Baby Don't Stop

Chapter Thirteen

            What's going on? Why do his limbs feel like jelly and the world seem so far away? Ten tries to shake some clarity into his head. But it doesn't work; actually his thoughts get foggier and foggier.
            Ten reaches out to someone passing by him. "I uh think I need some water." At least that's what he wanted to say but what came out of his mouth was a garbled mess, not actual words. He could barely make out the expression on the person in front of him. He saw a mess of dark hair and a baseball cap, but that's all he could see.
            But they must have known what he meant because they looped one of his arms over their shoulders and started to pull him away. Ten tried with all his might to keep his feet underneath him and his eyes open. But the last thing he can remember is getting into a black car
            and then the world goes dark.

                    —————•••—————

            Taeyong can feel himself start to panic. Where is Ten? Where did he go? Taeyong searches in every stall and exits the bathroom again. One of the staff quickly hurries past him but he stops he by placing his hand on her shoulder. "Have you seen Ten?" he looks into her eyes and askes. She stares back at him confused and alarmed. She quickly shakes her head and Taeyong lets go of her arm so that she can scurry off.
            Taeyong paces forward and tries to look all around him for Ten.
            He hears someone calling for him. "Taeyong, what are you doing? You need to get back to set? Where is Ten?" it's their manager.
            "I- I don't know. I've been looking for him. But he's gone. He's gone." Taeyong's voice raises in pitch as he speaks. He's gone, he's gone and it is probably Taeyong's fault. He knows it has something to do with him.
            "What do you mean Ten is gone? Where did he go?" Their manager looks around himself quickly? When Taeyong doesn't respond their manager grabs him and shakes him. "Where is Ten?"
            "I don't know! If I knew I would tell you! All I know is he is gone!" Taeyong realizes he is yelling and tries to lower his voice. "I've been looking for him for the past ten minutes. And he isn't here."
            "Have you called his cell phone?"
            "Cell phone? Oh, no I didn't."  Taeyong cursed himself for not doing that sooner. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Ten's number. It rang and rang and rang then went to voicemail. Taeyong dialed again. Voicemail. Taeyong could almost feel himself losing control of his fingers as he dialed again and again. He could still feel his fingers typing even after his manager had taken his phone.
            Their manager turned and started yelling. "Everyone go home! The broadcast is over. And if anyone sees Ten tell him to get his ass to my office ASAP."
            People start packing up things and bustling around Taeyong. None of them try to talk to him or move him. And he just stays there staring ahead at nothing. His eyes are unfocused and his hands still holding the shape of his phone not realizing it wasn't there anymore.
            Ten was gone. He had left. He left Taeyong. Where he went or what he was doing, Taeyong could only guess. But Taeyong had probably crossed a line in the interview and it was too much for Ten and so he left.
            Taeyong tried to take some deep breaths to calm himself down. He should go after Ten and apologize. He would promise not to do it again. He would swear to be on his best behavior. Anything to get Ten back.
            Finally Taeyong feels one of the staff pull him towards one of the cars. They sit him down and drive off. Taeyong spends the whole ride staring out of the window. He searches every face for the familiar features of Ten, but none of them match.
            When the car finally stops Taeyong looks up at the building. They have stopped at the dorms. He didn't want to just go home and wait. He wanted to be out there looking for Ten. He needed to find Ten.
            But it was like his body was on auto pilot, just going where ever the people steered him. Into the building, up the stairs, and into the dorm. He just stood there for the longest time in the entry way until finally the front door opened again.
            Taeyong turned around hoping that it was Ten. But in walked Doyoung and Yuta.
            "Hey there! How was the broadcast?" asks Doyoung. He slips off his shoes and starts to walk past Taeyong into the kitchen. When he sees Taeyong still standing in the doorway he stops. "Where is Ten? Did you guys make up yet?" Doyoung's words quietly fade out.
            Before he finishes speaking Taeyong is shaking his head.
            "No, Ten left somewhere. No one knows where and no one can get a hold of him." Taeyong finally realizes that his phone isn't in his hand and starts to pat his pockets. His manager must have slipped his phone into his pocket when he was dazed out. Front and center is a text.