River wakes up with a shout and a scramble, backwards against the bulkhead, feet kicking like they can propel her through it and out the other side.

They don't. They stop. She breathes, ragged panting breaths, hair in her face and hands over her eyes.

It hasn't registered yet that Stefan is there, that the dream wasn't just a dream. For now she's focused on making sure she's awake, feeling metal that's metal and skin that's skin.