Before the procedure, the doctor took them inside his waiting room.
"If you have any questions, now would be a good time to address them," he says, pleasantly.
Wei Ying is calmed by how nice he's being, and because the doctor is relaxed and trying to put them at ease, he feels much better for being here. Lan Zhan hasn't let go of his hand once, and Wei Ying is extremely glad that he doesn't have to be here by himself. No matter how much he has given himself internal pep talks, it's a different thing actually being here, ready to go under the knife.
"Why do you think a biopsy is necessary?" Lan Zhan asks the doctor immediately.
Wei Ying can feel his hand trembling and he squeezes their connection, just to make him feel better. Caught up in his own panic about the upcoming surgery, he had neglected to consider what Lan Zhan was feeling.
This situation was testing both of them.
"When we conducted your blood test," the doctor is looking at Wei Ying now, "quite by accident, the technician discovered proteins. They were also present in the urine sample you provided. They're called biomarkers or molecular markers, and the fact that they're detected in both your blood and your urine suggests the possibility that cancer is growing in your body. The biopsy is to correctly determine for sure, and to locate where it might be."
Wei Ying shivered.
He had prepared himself beforehand for this very possibility, but now, hearing it from the doctor's mouth made it more real.
"And then?" Lan Zhan demanded, looking straight at the man delivering bad news.
"At this point, we just want to make sure we're not barking up the wrong tree. There are certain steps which have to be taken in order, just so nothing is overlooked." The doctor is still good-natured about answering their questions.
"But if it's cancer, then what?" Wei Ying's mouth feels dry all of a sudden.
It doesn't sound like his voice coming from him, like he's outside his body, watching everything happening in this room.
Lan Zhan covers their hands with his free one, giving him more support.
"It's not so bad. Most cancers are operable, in which case it's simply a matter of removing it and perhaps a round of chemotherapy to ensure it doesn't come back. But first, we need to determine what kind of cancer it is. Then it will be easier to decide what we are going to do about it."
The doctor answers more questions as they arise, matter-of-factly and to the point. He covers what is going to happen in the next room and explains that they'll only be numbing the area from which the sample will be taken, so Wei Ying will be conscious throughout.
"You'll be able to watch the whole procedure from a wall-mounted screen, if you like!" The doctor said, far too cheerfully.
Wei Ying shuddered, and Lan Zhan made a face.
He couldn't imagine anyone wanting to watch themselves be operated on.
"I would like to come in with Wei Ying," he says, when the doctor stands up.
"That depends on what the patient wants." The doctor looks at Wei Ying.
"Yes, please. I want Lan Zhan there."
*************
Wei Ying is quiet on the way back home. He feels tired.
He knows Lan Zhan is worried about him, and while he would like to reassure him that he's fine, Wei Ying simply doesn't have the energy right now.
Lan Zhan parks the car and comes around to Wei Ying's door. He's already hoisted the bag over one shoulder, and he still manages to lift Wei Ying into his arms.
"You don't have to!" Wei Ying protests, but it falls on deaf ears.
"I don't have to," Lan Zhan agrees, "but what if I want to?"
"Then thanks, I guess." Wei Ying smiles, leaning up to kiss his beautiful nose. "But I still think the bag was unnecessary, though."
When they'd gone to the preparation room adjacent to the operating room, Wei Ying had discovered extras inside the holdall, aside from the change of clothes and snacks, which did come in handy after all, Lan Zhan had packed a games console (where had that come from?), a couple of books, and a hairbrush.
"Your arm strength is truly remarkable," Wei Ying continues, as Lan Zhan climbs the steps without breaking a sweat.
There's a slight lift to his lips, otherwise Lan Zhan doesn't say anything.
It's only when they reach Wei Ying's apartment that Lan Zhan speaks.
"Do not be alarmed," he waits for Wei Ying to look at him, as he lowers him so that Wei Ying can stand while Lan Zhan unlocks the door.
"What? Why?" Wei Ying can't help it; he looks anxiously at the door.
"There is another vampire inside." Lan Zhan holds him back from rushing into his apartment. "But I detected two young heartbeats and an older one. They seem to be fine."
That explains Lan Zhan becoming more and more tense as they came closer to the apartment.
Wei Ying's first thoughts had been that Lan Zhan was getting tired.
But it was more serious than that.
"Stand behind me, just in case." Lan Zhan murmurs.
"Whoever it is, they've probably heard us already." Wei Ying remarks, crossing his arms over his chest, impatiently. "And FYI, telling me not to be alarmed has the opposite effect. Just saying."
"Noted. And regardless." Lan Zhan pulls him behind his body and they go in.
Wen PoPo is sitting on the couch with A-Yuan, while JingYi is sitting in his mother's lap.
It's a strange sight.
Wen PoPo stands up and relief is clearly on her face.
"Oh, good, you've arrived," she says, grabbing her handbag and cardigan. "It's getting late..." She comes towards Wei Ying. "Can I have a word?" She motions outside the door.
Wei Ying nods, wanting to tell her that there's no point in being discreet; both the adults back there can hear her in HD surround stereo. He follows her outside the apartment, nudging the door so that it's closed but not locked. He's incredibly glad that Lan Zhan immediately replaced Wen PoPo on the couch, and is currently looking after everyone who isn't a vampire right now.
"Thanks for being here, today." He tells her instead, genuinely feeling grateful.
The doctor's practice wasn't really somewhere he'd want to bring the children, plus JingYi's last visit was still too clear in his head.
"Oh, no worries, child. I wanted to explain about her." Wen PoPo jerks a thumb towards the living room. "She came about an hour ago, and I met her once before, so I didn't think anything of it. She said she wanted to spend some time with her little boy."
Wei Ying nods again.
"Yeah, she came a few days ago and said she would drop by. Why?"
"I don't know...something feels a bit off, to me. But I didn't think she was lying." Wen PoPo shrugged. "Anyway, they're fumigating my block, so I wondered if I could kip here next week? It'll only be for a couple of nights, a week, worst case."
"Sure, sure," Wei Ying waved away the doubt on her face. "As long as you don't mind sleeping on the couch? JingYi is with A-Yuan so no extra room there."
"That's fine. The children have eaten their dinner," she tells him.
"What about you?"
"Yes, I ate with the kids. But she didn't want anything." Wen PoPo sniffs disdainfully, hugs him goodbye, and then with a warning glance back at the living room, she goes down the steps.
Wen PoPo had put their favourite Disney movie on, the Lion King, and the children were fully engrossed in it.
Lan Zhan only got up once Wei Ying sat down on A-Yuan's other side. He heated up a bowl of pasta that he'd made earlier, and brought a fork with him on a tray with pieces of cheese and a drink for Wei Ying.
Wei Ying felt better after eating and he went to wash up by himself.
The level of tension in the living room was sky high and he needed a break.
About Mrs Lan, he had so many questions, it wasn't even funny.
They put the kids to sleep, letting Mrs Lan go in first with JingYi. The little boy seemed so much happier to see his mother, and Wei Ying felt worse about that, because she had vaguely mentioned that it wasn't permanent, her return.
Plus, if anyone who knew her saw her alive and out of a body bag, they were sure to ask questions.
When Wei Ying returns to the living room, (the thought is amusing because he's the only one that definition can be applied to), the tension has increased tenfold.
Lan Zhan waits until Wei Ying is sitting safely behind him.
Then he turns to Mrs Lan and says, "start talking."
***********
A/N
Dear Lovely Readers,
I didn't want to leave you guys without an update since I couldn't publish anything yesterday.
Things are going to get a lot more interesting now, that's for sure!
Thanks so much for getting this book up to 25K, I'm so happy with the response so far!
Have a great day with plenty of chocolate!
Charlie
P.S.
This is a disclaimer on the medical stuff - I got everything from Google and filled in the holes myself, so really, if you have legit questions, please ask a real doctor!