JP - Just Resting

“Actually, I think they’re all dead, honestly.” Klaire said. “Remember the first facility we ever blew up? That’s where they all worked. Now, go get yourself some sleep, missy. We have a pyro to save in the morning.”

“I’ll get enough sleep.” Tzeitel said edgily. “Night Klaire.” Tzeitel left Klaire’s room. The gym should be empty at this hour.

Klaire tried to sleep, but couldn’t. All she could do was silently hope that James was okay.

🏋️***Gym
Tzeitel told herself that she would only work out for a little while to help her get to sleep.

Yeah, right.

Colt would be headed to the gym later on and would most likely find Tzeitel in there, having worn herself out to the bone. “Damn it, Tzeitel…” He grumbled.

Tzeitel scowled at Colt from where she was still on the floor. “I’m just resting.”

“We both know that’s bullshit,” Colt chided as he went over and crouched down to help her up. “Let's get you to your room and I’ll see if anyone can help clean you up. Megan might be available…” As he spoke, he didn’t look at her directly.

Great, Colt isn’t looking at me. Just like the time I ‘rescued’ him from having sex with Feng. Wonderful. Tzeitel thought with a groan as she managed to sit up. “You know you can look at me.”

Colt raised an eyebrow and sighed. “Just let me help you, brat.” He said and finally picked her up. Carrying her, he made his way toward her room. “Like I said, I’ll get Megan to help you wash off and get into bed. You overdid it again…”

“I only overdid it a little.” Tzeitel argued, trying to not be so limp in Colt’s arms. “I still need to get my jacket back.”

“I’ll find it for you.” Colt told her with a glance to her face. “You need to rest.” At her door, he set her down slightly so he could open it and help her into the room. “You good with sitting in a chair until I get Megan in here?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Tzeitel staggered into the room.

Ami woke up and sat up in bed.

Colt sighed heavily and walked off to find Megan…

Ami got out of bed and stared at Tzeitel, she could not smell alcohol but could smell sweat. She did not understand why Tzeitel hurt herself in the gym. She should be doing better, one of the clones was dead! Not long ago she had been in here talking about planning Ami’s birthday party.

“It’s… it’s not as bad as it looks, Ami.” Tzeitel sighed. She hated disappointing her little sister.

Ami looked away, her eyes brimming with tears.

Colt would find Megan and Ryan still snoozing in his room and stared at the drawings on the poor speedster’s face. “Wow…” He muttered and gently shook Megan to wake her. There was no way in hell he was going to be the one to inform the man of his facial art. “Megan, Tzeitel needs your help…”

Megan mewed softly and rubbed her eyes before she began to climb out of bed. “Okay,” She murmured.

With a final glance at Ryan, they slipped off and returned to Tzeitel.

Ryan moved around in his sleep trying to find Megan before settling down again and sleeping.

Tzeitel managed to get her shoes off. She was sitting on the floor in front of a chair. Ami sat on her bed, sadly looking at her stuffed animals.

Megan was more awake once they were in the room and let out a sigh. Going over to Tzeitel, she helped the woman up. “Let's get you cleaned up, missy.” She said and started to move her toward the bathroom.

Tzeitel let Megan lead her to the bathroom. She felt worse about Ami than for what she had done to herself.

Megan closed and locked the door for their privacy before she started helping Tzeitel out of her clothes. “You need to stop this. It obviously scares Ami…” She said softly, not even paying attention to any of the other woman’s scars. Since she had a lot of her own, it was no big deal.

Tzeitel hung her head, more from shame than exhaustion. “I didn’t think she’d wake up.”

"Children have a talent for doing what we don't want them to." Megan replied as they got the last of Tzeitel's sweat soaked clothing off her. "Do you want to soak in warm water for a little bit while I wash your hair and back?"

When it came to Megan, she was always a natural born mother always there for those that needed her. Besides, Tzeitel had saved her from the horrible things Cain did to her. She felt horrible for thinking it, but she felt he deserved a far worse and painfully slow death.

Tzeitel glimpsed her scars, flinched and closed her eyes so she would not have to see them. “I’ll be okay…” Tzeitel muttered.

“Stop acting all tough,” Megan chided and filled the tub up with warm water. “You pushed yourself so hard that Colt had to carry you, Tzeitel…Ami’s not the only one that worries, you know. We all do. We’re all worried about you a lot. You’re our friend and you’ve become family to all of us.”

“We killed one of the clones…” Tzeitel avoided looking at herself and flopped into the tub.

Megan found a washcloth and added soap to it. Moving Tzeitel’s hair out of the way, she gently scrubbed her back side like a mother would for their child. “I heard…Hopefully the other one is the last one and once he’s dead we won’t have to worry about him again.” She still recalled that time…

“There was nothing stopping MegaCorp from cloning two of them, what’s to keep them from cloning a whole army of Canestones?” Tzeitel asked, shuddering.