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[simon_doctor]

Simon Tam comes stalking out of the infirmary in a cold fury, and heads in the direction of the --

wait.

A few paces into the room he slows, then comes to a stop. His hands and arms relax from their taut anger, and his eyebrows draw down slowly in bewilderment.

He looks back over his shoulder with an expression that says, as clearly as though he'd spoken aloud: what the tiān xiăodé just happened?

Comments

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe goes still.

She wasn't moving that much to begin with, but the sudden stillness is noticeable, somehow.

"From the war as in someone he knew in the war, or from the war as in...?"

[simon_doctor]

"Yes."

It's harder to say than it has any right to be.

"He's here from Serenity Valley."

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

"...Wŏ de mā."

Zoe doesn't say anything for a long moment. Finally,

"He got a name?"

[simon_doctor]

"He says people call him Red. That seems to be the name Mal knew him by."

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe's brow furrows in thought, and she shakes her head.

"Doesn't ring a bell."

Her eyes dart to the infirmary again.

"Cap'n with him?"

[simon_doctor]

Simon nods.

And says a little hesitantly, "I ... don't know whether or not he wants more company, just now."

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe looks back toward him, her expression questioning again.

"Shénme?"

[simon_doctor]

"He seemed ... a little on edge, just now."

He's trying to explain something he doesn't quite understand himself, something that may be nothing at all. It's awkward.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

'A little on edge' doesn't seem to surprise Zoe much. She nods.

"I imagine he would be, someone showin' up from the Valley."

Mal's still in Serenity Valley enough without a human reminder of it showing up.

[simon_doctor]

"Red's going to be all right," he offers.

For some reason he can't quite bring himself to tell Zoe that he and Mal fought. It feels ... stupid.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe nods again, managing a tight smile.

"He hurt particularly bad?"

[simon_doctor]

Simon shakes his head. "Only one gash that needed anything more than just cleaning and bandaging. He's, ah ... still a little shellshocked, though."

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

"He would be."

There's no sign of a smile now.

"'Least he ended up somewhere he could get taken care of."

That alone makes his chances far better than a lot of the Browncoats' were.

[simon_doctor]

He nods.

He's aware that Zoe's seen a lot of people die for want of no more medical care than he routinely carries around in his first-aid kit.

Not all of them during the war.