[ The first comment makes Zack pause. Because thinking of the lost townspeople never brings any good feelings out of him. But then Al goes on and there's a swift shake of his head as Zack chuckles. ] Nah, I'm good! [ There's a toothy smile there. Part a tease- like hell I'd be caught dead in that -but the true reality's pretty straightforward. With Al in the kind of state he's in, he's gonna need as much clothing to keep him warm as possible.

So, he's not worrying about Al's precious MANLY DIGNITY at the moment. Screw that. Zack's SOLDIER where you learn to take care of your own and minimize the bitching about having others care for you, even if you do find it embarrassing.

He's patient enough to allow Al to feel the gown with his fingers before he takes it by the one sleeve and starts gently tugging it up his arm. He keeps the movements careful and easy on his skin. After seeing what happened to Al's hair, he doesn't want to make anything worse. But once he's got the one arm through, he's back to curling an arm around his back. But this time, it's to pull the robe over. Easy... easy. He smile, having been lost for a bit as he's concentrated on the task, returns faintly. ] Gonna get your other arm and and then I'm gonna lift you, so we can tuck it under, alright?