Chapter 9

"I'll have to make up the spare bed." Nick said softly, tracing the outside edge of Zoe's face with one finger, he had always thought she had the most beautiful face. She tilted her head back just a fraction, so that she was looking up at him.

"Nick?" She spoke him name slowly, "Can I ask a favour?"

"Of course, anything." His finger retraced the path over the chin, round the curve to her lips.

"Can I," Zoe began, "would you mind if," she paused again, "if I slept with you, in your bed? I feel safe when I am with you" The way she worded her question tugged at Nick's heart.

"Of course you can sweetheart, come on lets get you into bed before you feel asleep on my rather uncomfortable sofa, ay!" He said wrapping one arm around her waist and the other arm underneath her knees, so that he was able to support her whilst he moved of his sofa and into his bed room

"Thank you." She said simply.

"your welcome, sweetheart" Nick said whilst placing the most gentlest of kisses on her forehead.

…...

"Zoe" A voice, clear and familiar, "Zoe" again her name, wake up Zoe.

"Where am I?" Zoe stuttered as she stirred in her sleep.

"Zoe, your in my apartment, I'm here don't worry, your safe here."Nick said placing a hand on each of her wrists, appealing little pressure but enough to be holding her so that she didn't hurt herself as she fought to free herself. "Zoe! Wake up!" A male voice shouting, two hands resting on her wrists. "Calm down!" Nick said as she grasped the wrist of her captor and tried to push the hands off of her wrists but it was no good he was too strong. The world swayed then went silent, the man had gone, desperately she searched for him, turning this way and that, reaching out, searching, but he had gone.

Ice cold water hit her face and chest with some force.

Zoe lay there awake, but motionless, her eyes wide open and filled with fear. The water ran through her hair over her brow and dripped into her eyes.

"Zoe." Nick's voice, soft, safe, laden with concern. She looked up at him, he stood beside the bed, the plastic beaker from the bathroom in his hand. "It's all right." he reassured her as she propped herself up on her elbows. She looked at him curiously. She sat up, drew the duvet overs her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around it. Nick set the dripping beaker down on the bedside table and sat on the bed next to her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Hey, it's alright, your safe here." Nick said as Zoe ran a hand over her head, her hair was soaking wet.

"Did you just throw water over me?" She asked softly.

"I had to." Nick whispered as though afraid to admit it.

"Why, was I on fire?" She asked in all seriousness.

"No, I couldn't wake you." He told her gently. "You were having a nightmare, do you want to tell me what the nightmare was about?." He asked her still holding her close.

"I would tell you but I can't remember what it was about." Zoe told him truthfully. "Where am I?" She asked with a confused expression on her face.

"It's okay, you're here now and safe" Nick paused, waiting for some reaction before "Your in my apartment, you're safe here Zo."

"Do you remember the day I came back to Holby?" He asked her trying to lighten the mood?

Zoe licked at a droplet of water that was rolling across her upper lip.

"I was panicking because they was a power cut and I heard footsteps outside my door" She whispered. "Then you came in and made me panic even me causing me to have a panic attack and collapse into your arms and then I woke up on my bed in your arms."

"That's right."

"Can you get me a towel?" She asked, her voice more normal, her eyes meeting Nick's directly for the first time. "Please."

"Stay there." Nick instructed, he hated to leave her liked this.

"Yes boss." She whispered.

"Won't be a moment, I'll just get a towel, for you." He continued to talk as he dashed to the bathroom, grabbed a towel and ran back to the bedroom.

"Still here." Zoe looked up at him, her expression half way between confusion and concern. She took the towel and dried her face and chest then towelled her hair. "Why am I wet?"

"I threw a glass of water over you." Nick explained calmly.

"Oh." Zoe wrapped the towel over her troso and contemplated the damp duvet for a moment. "Could you get me another glass of water?" She asked. "To drink this time." She added with a small smile.

"Yeah sure, wont be a minute" He said as he picked up the empty beaker.

"Do you have a spare duvet?" She asked as he handed her the glass of water.

"Of course." Nick smiled at her, running off into the spare bedroom and grabbing the duvet off the spare bed.

She reached for his hand as he entered the room with the dry spare duvet. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's OK." He breathed, knowing that even in the dim light he could see how violently she was shaking, a fact not helped by being covered in freezing water in the chilled air of the early hours.

"You're cold." He retrieved her bath robe and held it for her as he sat on the bed next to her. As she slipped her arms into it, he asked, "Shall we make a cup of tea?"

"Yes please that would be great, can you bring the duvet as well"

"Yeah of course, come on then."

As Nick made them some tea, Zoe sit on the sofa with the dry duvet that he had retrieved from the spare bedroom wrapped around her still shaking body.

He left the kitchen and wrapped the duvet around her so that she could be both comfortable and warm then he returned to making them they cups of tea, he could still see her shivering even though he had wrapped her in the dry duvet. He stood there watching her carefully, so that he could be there if she looked as though she was going to fall off of his sofa.

He swirled the teabags, watching her rearrange the duvet about herself.

"Thanks." She said as he placed the mugs of tea on the coffee table. She lifted one side of the duvet, indicating that she wanted him to join her in the cocoon she had created. She accepted without hesitation, absorbing the warmth of his body as his arms enclosed around her and pulled the duvet tight.

"You're still shivering Zo"

"I'll be fine soon, I just need to warm up a bit first"

"Come here then snuggle into me a bit more, so that you are able to absorb my body heat." He instructed her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes then drank the tea. After replacing both the mugs on the table, Nick rearranged the duvet making sure Zoe was safe within its soft folds, his arms enclosing her.

"You feeling any warmer?" Nick asked as Zoe repotsitioned herself so that she was lying on top of him.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot warmer"

"Right come on you lets get you back to bed" Nick said as he slipped out of the cover.

"No you stay there a keep warm." Nick instructed Zoe as she tried to follow suit

"But how am I meant to get to the bed if I'm in here?" She questioned him.

"I'm going to carry you and the duvet backing into the bed room" He answered her.

"Oh, alright okay then"

"Are you comfortable and ready to go?" He asked her before going to pick her and the duvet up.

"Yeah I'm ready to go"

"Good" As Nick picked Zoe up in the duvet he felt her relax once more.

"Going down" Nick announced once he got to his bed.

"Stay there and let me climb in with you" He instructed Zoe."

"Your cold again" He said stating the obvious. "Come here and struggle into me and keep warm" He said with his arms open in the cocoon that Zoe had made for them.

"Thanks, I feel as though I'm getting warmer by the second"

"Good now try and get some sleep."

"Stay with me don't leave me now will you?" Zoe questioned, concern obvious in her voice.

"Of course I'll stay Zo, I'll never leave you"

"That's good .Night Nick"

"Night Zo" He said as she fell asleep in his arms.