"All four crates. One hundred and fifty pounds." Mal said to their current buyer, Peihuan. She was a short skinny girl, her dark hair falling to her waist. She was tough, though. Mal would rather not make her mad if he could help it. She paid well, too.

"That it is. Well, I always make good on a deal as well executed as this. Here's your money. It's all there, count it if ya want." She tossed a bag to Mal, the coins within jingling through the air.

"Feels like it all. Well, if that's all, we'll be leavin'." He replied.

"I do have something else." Peihuan said. "If ya want another job."

"I think we could hear." Mal replied. They were standing between Serenity and Peihuan's mule. She talked as her men loaded the cargo.

"Well, I want something off of Solace. Some more of this." She gestured to the crates. "Talk to Carter. Know you're familiar with him. He knows where it is."

"We can do that. I will let you know when we are on our way back." Mal replied.

"Sounds like a plan." He watched as Peihuan climbed on to her mule and drove off.

"Hell, I like gettin' jobs that simple and quick." He said, turning to Zoe. Only he didn't find Zoe behind him like usual. She was kneeling over someone else who was writhing on the ground, hands on the sides of her head.

"Jayne, get the doctor." Zoe said calmly. Jayne ran back into Serenity.

"What happened?" Mal asked. He hadn't even realized that Camille had fallen. "How long has she been down here?"

"Just since they drove away, sir. But she had grabbed her head a little before that." Zoe replied.

"Graaaahh!" Camille thrashed to the side, her knees coming to her forehead, hands still grasping the sides of her head. Mal could see that she was grasping her hair, pulling.

"Concentrate. You need to concentrate." Mal said, kneeling next to Camille.

"No! Won't…help. Gahh!" She tucked her head even farther into her knees; something Mal didn't think was possible.

"What's the matter?" Simon rushed out of Serenity and over to them. He kneeled to Camille, Zoe having moved for him.

"Need….Lazaphloram. Lots. Hurts." Was all Camille said. Simon instantly dug around in his bag. He pulled out a syringe and filled it with what Mal thought was the lazaphloram Camille had begged for.

Simon stuck the needle into her upper arm. Camille stayed tense and shaking for a few moments before she straightened. She was on her side, straighter than she was, and sighed. Her eyes closed and she was still.

"I need her in the infirmary. Quickly." Simon rushed back into Serenity, no doubt to get whatever she needed set up. Mal picked up Camille and carried her into Serenity. She was thin, so she wasn't heavy at all. Mal wondered how much she ate because she was so light.

He set her on the table, and Simon hooked her up to the various heart monitors and such. There was suddenly a slow, erratic beeping. Simon went to a drawer and pulled out another syringe. This time, he injected it into her elbow. The beeping became slightly faster and steady. Simon watched the monitor for a moment before cleaning up the mess he had made getting ready.

"She'll be out for a good while." Simon said. "I may have to put her under again when she wakes, seeing as to how bad she was. We'll see."

"What was wrong?" Zoe asked. She stood behind Mal in the doorway.

"It was some affect from what they did to her in the Academy." Simon said. "She told me that she could feel it coming, and told me how to deal with it. She didn't know what would set her like that, so she told me how to help when she did."

"Is she a danger to any of us? Or herself?" Mal asked, getting angry thinking that she knew this would happen, putting his crew in danger.

"No. She said it was just a breakdown. River gets them at times." Simon answered.

Camille's hand shot out then, grabbing Simon's wrist. He jumped back, but Camille still had his arm. She was staring at him, wide eyed.

"How are you awake? I gave you enough lazaphloram to knock you out for days!" Simon just about shouted.

She ignored Simon's question, her eyes searching the infirmary until they came to rest on Mal. "Mal…can't go to Solace. They're spreading. Dangerous." She sighed, her eyes closing again, the medicine taking her under.

"What the diyu does she mean?" Mal asked, looking at Simon. "Are the drugs messin' with her, Doc?"

"They shouldn't be. Lazaphloram has never been reported to mess with the rational thinking process. I could check, let you know when she wakes." Simon said.

"You do that." Mal walked from the room. River was sitting in the lounge area just outside the infirmary. She was staring worriedly at her friend. "Think you can get us flyin, Little One?"

She didn't move. "We don't wanna go there. Bad place." She muttered.

"Just get us flyin'." He replied. She glanced up at him, then stood and walked in the direction of the bridge.

~oOoOo~

Two days later, Mal was in the bridge, going over the coordinates of Solace. He heard a footstep behind him and turned. Simon stood there. Mal raised an eyebrow at him.

"Camille is awake. She wants to talk to you." He said.

"Is she okay?" Mal asked as he finished with the coordinates.

"Seems to be." Simon said.

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute. Gotta finish here." Mal replied, turning back to the control panel.

"She wanted me to tell you that it was urgent." With that, Simon left.

A few minutes later, Mal entered the infirmary. River was standing next to Camille, holding her hand. They were talking in soft tones.

"I can tell he does." He heard River tell Camille as he approached.

"River, no." With that, Camille looked up and smiled at Mal. "Hello, Captain."

"She does too." River mumbled under her breath. Camille smacked her lightly on the arm, making River grin.

"Well, it is good to see you awake again." Mal said as River walked past him, out of the infirmary.

"Good to be awake." Camille replied.

"What is it that was so urgent?" Mal asked.

"Oh, right. Well, you're not going to Solace still, are you?" She asked, hoping the answer was no.

"Of course I'm still going! It's a good, simple job." He answered.

"They did something on a nearby planet. I can't tell what, but it's spreading. It won't be good on Solace." Camille said, her face screwed up in pain.

"Hey, now, concentrate on me. Stay grounded." Mal said. He grabbed her hand and squeezed, hoping that would help her concentrate.

She slowly calmed. Then she laughed. "You are so worried, Captain."

"Well, I don't like when girls are in pain. It's just unsettling'." He replied.

"It really isn't safe. Something about Greenleaf. It's spreading to the surrounding planets. No one knows where it came from, or how it's spreading, but it is, and it's not good." She said, her eyes looking far off, not seeing anything.

"I gotta have more than that to cancel this good of a job, beo bei." He said softly.

"It's, something I got off someone at the Academy. I can tell that much. One day they had some high ups come see the experiments. One was thinking about Greenleaf. An experiment of their own. In his thoughts "hopefully better than their hopes for Miranda."" She said, her eyes coming to rest on Mal. "We can't go." She said.

"I am intrigued as to what it is. Can't be as bad as Miranda." Mal said. "We set course to Greenleaf. That better than Solace?" He asked.

"Only slightly. Whatever it is has settled there. The bad one is what's spreading." She mumbled, pouting slightly.

"Now, why are you pouting?" Mal asked.

"I still don't wanna go. Isn't safe." She said.

"When what in the gorram 'Verse is safe for us, Darlin'?" Mal asked.

"True enough. You won't like the outcome though. That much I'm certain of." She replied through a yawn.

"Looks like you need sleep." He stood. "I am going to change our course to Greenleaf. When you can, you can find me. If you need to. Get some rest, beo bei." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then left the infirmary.

River sat in her room smiling at the affection her captain showed her best friend when he thought no one was around.