“Get outta the way.” Jayne’s finger took up the slack in the trigger. “I’m gonna kill me a preacher, and you’d better not be there when I –” His mouth sagged and he fell forwards, sliding down the stairs until he lay with his head on the cargo bay floor, his body up the steps.

Mal stood above him, a wrench in his hand. “Damn fool,” he muttered. “And what’s this about Freya?”

River looked at him thankfully. “She can’t help it. It’s her abilities breaking through. She’s been trying so hard to control the darkness that she’s projecting.”

“Mal, what’s going on?” Inara called from outside her shuttle, her voice trembling, but he ignored her.

“I don’t understand, little albatross,” Mal said, shaking his head.

“I do,” Hank put in.

Mal turned. “What the …”

Zoe was helping his pilot through the upper doorway. His shirt was torn and bloodied, and his face was white.

“I don’t know what happened,” his first mate said, sounding so guilty that it amazed them all. “I … I did it. Only it didn’t feel like me.”

“Infirmary,” Simon said, turning to go back and coming face to face with Kaylee. “I’m sorry, bao-bei ,” he said, his own guilt matching Zoe’s.

“I know,” she said, stepping out of his way. “You’d best deal with this.”

---

“I felt it too,” Inara said, hugging Kaylee just outside the sickbay. “I woke up and … I wanted to hurt someone. So badly. Anyone. Even myself.” She shuddered. “I began to break things, just to … until I heard Jayne’s gun go off.”

“How come Jayne didn’t stop when we did?” Zoe asked, watching Simon clean the deep scratches on Hank’s chest.

“Did you want to hurt Hank?” River asked.

“No.”

“Did Simon want to hit Kaylee?”

Mal looked sharply across. “Hit Kaylee? You hit Kaylee?”

“No, Cap’n,” the young mechanic said quickly. “He wouldn’t’a hurt me.” No way she was stepping inside, though.

“I don’t know what happened, Mal,” the young doctor admitted, his voice unsteady. “It was as if it wasn’t me.”

“It wasn‘t,” River agreed