Red Light

Truth Will Out

Yu Bin woke again. Someone was calling his partner. He couldn't figure out why. Trying to look around the room, he realized his eyes weren't working the way they should. Everything was blurry and they didn't want to stay open.

"A'Sang?" he managed to croak out. Nie Huaisang could fix whatever the problem was. Yu Bin had faith in him.

He looked at the room between long blinks. There were nurses and orderlies and guys from the station. Too much noise. Too much light. Yu Bin tried to rub his face but his left hand wouldn't move. He tugged at it trying to get it loose. It was strapped to a board? Now people he didn't know were telling him not to and trying to keep his arm from moving. Yu Bin was confused and getting angry. Anger wasn't a common emotion for him.

"Don't touch me."

"I'm your nurse and I -" the voice was demanding, irritating, grating.

There was a roar. "Don't touch me!" It felt like his throat was being ripped to shreds. If the roar hadn't been enough, even half drugged, the look he gave her would have been. Yu Bin left no doubts he wouldn't tolerate it.  She backed away afraid.

"Do NOT touch me." His whisper was ragged. Painful.

She stood away from the bed unsure of what to do now.

As long as she wasn't touching him, he didn't care what she did.

He was so thirsty and his throat hurt so bad.

"A'Qing? A'Sang?" He lifted his head for a moment to look at the chaos in the room. They were here. They had to be here. They wouldn't leave him. Would they?
-----

Lan Wangji slid into the room. It was a disaster. All the over head lights were on. There were nurses, orderlies and police officers filling the room. All of them trying to talk. Yu Bin was roaring at some nurse. Wei Ying was calling him and hiding his eyes from the light.

Lan Wangji didn't curse often but there were times events demanded it.

"Get. The. Fuck. Out." His voice was a low predatory snarl. "Now."

It cut through the noise with razor efficiency. Dead silence fell as they all turned toward Lan Wangji. His body language said it all. His feet had unconsciously taken a slightly wider stance. Steady and balanced, he was ready for all comers. Or to attack with ruthless accuracy.

"I won't say it again." His voice was deadly calm. They all knew what the detective had done in mere moments to Wen Chao. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of that. They quietly filed out.
-----

Nie Huaisang had heard the roar followed by "Don't touch me!".

It was Yu Bin.

He started running.
-----

"Yu Bin? Nie Huaisang will be here in a moment. I won't let those people back in here." Lan Wangji began turning off the over head lights leaving just the sconces on. "It's okay."

"A'Sang?" The voice was a hoarse whisper.

"He'll be here any second. I promise, partner." Lan Wangji's voice was soothing. Calming.

"Promise?" It was a question from a hopeful child.

"Promise."

"'Mn..." Yu Bin's voice trailed off. Lan Wangji then turned to the other man in the room.

"Wei Ying? I'm here. You called me and I'm here."

Every so slowly, Lan Wangji approached Wei Ying. The man was in tears and muttering to himself. Trying to hunch over around the pain.