Mia's assigned room was, surprise, surprise, small and grey. The walls were grey, the blankets were grey. It was unbearable. She closed her eyes, breathing deep, visualizing the warm sands of Egypt, and the bright little hut where she had lived. Everything had been in warm shades of brown, bright, friendly, soothing. She could almost taste the fresh bread from the village, could almost hear the laughing voices of her friends.
A gentle knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she called uncertainly.
"Hi," said Daniel, stopping just inside the door. "I just came to see how you were settling in."
Mia shot a dispassionate look around the room, grimacing. "It's not much like home," she replied.
Daniel smiled. "No, I'd say not."
"I hate the grey," she confessed. "And the cold."
"I know how you feel," he said. "I was the same way, after coming back from Abydos. Do you know about that?," he asked.
Mia nodded.
"I'll see if I can rustle up some colour for your room, and a few spare blankets," Daniel said.
Mia smiled tentatively. "That would be nice," she replied, shivering again. The nurse who had taken the final vial of blood had also found Mia a long-sleeved shirt and pants to put on in place of her robes, but she found that they weren't as warm as they looked. They also weren't as comfortable as her own clothes, but she had had to leave those in the infirmary 'in case they contained contagions' the nurse had said.
"If you don't mind my asking," said Daniel, coming to sit beside her, "why was I the one to send you? What about your parents?"
Mia swallowed, staring resolutely down at her feet. At last she looked up, meeting his kind gaze. "You were the one who raised me, after my parents died," she replied, a slight quaver to her voice.
"I'm sorry," he replied, sincerely. "I was orphaned too," he added quietly.
"I know," said Mia, glancing down at her feet again.
"Then you should also know that I'm here, if you want to talk."
Mia nodded, silent tears falling onto the floor. She hadn't entirely believed Daniel when he'd told her he'd be there for her, no matter what. Now she felt the truth of his words to her very core. Leaning into his shoulder, she let herself silently grieve her own Daniel before settling in to tell this new man her story. For his part, Daniel looped a supportive arm gently around her waist, letting her weep in peace a while.