Reflections
Jayne crouched as low as he could on the walkway, attempting to get a clean view into the medbay, a clear view of the girl lying there, helplessly bleeding, and the doctor he hoped could save her. If he let his eyes focus just so, he could see his own reflection in the glass, the image superimposed and hovering over her like a guardian.
The mercenary scoffed at himself. Some guard dog he turned out to be. If he’d done his job right, that bullet wouldn’t even have been for her. Hell, if he were honest with himself, it was less about the job and more about how he failed her. He swallowed the lump in his throat, hoping it was the reason he couldn’t catch a full breath.
Two flip-flop clad feet moved into the image on the glass and his peripheral vision simultaneously. He tried to ignore her, to maintain his focus on the pale girl surrounded by far too much red. “Jayne,” Kaylee said softly, bending down and putting a shaky hand on his shoulder. “Simon didn’t kick you out of there so you could come straight up here and stew anyway.”
Jayne’s mind flew back to another time when he watched a different girl’s life flow through the doc’s hands. But, things were different this time. If this girl didn’t make it…
“He’s not going to lose River either, Jayne. She’ll be all right.” Kaylee assured him. Jayne hoped his friend was right.
The mercenary scoffed at himself. Some guard dog he turned out to be. If he’d done his job right, that bullet wouldn’t even have been for her. Hell, if he were honest with himself, it was less about the job and more about how he failed her. He swallowed the lump in his throat, hoping it was the reason he couldn’t catch a full breath.
Two flip-flop clad feet moved into the image on the glass and his peripheral vision simultaneously. He tried to ignore her, to maintain his focus on the pale girl surrounded by far too much red. “Jayne,” Kaylee said softly, bending down and putting a shaky hand on his shoulder. “Simon didn’t kick you out of there so you could come straight up here and stew anyway.”
Jayne’s mind flew back to another time when he watched a different girl’s life flow through the doc’s hands. But, things were different this time. If this girl didn’t make it…
“He’s not going to lose River either, Jayne. She’ll be all right.” Kaylee assured him. Jayne hoped his friend was right.