“Kaylee, what the good gorram is going on?” Mal called, heading towards the engine room.

The mechanic turned as he stomped through the door, little baby Hope in her arms. “Cap’n?”

“All the yellin’ and cryin’.” He nodded towards the baby. “Her.”

Kaylee looked down at Hope, her little face screwed up, her lungs working to full capacity as she cried.

“It ain't her fault,” she said over the noise. “She didn’t start it. Ben’s been bawling himself into a seizure since yesterday.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Mal’s face was angry. “Kept me and Frey awake all last night with his noise, and started Ethan off too!”

Kaylee jiggled the little girl. “I thought coming in here might calm her down, seeing as Bethie always liked the engine, but you can still hear Ben.” She lifted her head. Yes, there it was, another baby crying in almost perfect synchronisation with the one in her arms.

“Can’t you quiet her some?”

She shot him a glare. “What do you think I’m trying to do?”

“Try harder.” He stomped back towards the galley.

“It ain't my fault!” she called. “If anyone it’s Zoe’s.”

“Yeah, but you ain't as likely to shoot me.”

“Don’t tempt me,” she muttered, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. “Shh, shh, Hope, or the Cap’s likely to do himself a mischief.”

The baby didn’t listen.

--

“Zoe, what the hell’s going on with that baby?” Mal asked, leaning down over the hatch.

“Mal?” Hank looked up at him, a squalling baby in his arms.

“Where’s Zoe?”

“Gone to the shuttle to get some sleep.”

Mal climbed down the ladder. “Sleep?”

“You might have noticed Ben’s been a little … fractious.” He was doing the same jiggling motion as Kaylee, and it was starting to make Mal feel seasick. “She needed to get some rest.”

“A little. He’s been at this twenty-four hours straight!”

“No need to exaggerate, Mal. Maybe twenty. He fell asleep for a while yesterday evening.”

“And then started again. We’ve got a job to do in two days time, and if we don’t get s