I'm sure you've done quite enough of that already.

[He reaches for a bucket, dipping it into the basin for some water before pouring it over Gale's back, it's time to rinse.]

If I may, the first thing you ought to do is come clean about the whole "health" angle. If she's a woman with half a mind, she already suspects it to be a fabrication, and your admission of guilt will make her more likely to believe what follows.