Like Blood in the Rayne Chapter 11
Chapter 11 - The Monster Mash
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Simon bumped into Kaylee several times as he shadowed her every step around the mess while they, or more realistically she, prepared breakfast for the crew. Each time, she gave him a funny look but he just kept following her. The wait for everyone to join them drove him to distraction. He was well aware his hovering unnerved Kaylee but he needed something to do. He wheedled, “Kaylee, there has to be something I can do to help. What do you need?”
Kaylee stirred a large stainless steel pot filled with a protein mash that came not nearly as close to oatmeal as one could hope and cast another glance back at him. “Sweetie, you know I want to but I can’t let you help with this. People got to eat and you ain’t the best cook we got.”
Even when all participants know no argument really exists, an argument brewing acts as a perfect deviation from the path of bored distraction. Simon loved Kaylee a little more everyday but some days, when she seemed to know just what he needed to hear, that amount grew exponentially. He took the presented opportunity to argue and vent a bit of steam. “I cook well enough for this crowd, believe me.”
Kaylee snorted a most unladylike snort. “Right. You take over the cooking and we’ll all die of food poisoning before we get the chance to meet up with any of this supernatural go se.” She turned off the heat when the mash started bubbling and waited a beat for Simon to take his turn but he couldn’t come up with anything to say. “All right. Out with it. I tried baiting you and all you come up with is ‘I cook well enough?’ Something’s got your goat. Spill.”
Simon paced behind her. “She’s usually the first one up. Why isn’t she in here yet?” Back and forth, back and forth, the motion allowed him to dissipate the nervous energy. “And Jayne’s usually in the mess the second it smells like food is cooking. What could possibly be keeping them in bed?”
Kaylee laughed and grabbed him on his fifth pass by her and turned him so he was looking at her instead of at the doorway to the bunks. “You really want me to answer that? Don’t they say some questions are better not answered?” She joked.
That put a picture in his head he didn’t need. Simon felt himself making a face and tried his best to look nonchalant. Judging by the expression Kaylee wore, he failed miserably. “No, I suppose I really don’t want to know.”
“What don’t you want to know, doctor?” Mal asked, entering the mess with Inara trailing a vision in silk behind him. “You ain’t still whinging about your sis bunking with Jayne, are you? Just let it go, already. Can’t change her mind. We’ve all caught on to that. I reckon you ought get used to the notion.” He moved to stand next to Kaylee and looked in the pot.
Kaylee dished out some mash into four bowls and handed the first bowl to Mal, who eyed it suspiciously and almost didn’t take it from her hand. She wrinkled up her nose, noticeably trying not to giggle. “Don’t worry, Cap’n. I didn’t let Simon help me. It’s safe eating.”
“I’m not that bad.” Simon complained and received disbelieving looks from Kaylee, Mal and Inara for his troubles. The four of them sat at the table, all digging into their breakfasts except Simon. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep himself from staring at the hallway toward Jayne’s room. What finally stopped his detailed examination of the crew corridor was the sight of Jayne coming out into the hallway alone. Simon began eating and pointedly ignored the mercenary entering the mess.
Jayne walked straight to the pot of protein mash, grabbed two bowls off the counter next to the stove and filled them both near overflowing before joining the others at the table. Simon refused to look directly at Jayne and studiously fiddled with his food. If he watched Jayne eat two bowls of mash and thought about why Jayne would be so hungry, he might lose it. The urge to go all big brother protective on the merc niggled at him but Simon knew full well Jayne could take him down in a heartbeat.
Still Simon couldn’t help but let his eyes drift in that direction when River took a seat next to Jayne, who slid the second bowl and a spoon in front of her. Simon actually felt like the boob his sister liked to call him for not finding the big, bad man capable of the simple kindness involved in getting River’s breakfast for her. He stared at the new couple openly until Kaylee nudged him with her foot under the table.
River picked up the spoon and poked at the mash with a sigh. “Too much. Stomach will hurt.” She looked up at Jayne. “Bowls are backwards.”
Jayne looked her right in the eye. “I didn’t give you the wrong bowl. I already ate half of mine, is all. Just eat it.” He hooked a finger on his bowl and pushed hers back at her when she tried to switch them. When she tried again, he pulled his bowl far enough away it moved out of her reach and addressed Simon. “Do me a favor, doc. Ain’t you always saying she don’t eat enough? Back me up here.”
Simon gaped like a fish. He felt his chin drop but just couldn’t snap out of it until Kaylee cleared her throat and nudged him again. He might not be the best judge of people in the universe but he wasn’t an idiot either. He knew what Jayne had just done was an awkward attempt at offering a truce and only pondered how to react for a few seconds before deciding to take it and run with it for his sister’s sake. It was still hard to say the first bit though. “Jayne’s right, River. You don’t eat nearly enough.”
River winked at Simon then and he knew he’d been had. Not by Jayne, no, the big guy was obviously innocent, a concept that boggled Simon’s brain. But his own sweet mei mei, she had orchestrated the whole scene on purpose. She sighed in an overly dramatic manner and said, “Fine. Don’t blame me if it comes back up again.” Simon was about to give her a piece of his mind but held back because she looked, for lack of a better word, happy.
Kaylee picked up her empty bowl, grabbed Simon’s bowl and spoon from him, putting an end at last to his fiddling, and took the dishes to the sink. “I got to wander back to do some work. I hear a little something means my girl’s not happy.”
Mal spoke up quickly. “Wo detain, a. Don’t be going off alone, now. Like to think we’re smarter than people are in the gorram movies.”
Simon knew that heading back to the engine room was a ruse to get him away from Jayne. Kaylee just finished telling him that morning how well Serenity was running and how at least they had that going for them. He was decidedly grateful to her for her effort. “I’ll go with her.” He said and followed Kaylee out of the mess.
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Mal watched Simon leave the room and waited until he and Kaylee both were out of hearing range before he chuckled. River played her brother like a harp most days, which was a never-ending source of amusement, but that was too funny and kind of cruel. “You know, little one, that wasn’t very nice to do to the doc. Like to give him a heart attack.”
River shrugged and took one last bite of mash before pushing the bowl to Jayne with a huff. “Still too much. That part was true.” She and Jayne stood, Jayne picking up her bowl along with his and taking them both to the sink as well. River played with the material of her dress with a frown. “Dress is dirty.”
Mal answered the implied question. “Yes, you can go to your room to change but the rule about not going alone applies to you same as Kaylee. Inara, would you mind going with her?” He threw a smiling glance at the companion.
Inara nodded back at him and started to clean up her things but Jayne balked at the idea. “I got it, Mal. I’ll stay with her, don’t worry.” Jayne said.
Mal shook his head but River took Jayne’s hand and walked ahead of him out and around the corner to the stairs. When River and Jayne were gone, Inara put a hand on Mal’s and giggled. “And you said Simon was likely to have a heart attack.”
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Kaylee figured Simon still required a little bit more distracting because he just stared at the engine blankly as she worked. Maybe if she got him involved in the engine work, not so much as to touch anything but just enough to think he helped, she could get his mind off things. How he could sew anything in a human back together but not fully understand basic mechanics was beyond her. “Simon, hand me that 8-mil wrench, would you?” She thought she saw Simon start to reach for a tool that didn’t resemble a wrench in any way and added. “The one with the blue handles, bao bai. Round on one end, crescent on the other.”
Simon grabbed the correct wrench after all and twirled it in his hand with a rueful smile. “I know what a wrench is, Kaylee. We used enough of them putting this ship back together. I can classify and identify all your tools. I’m merely a little off kilter this morning. Sorry.”
When he handed her the wrench Kaylee gave a little jump. A shadow that looked like a clawed hand raked over their hands and disappeared as it went past the engine. “Tell me you didn’t see that. I’m imagining things, right?” She backed away from the moving parts and was more than disappointed to see Simon do the same thing because that meant she wasn’t imagining things after all.
Simon grabbed hold of her arm with one hand and started backing out of the engine room, pulling her along with him. They took slow steps and kept their eyes directed where the shadow vanished. A strange quiet fell over them so they could only hear the sound of the engine running distantly even though they stood only feet from it. “I only wish I could.” He whispered.
Kaylee dropped the 8-millimeter wrench to the deck with a clang and a jerk of her arm when a sudden scurrying noise broke the silence and drifted over to them from the other side of the machinery. She whispered, too. “What the hell is that?” When she saw what it was, she learned a great lesson. Some questions really were better not answered.
She felt entirely numb inside, a cold grip of dread grabbing her heart, when Simon pushed her behind him in the direction of the mess. “Run, Kaylee.” He demanded and she did just that.
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I decided you should know the main curse words by now but…
*Help with the new Chinese, just in case:
Wo detain, a. - Dear God in Heaven.
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Simon bumped into Kaylee several times as he shadowed her every step around the mess while they, or more realistically she, prepared breakfast for the crew. Each time, she gave him a funny look but he just kept following her. The wait for everyone to join them drove him to distraction. He was well aware his hovering unnerved Kaylee but he needed something to do. He wheedled, “Kaylee, there has to be something I can do to help. What do you need?”
Kaylee stirred a large stainless steel pot filled with a protein mash that came not nearly as close to oatmeal as one could hope and cast another glance back at him. “Sweetie, you know I want to but I can’t let you help with this. People got to eat and you ain’t the best cook we got.”
Even when all participants know no argument really exists, an argument brewing acts as a perfect deviation from the path of bored distraction. Simon loved Kaylee a little more everyday but some days, when she seemed to know just what he needed to hear, that amount grew exponentially. He took the presented opportunity to argue and vent a bit of steam. “I cook well enough for this crowd, believe me.”
Kaylee snorted a most unladylike snort. “Right. You take over the cooking and we’ll all die of food poisoning before we get the chance to meet up with any of this supernatural go se.” She turned off the heat when the mash started bubbling and waited a beat for Simon to take his turn but he couldn’t come up with anything to say. “All right. Out with it. I tried baiting you and all you come up with is ‘I cook well enough?’ Something’s got your goat. Spill.”
Simon paced behind her. “She’s usually the first one up. Why isn’t she in here yet?” Back and forth, back and forth, the motion allowed him to dissipate the nervous energy. “And Jayne’s usually in the mess the second it smells like food is cooking. What could possibly be keeping them in bed?”
Kaylee laughed and grabbed him on his fifth pass by her and turned him so he was looking at her instead of at the doorway to the bunks. “You really want me to answer that? Don’t they say some questions are better not answered?” She joked.
That put a picture in his head he didn’t need. Simon felt himself making a face and tried his best to look nonchalant. Judging by the expression Kaylee wore, he failed miserably. “No, I suppose I really don’t want to know.”
“What don’t you want to know, doctor?” Mal asked, entering the mess with Inara trailing a vision in silk behind him. “You ain’t still whinging about your sis bunking with Jayne, are you? Just let it go, already. Can’t change her mind. We’ve all caught on to that. I reckon you ought get used to the notion.” He moved to stand next to Kaylee and looked in the pot.
Kaylee dished out some mash into four bowls and handed the first bowl to Mal, who eyed it suspiciously and almost didn’t take it from her hand. She wrinkled up her nose, noticeably trying not to giggle. “Don’t worry, Cap’n. I didn’t let Simon help me. It’s safe eating.”
“I’m not that bad.” Simon complained and received disbelieving looks from Kaylee, Mal and Inara for his troubles. The four of them sat at the table, all digging into their breakfasts except Simon. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep himself from staring at the hallway toward Jayne’s room. What finally stopped his detailed examination of the crew corridor was the sight of Jayne coming out into the hallway alone. Simon began eating and pointedly ignored the mercenary entering the mess.
Jayne walked straight to the pot of protein mash, grabbed two bowls off the counter next to the stove and filled them both near overflowing before joining the others at the table. Simon refused to look directly at Jayne and studiously fiddled with his food. If he watched Jayne eat two bowls of mash and thought about why Jayne would be so hungry, he might lose it. The urge to go all big brother protective on the merc niggled at him but Simon knew full well Jayne could take him down in a heartbeat.
Still Simon couldn’t help but let his eyes drift in that direction when River took a seat next to Jayne, who slid the second bowl and a spoon in front of her. Simon actually felt like the boob his sister liked to call him for not finding the big, bad man capable of the simple kindness involved in getting River’s breakfast for her. He stared at the new couple openly until Kaylee nudged him with her foot under the table.
River picked up the spoon and poked at the mash with a sigh. “Too much. Stomach will hurt.” She looked up at Jayne. “Bowls are backwards.”
Jayne looked her right in the eye. “I didn’t give you the wrong bowl. I already ate half of mine, is all. Just eat it.” He hooked a finger on his bowl and pushed hers back at her when she tried to switch them. When she tried again, he pulled his bowl far enough away it moved out of her reach and addressed Simon. “Do me a favor, doc. Ain’t you always saying she don’t eat enough? Back me up here.”
Simon gaped like a fish. He felt his chin drop but just couldn’t snap out of it until Kaylee cleared her throat and nudged him again. He might not be the best judge of people in the universe but he wasn’t an idiot either. He knew what Jayne had just done was an awkward attempt at offering a truce and only pondered how to react for a few seconds before deciding to take it and run with it for his sister’s sake. It was still hard to say the first bit though. “Jayne’s right, River. You don’t eat nearly enough.”
River winked at Simon then and he knew he’d been had. Not by Jayne, no, the big guy was obviously innocent, a concept that boggled Simon’s brain. But his own sweet mei mei, she had orchestrated the whole scene on purpose. She sighed in an overly dramatic manner and said, “Fine. Don’t blame me if it comes back up again.” Simon was about to give her a piece of his mind but held back because she looked, for lack of a better word, happy.
Kaylee picked up her empty bowl, grabbed Simon’s bowl and spoon from him, putting an end at last to his fiddling, and took the dishes to the sink. “I got to wander back to do some work. I hear a little something means my girl’s not happy.”
Mal spoke up quickly. “Wo detain, a. Don’t be going off alone, now. Like to think we’re smarter than people are in the gorram movies.”
Simon knew that heading back to the engine room was a ruse to get him away from Jayne. Kaylee just finished telling him that morning how well Serenity was running and how at least they had that going for them. He was decidedly grateful to her for her effort. “I’ll go with her.” He said and followed Kaylee out of the mess.
_____________________________________
Mal watched Simon leave the room and waited until he and Kaylee both were out of hearing range before he chuckled. River played her brother like a harp most days, which was a never-ending source of amusement, but that was too funny and kind of cruel. “You know, little one, that wasn’t very nice to do to the doc. Like to give him a heart attack.”
River shrugged and took one last bite of mash before pushing the bowl to Jayne with a huff. “Still too much. That part was true.” She and Jayne stood, Jayne picking up her bowl along with his and taking them both to the sink as well. River played with the material of her dress with a frown. “Dress is dirty.”
Mal answered the implied question. “Yes, you can go to your room to change but the rule about not going alone applies to you same as Kaylee. Inara, would you mind going with her?” He threw a smiling glance at the companion.
Inara nodded back at him and started to clean up her things but Jayne balked at the idea. “I got it, Mal. I’ll stay with her, don’t worry.” Jayne said.
Mal shook his head but River took Jayne’s hand and walked ahead of him out and around the corner to the stairs. When River and Jayne were gone, Inara put a hand on Mal’s and giggled. “And you said Simon was likely to have a heart attack.”
_______________________________________
Kaylee figured Simon still required a little bit more distracting because he just stared at the engine blankly as she worked. Maybe if she got him involved in the engine work, not so much as to touch anything but just enough to think he helped, she could get his mind off things. How he could sew anything in a human back together but not fully understand basic mechanics was beyond her. “Simon, hand me that 8-mil wrench, would you?” She thought she saw Simon start to reach for a tool that didn’t resemble a wrench in any way and added. “The one with the blue handles, bao bai. Round on one end, crescent on the other.”
Simon grabbed the correct wrench after all and twirled it in his hand with a rueful smile. “I know what a wrench is, Kaylee. We used enough of them putting this ship back together. I can classify and identify all your tools. I’m merely a little off kilter this morning. Sorry.”
When he handed her the wrench Kaylee gave a little jump. A shadow that looked like a clawed hand raked over their hands and disappeared as it went past the engine. “Tell me you didn’t see that. I’m imagining things, right?” She backed away from the moving parts and was more than disappointed to see Simon do the same thing because that meant she wasn’t imagining things after all.
Simon grabbed hold of her arm with one hand and started backing out of the engine room, pulling her along with him. They took slow steps and kept their eyes directed where the shadow vanished. A strange quiet fell over them so they could only hear the sound of the engine running distantly even though they stood only feet from it. “I only wish I could.” He whispered.
Kaylee dropped the 8-millimeter wrench to the deck with a clang and a jerk of her arm when a sudden scurrying noise broke the silence and drifted over to them from the other side of the machinery. She whispered, too. “What the hell is that?” When she saw what it was, she learned a great lesson. Some questions really were better not answered.
She felt entirely numb inside, a cold grip of dread grabbing her heart, when Simon pushed her behind him in the direction of the mess. “Run, Kaylee.” He demanded and she did just that.
_____________________________________________
I decided you should know the main curse words by now but…
*Help with the new Chinese, just in case:
Wo detain, a. - Dear God in Heaven.