Chapter 14: No Rhyme Nor Reason

---

Oz opened his eyes as he heard his door open. "Hey." Oz called softly as he sat up in his bed. "What's up?"

"In space up is down, down is up. There is no ceiling, no floor, no walls. Just a vast void of darkness with pinpoints—" Oz raised an eyebrow at the still babbling River. "I just wanted to see if you were up yet." She finished.

"What's the time?" Oz asked.

"Time to wake." River sat down on his bed and looked Oz over. "The hair is dieing, it's not getting better." Then she shook her head, "No hair not dieing, hair is dyed." She looked at Oz and gave a confused smile, "I used to understand but now everything got spun around and cut into pieces and I can't put them back together again." She giggled,

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

What could he do?

He was screwed.

Two by two,

Hands of blue."

Tears started to fall down her cheeks and her shoulders began shaking.

"River." Oz grabbed the shaking girl's shoulders. "Look at me." River looked into his eyes and felt a calm pass through her. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "Just breathe." Oz said softly, "Think of nothing, become like a stone, nothing can move you, nothing can break you."

"Oz have you seen my sis— What the hell are you doing!" Simon roared as he walked into Oz's room. River's eyes flew open and she spun off the bed to stand in front of her brother. The werewolf just let her go and slowly got off his bed. Simon grabbed his sister's arm. "What was he doing to you? Are you okay?"

"Simon, I'm fine. He was helping me meditate." River said.

"On his bed?" Simon yelled before going after Oz.

'Challenge for mate?' Fenir questioned as Oz ducked under Simon's wild punch. Oz grabbed the doctor's arm and twisted it behind his back before shoving him against a wall. "Calm down Simon."

"Simon! Stop being such a boob." River yelled.

"What's going on in here?" Mal asked looking in. He grabbed his gun and pointed it at Oz, "Would you mind letting go of the good doctor?" Oz let go of Simon and backed up a couple of steps with his hands in the air. "Now would someone like to tell me what's going on my boat?"

"Simon's an idiot." River muttered and kicked her brother in the shins.

"Ow! River!" Simon yelped and clutched his shin. "I came in here and found him with my sister in his bed."

"I think you might need to have a few words with the preacher and the special hell Oz." Mal said putting his gun away.

"No! I came in to see if he was awake. But then the hair started to speak to me and I couldn't reason and there was rhyming and he stopped the shaking and made me a stone. Then Simon came in and was all big brother like and totally misinterpreted everything." River said expressively waving her hands around.

"You mean you weren't…" Simon trailed off.

"No Simon we weren't." River said.

Simon turned to Oz, "I… uh… apologize for my behavior. I thought—"

Oz interrupted Simon, "S'alright man. You're a big brother. I get it."

Mal looked at Oz and noticed for the first time that his passenger was only dressed in shorts. "Perhaps we should leave Oz to get dressed."

"Of course sorry." Simon said and turned to his sister to see her eyes grow big and red creep up her cheeks.

Mal smiled at Simon, "Oh yea they definitely weren't doing nothing if she's just noticing now that he's shirtless. Come on kids let's go." Mal ushered the brother and sister out of the room and closed the door behind.

"Well that was fun." Oz mumbled.

'Not a mate?' Fenir questioned again.

'Yes Fenir, River is not a mate.' Oz responded and almost laughed when he thought he heard his wolf sigh, 'We need to find a mate.'