Zoe opened her eyes, stared into the darkness above her, then shifted slightly in bed. Don’t do that again , the little voice in the back of her mind said as a groan forced itself past her lips. Muscles she wasn’t even aware she had were complaining, and her ribs were backing them up in far too loud a fashion.

Moving to try and see the clock out of the one eye that wasn’t almost swollen shut, she had to bite back on another moan that threatened to erupt. Told you . She glanced to one side – at least Hank wasn’t in bed next to her to hear her being weak. Not weak , the voice put in again. Not your fault.

No. This time it was someone else’s, and she had to smile as she remembered Freya’s return, even though it tugged on the sealed cut on her cheek.

Freya had finally arrived back just as everyone was sitting down to supper.

“You were gone long enough. I was starting to wonder if I maybe needed to send a rescue party. Jayne okay about staying?” Mal asked, moving up slightly to make room for her to get by.

She slid into her seat, smiling at Ethan next to her. “Shiny,” she said to Mal. “Mercy was just about to cook so Jayne had a grin on his face when I left.”

“Well, you did warn her about not letting him in the kitchen.”

“I think she was looking forward to preparing a meal for him. I doubt she has guests that often.”

Mal’s own lips twitched. “Was that all he was grinning about?”

“Well, no,” Freya admitted. “He rather enjoyed having his ‘word’.”

“Are they still walking?” Simon wanted to know, handing her the plate of food he’d put to one side.

“Just.” Freya laughed. “They won’t be threatening anyone else for a while, that’s for sure.”

“He didn’t ...” Even now the young doctor was circumspect, wary of little ears around the table listening in. He shouldn’t have worried.

“Did Uncle Jayne beat them up?” Bethie asked, apparently intent on getting as much mashed potato as possible onto her fork while still paying strict attention to the conve