"Filling the black!" the voice was sorrowful, reaching out slowly Simon cradled her softly in his arms.
"I thought she was better," Glaring up at the Captain Simon refused to answer. "I thought after Miranda... she'd settled down." Mal was incomprehensible, it had been weeks since the girl had broken down and months since he'd seen her in a state like this. In a way it was like he'd been sling shot back into his own past, when he'd released her from her box in the hold. The terror in her voice cut him.
"Take them out into the black, tell them they ain't coming back." Kicking out she howled and it was all Mal could do to stop himself looking for a wound, the agonized screaming left him staring in rapt horror.
"River!" Simon's voice was sharp. They had realized a while back that much of the girls actions were affected by their perception of her. She was in their heads, whether she wished or not, and Simon thinking of her as mentally unstable had helped influence her in that direction more than the doctor was yet willing to admit. "River you have to listen to me, come on it's Simon, it's me, you're on Serenity, settle down now. Settle down..." this was going no where.
"River, I've heard quite enough o' yer catterwalling fir one day now hauld yer wheashed girl!"
Surprisingly the scream cut off mid breath, her eyes, black as night opened and for a second Mal could have sworn he saw the 'verse spinning there.
"Take them out into the black, tell them they ain't coming back," she whispered. "Eleanor..." breathing a deep sigh she relaxed completely in her brothers arms and lay still, the shocking midnight eyes fluttered shut and Mal breathed a sigh of relief.