River smiled at her. ”I made you nervous.” She said it, like she’d uncovered a secret and was happy about it.

”I’ll make you something, you don’t cut it out.” Kaylee said back jokingly.

”Promises, promises.” River brushed it off and raised herself up on her knees. ”I need to wash your skin now, hair too. You were smelly.” She informed her, retrieving one of Inara’s specialty soaps to start the task.

And suddenly, Kaylee was nervous again, but she quickly shook herself out of it and told herself she was being sideways. River’s hands were running shampoo into her hair and massaging her scalp with a care that was almost sensual. Kaylee couldn’t help herself, it felt just so good. Even better than when Inara had helped her with it that one time before this big to do they’d went to. ”Your hands are magic.” She said dreamily.

River didn’t reply, apparently too absorbed in her task.

The back washing went real nice too, but it got a little awkward again when River had to wash her legs and such. Kaylee had just decided to close her eyes and try not to shiver so much at River’s sure and gentle touch. She was, at current, trying to think of other things, like ways to maybe repair the shuttle once she was up and able again, not that River had said there was much chance of that. She’d described the problems to her in fact, and she’d admitted it sounded very grim without the necessary replacement parts and such, but it wouldn’t hurt to crawl inside it and have a second look, now would it? Not that they’d be able to leave Opal Shire with only a shuttle of course, they weren’t meant for extended space travel after all. But if they had to go anywheres, like back to the city for supplies or such, or if (all heavens forefend) the Reavers came back for some reason, it could come in real handy to be more moveable than only a pair of legs would allow.

It was in the midst of these thoughts that Kaylee realized she smelled something, and it was a something her mind instantly put a label to too. ”Ohmygosh.” She spoke in a little of a hushed voice, her eyes flying open. ”River, the ship’s burning!” She exclaimed, sitting up straighter.

River looked up from washing Kaylee’s feet and looked around, sniffing the air. ”You’re right.” She said, letting go of Kaylee’s foot and getting up to look around, apparently trying to sniff out sign of where the burning smell was coming from.

Kaylee made to try to get out of the tub, making sounds of straining when it hurt and ached to try moving like that without her ribs being bound up tight like they usually were. ”River, help me up.” She asked.

”Stay there.” River said distractedly, having found a fire suppressor canister. ”The demons have nested in our house.” She narrowed her eyes and got to all fours in the corner of the room where a hatch was located. She sat back on her knees and opened the hatch, sliding her body down into it, despite the small amounts of smoke coming up from it.

”River!” Kaylee cried, watching the hatch with increasing worry. She was swearing at herself inside for being so useless as she was and praying to whoever would listen that River would be alright. A fire, any fire, aboard ship was nothing to laugh away after all. They had a way of getting out of hand when you least expected it some times. Flames hit the wrong system? Burned the wrong active component? Fwoosh. The air could catch fire down there, ship could even blow up if it caught the engines or the fuel wrong.

She heard coughs and saw River emerge from down below before long though. Face and arms dirty lookin’, she hoisted herself out and lay over on her back. ”Kaylee?” She asked blankly.

”Yeah?” Kaylee replied.

”I think I need a bath.” She lamented.

Kaylee laughed, the relief rushing through her making it even more funny to her than it really was.

———-

to be continued

———-

Chinese phrase translations for this chapter:

”zì xuán wǒ, jiào wǒ yīgè mùyáng rén” = ”Spin me ’round and call me a sheep herder”

”méi bànfǎ” = ”no way”

”gāisǐ de” = ”damn”

”tiàoyuè de tùzǐ” = ”jumping jackrabbits”

”sāncì zǔzhòu” = ”thrice cursed”