Blackwater Islands It all falls into the sea.

He was reacting, but in a restless and somewhat spasmodic way. His breath whined in a way that immediately tugged at the caretaker and, as he kicked out, she instinctually shushed him soothingly.

Hey. It's alright. You look like you need the rest. She kept her voice calm and decided to risk proximity. He could probably use the warmth too and maybe it would help, having breathing aside from his own to match.

Having someone else need her, having a job to do, it was the most normal she'd felt since she'd been lost from Brecheliant. Everything from that point on had been chaos and fever dreams, and the focus she felt now was altering. She'd always loved her work, never doubted it, but sometimes it was easy to lose sight of it when times were quiet. Brecheliant hadn't needed her services much in the time she'd been there.

He was older than she was, but that didn't stop her from moving in to share her warmth and smoothing the fur of his forehead as though he were a child. She couldn't do this with adult patients unless they were like this; pride disappeared when dreams took them. You should sleep. Low, soothing voice, as she continued the motions.

The Listener had done something similar to her, though she did not recall that right now.