*wang yibo pov*
Within a hour, they reached the hospital and quickly took zhan to emergency. Yibo sat down in front of the cabin on a waiting chair with his face buried in his hands. The dark void of lifelessness which crowded his insides for the last few days, started to go away and a sliver of hope shone through his heart. But still the worry didn't cease.
Will he be alright? Yibo thought while staring at the closed door of zhan's cabin where doctors where checking on him. Yubin went to one corner to inform the parents about zhan and come to the hospital. Zhuo Cheng rushed towards the reception counter for the bills. Haikuan sat beside yibo.
"Yibo, dont worry. He will be alright. Just have some faith, OK?" Haikuan ressured his brother. Yibo looked at haikuan.
"I know he will be fine, but still i can't help but worry. I can't help it." Yibo said in a low voice. Haikuan smiled.
"I knew zhan through Cheng. During his school days, i often saw him faint from exhaustion or get hurt. He had iron deficiency, and somehow always made himself over worked. No matter how much Cheng or his friend Jingyu scolded him not to pressure himself, he still didn't listen. He continued and made himself ober worked and exhausted. But he had a strong will power. He was strong not only from outside, but inside too. And all i know after all those years is that, zhan is not someone who will give up on his life so easily until or unless there is total lose of hope. So dont worry. Have faith in him." Haikuan said and patted yibo's back.
Yibo looked at his brother with wonder. If zhan, zhuo cheng and his brother studied in the same school, how could it be that yibo never saw zhan? After all he was in the same school too. But he never got to know him...why? Then realisation hit him hard. He wasn't a very social person when he was young and often spent his time during the lunch breaks inside some practice rooms to avoid attention. Would all be different if he knew zhan from the beginning? He faintly remembers playing with zhan at Xiao mansion when he was mabye two years old. But other than that small piece of memory,he had nothing else.
Yubin arrived at his side.
"Kuan-ge, yibo, i informed yours and zhan's parents. Ji li and zan jin will be here soon too." Yubin said. Haikuan smiled.
"Thank you yubin, u have helped us a lot this time." Haikuan said.
"Please dont mention it. Zhan is my friend too. As a friend its my duty to keep him safe." Yubin said but then his eyes fall on the blood stain on yibo's shirt; his injured arm.
"Yibo....i think you should treat your wound. Dont leave it like that."
Yibo looked at yubin. He almost forgot about his gunshot wound as he was too focused on zhan. Now that he remembered it, the stinging pain seemed to come back and he hissed.
"Yibo, I'm calling a doctor, you wait here." Haikuan said and left. After a while he came back with a doctor at his heels. He followed the doctor into a room and let him treat his wound.
After his arm was bandaged, He came out and saw his parents, zhan's parents, ji li and zan jin standing infront of zhan's cabin.
Zhang jing's eyes fall on yibo.
"Yibo! Are u alright??! I heard that u got shot?" Zhang jing said and came towards yibo to check on the latter. Carman lee followed.
"I'm fine aunty Zhang. The main thing is, zhan is alright now." Yibo said while smiling at zhan's mother. He then hugged his own mother when he saw carman lee shed a drop of tear.
"Yah! Mom! Stop crying I'm alright now." Yibo said while pouting. Carman smiled.
"No, I'm crying happy tears. My baby boy yibo has grown up and become so strong. He now pproved that he is good enough to protect and stand beside his loved ones." Carman said while wiping her tears. Yibo rolled his eyes at his mother.
" How can i ever thank you yibo? My zhan zhan is so lucky to have you by his side." Zhang jing said .
"I will always protect him till my last breath aunty Zhang."
"He is dead...?" Lu jian min asked haikuan. Haikuan nodded grimly.
"He can now rest with his father and brother." Qiren said with a small smile.
The doctor came out after a while and everyone rushed towards him.
"Doctor how is my son?" Lu jian min asked.
"Mr. Xiao is now out of danger. He had lack of necessary nutritions due to starving for 72 hours. Now he is under care and we have put him under saline. He will not wake up now. It may take time upto two days. But he will wake up soon." The doctor saidwith a smile. After they were done with the formalities, they went inside, one person at a time. After everyone was done, yibo went inside last.
He closed the cabin door behind him and looked at the unconscious figure lying on the bed. The sight broke his heart.
Zhan looked pale and really thin. Although after the treatment he looked a bit better, but still frail. Yibo walked towards the bed and sat down on the stool. He took zhan's hand in his and caressed it with his thumb.
"Wake up soon baobei....i promise i will never let anything happen to you again...i will love you and stay by your side forever...we will grow grey together...i love you, my bunny...please wake up soon." Yibo said and a tear rolled down his cheeks. He smiled.
"I now fully understand what actually does the fear of losing someone you treasure, feels like. Believe me...it feels worser than dying.." Yibo lifted up the interwhined hands of his and zhan's and kissed it gently with care.
After few minutes he got up and kissed zhan's forehead and left the room while wiping his tears.
...............
It was finally decided that yibo will stay beside zhan for the night in the hospital. He went home, ate his dinner. Carman lee packed some clothes for him and he came back to the hospital.
A nurse was checking up on zhan, measuring his pulse.The nurse turned around when she heard someone come in.
"Oh, mr. Wang. U have come..." The nurse said and smiled. Yibo smiled back slowly.
"How is he?" Yibo asked with concern.
"Mr. Xiao's health is getting better and hopefully by tomorrow evening, he will wake up." The nurse said and gave zhan his medications. After she was done, she turned to yibo.
"Mr. Wang, i suppose u will be staying with mr. Xiao tonight?"
Yibo nodded.
"OK then. Please suit yourself and if you need anything, please call me anytime. Good night." The nurse said and left.
Yibo spent at least a hour holding zhan's hand in his and talking endlessly about this and that, as if zhan was hearing. After that he got up and kissed zhan's forehead and caressed his hair.
"Goodnight, love." Yibo said fondly and went towrds the small couch placed on one side of the room and laid himself down.
After 4 days, yibo felt light and the heavy weight of tension was lifted of his shoulders. Finally he felt the urge of sleepiness after spending sleepless nights for the last couple of days. His injured arm felt numb due to the morphine which doctor gave to reduce the pain. He turned on his side, and looked towards the bed were zhan was laying down. His mind flashed back to those days when he used to cuddle zhan to sleep. Zhan's blushing face was one of the few treasured memories he had.
A slight nervousness overtook him. Will zhan accept him after he knows yibo's feelings towards him? Would he feel the same? Would he really see yibo more than just a friend after he wakes up?
Billions of thoughts crowded his mind. His fingers between his teeth, chewing his nails out of existence. He was sure his mom was gonna faint after she sees her son's damaged nails, but he couldnt care less.
Finally sleep overtook him and he drifted off to his dream land.