"I just put her to bed." The young doctor's voice is calm, but his dark eyes dart every which way, vigilant even in fatigue and fear. Even when she's nowhere to be seen, some part of him can't stop watching for River. Zoe is uncharacteristically forthcoming with her concern.

"The girl alright, Doc?" He eyes the warrior woman, wanting to ask how in the rutting hell River could be 'alright' when he's stuck on one filthy rim planet after another, or floating in space without half the necessary medical equipment for her condition, let alone the luxuries of Osiris. His ire relents quickly.

"No, not as such." The crew have assembled unthinkingly around the small table they use for sit-down dinners. Shepherd Book moves to stand behind Simon wordlessly, drying dishes with a striped rag. Jayne settles himself noisily in one of the mismatched chairs, a hulking bear of man even seated, and raises one eyebrow. Kaylee sits cross-legged on the floor beside him, Inara and Wash lower themselves to Jayne's left and right respectively and Mal and Zoe stand shoulder to shoulder against the wall behind them. Not one of them knows it, but these are the positions assumed after every 'episode'.

They wait, with varying degrees of patience, for the report. "She tried to strangle herself. I gave her a mild smoother. She was aware enough to recognise me" Simon draws a deep breath, and releases it slowly. "Knowing…what they did to her, it doesn't help…I'm not a psychiatrist." He steadies himself on the table, but remains standing. He knows if he sits, the table will block Kaylee from sight. "I'm not sure that this can go on."

Inara's painted lips part, seeking to reassure, but Mal interjects "Don't conjure much in the way of alternatives, Doctor."

River curls into ball, tired. Her sheets are starchy. Don't they know she can hear them? Serenity chugs along, and their words trip on. Running and circling, rabbits in her head. Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run. Must be bees too, the way they sting. Her daddy's voice in a worn memory 'Bees can only getcha once, then they die'. Same thoughts are stinging her again and again. Wasps?

Kaylee pushes her copper hair behind one ear, Wash shifts uncomfortably in his seat. It is Jayne who breaks the silence, "She getting' worse?"

Simon doesn't answer. This is the question he hoped would never be asked. The weight of eyes on him, the weight of the truth on his hope. "Yes."

River smiles to herself. Hope. She knows what they hope for.

Kaylee hopes at night, when her girl is resting. She lies awake and thinks on Simon Tam, the swai doctor. Later, she the dreams of a younger girl. Kaylee hopes he'll kiss her.

Jayne hopes simple. She likes that, everyone ought to think simple, live simple. Keep the clutter out of her head. He wants peace and a place he ain't gotta watch over his shoulder for crazy types with kitchen knives. Jayne hopes the gorram moonbrain will get herself caught, or killed.

Inara never used to hope. Had nothing to hope for, before Serenity, first she had everything, then no future left for which to hope.. Time drags on in the black, and she likes that. Now, Inara hopes for time.

Mal doesn't realise he hopes. He aims to keep flyin', and anything else is gravy. But she knows: his hopes are big and wide as his Momma's ranch and they're all for his crew. He hopes Zoe'll never leave him, hopes his albatross will find her way through the thicket of insanity, hopes Kaylee don't miss her folks too bad.

She knows what Derrial Book hopes. And it makes her shudder.

The pilot and his wife hope together, warm and slick. They hope for a product of their loving. She smiles; Zoe was born ship-side too.

Simon hopes for her most days. He misses his life, but doesn't hope to regain it. Her brother is a realistic man.

And her?

She hopes for the arrival of Jubal Early, bounty hunter. Because Simon's right: this can't go on.