He looked like hell. River watched from the shadowy alcove as the Captain stumble down the mess steps. The crew was out on a run and Simon was in the Medbay poking and prodding her holographic brain again.

Mal had been gone for about a week. He had taken one of the shuttles and disappeared with no warning. If his dirty, torn clothes and week’s worth of stubble were any indication, it hadn’t been a pleasure trip. The crew had worked themselves up into a lather of worry until they found a note tapped to the ladder leading down into his bunk.

Going out. Stay in this area.

-Mal

No indication of where he was going or when he’d be back. Just orders to stay put. Zoe had taken a pragmatic approach to the situation and had organized an easy load of cargo to keep them in the system. Inara had gone off to meet with other clients. River knew they had all been frustrated, but what good would running around the system looking for a runaway Captain have done. Especially since it seemed he had left on his own power.

A groan of pain echoed through the dim compartment as Mal turned the chair sideways and eased into it.

“Everyone was worried,” she said in her quiet piping voice.

Mal jerked like he had been jabbed with a tazzer and looked into the darkened corner where River was curled with a book.

“Damnit girl. Don’t sneak up on a man like that,” he growled in irritation. Mal stood and activated the lights then returned to his seat. “What are you reading in the dark for?”

River slid gracefully into a seat opposite Mal and sat silently watching him. He had dark circles under his eyes and his lip looked like it had been split.

“Too much of a good thing…” she began. “Dirt naps aren’t therapeutic,” she said sternly.

Mal’s brow lowered ominously as he regarded the younger girl. “Get out of my head,” he said softly. “Ain’t nothin’ up there you need to concern yourself with.”

River smiled a little mockingly and calmly ripped a page from the book she had been looking at. I