Hank rolled over for the third time in less than a minute, pummelled the pillow that felt like it was full of rocks, then sat up in disgust, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

“Baby?” Zoe asked from next to him.

“Sorry.” He looked round at her, the hair he loved to tangle in his fingers all wild about her head, her dark skin glowing in the low light. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t.” She sat up, the sheet falling from her body. “I doubt anyone’s sleeping that much.”

“Probably not.” He ran his hands through his own hair. “’Cept maybe the kids.”

“I doubt that too.”

The children were all still in the house, Molly having taken up residence in the nursery, but none of the Serenity adults wanted to be any further away than somewhere on the ship.

“Yeah.” Hank shook his head. “I just … I feel like I should be doing something, but there’s nothing I can do.”

“You spoke to Monty, left a message for Theo.”

“Yeah, right. Whoop de doo.” His tone was unusually bitter.

“You even managed to get through to Dillon, and I have no idea how you did that. They should have been well out of range.”

He felt his skin warm. “I piggy-backed off a few relays, bit like Mal skipping those stones.”

“It was amazing.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“No, I’m not. Have you ever known me give praise where it isn’t due?”

“Well –”

“You did good, husband.”

He had to smile, just a little. “Maybe River ain’t the only one who can work miracles.”

“And Simon won’t give up.”

“No.” He bit his lip. “Did you know?”

“About what Frey and River did? No.”

“I didn’t think they could do that.”

She edged closer so her skin was touching his. “I don’t think we know what they can do, certainly together.”

“But to … pick his brain like that? I mean, not just read it, but erase bits?”

“I don’t think it was quite like that.”

“But they did. They made Simon forget. How do we know what else they’ve done? Maybe they’ve been doing it for years. How do we know this w