The Observation Deck seems to have become the place for the Holy Shit I'm In Space realization, which means that Wash occasionally checks there to see if anybody new has shown up recently. It's the first time he's been back since getting out of the hospital, though you'd never know that's where he'd been by looking at him, and he figures he should make up for lost time.

Of course, he finds a new guy. The fact that said new guy sounds like he's lost is the cherry on top.

"Let me guess: you're new, and you're lost."