When he was satisfied that she was clean and relaxed, he turned off the water and unplugged the drain. As the water level lowered, he lifted her out carefully, water sluicing from her skin in rivulets, and wrapped her in the largest, fluffiest towel he could find.
He dried her with the same meticulous care he'd shown washing her, patting her skin gently until it was completely dry, being extra gentle with sensitive areas. He even gently squeezed the excess water from her hair, wrapping it in a smaller towel.
Carrying her back to the bedroom, he noticed the bed was a disaster, sheets tangled, pillows askew, the comforter half on the floor. While still holding her, he managed to straighten the worst of it one-handed, pulling back the rumpled sheets to reveal the clean, cool linen beneath.
He laid her down carefully on the clean side of the bed where they hadn't been, arranging her gently, her head on a fresh pillow. Then he pulled the duvet over her, tucking it around her securely.
