“Would you mind telling us what the problem is?” Simon asked, sitting next to Kaylee at the big dining table, the rest of the crew ranged around. Only the children were absent, sitting in Bethie’s room playing quietly, although it was a fair bet the little girl was listening in to the conversation anyway. He looked up at Mal, standing at the head. “Particularly since we haven’t even set foot off the ship yet.”

“Name, number and pack drill,” River murmured, and Jayne took her hand, squeezing gently.

“It’s election time,” Hank explained quickly.

“So?” Simon hadn’t heard his sister.

“Didn’t you ever vote?” Mal asked, crossing his arms.

“Of course. Always. Although I think it was only twice, before I tried to find River.”

“Tap you on the shoulder, tell you where to sign,” River singsonged.

Her brother glanced at her. “Are you okay, mei-mei ?”

“Try to run away, it’s the end of the line.”

Simon went to rise. “Maybe I should go and get -”

“It ain’t nothing for you to worry about,” Jayne rumbled. “Just a bad day. She ain’t gonna go crazy and kill everyone. Well, no crazier than she already is.”

River looked at him gratefully, aware right now that most of the words she wanted to say would come out jumbled, full of other meanings, and that just occasionally it still unsettled the rest of the crew. Knowing that her husband understood and could talk for her made it easier to accept, and, in accepting, the disorder in her mind would ease quicker.

“If you’re sure …” Simon wasn’t quite convinced. It might have been a good long while since he’d medicated River, but he was still a doctor, and she was still his sister, and sometimes he felt he should be able to do something.

“Yep, I’m sure.” It was clear in his tone that he wasn’t going to let anyone stick his wife with needles, not unless it was entirely necessary. And even then he’d make a fuss about it, and everyone knew his kind of fuss tended to end up with other folks needing Simon’s skills, awkward if it was the go