[ Normally Zack would like to think he's a light enough sleeper that even someone entering his room would be enough to wake him up, but right now? He's exhausted. And he gets the feeling that's going to continue for a while. He's not just recovering from the captivity and the torture, but from a deep-rooted infection. The work of the Coven's nurses can really only do so much.

So, it is the odd smell that causes him to shift in his bed, especially because there's a hint of something familiar too. It's the telltale scent of the Cwyld, along with a lot of other stuff he can't identify.

When he opens his eyes, it's to Cloud's worried face. Immediately there's relief, something that comes any time his Bonded is near, but it's not just about that. Cloud's also his best friend, and despite Zack's own harrowing situation, he'd worried about him.

At the question, he heaves out a sigh and looks to the side, eyeing the wall. ] One of my patrols went sideways, and they overwhelmed me. Those Evergreen Circle guys, I mean. Guess I was careless... [ He clicks his tongue, briefly frustrated.

None of it holds a candle to what he and Cloud have already been through, though. Awful as it is that he had to go through something like that again, he's glad that it was resolved much more quickly this time around. ]