Mal-Kaylee-Simon-Wash, starring in 'Malibu Mal'

Mal watched Inara close the hatch to Shuttle One and veer away from Serenity once Wash had notified them both that the ship had cleared atmo.

Inara has been a trained Companion for years, Mal repeats to himself several times, still standing on the catwalk outside of Inara's shuttle hatch. She can deal with all of this on her own.

Doesn't mean she's going to, Mal lets ring in his head as he flies down one side staircase and up the adjacent one to Shuttle Two and the boxes stored there.

The noise of someone running in the cargo bay must have garnered some attention, because Mal spots Kaylee peeking her head in from the adjoining corridor, looking quizzically up at the captain running around on the upper walkways.

"You," Mal points, an order. "Shuttle Two, now."

Mal doesn't wait for her to follow after the order, continuing his sprint up the stairs and throwing the hatch open.

(no subject)

Mal does actually meander his way back to his own ship and Inara's shuttle from the bar, the copious amounts of alcohol consumed pretty much having dulled to nothingness thoughts and memories still flying haphazardly since Serenity took off from Hera.

The effect of the alcohol dims considerably once he was back on his own ship, named for a battle long since lost, and a war's end long since past. He lets his hands trail across bulkheads and railings and chains and crates that have been home just under a third of his life, now.

That's a good way to look at it, Mal decides. Life. In stages. There was his life before the War, on Shadow, where is biggest concern was how to avoid chores that day. Afterward - the five years he spent fighting in the Independent Army. Everything he lost there.
Ain't nobody comin'.
Finally, his life after the War. On Serenity, with his crew ka-tet who would probably carrying him kicking and screaming if they had to.

Mal, in his time, has what can very charitably be called, 'put his crew through a lot'

( -- Get to work.)

and asked more of them than he probably had a right to

(They're not goin' to see this one comin'.)

but it's as he steps through the hatch to Inara's shuttle, Inara herself moving quickly to his side so he doesn't lose his balance, that Mal really and truly counts his blessings. He lets go of the nerves he's been attempting to restrain all day; at the graveyard, at the memorial. At the Valley.

Inara moves away momentarily after sitting Mal down on the bed to get some water. He takes this moment alone to lower his head between his knees and vomit, thankfully enough into his trash can he managed to pull out from under the bed. At least he missed the sheets, he thinks dumbly.

He hears Inara wince, and he sits up again slowly.

"Mal, baobei --- "

("River, meimei --- ")

Mal looks to Inara, taking both the glass of water and the towel she'd brought with her.

"I'm alright."

Mal-Simon, morning after Serenity Valley.

It's not early, by anyone's standards. Especially on the ship, where most of the crew are up and moving around early enough to hear the morning news on the Cortex if they really wanted to.

Not today.

Today - Mal calls it this morning, though if anyone calls it 'good' he intends on smacking them - the captain is brewing coffee and trying to figure out if it's worth making his way to the infirmary to find anti-nausea medication.

Mal's got a high tolerance for alcohol. Just not that high.