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In all real honesty, alone time was probably the very last thing Zeke wanted, but Ever had already nipped off to check on the trainees he'd pulled to safety, and Cee headed back to the dorms before Zeke could really think of a way to ask her to stay. Though it did save him from having to admit it altogether, and that was something, at least.

He'd also take the opportunity to catch a shower, scrubbing away the sand, the sweat, the blood, and any remnants of the centipedes they'd just faced down. It didn't help, not really. His skin still felt like it was crawling no matter how hard he worked the loofah. Scrubbing until his skin was red and raw in places.

Instead of his usual jeans he'd slipped into a pair of scrubs, then made his way back down to the infirmary. Whether or not they stayed there was up to them, the Mist didn't honestly care, but he'd gather up what he needed to patch the both of them up by raiding a storage cabinet in an examine room that wasn't currently occupied by someone injured on the trip. Yet.

Cee had done as she'd said but the shower was quick and cold and she was extra careful not to mess with the blisters even though she had an insane urge to pop them. There may have been some shower screaming, disgust and frustration and indescribable feelings about coming back here only to find herself immediately in the Sahara again.

When she reappeared to meet the boys she'd traded out the heels for her wedge sneakers and her mass of hair was up in a wrap. Makeup on point. Some old worn sweats made into shorts. Cee was good to go.

"God Ever you still look like balls.." She sighed as she approached. That hug would not be coming yet.

"I'm okay, it can wait." Except then Ever paused, looking between the two of them -- at Cee's somewhat nervous, standoff-ish manner, and the way that Zeke paused before he spoke.

"Unless you guys are telling me that I smell bad, and that's why you both have that look on your face..." Meaningfully, he gestured to his own face, expression melting to concern as he found somewhere to sit down.

"Figured you'd probably be feel better clean," Zeke said with a shrug, hands full of gauze and packets of swabs. He lay them on his thighs, put the shelf back up, and then loaded everything back on it except for a few essentials he'd need for Cee's legs and whatever was under Ever's pant leg.

Standing, he'd shoot the blonde a look that was almost a peer. "If you do stink, it's not like I care."

He was moving around with purpose, focusing on what he was doing, because that made it easier not to think about what they'd just been through. Hooking a stool, he pulled it over to Cee, but he planted a kiss on her head before sitting down. "Glad you're home." Then he patted his thighs. "Legs please."

Cee's tanned legs were presented with their red smattering of wounds. She smiled small to the kiss on the head. Zeke seemed to have changed in the time she was away.

"Like in gen'ral or like back there? Cause that was some bug guts and ********.. Acid like erry three feet. I did run into a kinda hottie beardo.. anyone know his name? Black hair? Like kinda older than usual?"

"I'm vapin' now." Runic vaping. What was this world coming to?

Ever was frowning, just faintly, turning the word vaping over in his mind -- and it was more than possible he didn't have a damned clue what that meant. Impossible to tell if it was something he'd tread with a curious interest, should Cee explain, or if he'd be horrible. It was probably expensive. But then, so were cigarettes, these days.

"...I'm okay." Which was certainly untrue. Ever's shield still felt fragile around the edges. But he said it anyway, his eyes dropping down to where Zeke worked on Cee's leg. "That was a s**t thing for them to do to all those trainees, though."

Zeke didn't disagree with Ever's assessment. The Sahara wasn't even a place for the most skilled hunters among them, so expecting trainees to survive it unaided was just ludicrous. Baptism by fire did seem like a the usual means of breaking in a large number of trainees all at once, though. Zeke had missed that sort of an introductions. One of only a mall handful that had woken up around the same time.

"No one should have to endure the Sahara." Let alone trainees. Tight lipped, he dabbed at one of the burns before applying a healthy layer of salve to it. Then he was patting her legs gently to let her know she could have her feet back.

He'd have to shake his head to her question though. "Not recently. Saw her new years, like a year and a half ago, but not since then." Which was concerning.

When his lap was free he'd roll over to Ever, reach down to hook his heel with a hand so he could left it slowly to rest it on his lap. "Centipede bite?" It was likely, but since he hadn't seen it, it'd be wise to confirm it. "How badly does it hurt, and are their any other symptoms you've noticed?"

The only expression of feeling to hear that no one had heard from Paige was Cee's momentary silence. She looked at her nails, pulled her hands through her hair idly, looked at the ends, then stretched her leg and looked at what Zeke had done to the blisters.

"I ******** hate bugs.." There was genuine venom in her muttering, though she looked back up at the boys before cocking one of her usual coy smiles. "Don't neither of you go and decide on any more Sahara missions, aight?"

Cee would seem to be as evasive and detached as ever, or at least doing a good job appearing to be.