All That We Held Dear - YiZhan (COMPLETED)

Arc VI - The World In Between - Part 5

His entire body shook as he leaned forward, his head between his knees. Heat irradiated from him in waves. He could hardly breathe. He needed to get out of here. Not only because he couldn't be seen like this but because he felt he might die if he didn't move.

He had to find a way to get out. But the pain in his chest and the fear in his heart were so great that he couldn't muster any coherent thought.

As though the hand gripping his chest was the only thing preventing him from falling apart, he was terrified to let go, and so he tried to use the other to push himself back to his feet. However, the floor beneath him was a roiling sea, and its continuous shifting motion nauseated him. As for the walls, even though he couldn't raise his head long enough to look at them, with every fibre of his being, he could sense that they were closing in on him and would ultimately crush him. In fact, the air was already getting thinner, and each breath felt more difficult than the next.

"I have to get out. I have to get out. I have to get out," he whispered over and over in a strangled voice with an increasing sense of dread.

Suddenly, he heard the doors begin to slide open again. Spurred on by the fear that his worse nightmare was about to come true and that he would be found in this unflattering state, he managed to push himself back to an upright seated position and let his upper body fall back against the stainless steel wall. He let out a whimper as his already aching head hit the hard surface once again.

Although he'd managed this herculean feat, he was still too slow and lost to the old elevator door. Utterly defeated, he looked up to see who had walked in on him in such a condition and found himself looking into Chiyou's horrified eyes.

"Heavens! Xiao Zhan! What happened?!" She said as she stepped into the elevator.

Had this been a stranger, he might have been able to come up with a story to save appearances. He might have been able to pull himself together long enough to walk away. However, because it was her, he lost the last shreds of self-control he'd had left.

As he watched her press the emergency stop button, his breathing quickened, and his panic heightened. He shut his eyes and tried to speak, but it only came out in a whimper. It wasn't clear even to himself what he'd been wanting to say. He was also aware that tears were running down his cheeks, but he didn't feel like he was crying. It was as though his body was operating from a completely different set of commands over which he had no control.

He felt Chiyou kneel in front of him.

"Xiao Zhan! Xiao Zhan, look at me!"

He forced his eyes open.

'Are you in pain?" She asked, her brow knitted with worry.

She ran her hands through her hair and then covered her mouth.

"Shit. Shit. Shit," she said to herself before clenching her fists the opening her hands as she exhaled deeply.

With trembling hands, he struggled to take a handkerchief out of the breast pocket of her jacket before handing it to him.

He ignored the object and latched onto her wrist with both his hands. She yelped in surprise.

"I need to get out," he pleaded hoarsely, eyes darting left and right. "I need to get out!" He repeated, tugging on her.

The sudden pull destabilized Chiyou, who fell hard on her knees. She winced.

"I'll get you out," she said, her pitch slightly higher than usual.

"I want to get out," he whined.

As he spoke, he tasted blood which increased his panic. Then, as he began hyperventilating, he involuntarily tightened his grip on Chiyou and drew her closer.