A/N: This is the third of a four part fic. Any feedback will be appreciated. Hope you all enjoy it. Also, a big THANKS to my beta, Chazzer.

Disclaimer: All things belong to Joss.

Strange, Stranger and Downright Unsettling

By abbeygirl

Part Three

Mal awoke in the infirmary again.

“This is so getting old,” he muttered. He tried to get up, but soft restraints on his wrists kept him from doing so. He struggled with them, trying to see if he could get them off. “You have got to be kidding…”

That’s when he noticed River sitting on the counter.

“You weren’t fluid. Didn’t go with it. Fought too hard,” she stated simply.

“What the hell is going on here?” asked Mal, still struggling with the restraints.

“Now look at you.”

“River, get over here and…”

“Not captain here, Captain. Can’t give orders,” she sang as she started towards the door.

“River! Don’t you dare leave. Get these things off me!” Mal shouted at her, sounding a little too authoritative. River shot him one of her looks and kept her distance. Sensing that he wasn’t getting far by barking orders, he attempted to relax a bit. “Please?”

She smiled and bounced gracefully to his side and removed the restraints. Mal sat up and rubbed his wrists. He looked down and saw he was still wearing the Shepherd’s clothes. He winced inwardly. Suddenly, River put both of her hands on his shoulders, looking like she was going to shake him. She looked him straight in the eyes.

“Use your head,” she said firmly. “No guts allowed here.”

And with that, she left the room. Mal sat perfectly still trying to process what she had said to him. He tried to remember each thing she said to him. What did she mean? Then one phrase caught him. She had called him Captain.

“Well that’s a step in the right direction,” he noted, smiling as he got up. He swayed a bit, but steadied himself on the bed. His stomach growled a little and he noticed his mouth was as dry a