Fluffy WangXian Oneshots Book Two

Music And Memories Part 2

He's got so many questions. Lan Zhan stares back at this face, older now than he remembers, but still belongs to his beloved Wei Ying.

As the song comes to an end, the pin-drop silence before the ecstatic screams of the crowd jolts Lan Zhan into action. He picks Wei Ying up, cradling him close to his chest, and he begins moving towards the doors that lead to the Green Room. There's still a while before the band comes back, but he needs to get Wei Ying somewhere quiet where he can be examined. He knows something is wrong.

Luckily, Lan Zhan catches the eye of a stagehand.

"Get a paramedic. Green Room," he tells her urgently as she nods, immediately running off to do that.

It hadn't gone unnoticed, the way Wei Ying's face had clenched in pain, how his eyes, usually so bright with amusement, were confused instead.

Or how he hadn't recognised Lan Zhan at all.

Worry worms its way into Lan Zhan's heart as he enters the back passage behind the stage. The sound of the concert is muffled though he recognises that the band is announcing one last song before they say good night. That's a relief, because this situation is simply too huge to fit adequately in his mind, and Lan Zhan should be forgiven for needing a moment to himself.

He uses his back to push open the door, helped by the security guard who holds it so Lan Zhan can enter safely. As it shuts behind him, Lan Zhan goes to the ratty couch hugging the wall and lays down his precious cargo. He checks that Wei Ying is still breathing and then he checks his temperature, making sure that outwardly at least, nothing is wrong.

But his mind can't get past one word: how?

How is this Wei Ying, here and now, with him? How is he dressed in the uniform of the stewards who regularly monitor the venue and have been doing it for the past ten days? Has Wei Ying been right here, under his nose so to speak, within reach all this time? What the fuck is going on??

Lan Zhan starts pacing, every few seconds pausing to make sure that it's really Wei Ying lying there. He hasn't moved at all, and just when Lan Zhan is considering going to look for the paramedics himself, the door opens and the green uniforms walk in, carrying cases of equipment. He watches as they move into fast action. There are three of them, two treating Wei Ying as they take his blood pressure and general condition, while the third interrogates Lan Zhan about the patient.

Lan Zhan reports exactly what happened, making sure to add that Wei Ying looked to be in pain before he passed out.

The senior of the three stands up after a while, signing off on an online form. "We think it's better if he's admitted into hospital just to be safe. There might be internal injuries that need attention which can be overlooked if nothing is out of the ordinary on the outside."

"I'm coming with him," Lan Zhan tells him, fishing out his phone.

The next few minutes are spent with the paramedics organising transport to the waiting ambulance outside while Lan Zhan messages the group. He does not hide the truth of it, but he does try to soften the trauma of the situation, once the others find out. They'll be too shocked to attend their own farewell celebratory party tonight, but they'd be more upset with Lan Zhan if he wasn't forthcoming about finding Wei Ying in the first place.

He's tense as the ambulance leaves the stadium grounds. Lan Zhan tells himself that there's no use speculating what might have happened to Wei Ying during these past thirteen years. Only Wei Ying will be able to say. He must be content that Wei Ying is healthy, and even if it's only on the outside, that he looks okay.

Once they reach the hospital, Wei Ying is whisked away to have tests done, leaving an anxious Lan Zhan pacing in a waiting room. Thankfully, it's in a quieter part of the emergency department, and nobody recognises him. People filter out until at last, he's on his own just waiting.