing things at your Captain is a sure fire way to get yourself thrown out an airlock”

“Sorry” Said Simon sheepishly “I just have a lot of things on my mind and at the time, throwing a book seemed like it would help”

“Yeah, well, I’m fairly certain it didn’t” Said Mal, sounding slightly annoyed “Anyway, I got no time for any more of your problems right now ‘cause this one is big enough”

Simon looked at him, puzzled.

“I’m talking about your gorram sister” Said Mal started to let his annoyance get the better of him “I’m trying to get my guns cleaned up and she won’t move her ass from the gorram table. Keeps staring at me. Giving me the creeps”

“And you want me to do what with her exactly?” Asked Simon, a touch of stubbornness is his voice. He had enough on his mind at the moment without having to deal with the Captain’s periodical dislike for River’s presence “Drag her away and lock her up?”

“If it keeps her from staring at me, yes” Simon opened his mouth to object but the Captain cut him off “I’ve already made it plain that she is not to be messing with any of my business. I treat everyone on my boat the same and I wouldn’t stand for nobody else to be staring me all sinister like when I’m trying to get some quiet work done. Only difference is I got to get you involved when it comes to River ‘cause she doesn’t seem to want to listen to anything I have to say. Now, you are going to get in there and deal with her or I will use one of my guns to deal with her myself, dong ma?”

Simon sighed and stood up. He knew that the Captain wouldn’t actually harm river but he also knew that things could get ugly if he kept opposing him. They both walked back to the dining area is silence and found River in the exact same position as she had been in an hour ago, during dinner. Simon walked over to her slowly and put his hand on her right forearm.

“It’s getting late meimei, why don’t you go to bed?” He asked soothingly

“I’m not tired” Said River, stubbornly.

“Well then why don’t you go to the cargo bay or go and play with Kaylee?”

“It’s too crowed.”

“Meimei, there’s nobody in the cargo bay” Said Simon, slightly confused.

“It’s all full up” Said River, looking at him in the way that made him feel as though she could see straight through him. “All of them are yelling and they want to be free but she won’t allow it. He won’t allow it. It’s all tense like too many buttons sewn on too tight. They’re straining. She’s stalling.”

“Who’s stalling, River?” Asked Simon.

“He wears his coat just like a king but his queen is promised to the other tribe” Said River, and then she pushed her chair back and ran from the room, yelling “It’s too loud in here!”

“Well, not quite how I saw this working but at least she’s gone” Said Mal, sitting down to continue his work. Simon was still crouched down by River’s chair, looking at Mal with distaste “Oh, and I would take it as a kindness doctor if you would get gone too. I’ve had enough people staring at me for one day”

Simon straightened up and heading back to his room, but as he turned the corner he bumped into Kaylee.

“Oh, I’m sorry” Said Simon, embarrassed “I really should watch where I’m going”

“It’s ok” Said Kaylee. She seemed oddly shy, which Simon could only put down to her having insulted him so brutally earlier “I was actually coming to find you”

“Coming to find me?” Said Simon. Great, so maybe she had more insults things to add to her list.

“Yeah, I said something earlier which I think you took a little too personally” Said Kaylee, trying to pick her words carefully

“Personally?!” Said Simon in disbelief “I think I have every right to take such an insult personally. Or do you say that to all the boys?”

“I wasn’t even talking to you!” Exclaimed Kaylee, desperately trying to salvage her apology.

“Oh great, so first you’re not talking to me and then you think maybe that’s not cruel enough to you add cussing to your repertoire?”

“No, I wasn’t –“

“Save it, Kaylee” Said Simon, the hurt obvious in his voice “You know I really didn’t think you would be this petty. Yeah, I screwed you up, but that was weeks ago, and I really thought we’d gotten past that. But I suppose forgiveness means nothing out here in the black, which I guess is why you ran straight into the arms of Tracey”

Simon’s word hit her like a fist. She too had thought they had been getting along fine since that incident with the cow foetus. Sure, they hadn’t talked about it, but she had taken his hand back on St. Albans she had thought that had said more than words. And yes, his dismissal at the house had been slightly hurtful but Kaylee wasn’t one to be petty and Simon had had a pregnant woman to see to. Given sufficient time to cool down she had really hoped they could go back to their normal friendly banter or even progress further, but now this…

Kaylee swallowed a sob as Simon turned and walked angrily back to his room. She really hadn’t expected that. She wiped away the tears that were already rolling down her cheeks and headed back to the engine room.

In the corner of her room River was listening, her eyes closed in concentration. She had the light off so Simon wouldn’t know she was in there.

“He’s afraid of the fire” She whispered into the black.

TRANSLATIONS:

Ai ya = Damn Dong ma? = Understand?