A system for treating a tissue site, comprising: a dressing for positioning at the tissue site, comprising: a dressing sealing member for providing a sealed space between the dressing sealing member and the tissue site, a first dressing wicking layer disposed in the sealed space and having a grain structure for wicking fluid in a lateral direction along surfaces of the first dressing wicking layer; a second dressing wicking layer disposed in the sealed space and having a grain structure for wicking fluid in a lateral direction along surfaces of the second dressing wicking layer; and an absorbent layer between the first dressing wicking layer and the second dressing wicking layer; a storage bridge comprising a receiving end and a transmitting end separated by a length, the transmitting end for fluidly coupling to the dressing, the storage bridge further comprising: a bridge envelope extending along the length and defining an internal volume, a bridge absorbent disposed within the internal volume of the bridge envelope, and a bridge sealing member encapsulating the bridge envelope; a conduit interface fluidly coupled to the receiving end of the storage bridge, the conduit interface in fluid communication with the dressing through the storage bridge; and a reduced-pressure source in fluid communication with the conduit interface. a dressing for positioning at the tissue site, comprising: a dressing sealing member for providing a sealed space between the dressing sealing member and the tissue site, a first dressing wicking layer disposed in the sealed space and having a grain structure for wicking fluid in a lateral direction along surfaces of the first dressing wicking layer; a second dressing wicking layer disposed in the sealed space and having a grain structure for wicking fluid in a lateral direction along surfaces of the second dressing wicking layer; and an absorbent layer between the first dressing wicking layer and the second dressing wicking layer; a dressing sealing member for providing a sealed space between the dressing sealing member and the tissue site, a first dressing wicking layer disposed in the sealed space and having a grain structure for wicking fluid in a lateral direction along surfaces of the first dressing wicking layer; a second dressing wicking layer disposed in the sealed space and having a grain structure for wicking fluid in a lateral direction along surfaces of the second dressing wicking layer; and an absorbent layer between the first dressing wicking layer and the second dressing wicking layer; a storage bridge comprising a receiving end and a transmitting end separated by a length, the transmitting end for fluidly coupling to the dressing, the storage bridge further comprising: a bridge envelope extending along the length and defining an internal volume, a bridge absorbent disposed within the internal volume of the bridge envelope, and a bridge sealing member encapsulating the bridge envelope; a bridge envelope extending along the length and defining an internal volume, a bridge absorbent disposed within the internal volume of the bridge envelope, and a bridge sealing member encapsulating the bridge envelope; a conduit interface fluidly coupled to the receiving end of the storage bridge, the conduit interface in fluid communication with the dressing through the storage bridge; and a reduced-pressure source in fluid communication with the conduit interface.