He took note of the lack of ingredients rather quickly, upon returning to his Infirmary down below, he knew where to look for the other. The only one who would have a need in gathering more of those ingredients, and there was only one place they would go, and so he slowly made his way down the hall, passing his office, to the atrium outback. Though not nearly as impressive as the Garden was, their little garden was beautiful in it's own right, full of lush green plants and bright colorful flowers.

Stepping out into the bright sunlight, he spotted him immediately, bent over a bush of berries picking a bundle of blue ones. He crosses silently over the path that winds through the atrium, coming to stand behind him, pressing a hand between his warm shoulders.

"How long have you been out here?" The muscles under his hand tense, hands pausing in their motions, and he feels the younger healer take a deep breath, heaving a great sigh, and return to his work. "Zed?"

There's another sigh, harsher then the first, and he throws his hand full of berries down, letting them sprawl throughout the grass, all his effort and time gone to waste in such a short amount of time. He closes the rounded wicker basket and comes to stand, climbing to his feet, joints pop as he does, indicating just how long he'd been bent over like he had been.

"Leave me be." His apothecary ducks out from under his hand and turns back to the path leading back into the Infirmary. He shakes his head, unable to leave him to his own, and reaches out to catch his arm. "Zed, talk to me."

The basket drops from his grasp, its contents spilling out to the ground underneath it, as the Virtue spins around and yanks his arm free. "You left us." He snarls. "What's there to talk about?"

He nods, not uttering a word, to allow the younger angel to get his troubles off his chest, so then he may take care of him.

"We did your job! We did all of your jobs!" Zed ran a shaking over his forehead, wiping away the glistening sweat, glaring with an anger that burns deep in his belly. "And you expect things to return to normal?"

"I cannot begin to express my sorrow at the events that you'd been forced through." He speaks calmly, carefully, and doesn't make any sudden movements. "You must be so exhausted."

"I'm so tired."

Raphael reaches for him in that moment, pleased when he doesn't pull away this time, and steps forward. "Then let's get you some rest."

Zed shakes his head slowly. "I have to pick more herbs. I'm out."

"I will restock your inventory myself, you, you will get some much needed, well earned, rest."

The Virtue seems unconvinced, clearly not used to having aid anymore, and he curls his fingers around his shoulder gently, and digs in just right. Zed sighs deeply, closing his eyes for a moment, shoulders sore from being bent over for so long. "How does that sound? The cool shade of your room, the softness of your bed, skilled fingers working those knots from your shoulders. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"I should be mad at you."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Zed stares at him for a moment. "I should hate you."

"It would be an understandable, but sorrowful, feeling."

The worn Virtue sighs deeply, nodding his head slightly. "That does sound nice."

Raphael smiles, digging his fingers in again, and steps closer. "Then what's keeping you?"

His apothecary watches him for a moment, and nods again. "That sounds very nice." The Healer smiles at him, coming to stand at his side, winding his arm around his shoulders, and begins to guide him down the pathway to the Infirmary. "Then let's get you inside, my little apothecary."

They walked through the busy Infirmary side by side, pausing only once for the archangel to pick up a soft rag and a small basin of cool water, heading for the stairs that led up to the loft above them. Akriel's door was still closed when they walked passed it, and he smiled at the knowledge that his trauma specialist was still sleeping blissfully away, and they turned the corner of a doorway into another room.

Zed's room was much less as tidy as Akriel's was, books strewn about, hanging open over top of one another, jars and vials and bottles were strewn about everywhere, ingredients arranged in the young apothecary's unorganized-organized way. His armor was hanging haphazardly over the chair at his desk, a curved sword leaned against the wooden leg, medicine bag hung over the back.

He squeezes the back of his Virtues neck. "Take your shirt off."

Zed does so without protest, lazily raising his arms as he tugs his tunic up over his head, and deposits it on the floor under him. He eyes his bed with lust, not waiting for the command to do so, and climbs up to curl up amid his fluffy pillows.

Setting the small basin on the small bedside table, he soaks the rag in the cool water, wrings out the excess, and rubs it over the Virtues warm shoulders. Zed sighs in comfort, having stood bent over under the beating sun for so long, and closes his eyes when his archangel soaks the rag again, wrings it out, and wipes it over his face. It's cool relief from the burning heat. The rag runs over his lower back, down his shoulders and over his arms, over the back of his neck, around his ears, it's so cool and comforting that the tension slowly falls from his shoulders.

The rags set aside, and long nimble fingers pick up his hand, thumbs dig into the back of his hand, then into his palm, rubbing the soreness and tension away. The fingers travel up his arm, digging into the stained muscles and rubbing away the ache and tension, they spread over his shoulders and the heels of two palms dig in deeply.

Zed groans in comfort, sinking into his mattress, his pillow. It feels so good. His archangel knows all the right spots. He wants to be angry, he wants to be mad at him, but he can't, not when he makes him feel so good. Not when he rubs at his back and shoulders, rubbing away the tension and the ache, not when he makes him as comfortable as he is.

"Does that feel better, Z?"

"Mhmm." He nods sluggishly against his pillow. "Feels very good."

"Go to sleep, my little healer." Fingers massage the back of his neck so comfortably. "Let yourself have some rest."

"'Otta work."

"The only thing you must do is sleep."

"Mhmmm….okay….."