Ian sprawled (as well as he could) on his little bed for almost an hour before he started hearing signs that the boys were finished with their ride. River had long since fallen asleep, but Ian hadn't needed company anyways. He was always able to find something to mull over while alone – and even the aches from his bruises and small cuts didn't distract him all that much. He was pulled from his thoughts by laughter coming from outside the cabin. Laughter that was immediately recognizable as coming from Chance.

Immediately after he decided that, the door was flung open with a crash and the cabin was suddenly filled with boys. All of who were anxious to see their other counselors and make sure they were okay.

"River?"

Wilson was leaning over River, who had been woken up the moment the door crashed open beside his bed. The Californian didn't move his head, though. He simply looked up at the little boy who was leaning over him. Who was immediately joined by Chad, and then Bruce and Grant.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Of course."

Sammy, Chance and Brian had headed for Ian's bunk, and were scrambling up onto it, holding onto the rail that Ian hated so much. They, too, were watching him with worried expressions, and Ian suppressed a scowl.

"I told you guys they were okay," Shawn said. "See?"

"You guys okay?"

A decidedly female voice came from the door, and now River sat up, wincing and biting back a curse when he felt every ache that he'd already had – which now seemed to be multiplied by a dozen after his nap. The doorway was filled with females; most of them under the age of seven, but Danin, Sierra and Ann were there as well, and Ian had to shake his head at how easy it was to wake River up.

"They're fine," Shawn said.

"I'm injured," River corrected. "Probably crippled for life from the unsteady gait on that four-legged menace I had to ride."

Sierra gave him a sympathetic look, while Ann smiled slightly.

"You seem to be moving okay for a crippled man…"

"Well…" River shrugged, looking at the boys, who were still looking concerned. They didn't know he was simply fishing for sympathy from the girls. All they knew was that he was saying he was injured. "I'm young and healthy… I recover quickly…"

Danin grinned, looking over at Ian, who was just visible around the boys who were clinging to his bed.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"He's a tough guy," Shawn said, also noticing the worried looks of the campers. "Don't worry. A couple of horses are nothing compared to a bear…"

There were several nods at that reminder, and they weren't just from the boys. Many of the little girls peeked into the cabin and up at Ian's bed as well. The boys scowled en mass.

"You're not supposed to be here," Sammy said.

"We're with our counselors." One of the girls told him, sticking her tongue out at him. "So shut up."

"Melissa…" Ann's hand came down gently on the little girl's shoulder, her voice warning. "Don't be rude."

"He started it."

"No I didn't," Sammy said.

"Yes, you did," another of the girls replied. "You-"

"You shut up," Bruce said, quick to jump to Sammy's defense against the girls.

"Make me."

"Yeah, make her. We'll tell."

"I'm going to tell if-"

"Hey."

Danin's voice was drowned out by the two groups of children suddenly yelling at each other; the boys righteously angry that the girls had invaded their cabin, and the girls upset at having one of their own picked on. Both sides reverted rather quickly (and not surprisingly) to name-calling.

"You're snotty!"

"Yeah? You're stupid!"

"You're mean!"

"You stink!"

"So do you!"

"I'm telli-"

"Hey!"

Ian's voice broke through the yelling quite nicely, and the irritation in his voice was quick to bring things to a sudden halt. The New Yorker scowled, his head pounding – and now it wasn't because of the horses.

"Stop calling each other names. I mean it."

"They started it," Melissa said, staunchly. "We just came to see how-"

"She's not even supposed to be here!" Bruce said, indignant.

"Stop it. Now."

Ann smiled, knowing from a quick look that Ian was already tired of playing referee between the sexes.

"Come on, girls. We need to get cleaned up before we go to dinner. Let's let the boys do the same."

"They need to," one of the girls said. "They're slobs."

"We are not," called Sammy – who actually was, but was chafing at being called anything by a girl.

"Are!"

"Are not!"

"Are!"

"Are not!"

"A-"

"Come on," Ann said, pulling two of the girls away while Danin and Sierra got the others moving as well. "We'll see you guys at dinner," she called over to Ian and the others.

"Stupid girls," Wilson grumbled, closing the door after sticking his head out to make sure they were really gone.

"Be nice," River said, leaning against the wall as he tried to stretch out muscles that weren't going to be straightened any time soon.

"Why?" Chance asked, his normally cheerful grin gone. "They're just girls."

"Girls are the greatest thing in the world," River said to the boys. He held up his hand, stopping their protests with that simple gesture and a grin. "Yeah, I know. You don't agree now. But you will."

"Not me!" Chance said, quickly.

"Me, either!" Sammy agreed.

"Uh uh!"

"Yuck!"

"I'm going to go down and save our table," Ian said, rolling into a more or less upright position and easing himself out of his bed and to the floor. He really did ache a bit, but he'd rather move than listen to this any longer. "I'll see you guys in a bit."