"Nothin'," Kaylee said, her eyes wide with fear and wonder. "Not a peep."

"This is not good," Wash said. "Nothing good ever comes of Mal... bottling."

Inara groaned. "I can't just watch while he self-destructs."

"Why not?" Jayne asked. "Could be a mite entertainin'." His smirk faded at River's glare. "I'm just sayin'," he shrugged.

"Mal doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to let somethin' like this go," Kate frowned. "Did he tell anyone where he's gone?"

"Oh no," Simon said, a look of dread marring his features. "Dr. Foster."

River sighed. "He gave you the drugs, and the theories, and the speculation, but you can't replace what's been taken. Humans are highly adaptable creatures," she told her brother. "Give me time, not needles."

~*~

"Dr. Foster isn't taking patients today," the pretty, young Asian woman at the desk informed Mal.

"I ain't a patient," Mal said, barely concealing the growl in his voice. "Me an' the good doctor got us some business to discuss."

"Name?"

" Shen me ?"

"Name, please."

Mal raised an eyebrow and his nostrils flared. He braced both hands on her desk and leaned in close. "I ain't fond o' doin' violence to womenfolk, but if you don't let me in to see that huài dàn sham of a yi sheng right this very second, little girl, I promise you there will be trouble."

"Right this way, sir," the girl said, not so much as flinching as she stood and opened the door for him. "Dr. Foster's office is the third door on the left, just after the scales."

Mal headed down the hallway with a courteous nod to the girl, and she sat back down at her desk. She pressed a button on the cortex panel at her desk. "Malcolm Reynolds to see you, doctor."

~*~

"Something's wrong," River said casually, watching Jayne and Simon as they attempted to play cards, both of the men distracted by the toddler under the table unlacing their shoes.

"Hm?" Simon asked, raising an eyebrow and turning to spare his sister the slightest of glances.

"Something's wrong,"