“What was that comment you made, mei-mei ?” Mal asked, leaning on the catwalk and looking down at the shrouded area of his cargo bay. “Only I think you said something about it not taking that long.”

Kaylee sighed. “I just thought, you know, a small picture …”

“The Old Masters back on Earth-that-was used to take months to do something that would fit in your pocket,” Freya said, standing next to them with Hank and Zoe in attendance.

“Frey, that ain't helping.” Mal exhaled heavily. “And she’s been under there near twenty-four hours. Don’t she need to sleep? Eat? Use the bathroom, or something?”

“Mal, I really don’t think you want to follow that train of thought,” his wife said.

“You mean …” Several looks crossed his face, from concern to disgust, stopping for a moment to curse his imagination in between.

“Told you.”

“That’s …” He shook himself. “You know, I really think I’ve had about enough of this.” He stood up straight. “I’m captain. This is my boat. I fought the Alliance, I fought Reavers … hell, I even stared down Badger on a bad day. A ninety-pound girl ain’t gonna tell me what to do.”

“Kaylee, does Simon have plenty of bandages on hand?” Zoe asked, turning to the young mechanic.

“Sure, but … oh.” Kaylee nodded and glanced at Mal. “Plenty,” she agreed.

“She won’t hurt me,” Mal said, stalking down the stairs.

“You can swear to that, can you?” Freya followed, every one else trailing behind.

“She won’t hurt me.” He stopped outside the curtains. “River, sweetheart, you need to come out of there.”

There was no sound. Not even breathing.

“Are we sure she’s in there?” Kaylee whispered.

“Why are you whispering?” Hank responded, dropping his own voice nevertheless.

“I … it just seemed … but are we? Sure?”

“Go away.” River’s voice made them all jump.

Mal took a deep breath. “River, if you don’t come out, then I'm going to have to come in there.”

“Mal.” Freya wasn’t pleading. Yet.

“What?”

“So not a good idea.”

He threw her a