[Video] After Luke Siths out

[wrench_and_ruffles]

[Kaylee's trying very hard to stay calm. Stress is bad for the baby. Which really makes all this lousy timing.

So she's trying to deal with this entire situation by the method she's learned from many of her nearest and dearest.]

You know. My favourite thing about Verdana is all the stuff that happened in Mayfield that doesn't happen here. You could count on people to actually stay the same person from day to day. I promise, I am plenty grateful already, I didn't need the reminder.

[She keeps reminding herself that Luke and everybody else will be back to normal sooner or later. But it's not terribly comforting right now.]

I am too hormonal to deal with this.

[She nearly ends the transmission there, but then she remembers one more thing. Luke was supposed to pick things up on his way home from work. And now she's feeling even worse than before.]

Could... somebody pick me up some ginger and crackers? Please?

Comments

[unofficial_ambassador]

I'm sorry. Are you at home?

[wrench_and_ruffles]

Yeah. He doesn't even remember where it is.

[She never expected to have to worry about Luke knowing that.]

[unofficial_ambassador]

[If Kaylee's this shaken, then that's probably a good thing.]

I'll be there as soon as I can.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

Thank you.

[This isn't a problem any of her houseguests are really equipped to deal with. And she doesn't want to be alone.]

[unofficial_ambassador]

[Once things are settled with Neville so he knows where she'll be if she gets stuck after curfew, she packs up a set of herbs for Kaylee and walks to her house.]

Kaylee, it's me.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

[It was amazing what a difference having someone just talk to you the way you expect them to makes. She opens the door, looking more than a little pale.]

Hi. Come on in.

[unofficial_ambassador]

[It's bad form to tell your friend that she looks awful, especially when she's pregnant and her husband just sort of left her, but wow Kaylee looks awful.]

I didn't want to stop anywhere, but I brought you some things from the shop. Do you want me to make you something to drink?

[wrench_and_ruffles]

[Kaylee doesn't need to be told that. She's pretty sure she looks as bad as she feels.]

I could really use some tea. Thank you.

[unofficial_ambassador]

[There's not really anything she can do to actually help, but she's in the business of giving people the chance to not feel bad about themselves for a while and she's pretty good at it.]

I brought ginger, but there are a few other things that are a bit . . . milder if you want to try something else.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

Milder?

[She's curious. At the very least, trying something new might be a moment of distraction.]

Worth a shot.

[unofficial_ambassador]

When I was still living at the Flop, I didn't want to make enemies of everyone on my floor by boiling ginger, so I tried some of these out. Neville went over them with me before I left and he says they're all safe for you.

[She opens her bag and lays out the packets that she'd brought from the shop.]

This one's nice. It doesn't smell like anything really but it's got a sweet flavor like tea with honey.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

Let him know I appreciate that.

Like honey sounds nice...

[Probably tastes better than ginger. About all that much ginger has going for it is that it settles her stomach.]

[unofficial_ambassador]

He's a good kid.

Sit down, I'll take care of things.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

[Normally Kaylee would put up an argument about her ability to handle things in her own kitchen. But right now, she appreciates not having to do anything else. So she doesn't have to be told to sit down twice.]

He sure seems it.

[She'd mostly dealt with him professionally but he'd left a good impression.]

[unofficial_ambassador]

[Inara puts the herbs and water in a pot to boil and sighs.]

I mean he's a good kid who, in his concern over a forest fire, forgets to call and say that he's going to be out after curfew, but I suppose that's part of being a kid.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

[Kaylee's not so far removed from her own teenage years to forget]

Kid that wants to fix everything.

[unofficial_ambassador]

There aren't many people here with the sort of expertise that he has, and I think he feels responsible for everyone.

[She smiles ruefully.]

When I was his age, my biggest accomplishment was getting in trouble for sneaking out onto the roof.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

That's an awful lot for a kid. I just worked for my daddy at that age. 'Bout as much as a kid should have to.

[unofficial_ambassador]

I try to convince him to take time off once in a while, but apparently that doesn't mean much coming from a woman with two jobs.

[wrench_and_ruffles]

Seems to be a common problem with shipfolk.

[Luke can run into the next five burning buildings and she won't even complain if he'll just be Luke]

[unofficial_ambassador]

I suppose all of us feel responsible in one way or another.

Do you want to talk about it?

[wrench_and_ruffles]

[Kaylee nods. With Inara, she does]

He scared me. He was so hurt and angry.

[unofficial_ambassador]

[She doesn't know him that well, but it's still surprising.]

He was angry with you?

[wrench_and_ruffles]

With the world, I think. But me too. Kept goin' on about how I'd left him.

[She shakes her head]

If he was always like that I would have.

[unofficial_ambassador]

And he doesn't remember anything.

[How does something like this happen.]

If this is a . . . temporal . . . thing, maybe Salvation's AI knows something about it.