Ava sighed in relief when she finally spotted the paper plaque with the name Nouri on it. She raised her hand to knock, put it down, shook herself. Why was she so nervous? She’d carried this woman barely conscious through a tunnel in time and space. A fifteen-minute conversation wasn’t too much to ask. She rapped on the door.

It opened, after a moment, to reveal the young woman who had come to the customer service desk in the first place. Ursula’s granddaughter. She stared blankly at Ava until recognition washed over her face. “Hi!” she said. “Sorry, come in. Grandma, look who it is!”

Ava blinked at the sight of Captain Nouresh in the hospital bed; she looked smaller without her imposing coat and sword. She seemed paler, as well, either from blood loss or from the gray February light filtering through the window. Bulky bandages peeked out from the neck of her hospital gown, and wound around her arms.

Still, her eyes were lively and sharp as they alighted on Ava. She shifted a bit, sitting up with a pained grunt. “Hello, hero,” she said. “I hear I owe you some gratitude.”

“Grandma, use the buttons on the bed to sit up,” the girl fussed. She adjusted the pillows propping Nouresh up, and said, “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve properly met. I’m Farah.”

“Ava,” she replied, and they shook hands.

“I don’t know if thanking you is like, even appropriate?” Farah said. “But holy shit, thank you so much.”

Ava, unnerved by the girl’s sincerity, muttered, “It’s fine, really, I—”

“Are you a hugger? Do you hug?”

Ava looked over at Nouresh helplessly, and the older woman shrugged, then winced as she pulled at her wound.

“Sure?” Ava said. Before she could prepare herself, Farah’s arms were around her, squeezing her fiercely. It was sort of alarming, really.

Farah released her, but only long enough to plant a kiss on each of Ava’s cheeks. “If you need anything—like, seriously, anything—I will help you.”

Ava nodded, quailing under Farah’s intent gaze. She was a lot more like Nouresh than seemed possible.

“Farah, dear, could you get us some tea? Maybe give us some time to talk?” Nouresh asked.

Farah nodded, then looked back at Ava. “Make sure she doesn’t wander off, okay?”

Ava nodded again, and Nouresh added, “We’ll keep each other firmly on this earth.” Farah squeezed Ava’s hand once, with a terrifying strength, and then went out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her.

“She seems … cool,” Ava said after a moment.

“She does, doesn’t she?” Nouresh said. Her voice was fond, a little surprised. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but her grandmother raised her well.”

“Pour one out for Ursula,” Ava said.

“May the sea keep her memory,” Nouresh agreed.

“How much does Farah know?” Ava asked delicately. “About what happened?”