“Hank?” Kaylee looked around. “Thought he went shopping too.”

“He did,” Zoe said, looking past them, her eyes still skipping through the crowds. “He’s late.”

“He probably just got caught up, looking for something nice for you,” Simon assured her. “Is Bethany okay?”

Zoe nodded distractedly. “She’s napping.”

Freya turned and looked out at the people passing by. “You’re thinking something’s wrong.”

“Just got a feeling …” Zoe admitted.

Mal, Jayne and River materialised, the former carrying what looked like metal stanchions.

“Mal, have you seen Hank?” Freya asked, her head lifting as if she was scenting the air.

“Nope. Why?” Serenity’s captain put down the lamp he was carrying with a relieved sigh. “He finally decided he’s had enough of us and skipped?” He smiled, but it faltered as he caught the look on Zoe’s face.

“I don’t think so, sir,” she murmured, still searching.

---

Hank forced his eyes open and grimaced. Gorramit, but that light was bright.

“Just lie still,” a voice close to him said.

He tried to turn his head, but the sudden pain in it made him sweat.

“She told you to lie still.” A man this time, from the other side.

Hank was only too happy to oblige. “Where …?” he managed to say, his voice cracking and dry.

“You’re in the sickbay. Do you remember what happened?”

“Sickbay?”

“On Wayborn. You were brought here. Someone found you.”

“What?”

“You were attacked. On one of the lower levels. Do you remember?”

He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He’d docked Serenity, he remembered that. Then changed quickly and gone looking for … His eyes sprang open. “Three men,” he croaked. “Came at me. Hit me.”

“You were mugged. It’s been happening a lot here lately, but the Alliance are cracking down. You were lucky, though.”

“Lucky?” Hank felt various aches and pains reporting themselves. “That what you call it?”

“Some people interrupted it. Brought you here.” There was movement at the periphery of his vision but he cou