Ellis had to hold back a moan as her hands rubbed small, delicate circles into him. He didn't believe that this beautiful woman in front of him could get anymore perfect, but Zoey's delicate yet powerful touch against his sweaty skin proved him wrong.

She had started off slow, merely moving her hands in a way that got the job done. He had been pretty nervous then, despite the rather professional way that she was moving, but then she had started to relax and enjoy her task more. Needless to say, that had just made Ellis a whole helluva lot more uncomfortable.

It wasn't that she was doing a bad job, God no. She was doing a great job, in fact. And that was the problem. She was too good at what she was doing to him. He could barely keep himself from taking her in his arms and-and-and-

No, he wasn't gonna go there. Zoey was doing him a favour and he wasn't going to be rude and dishonour her in anyway, even if it was just in his head. But having that angel be this close to him, touching him, pressing up against him, rubbing him, it was like heaven and hell and everywhere in between.

Suddenly, her hands moved to the ripe spot and Ellis couldn't contain his groan any longer. He could sense her smirk even though he was looking everywhere except at her as he tensed up before slowly relaxing into her touch. Her touch had been painful that time, but he trusted her and was starting to get more comfortable with their activity.

There was one spot that was bothering him though, one place where Ellis wanted, no-needed her to work her magic on. Would he be so bold?

"Hey Zo', d'ya think you kin' go down a little lower?"

She flashed him one of her award winning smiles and replied, "Sure thing, El, whatever you need me to do. Just let me squeeze some more of this stuff on and we'll be good to go," Ellis automatically longed for her touch, but he knew it was for his best interest that she apply some more of that weird gooey stuff in order for him to have the best results.

"Now, this is gonna sting a little, so prepare yourself!" He nodded and braced himself for the inevitable.

"Ow! That stuff hurts…" the hick winced as Zoey applied more ointment onto his burns.

"Oh, be quiet, you big baby," his nurse teased " maybe if you would have been paying more attention, you would have noticed that Spitter and wouldn't have gotten acid on you."

Ellis rubbed his neck bashfully. "Yeah, I know, but I was lookin'-"

"At me?"

"Yeah…NO! I-I mean…uh…" His face warmed at her amused giggles. It wasn't mean though. She obviously knew about his infatuation with her, but being the wonderful woman that she was, wasn't creeped out by him. In fact, she seemed to enjoy his company. Why else would she volunteer to tend to his wounds? Oh, wouldn't he just be the luckiest guy in the world if she actually liked him back?

He could see it now: giving her an engagement ring that he found of a dead Infected, Nick as his best man at the wedding [if Keith couldn't make it, of course], Coach marrying them, carrying her over the threshold of their safe room haven-

"Well, I think my work here is done," Zoey said as she finished giving the last of his wounds a good coating of the burn cream, successfully bringing Ellis out of what would have been a very lovely day dream. He got up and rotated the arm she had finished working on. It still hurt a little, but it was nothing the hick couldn't handle.

"Thanks, Zoey. I owe ya' one." He smiled at her. She gathered up her first aid kit and waved it off. "Don't sweat it, Ellis. I'm sure you would have done the same," Her beautiful green eyes flashed him a warm look before she walked over to Rochelle a few meters away. He watched her walk off, wondering what he did to deserve such a perfect woman coming into his life.

Then suddenly, he heard a low chuckle coming from behind him. "You were enjoying that, weren't you, Farmer Joe?"

"Aw, c'mon Nick. She was just bein' nice is all. Ain't nothin' wrong with that, is there?" Ellis really hoped Nick wouldn't notice how nervous he was. The conman always had a way of knowing the truth.

There was a brief silence between the two men before the conman nonchalantly shrugged and began to walk away.

"If you say so."

Ellis let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"But I bet you wished she would've been rubbing you a little lower."

A pause.

"AW NICK!"