"Sick." One Shot. Rated PG.
Title: Sick
Character(s)/Pairing: Rayne
Rating: PG
Word Count: 750
Disclaimer: Not mine.
-Author Note: Written for the rayne_shippers September Challenge. I tried to go for a more journalistic, objective style, but it didn't work out quite as well as I'd hoped.
Sick
River was the last to arrive at the table. She didn’t meet anyone’s eyes as she pulled out her chair and sat down; she moved slowly and with obvious care, sinking into her seat gracefully. It didn’t escape the crew’s attention.
“You all right there?” Mal asked, giving her a look of concern. “Somethin’ seems to be troublin’ you.”
River shook her head, pushing her plate away with the tips of her fingers. “All is well, captain. I am merely tired.” She looked down at the table, her hair falling around her face, hiding it from everyone’s view.
“You seemed fine earlier, River,” Simon said, looking over at her worriedly. “Have you been sleeping well?”
She shook her head, one hand sliding off the table to rest on her abdomen. “I was sick.”
“Always sick in the head, girl,” Jayne told her, pointing at her with a chopstick for a moment before going back to his meal.
River shook her head fiercely, making a noise similar to a whine. "No, no, no - sickness is as sickness does." She stared down at the table, her body sliding further down into the chair. Everyone else gave Jayne looks ranging from reproachful to outright angry. "Parasite, not disease. Resting, resisting. I did not mean to contract it."
The merc opened his mouth to speak, but a cough from Mal had it closed again. He cleared his throat. "So y'are actually sick."
"Yes."
"Well get your brother t'make it better."
"He can't."
Simon put a hand on his sister's arm. "River, I'll do my best to help you - whatever's wrong." He smiled. "I'm sure it's not as serious as it seems."
"Serious," she said lowly. "Life-changing." She drummed her fingers on the table, then pushed her plate away further. "Doctor wants to give a pill, take a shot. Make it all better. But Simon can't make this go away." She looked up quickly, staring straight at Jayne. "It's catching, too."
"What? Y'mean I'm gonna get sick, too?" He scowled at her. "Then stay the hell away from me you gorram freak."
"Wish I had stayed away."
"Did Jayne get you sick?" Simon asked, eyes going back and forth between his sister and the large gun-hand.
"No!" Jayne said quickly. "I don't stay 'round her enough to get the crazy-girl sick. Right? Tell 'im!"
"Calm down, Jayne," Mal said slowly. "Ain't your fault if you did. 'S not like you been spreadin' germs around on purpose."
"But Mal... I ain't been sick!"
"Spreading germs..." River let out one dry chuckle.
"You gonna be all right, River?" Kaylee asked. "You're makin' me real worried - it ain't that serious, right?"
"I will eventually recover, I believe."
"That's good," Zoe said evenly. She looked around the table, first at River, then over to Mal. "So no need to worry then, ain't that right, River?"
"Of course there's a need to worry!" Simon exclaimed. "River's immune system is strong, yes, but what if I don't have the right medicines? What if - "
"Jus' stop it, doc, you're worryin' for nothin'." Jayne shifted in his seat and gave River a sideways stare. "She ain't in no harm; moonbrain'da told us if she were. She woulda said somethin'."
"He is correct. No harm."
"Then what is the big ruttin' deal?" Mal sighed, put his cup down, and put his chin in his hand. "Albatross, there's somethin' wrong - you've admitted that much. But if it ain't some serious, life-suckin' illness, why all the big to-do? No dyin' on my boat now, captain's orders. But if you wanna sit with a little cold, then that's fine. Just... tell us what's wrong."
"I am a deceiver." She sighed and gave everyone a long look, starting with Simon and ending with Jayne. "I am not sick." She smiled at the merc; he swallowed audibly and fidgeted a little with his plate. "I am only pregnant."
For a long moment no one said a word.
Mal cleared his throat. "What?"
"Y-you're... Mei mei... You're pregnant?"
Kaylee laughed weakly. "Well, uh, at least it ain't nothin' serious. Havin' a baby's real nice! An' at least Jayne won't get sick now, since... I mean... Yeah, Jayne won't get sick 'cause..."
"Jayne's fault you said," Mal said quietly.
Simon made a few strangled noises. "He... Jayne... River... Pregnant!"
Jayne looked around the room frantically. Then, one hand gripping the table, he said, "That's right, my fault. She caught it from me. I'm pregnant, too!"
~~~
Character(s)/Pairing: Rayne
Rating: PG
Word Count: 750
Disclaimer: Not mine.
-Author Note: Written for the rayne_shippers September Challenge. I tried to go for a more journalistic, objective style, but it didn't work out quite as well as I'd hoped.
Sick
River was the last to arrive at the table. She didn’t meet anyone’s eyes as she pulled out her chair and sat down; she moved slowly and with obvious care, sinking into her seat gracefully. It didn’t escape the crew’s attention.
“You all right there?” Mal asked, giving her a look of concern. “Somethin’ seems to be troublin’ you.”
River shook her head, pushing her plate away with the tips of her fingers. “All is well, captain. I am merely tired.” She looked down at the table, her hair falling around her face, hiding it from everyone’s view.
“You seemed fine earlier, River,” Simon said, looking over at her worriedly. “Have you been sleeping well?”
She shook her head, one hand sliding off the table to rest on her abdomen. “I was sick.”
“Always sick in the head, girl,” Jayne told her, pointing at her with a chopstick for a moment before going back to his meal.
River shook her head fiercely, making a noise similar to a whine. "No, no, no - sickness is as sickness does." She stared down at the table, her body sliding further down into the chair. Everyone else gave Jayne looks ranging from reproachful to outright angry. "Parasite, not disease. Resting, resisting. I did not mean to contract it."
The merc opened his mouth to speak, but a cough from Mal had it closed again. He cleared his throat. "So y'are actually sick."
"Yes."
"Well get your brother t'make it better."
"He can't."
Simon put a hand on his sister's arm. "River, I'll do my best to help you - whatever's wrong." He smiled. "I'm sure it's not as serious as it seems."
"Serious," she said lowly. "Life-changing." She drummed her fingers on the table, then pushed her plate away further. "Doctor wants to give a pill, take a shot. Make it all better. But Simon can't make this go away." She looked up quickly, staring straight at Jayne. "It's catching, too."
"What? Y'mean I'm gonna get sick, too?" He scowled at her. "Then stay the hell away from me you gorram freak."
"Wish I had stayed away."
"Did Jayne get you sick?" Simon asked, eyes going back and forth between his sister and the large gun-hand.
"No!" Jayne said quickly. "I don't stay 'round her enough to get the crazy-girl sick. Right? Tell 'im!"
"Calm down, Jayne," Mal said slowly. "Ain't your fault if you did. 'S not like you been spreadin' germs around on purpose."
"But Mal... I ain't been sick!"
"Spreading germs..." River let out one dry chuckle.
"You gonna be all right, River?" Kaylee asked. "You're makin' me real worried - it ain't that serious, right?"
"I will eventually recover, I believe."
"That's good," Zoe said evenly. She looked around the table, first at River, then over to Mal. "So no need to worry then, ain't that right, River?"
"Of course there's a need to worry!" Simon exclaimed. "River's immune system is strong, yes, but what if I don't have the right medicines? What if - "
"Jus' stop it, doc, you're worryin' for nothin'." Jayne shifted in his seat and gave River a sideways stare. "She ain't in no harm; moonbrain'da told us if she were. She woulda said somethin'."
"He is correct. No harm."
"Then what is the big ruttin' deal?" Mal sighed, put his cup down, and put his chin in his hand. "Albatross, there's somethin' wrong - you've admitted that much. But if it ain't some serious, life-suckin' illness, why all the big to-do? No dyin' on my boat now, captain's orders. But if you wanna sit with a little cold, then that's fine. Just... tell us what's wrong."
"I am a deceiver." She sighed and gave everyone a long look, starting with Simon and ending with Jayne. "I am not sick." She smiled at the merc; he swallowed audibly and fidgeted a little with his plate. "I am only pregnant."
For a long moment no one said a word.
Mal cleared his throat. "What?"
"Y-you're... Mei mei... You're pregnant?"
Kaylee laughed weakly. "Well, uh, at least it ain't nothin' serious. Havin' a baby's real nice! An' at least Jayne won't get sick now, since... I mean... Yeah, Jayne won't get sick 'cause..."
"Jayne's fault you said," Mal said quietly.
Simon made a few strangled noises. "He... Jayne... River... Pregnant!"
Jayne looked around the room frantically. Then, one hand gripping the table, he said, "That's right, my fault. She caught it from me. I'm pregnant, too!"
~~~