[in the cells....]

[flybywash]

Wash is sitting with his back against the left wall of his cell, legs pulled up, one arm thrown across his knees. He found a small rubber ball in his pocket some time ago -- either River's or Kaylee's, he's not sure, and he doesn't have the first clue how it ended up in his jumpsuit -- and has been methodically chucking it against the opposite wall for the past hour and a half, letting it bounce to the floor and back to his waiting hand.

Tha-dump, smack. Tha-dump, smack.

Hey, it's better than any of the current alternatives.

Comments

[nitro-is-ace.livejournal.com]

Ace curls up against the glass, sobbing her heart out. She was doing no good here, she could see that now. She couldn't even give him the promise he wanted. Eventually she gets enough of a hold on herself to speak again.
"God, I'm sorry, Wash. I am. And I'll be back, I promise." She reaches into her coat, and pulls out a small figure. It's a plastic T-rex, and she carefully sets it on the floor where Wash can see it.
Very reluctantly she stands again, keeping one hand on the glass. She watches him for a minute, choking down the sobs that threaten to reduce her to a sobbing pile of British pyromaniac. Then, slowly, reluctantly, she heads towards the door.

[flybywash]

Wash doesn't speak, or look up, or make any move that might be interpreted as an acknowledgement of Ace's departure.

After a while, though, he does notice the toy dinosaur resting just outside his cell. He pauses in mid-throw, eyeing it.

And suddenly finding it hard to swallow, he moves closer to the glass -- to the T. rex -- and takes up his game of catch once more.

Tha-dump. Smack.