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“Zoë, Zoë, can you hear me?” Wash pleaded. He gripped his wife’s cool hand. It couldn’t end like this; if they had to die they could at least go together. He needed to see that look of amusement on her face just one more time.
Simon stood tense nearby. Moving Zoë to the shuttle had destabilized her already tenuous condition, but there was nothing more he could do to aid her recovery. That was one of the hardest parts about becoming a doctor - learning to accept that stilled hands were sometimes more helpful than busy ones.
River stared out the window. She was mesmerized by the stars.
Kaylee couldn’t pull herself away from the window. She was peering into the Black, wondering how long it would be before it swallowed Serenity up. “Left my toolbox back there,” she muttered.
Shepherd looked up from his Bible and smiled sadly at her. “I don’t imagine we’ll need tools for this particular journey.”
Jayne tossed the knife he’d been sharpening onto Inara’s table. “Ain’t no journey, Shepherd. We’re all gonna die.” He stole a glance at the gaping void outside the window, “Captain’ll probably go first.”
“Don’t gotta remind us,” Kaylee muttered sullenly.
None noticed Inara in the pilot seat, wiping silent tears from her eyes.
“She’s waking up,” River whispered with a triumphant smile.
Wash had been watching her hand resting in his, but his heart skipped a beat as he looked up to see Zoë beginning to stir. Her eyes flickered open and rested on him with an easy grin. “I take it we survived that explosion?”
Wash’s expression was grim and he squeezed her hand. “It more or less killed us, Zo.” Zoë’s smile faded as she recognized the interior of the shuttle.
Simon’s words were gentle, but they shook her to the core. “We’re living on borrowed time.”
Jayne was pacing. “I ain’t fixin’ to die in this here shuttle.” He was restless, couldn’t stop thinkin’. Thinkin’ mostly about Mal. Thinkin’ about how not too long ago the captain had held Jayne’s life in his hands. Thinkin’ about how he hadn’t taken it. “Bet you could fix it up, Kaylee. Make it go far enough so’s we got a ruttin’ chance.”
Kaylee tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Maybe could. If I had any of my tools…” Girl was still starin’ at the floor.
“Well, we’ll just have to go back and get ‘em, right?” He locked eyes with the preacher who’d raised a brow, then yelled, “Inara! Turn this thing around.”
“Husband, I’m gonna need you to take this shuttle off auto-pilot and fly us back to Serenity.”
Simon countered carefully, “I’m…not sure that’s the best idea. Life support’s bound to have run out by now and-”
“Four little ducks came running home.” River beamed at her brother.
Zoë’s attention dropped from River and focused on her husband with commanding force, “We ain’t leavin’ the captain.”
“Gorram it, Inara! I said turn this thing around!”
“Mal was pretty clear about wanting to die alone.” Inara’s choked voice was like broken ice.
“Capt’n said he’d call us back when it was safe.” A dejected Kaylee lay back against the couch. “He ain’t pushed that button yet.”
Shepherd stood, Bible in hand, and nodded towards Jayne. “Now, Inara, I do recall that in the absence of both the captain and Zoë, Jayne here is next in command.”
“That’s ruttin’ right!” Jayne agreed.
“You can’t be serious!” Inara let out a humorless laugh. She looked back at Shepherd’s determined expression and the hopeful twinkle that broke through Kaylee’s eyes. She was reminded of a conversation she’d had with Simon long ago. “We’re all running from something,” she’d told him. Maybe it was time to stop running away. She turned the shuttle back towards their ship. It was time to run towards Serenity now.