Kaylee lay there and silently watched River go about her work, the girl muttering some things to herself every now and then. She felt tired again though, the pain must have done a number on her.

”I’m going to take away the hurt now.” River locked eyes with Kaylee, and told her. ”Fly away for a while… I’ll keep the hollows away. Just you rest now.” Kaylee heard River’s soft voice say, barely feeling the needle at all. [How did she know I dream of flying?] Kaylee’s imagination wondered as she drifted off into sleep.

———-

When Kaylee woke, it was mid morning the next day and River was sitting in bed next to her, her back to the headboard and her legs crossed and pulled up to her and held with crossed arms. She seemed to be staring off into nowhere in particular, and Kaylee couldn’t help watching her for a while before groaning and shifting to a slightly different position to shake off the sleeps. ”Good morning.”

”That’s debatable, but the sentiments are appreciated.” River said, looking over to her. ”It’s raining.”

Kaylee laughed, even though it hurt to laugh.

———-

Two days later, and things were going well, Kaylee thought. River and her seemed to grow more of an understanding. A bond made deeper by circumstance, she supposed. But whether it was her imagination or something more real, she could swear she was understanding River Tam better lately. She was able to sit upright now, and she’d seen two sunsets, dragged out as she had been by River on that litter of hers, not that she minded it terribly a’course.

Right now she was sitting on Inara’s couch and reading one of her books. Her library pad had some interesting selections on in to say the least, this one she’d chosen no less than the rest.

She heard a small crash noise from outside followed by some impressive Chinese curse words on River’s part. River’d been endeavoring to make a proper bathtub for them on and off for a day and a half now. It was sweet, really. The shower system on the shuttle still worked partly, but Kaylee couldn’t well use it, injured as she was. That and Kaylee seemed to recall a talk she’d had about the subject with River at some prior date where in River had lamented about the lack of having real baths in space. [The price of growing up privileged.] Kaylee surmised, nevertheless finding herself agreeing with her on the subject.