In the galley, Mal was singing a song about cows in fancy party dresses. No one had ever heard the song before and, if it didn't rhyme and have a coherent tune, everyone in earshot would be certain he was making it up as he went. The rotgut probably helped his poetic side come to the forefront.

Jayne left the room when Wash and Zoe showed up. The room was a bit crowded for his tastes. It was too early to go to bed, he'd already inventoried and set his guns up on their shelves in his cabin and he'd feel silly if he did it again before morning. He brushed a hand under his nose and headed for the cargo hold.

He'd set up a bench press there, one of the few places he could get a little bit of privacy on this boat. He headed down, straddling the bench and lying down, grabbing the bar with both hands. It wasn't smart to bench without a spotter... of course, Jayne had never earned a reputation by always doing the reasonable thing.

He had done two reps when River's head appeared above his. He cursed at her sudden appearance, dropping the heavy bar back down onto his chest. The wind was pushed violently from his lungs and he was unable to gather the strength to lift it again. "Oh... f'r..." He coughed, his face going red.

River reached down and wrapped her fingers around the bar, lifting it with little effort and laying it on their placement. Jayne leapt to his feet, one hand moving to his throat as he tried to catch his breath. "Shun-sheng duh gao-wahn... what the hell do you think you're doin'?" He remembered the healing slice on his chest. "Come to finish the job?"

River calmly stepped around the weight set, tilting her head at him. She was barefoot, wearing her regular frumpy dress. She smiled up at him, which was somehow more frightening than anything else she could've done at that moment. "I'm sorry I cut you," she said. "But you do look much better in red."

"Yeah, and you look much better in the stockade. And I look much better in one gorram piece, thanks." He coughed and shook his head. "Where's