Chapter 2- What happened?
Summary: That's the million platinum question…

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Zoe grabbed Mal's gun and lifted the merc to his feet, hoping that he'd be able to carry some of his own weight. She had lugged men his size across the battlefield before, but she really didn't want to do it again.

Mal carefully lifted River into his arms and followed Zoe out of the store. He tucked her head against his shoulder and neck so he could support her more securely. He pushed back all of the jumbled emotions floating around so he could be in complete command mode once they reached the ship.

"Zoe, get him to the infirmary," he barked the moment their boots hit the ramp. He readjusted River and hit the comm. "Wash, call back Simon and Kaylee. Tell him it's an emergency and he's got two or more people needin' attention."

"Is Zoe okay?"

"I think so."

"What happened?"

"I honestly don't know myself."

He carried River into her room where he checked the back of her head. Luckily he didn't find any blood, but there was a large knot and glass fragments scattered in her dark locks. He brushed them out lightly and covered her up with a blanket. Her pulse was steady and her breathing was normal.

"River? Darlin' can you hear me?" he attempted. She was out cold. Zoe must have hit her pretty hard, which just made him angrier. He'd deal with that later.

"Sir, Jayne's wakin' up!" Zoe called.

He looked down at River. Leaving her alone wasn't a wise idea and he really didn't want to. He carefully scooped her up and walked into the infirmary. Zoe gave him her, "Uhhh what the hell are you doin', Sir?" look. He shook his head to tell her to leave it alone.

Jayne stirred with a few cuss words. "Gorramit…" he grumbled sleepily.

"We're back on Serenity," Zoe informed him.

His eyes opened and he surveyed the room. He stopped when he saw Mal sitting on the extra bed with the little crazy girl in his arms.

"DAMNIT MAL! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN' WITH THAT CRAZY KILLER GIRL?" he roared.

"Jayne-" he began angrily.

"Aw hell, we shoulda left her there!" Jayne hissed.

"I wanna know what went down," Mal countered.

"One second I'm talkin' 'bout my whiskey, the next she's moonbrainin' and then she kicked me! I fought back and then I guess I slipped on the whiskey…"

"Moonbrainin'?"

"She was lookin' up at the screen mutterin' that same creepy phrase she's always sayin'. Two by two, hands o' blue…"

Zoe noticed Mal's reaction. "Sir?"

"She had a nightmare last night and she wouldn't talk about it. All she'd say is that it weren't possible. She mentioned them and asked me how I killed 'em. And I did. I know I did, but…" he trailed off and repositioned River in his arms. "She was lookin' at the screen?"

"Yeah," Jayne nodded.

"Did anyone talk to her? Maybe they said somethin' 'n it triggered a moment…"

"No nobody talked to her 'cept me 'n all I did was ask what she was on 'bout."

"This wasn't any moment. This was bad. She probably killed some folk," Zoe sighed.

Simon ran in with Kaylee trailing behind him. He didn't notice River at first. He was too busy checking Jayne's head wound and his swollen wrists. Then he noticed her curled up against Mal.

"What happened to River?" he asked nervously.

"Zoe hit her over the head with a rum bottle," Mal growled.

"WHAT?" Simon bellowed.

"She was armed. I had to!" Zoe defended.

"No you didn't! You should of given me five more minutes and I could of calmed her down!" Mal snapped.

"She had a gun on you and I acted. You would of done the same if it was anyone else."

"She ain't anyone. She's crew."

"That hasn't stopped you from hittin' me or the doc," Jayne commented.

"You'll need a few stitches for the cut in the back of your head and your right wrist is broken, but other than that you're fine…" Simon said to quell the argument. "Anyone else injured?"

Zoe held up her battered hand. Simon looked it over. "It's fractured."

He took care of both of them as quickly as he could without doing a sloppy job. He went over to River and took her pointedly from Mal. He resisted the doc, but eventually gave in.

"How long has she been out?"

"Fifteen, twenty minutes…" Mal estimated.

"I don't see any blood or significant bruising, but there might be internal damage. I need to do a scan. While I do that, will someone please tell me what happened?"

"Your sis went crazy 'n took out everyone in the gorram store for no reason!" Jayne shouted.

"River did this?"

"She did," Zoe confirmed.

"Why?"

"Mal's got an idea…" Jayne grunted.

"I think it's got somethin' to do with a nightmare she had last night. I'm thinkin' that somethin' triggered this moment, but I ain't exactly sure as to what it was. Probably won't know 'til she's awake. Zo, call your husband 'n tell him to take off."

"Can't," Kaylee said.

"What do you mean by 'can't', little Kaylee?" Mal asked worriedly.

"It's 'Nara. She's with a client for another hour."

"Tell Wash to call her back. We don't have time for this. Is the shepherd aboard?"

"I think so, but I'll go check…" she hurried off for his room.

"Where are we goin'?" Zoe asked.

"We gotta lay low 'n sort this out. Does Inara have any friends on Greenleaf?"

"I think so. I'll have Wash check."

"If she does see if we can stay with them for a little bit. If not, have Wash call up the Nimitz's on Kerry."

Zoe nodded and left for the bridge.

"Are we gonna leave her?" Jayne asked.

"No."

"Even after what she did we're gonna keep her on this boat? What happened to protectin' your crew?"

Mal stood up and loomed over Jayne with danger in his gaze. "That's what I'm doin'."

"You're puttin' all of us in danger if you keep that crazy little-"

That was the exact moment Mal's fist struck Jayne's jaw. He ignored Simon's little noise of protest and made his way over to River. He picked her back up, again ignoring the doctor's discontent.

"Where are you taking her?" he demanded.

"Her room. When she wakes up she won't wanna be in here. It makes her bad on a good day, 'n I don't wanna see bad on a day like this…"

He gingerly set her back on her bed. He knew that he was fussing with her blanket a mite too much, but his nerves were a bit fried. His fist was still stinging from Jayne's mandible while a million different things rushed through his head. The main questions on his mind were "Why?" and "Would she really of shot me?"

The door slid open and he flinched at the sudden sound.

"Everyone is here. 'Nara said her friends on Greenleaf will take us in. Wash is takin' us outta the world now," Zoe reported.

"Good."

She nodded and cast a quick glance at River before leaving.

He carefully sat on the edge of the bed beside her, studying her breathing. Rapid. In out in out in out. He jumped when she suddenly screamed and bolted to the corner of the room shaking all over.

"River-"

"No. She's theirs again. Didn't want to be their toy. Didn't want to play. They made her and she's sorry…" she choked.

He got up and approached her slowly. "It's okay now, darlin'. We're home so just come on back 'n sit down-"

"Get away! She can't be trusted. Crazy killer girl."

"Don't listen to Jayne." He wanted to go punch him again for filling her head with those thoughts. Her eyes drifted to his red knuckles.

"Are you alright?"

He was taken aback by her sudden bout of sanity. "Yeah. Are you? I know Zo hit you pretty hard…"

"River's broken. A doll. The wooden ears can't hear and painted eyes can't see. She wants to, but she can't. She'll always be a toy unless someone uses her as firewood. Flames dancing in perfect time to the music…hot embers plié…burns for just a second and then she'll be gone…"

He had been around her babble long enough to make some sense of her words. He crossed to her regardless of her calls to him to stop.

"Don't be talkin' like that," he snapped.

"Too close, she might hurt you!"

"She won't. I trust her."

She visibly relaxed at his words and allowed him to lead her back to the bed. He sat down beside her and she quickly tucked herself against his side with tears in her eyes.

"What happened back there?" he asked hesitantly.

"Triggered by a commercial. Subliminal sent by…them."

"The blue gloved guys?"

She trembled at the mention of them, but nodded. He curled a comforting arm around her.

"I killed them," he said gently.

"She thought so too. Dreamed they were alive and sent the subliminal to find me and…she thinks they found her playing in the violence…"

He pulled her closer and set his chin on the top of her head and attempted to ignore the strong scent of rum that still clung to her hair. "We're runnin'. I won't let them get you again."

"Can't run forever," she whispered fearfully. He knew that she was right, but he wished that it wasn't true.