Mal comes home after his incident with Kitty...
Inara looks up from where she is sprawled on her sofa as the door to her shuttle bangs open and Mal limps through, holding himself carefully as he eases through the hatch.
Inara springs up and hurries over to him. "Mal! What happened?"
"Nothin' to fret about, 'Nara," Mal mumbles. "Went to see Kitty and tried to get her to leave with me. She didn't want to."
Inara sucks in a breath, then shakes her head as she reaches out, slipping an arm around him to help him over to the bed. "That was a stupid thing to do, Mal." He grunts a clipped, "Don't I know it," in response.
"Has Simon seen you yet?" Inara asks with worry in her voice. "Went there first," he replies shortly. "I'm fine, 'Nara. No need to fuss."
He sinks slowly onto the bed, his eyes closing. "Just need t'sleep, is all." Inara looks at him in disbelief as his face relaxes more quickly than she can believe into sleep. She leans over and pushes back a lock of his hair, gently tracing a deep bruise on his cheek. She sighs, then moves back to her sofa and sits, her eyes never leaving Mal. She sits and watches him sleep for a long time.
Inara springs up and hurries over to him. "Mal! What happened?"
"Nothin' to fret about, 'Nara," Mal mumbles. "Went to see Kitty and tried to get her to leave with me. She didn't want to."
Inara sucks in a breath, then shakes her head as she reaches out, slipping an arm around him to help him over to the bed. "That was a stupid thing to do, Mal." He grunts a clipped, "Don't I know it," in response.
"Has Simon seen you yet?" Inara asks with worry in her voice. "Went there first," he replies shortly. "I'm fine, 'Nara. No need to fuss."
He sinks slowly onto the bed, his eyes closing. "Just need t'sleep, is all." Inara looks at him in disbelief as his face relaxes more quickly than she can believe into sleep. She leans over and pushes back a lock of his hair, gently tracing a deep bruise on his cheek. She sighs, then moves back to her sofa and sits, her eyes never leaving Mal. She sits and watches him sleep for a long time.