Steam & Silence

After cleaning the dishes, Audra dried her hands and stepped into the living room. The lights were dim, casting a warm glow over the room, and the sound of the heater hummed softly in the background. Zephyr was sprawled on the couch with his eyes fixed on a book.

"Guessing you're done?" he asked, not looking up from the pages.

"Yeah, I finished. Thanks again for the food."

"Don't mention it. You can watch some TV or something, or if you want to turn in early, you know where the bedroom is. Either way though, you should probably take a shower first. You need it."

"I'll probably call it a night soon, so—Hey. Wait a minute."

She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Are you saying I stink?"

"All I'm suggesting is that a shower is in order," he replied, still not looking up from his reading material. Although Audra did sense a slight snicker.

In all honesty, she knew he was right, even if she didn't want to admit it. She couldn't remember the last time she'd bathed properly. Every 'shower' she'd had this past week was with rainwater and paper napkins.

She kicked the carpet a little to dissuade her stinky pride. "Fine. I'll go take a shower, but I hope your water heater works properly. Otherwise, I'll be complaining the whole time."

"I assure you; it works. Just try not to use all of the water. It takes a bit for the heater to refresh the supply. Oh, and the towels are in the cabinet next to the door. Use the blue ones. They're clean."

"…"

This time, he almost sounded like her mother. She opened her mouth to quip something back but closed it in better judgment.

When would her brain stop doing that?

She made her way to the bathroom instead, busying herself by examining the room. It was simple and smelled faintly of bleach, with a toilet and shower on one end and a sink and mirror on the other. The walls were tiled white and blue, and a thick, plush mat lay in front of the shower door.

She flicked a switch and a fan buzzed quietly as it vented the air outside.

Not too shabby.

Audra locked the door and stared in the mirror. Tangled hair, exhausted amber eyes, a face nearly drained of color—she barely recognized herself.

She sighed before turning on the water and undressing.

"Wonder how long I can shower without draining the heat…"

***

Audra stepped into the warm humidity, refreshed.

Her skin tingled from the lingering heat of the water. She wrapped a towel around herself and dried her hair, her eyes wandering to her prosthetics.

The bionics contained a couple of things for convenience: a small heating element that kept them dry, and a thin waterproof film that protected them from moisture. Most water would immediately drip off and whatever was left would typically evaporate in a few seconds.

She had to admit it was a neat effect, watching the water steam off and dissipate into the air.

It was the only thing she really liked about her prosthetics aside from their functionality.

Audra leaned back against the wall and stared at her reflection.

She deeply hated how the prosthetics looked on her and the clear divide they created in her physicality. Despite her brain telling her that they were a part of her, her heart would never see it that way. It made her feel like a 3-D puzzle with pieces that didn't fit together quite right.

"…" It wasn't a sentiment she was fond of.

Her lips scrunched together as she ran her hand through her damp locks. At least her hair and half her body were still hers.

She exited the bathroom once her teeth had been brushed and she'd dressed herself. Zeph would probably appreciate her letting him know she was finished so he could hop in next.

"Hey, Zeph, I'm done. There should probably be some hot water left."

However, there was no response from him.

Curious, she shuffled across the carpet and toward the couch. He was still sitting upright.

"Hey, Zeph. Do you copy? Don't tell me that your hearing's shot."

Still nothing.

His eyes were open. However, they seemed unfocused, like his mind was somewhere else entirely. His eyes were shimmering as he tightly clutched his book in his hands.

"Zeph?" she repeated, louder this time. She reached out and lightly tapped him on the forehead. "Hello? Anyone home in there?"

Despite the contact, he didn't move or react in any way. If his eyes hadn't been wide open, she would've thought he had passed out.

"Zephyr!" she shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him.

Finally, there was a response; his silver pupils slowly focused back on her before widening slightly.

"Ah!—Oh, sorry. What's wrong?"

"I should be asking you that. You were completely spaced out."

"I was?" He smiled sheepishly, sniffling a little. "Erm. Sorry about that. Guess I'm more tired than I thought."

"…Are you sure that was it? Do you need a doctor or something?"

He pressed a finger to his temple, as if nursing a headache that wouldn't go away. "N-no, it's alright. Long day, you know?"

His gaze intentionally avoided hers. "A-anyways, I'll go take a quick shower, then I'll hit the sack. You should probably do the same. There are extra blankets in the hallway closet, so feel free to help yourself."

She squinted at him as he stood. She could tell he was hiding something from her, but with a sigh, she decided to leave it be. She didn't want to force him to explain himself, especially with how accommodating he was. Plus, he seemed weirdly emotional now.

"Fine. Good night, I suppose."

"Yeah. Good night, Audra."

Once she heard the click of the lock, she walked to the bedroom and closed the door behind her, climbing into bed with her teddy.

The mattress was firm but not too hard, and the blankets were soft and cozy as she lay back and stared at the ceiling. The faint scent of detergent and fabric softener wafted through the air, and she found herself gradually relaxing into the bedding.

The faint noise of the shower running droned from the next room.

"…" It almost made her feel like she was back at home.

Except this wasn't, and she didn't have the luxury of sleeping dreamlessly. Not after everything that happened.

Audra rolled over, burying her face into the pillow and squeezing her eyes shut.

Damn it. She didn't want to think about it, but the memories wouldn't listen.

It all came back to her. The rain. The screams. The pain.

The blood.

She shook her to banish the thoughts, burrowing into the mattress like a bunker. She took deep breaths and exhaled, hoping to vent the anxiety away.

It didn't work much, but it was enough to get her mind onto another topic: Zeph.

Her hold tightened.

He was a strange one, at least when compared to most, but he'd let her stay here and fed her—trusted her.

It was more kindness than she'd expected from a stranger.

She didn't know how much of his story she could actually believe, but it didn't really matter now.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes again and willed herself to fall asleep. A small part of her wondered how long she would stay here, and a smaller, quieter part wondered what would happen after. But those were questions that could wait another time.

Right now, she just needed to rest.