I had my hands held towards the radiator, trying to absorb as much heat as possible. Shivers rattled through me, and the thought of how I'd have spent the night had it not been for you ran cruel circles in my head. I could sense a vicious headache creeping into my skull.

"Okay, bath's ready," you called. It wasn't a big apartment, so I followed the sound of your voice to the bathroom. The area was so small that you had to back into the corner between the bath and the toilet bowl so my wheelchair could fit. Picking things from a shelf near your head, you set them down on the flush-tank. "Shampoo, bodywash, moisturizer. I'll get you a razor and toothbrush. I'm sure I have some clothes that'll fit you."

"Um... I have a set in my bag," I said.

"They're soaked," you reminded. My cheeks went warm. "I have extras, Viktor," you added, "don't worry."

My voice was small as I said, "thank you, I really appreciate it."

"No big deal." You patted my shoulder as I wheeled back so you could get out. You returned swiftly, arms laden with more toiletries and a set of folded clothes. "Anything else?" you questioned; I shook my head 'no'. With a nod, you slapped the doorjamb once. "Alright, then. I'll leave you to it."

Locking the door after you, I worked on divesting the wet garments. Everything clung to my skin, and I fought to peel them off while trying to ignore the mild pounding that had occupied the sides of my head. I dropped my jackets and shirt into the hamper. Next to go were my cargo shorts. The nylon sheaths covering my stubs were the hardest to remove, and when I ultimately did manage to get them off, the reek made me gag. I plugged the drain in the sink and filled it with warm water, dropped in a dollop of bodywash, and immersed my sheaths for a good cleanse.

Then, I carefully hoisted my weight on my arms braced on the edge of the tub, and eased my body into the water. The buoyancy lifted the heavy aches from my muscles, the heat dredged the chill from my bones. I relished the new feeling, the balmy comfort and tranquility. Dunking my head underwater, I held my breath, silencing the burdensome thought of how much I owed you and how I'd ever settle these debts. I ran my fingers through my shoulder length hair, but when the matting and tangles happened to be too stubborn, I surfaced. The rat's nest did succumb to your lavender scented shampoo though. I scrubbed my beard, and all the smudges and stains from my skin, I also cleaned my nails. As much as I wanted to relax in the tub, the now hideously murky water convinced me otherwise. Draining the tub, I stayed in while I towel-dried my body.

Getting out was the tricky part; I had to ensure the edge of the bathtub and my hands were dry, my grip firm, my weight centered... this was why I preferred shower stalls. Nevertheless, I made it out safe and sound, but knocked over the tube of moisturizer as I was adjusting my butt on the toilet lid.

Footsteps came running down the hallway and stopped at the door. "Viktor, you okay?" I heard you yell from the other side, voice so pitched in concern that I felt bad about worrying you.

"Yeah, I'm okay!" I responded. "Better than okay!"

"Holler if you need anything," you said, your footsteps retreating.

After clothing myself in the slightly snug white tee and pants that had to be rolled up to my stubs, I toweled my hair for another five minutes. It had reverted to its original reddish-orange color, washed of its browning grime, freed of its knots. Rifling through the toiletries you'd so kindly given me, I found a comb and a pair of scissors, which I used to trim the ends of my locks. Following that, I rinsed and wrung my sheaths in the washbasin. Finally, I worked on my scraggly beard and ended up shaving it all off.

By the time I left the bathroom, I was the cleanest I'd ever been these past couple years. The comfort of cleanliness had become a memory of another life, and I'd never thought I would ever experience it again. Yet, here I was... and here you were, oblivious to how significantly you affected my present and future.

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