Simon's expression softened, and he bowed his head while he let himself smile. Sometimes there were flashes of his sister, even when her cadences were odd or her references strange, when she was warm and bright and happy. That was all he wanted: River, happy and safe. Yes, he wanted to go home to Capital City and the hospital, he wanted to go back to being an important, respected, well-paid surgeon in a place he knew with colleagues he liked, but that had been tested when River had told Early that she was going to give herself up.
He could have had a way out, could have given her back to the Alliance and found some (ludicrous, unlikely) way to clear his name, go back to his life.
There was just no way he was going to let that happen.
He glanced over at her and gave her a little nudge with his elbow. "You're going to have to show me around," he said. "Help me get to know the city, introduce me to the friends you've made. It sounds like people are fond of you."