In the galley of Serenity, most of the crew tried to figure out what was going on with River. The young lady was seated at the head of the table, not because anyone wanted to try and stop her should she do anything, but because Mal wanted to guage her reactions to Jayne's explanation. Of course, Jayne was not helping his own case, by alternately bellowing, and pounding the table, to almost whipsering in disbelief at his own story. Throughout it all, River kept a steady gaze on Jayne, and Mal and Zoe noted that her eyes didn't change colors. Not once.

Simon was standing just behind his sister, as he often found himself when she had done something wrong. He was her protector, through thin or flush. He would always be so. Though, she didn't seem to need that much protecting right now.

"I'm ruttin' tellin you that she's the one who scratched my neck!" Jayne said for the third time, spinning his head around to show everyone. River watched this placidly, confirming or denying nothing. Her fingers were splayed in front of her almost as if she had offered them up for inspection before being asked.

"I've seen plenty of scratches like those on Osiris" began Simon. Jayne interrupted him. "Nobody cares what you saw in your fancy hospital!"

"Jayne", warned Mal. Jayne glared at Mal but said nothing, mercifully, for once.

"And, if River had scratched Jayne like that, there would of course be blood, and a bit of flesh under her fingernails." Mal couldn't help but notice a small smile in Jayne's direction, as well as a slight bit of allaround smugness. If Mal didn't act fast, Simon was going to get pounded into the bulkhead by an irate mercernary.

"Doctor, if you don't mind, we'll draw our own conclusions about what's goin' on." Mal said.

"If she didn't do it, who did?" Zoe added in.

"Wish I knew." Mal said, eyeing River carefully. He couldn't really see her face. She was looking over her shoulder at something only she could see. Her eyes were closed. This b