I will always put you first (WangXian modern au)

19. "Please..."

Lan Zhan, Yunnan

I get a call from Jing Yi and that's when I realize it's morning. They are here with the medical team. The Bravo team has accompanied them. I meet my boys, we discuss assignments and I appoint people to stay with Wen Zhu Li and Wei Ying. They have strict instructions to let only a handful of people in which have been vetted by Dr. Wen Ning. Once everything is in place, I head back to the base.

Based on the evidence we had seen yesterday we raid Wen Rou Han's offices and arrest him. We work with local law enforcement officers, public prosecutors, and lawyers for the next steps. I make sure I get hourly updates from my people posted at YMC.

After dinner, I take a quick shower and get a small overnight bag ready. Two officers from the Bravo team, and I head back to YMC. We relieve the people on duty there.

I see that Jiang Cheng, Wen Qing, and Wen Ning are in his room. The hospital doctors had discharged Wen Ning after 8 hours of observation. They are reminiscing about their childhood. As they see me come in, they get up and walk towards me. "Captain Lan, thank you for being here for Wei Wu Xian. We were about to head out.", Jiang Cheng says. "No need to thank me. This is what I should do. Did the doctor say anything? Any progress?", I can't help asking. "Nothing very different. It's only been a few hours. They said the ventilator tubes will come out after 72 hours if there are no new complications." He explains.

"Alright, we will head out then." Dr. Wen Ning says as he guides the other two out. "A-Cheng, A-Ning, give me a couple of mins. Both of you go ahead. I need to talk to Captain Lan for a min." Shejie tells them as she stays back.

She hands me a small paper bag. "This is for you, Wang Ji. I can feel there's so much you want to say to him. But it will be a while before he can listen and respond. Use these to write your thoughts. You can journal or write letters to him. It will help you channel your energies instead of keeping them bottled up.", she pats my shoulder and smiles. "Um... Thank you, Shijie. I will try...", I respond as she heads out.

In the bag, I find a journal, a letter pad, and a couple of pens. I set these aside for now and go sit with my Wei Ying. I touch his fingers gently. They look swollen. But I focus on the warmth in them. "Please come back to me, my Wei Ying. Come back to your Lan Zhan." I silently beg.

The hospital staff has been kind enough to set up a temp bed for me. I take care of my nighttime routine, get on the bed, and start writing in my journal.

"Date:
My Wei Ying,
Please come back to me.
Please come back to your Lan Zhan.
Please call me Lan Zhan, just one more time."

I can't help a rogue tear from falling and it creates a smudge. I leave it be.

"Dui bu qi, Wei Yiaa, for yelling at you like that the other night. I was jealous and I was worried. I was stupid to have listened to Su She's crap. I should not have taken out any of it on you. Can you find it in your heart to forgive your Lan Zhan?"

Another tear. Another smudge.

"Wei Yiaa, please don't leave me. Lan Zhan can't be without his Wei Ying.

Yours. Only yours. Forever. Always yours,
Lan Zhan"

I close the journal and give up controlling my tears.

Lan Zhan, Yunnan, 6 days after Wei Ying's rescue

Wen Zhu Li was discharged a couple of days ago and is in the military prison at our base for now. Wen Chao, Su She, Wen Rou Han are also there. We are waiting for the court's decision about handing them over to the local law enforcement.

For the past one week, my routine has changed. During the day I chase various tasks on handing over the case for narcotics. During the night, I take guard duty for my Wei Ying, no weekly offs.

Tonight after dinner and a quick nighttime routine, I ride my bike to the YMC. They have taken the ventilator off.

The swelling in his head has been healed with medication. Overall his body is showing good progress on healing. I look at him lying on the hospital bed. There's still an IV, an oxygen mask, and the heart monitor that he is connected to. But I can finally hold his hand.

"Wei Ying, have you been sleeping well? Wake up now, love. Please talk to me. Call me Lan Zhan." I whisper to him as I sit by his side taking his hand in mine. The swelling on his fingers seems to have gone down a little bit. I don't know how long I sit there. Looking at him, caressing his fingers. "Can you hear my voice, Wei Yiaa? Can you feel my touch?" I ask him after some time. My heart hurts when he does not respond.

I sigh, sit on my temp bed, and write in my journal. I tell him about the case. I tell him about Si Zhui and Jing Yi who miss him.

I miss him too. Terribly. But I don't tell him that today.

Wei Ying

I wake up and realize I have no sense of time or space. Someone is holding my hand. I feel their touch very soothing.

I want to open my eyes. But my brain is unable to do that, unable to move the eyelids. I want to move my hands to feel things around me. But it's like the signals from my brain are not reaching my arm muscles. What kinds of a trap is this? Am I paralyzed? I am beginning to panic.

That's when I hear his baritone voice. "Wei Ying, have you been sleeping well? Wake up now, love. Please talk to me. Call me Lan Zhan."  It's Lan Zhan. My Lan Zhan. He sounds sad. I want to call him, talk to him, let him know I am sorry. I don't clearly remember about what, but I know I want to apologize to him.

But I can't even move my lips.

All I can do is focus on his touch and slowly drift into darkness.