He was hurt, badly, you could tell it by the way he dragged his bad leg and the uneven way he breathed. He didn't even have it in him to complain tonight. He just limped his way into the nearest bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him, and all I could do is sigh. He didn't lock the door, but we didn't bother to go in there either, Nick didn't trust us and the others didn't trust him.. he was a conman after all, a convict, a criminal, some lowlife that steals your money in the blink of an eye. But in my eyes, he's also a man, a human being that has went through so much shit in his life he's just unable to function any other way. He can't bring himself to think of us as anything more then a means to save his ass when the going got tough, and man did it get tough sometimes.

I lay awake at night, way past a time when any sane person would already be in the bed and asleep for several hours, worrying over him. I always pretend I'm asleep though, and when he thinks the cost his clear he comes out of hiding or just plain gets up from his spot in the corner to find himself something to eat then return to his resting place to patch himself up. Then he actually seems to relax a bit, but doesn't last much longer then that. It takes a lot out of a person to run through a zombie apocalypse, and soon enough he's asleep, and once I know he's ok I pass out as well.

Tonight is different though, I don't know how long it's been, but it's well past time for him to come out. But it seems Nick's not interested in eating. Tonight I'm in the room closest to his, and I can hear the groans, the muffled screams he's trying to keep even from himself. There are probably tears in his eyes too, something he would just blink away and spend more effort trying to hold back. They were a sign of weakness, and Nick was a bad ass, too hardcore for such sissy things. He didn't know he was just causing himself more pain by trying to set the bone himself. I know for sure it's a broken bone because I was also close enough to hear it snap when that tank got a hold of him.

I listened to the man put himself through such misery for what felt like forever, then very quietly rolled out off my bed and over to my door, slipping out it without making a sound and tiptoeing over to the door on my right. Wincing a little at the click the door made as it opened, I took a step inside and soaked in the scene laid out before me. Which wasn't really that great, Nick had stripped off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his blue shirt, he on the edge of his bed with his bad leg laid out in front of him. His other leg was dangling off the bed with that foot planted on the ground to keep him up. Both hands were placed on the broken area, a med kit lay open on the bed next to him just above his knee. The look on his face had been contorted into a look of pain, but it quickly change to his usual pissed look.

"What the fuck Ellis?."

Shaking my head, I just shushed him and knelt down by the bed, putting my hand on his chest to push him down so he was laying on the bed.

"Hold on ta sumthin'"

I care about Nick, I don't think he deserves the treatment the others are giving him, I don't think he deserves to be hurt like this.. he doesn't deserve to suffer alone anymore. It's time to show Nick the two of us could be more then just friends.