Chuckling at the young man's description of tea, Kiel settles more comfortably into the stiff old kitchen chair and just relaxes a little, letting Zach work peacefully on the tea without his nagging behind him. [i]'I know I coddle and nag a bit, but a lot of the Little Ones need that kind of care. I should work on letting him be a bit more independent. He has my acceptance, but I get the feeling he wants something else from me than someone like, say, Sarah. . .'[/i] His thoughts trail off as the girl herself appears and runs into his waiting arms. Kiel shushes her softly, petting her hair and humming softly to soothe her. Her shaking is not something that is going to pass quickly however, and he thanks Zach softly when he provides a little distraction for her.

Helping her settle into a chair beside his own, he offers her the drink and speaks softly about how things will be safe while she's here. How god is looking down on them and making sure his children stand together to keep her safe. He knows a lot of abused kids have a hard time with the abstract of “God” as a being that never actually reaches down to help, like a glowing hand or something, so he tries to remind her that there's an entire building full of men and women that will jump to her aid no matter what tries to assail her. She sniffles softly and sips at her tea, nodding as Kiel talks and slowly, ever so slowly, calming down enough to breath without huge hiccups threatening to spill her drink.

Out of the corner of his eye, as he speaks to her, he notices Zach making the couch up as a bed and for a fleeting instant he worries that he was wrong, and that Zach had been awake the night last. He mentally shakes the thought however, quite sure with Zach strong will, he would have had something to say about it and had more of an issue to deal with than just worry over him thinking less of the boy for his orientations. [i]'I just hope he's not worried about my reactions to finding out. I mean, it is better for him to have his own space. . . I'm sure DCS will come by soon, after this incident, and try to place Sarah somewhere, and if he's still here, he will be able to have the guest room. . . .'[/i] A true worry that Zach might leave before he's ready wells up in Kiel, but as Sarah looks at him with her haunted gaze, he turns all of his focus on to her until after the evening meal when she seems to be feeling a little better, if exhausted.

Once she's tucked in, Kiel once more turns his attention on to Zach. Still in pain, and having only had a brief look over from one of the brothers when he went to fetch the evening meal, he recruits Zach's help to clean up. He winds up letting the young man do most of it as his side has gotten rather stiff and forces him to move much more slowly now. He silently laughs a bit as his own hobble as he walks, letting himself favor the side now that Sarah's asleep, and double checks Zach's outfitting of the couch while the youth himself is finishing the last of the dishes.

As soon as he's satisfied, he asks for a little help getting on his nightgown, having Zach wait outside the room until he'd at least gotten on his sleeping pants before calling him in for assistance. He makes sure to show no sign of bother at the proximity and his own lack of decent dress, and smiles in thanks as he shoos Zach off to bed. Saying his prayers, Kiel waits to hear his ward settle in the next room before laying down himself, and despite the pain, he manages to find a comfortable position and drift off to sleep.

[i]~The windy landscape or a wheat field embraces Kiel as he walks slowly among the waving grains. The whiskered tops tickle his elbows as he wanders aimlessly. The field is out of place, surrounded on all sides by forest, no civilization in view. A deep feeling of memory cuts through him, but he turns away from it, instead wandering in a new direction every time it hits him. The air is fresh, and the sky filled with drifting rainbow clouds and dandelion puffs the size of dump trucks. Despite the clear borders, the trees never seem to get closer, and he wanders on and on, enjoying the peace between the moments that force him to change directions.~[/i]