To Which Our Future Holds (A ZaDr Story)

Chapter 23

Lizzy opened the cabinet and retrieved some bandages and a burn cream from the First Aid kit.
Zim stood silently as he waited, his posture upright and calm, his face still and emotionless. Lizzy turned and held out her hand, Zim offering up his arm not seeming to care. "You were hurt pretty bad are you sure you are alright?" Lizzy asked as she tenderly began to wrap his arm. Zim gazed down and away from Lizzy, his gaze hollow and his voice still silent. "Hey, Zim look at me." She spoke her voice gentle, as she stopped mid wrap. 
With a gaze that seemed to drop its mask and whimper at the edges Zim glanced up at Lizzy. "Listen Zim'' she said "I want you to understand something. I Don't want you to be scared, if you have something to say I want you to, so I can help you." 

Finishing wrapping Zim's arm she turned to his fingers, carefully applying a pale cream over them. "I'm not here to hurt you" she continued "Or to get you into trouble, it's okay if you do something wrong or mess up." She said wrapping his fingers in a soft bandage "So I want you to trust me, you're going to be okay now, it's safe here." 

Zim seemed to freeze as she said that, not that he was moving much anyways, his sharp uniformed gaze and posture seemed to all fall away as his eyes locked with hers. Zim continued to look up at her as she let go of his hand, the bandages now carefully wrapped around his fingers. Tears began to slide down his cheeks, his voice coming out in a soft whisper "Zim is safe?" He asked, Lizzy smiled and nodded "Yes, you're safe now" Zim's shoulders began to shake as he placed his hands over his eyes trying desperately to wipe away the flows of tears. Placing a hand on Zim's back she reassured him "Hey Zim, it's okay. Let it all out" 
Zim began to whimper, his soft hics turning into heavier sobs.

Ash rushed around the corner stopping in the doorway with a wide grin on his face "Hey mommy daddy is all ready and he said we could go to the park now!" The grin dropped from Ash's face as he saw Zim's trembling figure "Zim, why are you crying?" He asked. Zim's eyes snapped open as he looked at Ash, who stood there calmly in the doorway, his gaze resting on Zim. "A-Ash smeet." Zim whimpered before running over and engulfing the small child in a tight hug.
Resting his head into Zim's shoulder and wrapping his arms around his back Ash cuddled Zim "Don't worry Zim'' Ash reassured "Everything is going to be okay, I'll protect you." Lizzy felt her heart melt as she saw them embrace. Her son's gentle love seeming un-bounded to the poor child who desperately gripped onto him. "How much has he been through" she thought as she watched him cry. 

Dib's voice brought her gaze up as he turned the corner, his black trench coat seeming to engulf the hallway as it slinked behind him. "What happened?" He asked worriedly "Is everything alright, what happened to Zim?"

Without much thought Lizzy grabbed onto her husband and pulled him further down the hall and away from the scene "Don't worry he's fine" she assured as she lead him down the stairs, Dib cast a worried glance over his shoulder, though he still followed reluctantly, but without question. 

"Listen Dib I have a couple things I need to ask you"
Dib stood with Lizzy in the living room as she still held onto his wrist. "Listen Dib, I know things have been.. Difficult and we haven't exactly has the best of luck with communicating lately, but can you at least be honest with me?" Lizzy let go of her husband as she looked up into his eyes, the reflection of light glinting across it for a split second as he glanced down to look at her. "Dib, I understand that you are worried for Zim, and that's why I agreed to this whole thing in the first place"
Lizzy took in a deep breath as she continued "But you have to understand that I can't properly help unless I know what's going on, so please tell me Dib, do you know what happened to Zim?" 

Dib looked away from his wife, his gaze nothing close to one of open communion, "Zim.. lost everything. And it's all my fault" Lizzy tried to reach out to her husband but he brushed her away. "It was a mistake I made thirteen years ago that ruined both our lives." Lizzy thought over his answer, it once again was vague and unclear, however a particular point caught her thoughts.
 "Thirteen years ago?" She thought, "Isn't that about how long ago his friend-" Lizzy looked back up at her husband in shock. His gaze, not meeting hers, was narrowed and locked on something far off and distant, perhaps even something that wasn't real.

"Is Zim somehow related to his friend?" Lizzy thought "I mean it would describe the odd relationship, and why he's never mentioned him before"
Lizzy opened her mouth to ask another question when she was interrupted by the chirp of her son's voice "Can we go to the park now?" Ash asked, standing on the stairs. Dib turned and gave a soft smile "Not yet Ash, if Zim's coming he has to get ready too." Huffing with determination Ash turned around and bolted up the stairs "Ok, then I'll go tell him!" 

Dib watched his son with a sort of somber look "Hopefully Zim doesn't throw a fit over this." he muttered leaving Lizzy with a puzzled look on her face, once again left with only vague answers and far more questions.
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