He had fallen asleep again after he ate. Zack sat across the room from him, staring. Cloud looked almost peaceful as he slept, but fear would flash across his features. Zack frowned. Sleep should've been a reprieve for the boy, but it seemed that he couldn't escape Shinra, even in his dreams. There was still a shadow of blood across his forehead, forcing Zack to relive their nightmare reunion. He wondered if Cloud had been able to shower since the incident. He crawled across the floor to the boy, gently nudging him awake once again.

"Cloud, wake up. Come on, buddy. Can't have you keeping me awake all night 'cuz you slept all day!" Cloud frowned, then flicked Zack in the forehead.

"Like I could keep you awake. Once you've decided you're sleeping, it's like trying to raise the dead." Cloud smiled at him, but Zack could see the fear that still remained in his eyes.

I would stay awake forever if it meant keeping you safe. Zack smiled back, standing up in front of Cloud.

"How long has it been since you showered?" Cloud dropped his eyes to the floor.

"Not sure, to be honest. Haven't been able to stand since… " he trailed off, but he didn't have to finish his sentence for Zack to know exactly what he was going to say. Reno.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered under his breath. Cloud shrugged.

"He's not all bad. Not really. He's been… nicer than the others, I guess." Zack smiled at him, not wanting to think about how others had been worse to him.

"Well, are you feeling like you can stand now?" he asked. Cloud smiled at him, a real smile, and Zack's chest hurt in a completely new way.

"I can try," the boy said. Zack smiled back, dropping into a crouch and pulling Cloud to his feet. Once he was sure that the blonde's feet were solidly under him, he took one hand away, eyes on Cloud's. He moved the other so that it was just floating under his arm, ready to catch him if he started to fall. "I think I'm okay," he said quietly. Zack nodded and stepped back, waiting for Cloud to step forward. He lifted his foot and tried to move, but cried out in pain and collapsed. Zack caught him before he hit the floor, standing back up with Cloud pulled into his chest. He was horrified when he felt him shake, and saddened when he heard a quiet sob escape from his lips.

"Cloud!? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Zack. I'm sorry."

"Hey, hey… there's nothing to be sorry for. You got zapped pretty hard. It's great that you can just stand! It's going to keep getting better, okay? Give yourself some time! Come on, let's get you in the shower." Cloud shook his head slowly.

"Zack, I can't. There's no way I can stand long enough. It's okay. What's a few more days?"

"Come on, Cloud. You'll feel better, I promise. Let me help you."

"Zack, you can't-" Zack gently pushed Cloud's chin up so that their eyes met.

"Let me help you," he repeated again.

Cloud nodded, a soft movement. Zack wanted to reach out and ruffle the boy's hair again, but he thought better of it. He was already embarrassed, vulnerable. "Think you can walk with my help?" he asked.

"I want to try," the boy replied. Zack continued to hold on to him, but moved to his side. Cloud draped his arm across the taller man's shoulders, and Zack grabbed the waistband of his laboratory issued pants, giving them a gentle tug upwards to provide him with some support. Slowly, they made their way to the shower room. It was less than 50 feet, but he could feel Cloud shaking with the effort of moving even that far. Zack sat him down on the bench inside the room. The shower water came in from a corner of the room, and there was no spout. There were no handles for the water, either. Early on, Zack had determined this was to keep prisoners from removing the items from the wall to use as weapons. He was furious, and somehow impressed. He walked over to the panel that activated the water and set the temperature. Once he was satisfied, he walked back over to where Cloud sat. He looked worse than he had several minutes ago, and Zack wondered if the walk had been too much. As if he could read Zack's thoughts, the boy spoke, staring at the floor.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I guess that was almost too much for me." Zack shrugged.

"We made it here, and that's what matters. Now come on, let's get you in the water. Hate to tell you this, buddy, but you stink." he wrinkled his nose to reinforce the statement, and Cloud laughed quietly. Zack's breath caught, and he tried to remember the last time he had heard the sound of Cloud's laughter. He wondered what he would have to do to hear it again.

He gently tugged upwards on Cloud's shirt and every muscle in the boy's body tensed at the same time.

"Zack!?" The SOLDIER laughed at the expression that flashed across Cloud's face.

"Well you can't shower fully clothed, can you? That'd make for a damn cold night. So come on, let's go!"

"Zack, I -" Zack pulled off his own shirt, interrupting whatever Cloud was about to say. He squatted in front of Cloud again, determined.

"Cloud, let me help you. Please." Because this is all my fault. The boy nodded, pulling his shirt swiftly over his head. Zack hissed, shocked at the state of Cloud's body. There were deep bruises on his sides, covering most of his ribs, which were prominent enough to be counted. His spine was clearly visible as well. But the marking that worried him the most was the angry sutured wound in the middle of his chest. "Buddy, what happened there?" he asked quietly. Cloud's eyes met his, and Zack found anger in his friend's face for the first time since they had been reunited.

"Sephiroth," he stated. He turned slightly so that he could see the exit wound Masamune had left. It was everything Zack could do to keep himself from sinking to the ground and throwing up. He had sent Cloud to die, and it had almost happened.

He didn't deserve Cloud, no matter what his feelings for the boy were.

He stood back up, wiping away a silent tear that had managed to escape his eye. He unceremoniously removed his own pants and underwear, then gently removed Cloud's, standing him up slightly to work the clothing down over his hips.

"Do you want to walk over to the water?" he asked. His voice was hoarse, filled with sadness, anger, and something else he couldn't quite identify. Cloud tried to push himself up to a standing position from the bench, body trembling with effort. He let himself back down with a groan.

"I can't, Zack. I'm -"

"Please don't say sorry again, Cloud. Please." Zack was making no effort to keep his tears hidden now, and he reached out a finger to brush along the wound that marred the boy's pale skin. He looked as though he was going to say something more, but then thought better of it and instead picked Cloud up gently, walking to the corner of the corner of the room that the water fell from. He sat Cloud down, retrieved a bar of soap, and began to clean him up. Dried blood met water and streamed down his body, and a sob tore it's way through Zack's lips. He washed Cloud's hair and gently cleaned the sword wound, making sure that every part of him was well rinsed. He handed Cloud the bar quietly, and the boy finished washing. Zack carried him back to the bench without a word, handing him a towel to dry off with, then went back to the corner and turned the temperature of the water up, hoping to burn the terrible feeling trapped inside of his chest out. He washed and turned the water off, crying quietly to himself, trying to keep Cloud from hearing. He dried himself off and redressed, then helped Cloud back into his clothes. He again picked him up, and carried him back to the main room. He sat him down on the mat they had been sleeping on, then sat on the bench. He almost smiled as he looked over at Cloud, his blonde hair standing up in spikes even when it was wet. Cloud looked up at him, then spoke words that Zack was certain would haunt him for the rest of his days:

"Please don't be mad at me, Zack."

Without a sound, he came to sit by Cloud and pulled him into his chest, holding him there as tightly as he dared.

Cloud began to weep, and Zack wished they both had died fighting Sephiroth.