Collin left the main house and went to a building where he kept mostly clothes. He didn't know Kayla's size, so he'd have to guess for now. He grabbed a package of knickers, some socks, a pair of summer pajamas, and some shirts and shorts. When she was feeling better, Kayla could pick her own clothes out. Collin took the clothes back into the main house, up to the master bedroom.
He never really slept there; he needed to be ready in case anyone came to the outpost, even at night; so he usually slept in the living room area or the screen room. He changed the sheets and the coverlet because they were a little musty and did a quick wipe-down of the bathroom. When that was finished, he added some body wash, shampoo, women's shave gel, and razors for her to use as well as a toothbrush and some hair ties and a new hairbrush.
This wasn't right. She needed a lot more than a change of clothes; she needed help. He opened the window to let fresh air in and closed it when he was finished. Out in the desert, Collin was always ready to respond to anything; he felt like he had the responsibility now. He had to help her, in whatever way he could. He felt guilty for not being the one to help her, but he couldn't take away her past.
He went back downstairs. Whatever Kayla needed, he could provide it.
Collin looked out the window. The evening was coming.
It would be dark soon.

Kayla walked into the master bedroom tentatively. She touched the duvet and looked in the bathroom. It felt like an actual home....almost. She walked into the bathroom. There was a vanity sink, a shower stall, and a free-standing tub. Kayla stripped out of her sand-filled clothes and turned on the warm water of the shower. She stepped in, remembering the hot water showers she had used as a child, and stood under the spray. Her entire body tingled. Kayla scrubbed herself quickly, her arms and legs. She lathered herself with some soap and scrubbed the last of the grime off of her skin, leaving her with a light pink blush.
As the water cascaded down her body, Kayla looked at herself. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to have a clean body. She wanted to feel something besides pure terror.
The water continued to run down her naked body, falling onto the stone floor. She couldn't ever remember feeling so clean or so safe. She sudsed up her filthy hair. After a shower that she savored, she felt so much better. She opened the shower curtain and stepped out, wrapping herself in a bathrobe. She slowly walked back into the master bedroom and folded her old clothes with shaking hands and placed them in the corner. She walked back into the bathroom. She towel-dried her hair and brushed it out. It was a beautiful sandy brown. Kayla looked at the new clothes Collin had laid out for her. They were basic and simple; she liked them a lot. The underthings were an army-issued sports bra and underwear. The fabric felt weird, but they fit her okay. She took the clothes and went back into the bedroom and changed into her new outfit. The rug on the floor seemed to be handmade, and the bed looked comfortable. Kayla touched the soft, smooth coverlet as if it were something from a dream. She lay down on her stomach and pulled the pillow close to her chest. She closed her eyes and willed herself to stay awake; it was still light out.

She heard Collin on the stairway.

"Kayla, I made you something for dinner."
Her heart skipped a beat, interrupting her daydreaming.
She turned over and opened her eyes, and he was standing in the doorway.

"Smells great, what is it?"
She smiled at him. He was holding a tray with a bowl of stew and a glass of water. She sat up and slid over.

She ate slowly, savoring the hot chunks of meat and vegetables. It was the first thing she had eaten since her escape. Collin watched her, eating hungrily and then pensively. She smiled at him before biting into the soft bread. It was delicious.
She looked up from her meal.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

"No problem," Collin said.
When they finished, he took the tray to the kitchen and returned. He sat down next to her.

"I got some things to give you something to do." He said awkwardly. He went out into the hall and came back with a cardboard box. Inside was a few books, and some old jigsaw puzzles. There was also a word search and a stack of comic books. Kayla smiled at the sight of books.

"I'm good with my hands. I can sew, knit, and crochet. Do you have anything like that?"

Collin smiled.

"I have enough yarn to stock a craft store."
He pulled out a paper ream box, a fraction of what he had. It was filled with yarn of all different colors, mostly leftover balls that were too small for large projects. She sat up and Collin handed her the box and the yarn. He was indescribably happy to see a spark of interest in her eyes.

"Do you have any pattern books?"

"They're stashed away somewhere. We can look tomorrow. You better get to bed."

Kayla packed up her yarn and followed him into the master bedroom. Kayla could feel his body heat, and she closed her eyes and inhaled his scent.

"This is your room now, Kayla."
"Thanks again," said Kayla.

Collin realized that he had no idea what to do with her. He was just keeping her safe. If the other girls were to be rescued, Kayla was the only one who knew where the building was. He could only wait and see what information he would get from the post.

Later in the night, as Kayla lay in bed, she thought about Collin. He was kind and gentle. Kayla was afraid.
Collin had said that he could protect her.
Kayla was pretty sure that he would protect her.

Collin couldn't get to sleep. He tossed and turned on the couch. He kept thinking about her. He had found the perfect girl. She was smart, pretty, friendly, funny, and kind. But she was so broken and hurting at the same time. Traumatized even. He knew she was strong and could fight back for herself. He also knew that she was vulnerable.
He was beginning to think that the girl was going to keep him up all night. Eventually, he fell into a deep sleep.