Getting Tzeitel Settled In - Pt. 3

Klaire wouldn’t let her stay under the water long and once Tzeitel was all rinsed off, she drained the water and helped her friend get out of the bathtub. Grabbing a towel, she helped her dry off and brushed her hair the best she could without doing harm. “Yeah, you need a haircut. Looks like there’s some matting…” She grumbled. “Sucks, cause you have such awesome hair.”

“My hair was never right after… after…” The haunted look passed through Tzeitel’s eyes again. She struggled to pull on the clothes.

Klaire helped Tzeitel into the clothes, smiling at how well they fit. “Want to lie down for a bit or do you want to sit in the recliner?” She gestured toward the chair that could be reclined back for comfort.

Tzeitel looked at the bed. She was so tired. But thanks to what she went through she did not feel safe in beds. “The recliner.” Tzeitel decided, waddling over to the chair.

Klaire helped her and brought over a pillow and blanket from the bed so she could get comfortable.

“Thanks Klaire.” Tzeitel said sleepily, burrowing under the blanket.

Klaire made sure to tuck her in. “No need to thank me.” She said with a kind smile just before there was a knock at the door. Answering it, she was met with Cook, who handed her a tray of different snacks and a couple bottles of water. “Thanks for this, Cook.”

“No problem,” He replied. “Tzeitel is kind of like a sister to me. I want to help any way I can. I hope she can get some real rest here.”

“I do too,” Klaire said before they said their goodbyes. She walked over to Tzeitel with the snacks and set the tray down on the table by the chair. “These are all both healthy and won't upset your stomach. One of the girls named River grew them with her power so they're all safe. You can eat them at your own pace.”

Tzeitel sleepily gazed at the food before finally picking up some raw vegetable and nibbling on it. She felt more like sleeping than eating.

“You get some good rest.” Klaire said as she went to clean up a bit.

Tzeitel got as comfortable as she could with the babies kicking her.

As Tzeitel rested, Klaire finished cleaning up the room and left for a bit so she could get a shower in the room she shared with James. She would pull on more simple clothes - a button down blouse with one of her signature skirts and a pair of boots before going to get herself some food. There, she would run into a few new friends, chat a little, and let them know where she would be before returning to Tzeitel’s room.

By the time Klaire returned Tzeitel would have filled the room with a mix of repulsive pheromones. She had dozed off and the nightmares were particularly bad.

A cough escaped Klaire and she didn’t realize she was leaving until she was out of the room again. “Damn it…” She grunted and dug around in her pocket. Pulling out a clip, she put it on her nose and returned. Setting her own food down, she set a hand on Tzeitel’s shoulder and gently shook her. “Wake up, Tzeitel. It’s me, Klaire.”