Natural Causes
Title: Natural Causes
Prompt: #63 Natural
Rating: PG
Word Count: 657
Title: Natural Causes
Prompt: #63 Natural
Author: Cricket
Disclaimer: I’m just playing with Joss’ toys, but I promise to put them back when I’m done
Rating: PG
Word Count: 657
They all thought Jayne would die a violent death. Bleeding out from a bullet wound, neck snapped in a fight, possibly even eaten by reavers. No one expected he'd allow himself to go from natural causes.
When he’d first gotten sick, no one thought anything of it; he’d always been a quick healer, never staying down for long. Even River, who usually had a sixth sense about these types of things, hadn’t sensed anything was wrong. But when weeks went by and he was still feeling sluggish and achy, Simon decided to give him a complete physical. The doctor hadn’t been able to find anything wrong and recommended clear fluids and plenty of bed rest.
After a month he could barely get out of bed. Ten days later he stopped eating. Simon set him up in the infirmary for observation, but still couldn’t find the problem.
River had never been around illness, hospitals were Simon’s domain when they were younger and she’d been kept in a sterile environment at the academy. She was curious and could often be found hovering around his sickbed in the weeks before Simon found the virus.
With the problem identified, the doctor went about trying to find a solution, a way to heal the laid up mercenary. As untrustworthy as he often was, Simon knew they were all better off with the hired muscle than without.
Four months into his disease, an internal organ ruptured. River held his hand while Simon performed the surgery to repair it. From then on the girl stayed by his side, never leaving except to relieve herself. Looking back at it now, she thinks this is when she fell in love with him. He was weak, but managed to keep a sense of humor about it; something no one would have anticipated as he was always a grumpy man when he had been well.
When he was strong enough to talk, he told her stories of his life. He stayed away form painful memories, focusing mostly on the happy times he’d had as a child or funny adventures he’d been a part of, but mostly he listened while River talked. She’d tell him about the goings on of the ship, Mal and Inara’s latest fight and how many dust bunnies she found under her bed that morning. Sometimes he smiled and sometimes he would keep his eyes locked on her as if she were the most important thing in the ‘verse. He never thanked her, but she knew he was glad to have the company.
Another few months and Simon had strengthened his pain medication again. This one would keep Jayne asleep most of the time. River talked to him anyway.
One night a week and a half later, River was watching over him, gazing at the sunken sallow of his cheeks and his drastically thinned frame under the white sheet. She remembered him as he used to be, large and imposing with an attitude to match. His goatee had been shaved off, it was easier to keep him clean without the facial hair, and she found she missed seeing it on his face, the way it would frame his ever frowning mouth. With his former firm pink lips in her mind, she leaned down to kiss him, ignoring the thin drawn reality she touched. He’d woken up briefly, once clear blue eyes now significantly foggy with medication, and given her a weak smile. It was merely a shadow of the boastful grins of his past, but more than she’d seen on his face in a long while.
When River woke the next morning he was already gone and she cursed herself for not being awake with him when he slipped out of the ‘verse. They brought him home to his family for the burial and River cried the most at his graveside. She gave his mother white flowers while Simon explained that it was natural causes.
Prompt: #63 Natural
Rating: PG
Word Count: 657
Title: Natural Causes
Prompt: #63 Natural
Author: Cricket
Disclaimer: I’m just playing with Joss’ toys, but I promise to put them back when I’m done
Rating: PG
Word Count: 657
They all thought Jayne would die a violent death. Bleeding out from a bullet wound, neck snapped in a fight, possibly even eaten by reavers. No one expected he'd allow himself to go from natural causes.
When he’d first gotten sick, no one thought anything of it; he’d always been a quick healer, never staying down for long. Even River, who usually had a sixth sense about these types of things, hadn’t sensed anything was wrong. But when weeks went by and he was still feeling sluggish and achy, Simon decided to give him a complete physical. The doctor hadn’t been able to find anything wrong and recommended clear fluids and plenty of bed rest.
After a month he could barely get out of bed. Ten days later he stopped eating. Simon set him up in the infirmary for observation, but still couldn’t find the problem.
River had never been around illness, hospitals were Simon’s domain when they were younger and she’d been kept in a sterile environment at the academy. She was curious and could often be found hovering around his sickbed in the weeks before Simon found the virus.
With the problem identified, the doctor went about trying to find a solution, a way to heal the laid up mercenary. As untrustworthy as he often was, Simon knew they were all better off with the hired muscle than without.
Four months into his disease, an internal organ ruptured. River held his hand while Simon performed the surgery to repair it. From then on the girl stayed by his side, never leaving except to relieve herself. Looking back at it now, she thinks this is when she fell in love with him. He was weak, but managed to keep a sense of humor about it; something no one would have anticipated as he was always a grumpy man when he had been well.
When he was strong enough to talk, he told her stories of his life. He stayed away form painful memories, focusing mostly on the happy times he’d had as a child or funny adventures he’d been a part of, but mostly he listened while River talked. She’d tell him about the goings on of the ship, Mal and Inara’s latest fight and how many dust bunnies she found under her bed that morning. Sometimes he smiled and sometimes he would keep his eyes locked on her as if she were the most important thing in the ‘verse. He never thanked her, but she knew he was glad to have the company.
Another few months and Simon had strengthened his pain medication again. This one would keep Jayne asleep most of the time. River talked to him anyway.
One night a week and a half later, River was watching over him, gazing at the sunken sallow of his cheeks and his drastically thinned frame under the white sheet. She remembered him as he used to be, large and imposing with an attitude to match. His goatee had been shaved off, it was easier to keep him clean without the facial hair, and she found she missed seeing it on his face, the way it would frame his ever frowning mouth. With his former firm pink lips in her mind, she leaned down to kiss him, ignoring the thin drawn reality she touched. He’d woken up briefly, once clear blue eyes now significantly foggy with medication, and given her a weak smile. It was merely a shadow of the boastful grins of his past, but more than she’d seen on his face in a long while.
When River woke the next morning he was already gone and she cursed herself for not being awake with him when he slipped out of the ‘verse. They brought him home to his family for the burial and River cried the most at his graveside. She gave his mother white flowers while Simon explained that it was natural causes.