A/N: This is the last 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 Four

Mal woke up in the infirmary again. This time both his arms and legs were restrained. He remembered what had transpired in the galley and tried to jerk his arms free. He felt his heart racing. Then he looked up to see River looking through the infirmary window. His eyes pleaded with her to help him. She smiled, came inside the room and started removing the ankle restraints.

“What in the sphincter of hell is going on here? What is going on with everyone?” he asked wide-eyed, still trying to jerk the wrist restraints off. “Where is Zoe? Have you seen Zoe? Is she OK? I mean, you seem OK. Is she OK? What’s going on?”

River finished removing the restraints around his ankles, but before she started to move on to his wrist restraints, she leaned over and whispered into his ear.

“Panicking. Need to calm down,” she said softly. “Going to hyperventilate.”

“Calm down? I should calm down? Have you seen Zoe?” Mal rambled, terrified. Then, just like River had said, he couldn’t breathe. He was hyperventilating. His chest was heaving to get air, but it just wasn’t coming. His head started to tingle and the room started to spin. River went and got a paper bag from one of the cupboards and helped Mal breathe easier.

“Told you,” she stated flatly.

Once he could breathe again, she removed his wrist restraints. He jumped up off the bed and backed up until he hit the counter.

“What is going on?” he asked. “Is Zoe OK?”

“She’s satisfactory,” River said as she walked towards him. She cocked her head as if she was listening to something. “Won’t find her here though.”

“She’s not on the ship?”

“She is, but…” River tapped his head. “Not in there yet. Too much to process.”

“Wha