Ryeowook was passed around from one doctor to the other before all agreed he was well enough to go home.  He was handed prescriptions he knew wouldn't be filled and suggestions in case he needed to see another doctor after being discharged.  He was buckled into a cab with Zhou Mi and shipped silently back to the apartment building.  He felt bad he had no time to say good bye to Yesung, since a nurse had taken him away just before he was about to apologize… again.  He hadn't said sorry, and so he felt guilty.

When the cab finally rolled to a stop in front of the apartment building, Ryeowook was dragged out and led to the door.  He looked up at the seemingly endless building, felt nausea sweep over him, pushed it aside, and kept walking into the lobby. He was greeted with an onslaught of questions, and when the lights started flashing he realized it was the press and suddenly felt envious of Zhou Mi's ability to just disappear.  A hand was pressed against his back and he was gently guided forward.  He could see no one in the corner of his eye, which caused a wave of relief to wash over him.  At least Zhou Mi hadn't gone ahead without him.

Ryeowook stumbled into the elevator and the doors quickly closed.  As the elevator rose, sounds from the lobby grew distant, and then were gone completely.  Zhou Mi appeared when the elevator stopped at their floor.

"It's a little crazy," Zhou Mi warned, linking his arm with Ryeowook's, heading for the door.  "Kui says the cops came home with him, just to keep an eye on Henry, and Han Geng and Heechul are going completely ape trying to keep Donghae from planting a few seeds up their asses…"

His explanation died into a fit of giggles, something Ryeowook didn't think necessary.  What were necessary were answers.  Why were there cops there; what did they have to do with Henry; who was keeping the group together without Eeteuk there?  Ryeowook opened his mouth to ask the questions, but the door swung open and most were answered.

Henry was on the couch, sandwiched between two men in uniforms, and Kyuhyun was leaning against the glass door that led out to the balcony with a younger woman, also in uniform, who was looking wary.  Hankyung was on the floor… or rather, sitting on Donghae who was on the floor, and a young girl, whom he assumed was Heechul, was amusing Eunhyuk with some strange hand game.  The group seemed under control, but Ryeowook knew they were in complete chaos.  After all, Shindong, Sungmin, and Siwon were out of the apartment, and they only left when things got really out of hand.

Zhou Mi left Ryeowook's side to go up to Kyuhyun, wrapping his arms around his waist.  The poor woman near them looked like she'd want nothing more than to be able to melt into the floor.  Ryeowook almost felt bad for her, until he noticed Henry stand up.  He started towards him, only to be stopped by one of the officers on the couch.  Henry sat on the couch again, frowning and glaring at the floor.

"Henry, what's going on?" Ryeowook questioned, and suddenly Henry's glare was on him.

"Don't talk to him," Kyuhyun answered, looking at Henry from over Zhou Mi's shoulder.

"Then answer his questions!" Henry shouted, causing one of the officers to reach for his handcuffs.

He didn't need them, though, since Zhou Mi stepped away from Kyuhyun to place himself in front of Ryeowook.  Ryeowook narrowed his eyes, suspicious of what Zhou Mi was planning.  He didn't need another invasion of privacy, even if it would be Zhou Mi's life flooding into his mind.  He was sure the dull ache in his head was from Zhou Mi's last stunt, and not from his fall to the floor.

"Kui…?" Zhou Mi's voice was light and playful, his expression anything but. "Can I bring Ryeowook to our room?"

Kyuhyun's mumbled yes sounded vaguely jealous, but it didn't seem to bother Zhou Mi as he took Ryeowook's hand and guided him to the large room Kyuhyun had made perfectly safe for his ghost of a boyfriend.  Ryeowook could hear a high giggle behind him, flinched as it quickly turned into Heechul's baffling laughter.  It cut off immediately, with the rest of the noise from the living room, and Ryeowook was grateful that Henry was still watching out for him.

Ryeowook was seated on the couch, Zhou Mi across the room on the bed, relaxed and his usual self again.  Ryeowook never questioned his strange attitude swings, never bothered to ask why Zhou Mi had suddenly been "different" when he floated in a few days after his death.  Needless to say, that scene had created a bond between him and Kyuhyun, had actually sparked their relationship.  After all, Kyuhyun had been silently wishing for Zhou Mi's affection.  Despite that grim night, it had been rather amusing to see Kyuhyun continuously pass through Zhou Mi when he first attempted to slap him, and then kiss him.

"Li Xu, I need your consent for this," Zhou Mi told Ryeowook, voice still light.

"No."

The happy expression faded from the ghost's face, a grim look took its place.  Zhou Mi stood from the bed, stepped up to the couch, and grabbed Ryeowook's face with both hands.  Ryeowook had to fight the urge to laugh, and so he bit his lip.  He flinched when Zhou Mi his hair back from his forehead, causing the ghost to smirk.

"Wookie, just say yes.  It'll hurt much less if you do."

Ryeowook nodded, and Zhou Mi's solid forehead pressed against his.


I turned the corner just in time to see Yesung grab Ryeowook's wrist, was observant enough to realize that the vampire's fingers worked quickly against Ryeowook's skin.  They were moving before I realized it, and I went after them.  I was in too much of a hurry to bother about avoiding the people around me, tuning out their thoughts as best as I could as I passed through them.  Even so, sometimes their thoughts became mine, and often times I would think they were my own far after I was separated from their body.  Now, with my mind set on Ryeowook, I was jealous of the man being rushed along by the vampire.  Jealous because, due to Ryeowook's thoughts, I felt wrongly attracted to Yesung.  Which was why I needed Ryeowook to be with Yesung, I needed him to feel wanted and loved, because I would only feel wanted and loved if Yesung agreed to be his.

I was going to be late to work…

Then men stepped away from my invisible body and I felt a new enthusiasm for my quest.  I ran, or did what would be considered running if I had a solid form.  I could almost feel one of the powerful "life" stones burning in my pocket as I drifted to a stop by Ryeowook and his vampire.  They stood facing each other, the look on Ryeowook's face making me want Yesung to reach out and touch him.  He needed to be held or he would shatter.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes."

I wanted to hug Ryeowook, he looked so guilty, when I knew he shouldn't be.  I couldn't help but shake my head at Yesung's excuses, even more so at Ryeowook's response.  That monster Henry- he was the reason for the pain between the two people in front of me.  And how dare he be across the street!  How dare Ryeowook have to have his heart torn apart by Henry's cruel, selfish quest!  I couldn't keep my eyes off Yesung, even if Ryeowook turned away to find Henry across the street.  I didn't blink, but suddenly Yesung was gone.  I held my breath, tried to calm my aching heart.

I was looking at Ryeowook again, and was forced to silently watch as Henry tore the chain away from Ryeowook's wrist.  It fell to the ground, forgotten by all but me, as Henry took Ryeowook away to the book store.  I reached my hand into my pocket and held onto the stone there.  A young woman gasped near me, and I ignored it.  I picked up the bracelet, proud that it was finally in my hand, but only because of Ryeowook's lingering thoughts.

"Kui, watch the door," I murmured, knowing Kui Xian was close by me.

I'd been in his mind enough to know how close he was to me- he was my Kui Xian, had always been my Kui Xian, far before I died and he confessed on my grave.

I let go of the stone, slipping through the closed door easily.  Nothing was a problem for my ghost body, even if it felt weird for me, still.  Henry had left Ryeowook to himself, and I took the chance to move closer to him.  The bracelet was safely in my pocket, invisible by some strange mystery Kui Xian couldn't solve.  Henry was back with coffee, and he forced a cup into Ryeowook's hand.  Ryeowook, who felt so numb and confused, let the cup fall from his hand.  It landed on my foot, and I pulled out the bracelet, thinking it was the stone.

"Zhou Mi…"

Ryeowook sounded so relieved.  I found the stone, held it tight, feeling my semi-solid body come into existence.  I could see Kui Xian by the door inside and leaning close to the counter.  I forced myself to smile, keeping Ryeowook calm, preventing Kui Xian from doing something rash.

"Is Kyuhyun here?" Henry asked me, and I nodded my head only slightly.

The alarm went off, and then grew silent.  Patrons around me fled the store.  Some stayed, but I chose to ignore them.  When the alarm sounded again, I turned to watch Kui Xian wrap his hands around Henry's neck.  I felt proud and panicked at the same time.

"Kyuhyun, stop!" Ryeowook shouted, and I almost thought I had been the one to yell it.

Kui Xian looked at me, then released Henry from his grasp.  Suddenly Kangin rushed past me and lifted Ryeowook onto his shoulder.  He turned to leave, and was on his way to the door, when I noticed the gun.  It was aimed at Kui Xian.  Eeteuk was there, suddenly, as the sound of a gun going off ripped through the store.  I saw Kangin throw Ryeowook to the floor, winced as his head hit the floor with a loud noise.  Then I noticed Eeteuk on the floor, with Henry staring strangely at the man with the gun.  Kangin was clinging to Eeteuk desperately, sobbing loudly.  Kui Xian was attacking the man with the gun.

I looked at my poor, sweet Ryeowook, feeling the guilt finally sink in.


Ryeowook was shaking when he was himself again.  His stomach churned uneasily, and he swallowed to keep himself from losing his hospital lunch.  He couldn't see past the images branded into his mind, couldn't watch as Zhou Mi moved back to the bed, sitting with his knees to his chest and his arms around his legs.  He wanted the answers, and so he got them, but Ryeowook hadn't wanted to be told that way, hadn't wanted to know so much about Zhou Mi.  Ryeowook fought the images in his mind to focus on the real one in front of him.  He frowned at the one, too.  Zhou Mi looked like a guilty child the way he was sitting.

"Zhou Mi…"

"Lu Xi, I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry.  Forgive me."

"Zhou me, there is nothing to forgive… I… I'm your Ryeowook after all, right?"

Zhou Mi's eyes brightened, but his face remained guilty.  Ryeowook put his feet on the ground, making sure they were steady before standing on them.  He watched Zhou Mi as he moved closer to the bed before collapsing at his side.  He curled against Zhou Mi, hugging him tight like before he died- on those nights when Kyuhyun would go out to make him jealous, not knowing how easy it was for him to do.  

"My Ryeowook," Zhou Mi cooed, Ryeowook's hair.

Ryeowook wasn't baffled by this strange friendship.  Instead, he felt at home- safe and secure- in Zhou Mi's awkward arms.


Ryeowook hadn't realized he fell asleep until he woke up, and he felt entirely guilty about it, too.  The sky outside was dark, showing that he had, in fact, slept well into the night.  In Zhou Mi and Kyuhyun's bed, nonetheless.  Both men were nowhere to be seen, and Ryeowook knew enough to know that he was alone- Zhou Mi could not have been a ghost in this room, it would make things too difficult with Kui Xian… Ryeowook shook his head of the thought, realizing it was Zhou Mi's lingering presence in his head.  He let out a sigh as he set up, stretching when he stood.  He could hear the television through the open door, along with the sounds of light conversation… no, forced conversation.  He went out the door and down the hall.  Very few people sat in the living room- only Kyuhyun, Heechul, Hankyung and Shindong sat around.  None looked too pleased, growing silent when they spotted Ryeowook.

"I fell asleep," Ryeowook muttered, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

The four men looked at each other, quietly murmuring amongst themselves so Ryeowook couldn't hear.  Finally they fell silent and Hankyung got to his feet.  He shuffled slowly to Ryeowook's side, putting an arm around his waist.

"What's going on?" Ryeowook questioned.

"Li Xu… ah, Ryeowook," Hankyung began, voice hesitant. "They say Eeteuk isn't going to make it."

Ryeowook's legs failed him, and the only thing that prevented him from falling was Hankyung's arms, both strong around him.  Ryeowook had the faintest feeling that Hankyung was supporting all of him, since he felt incapable of standing on his own.

It was impossible.  Eeteuk couldn't be dying quicker.  Ryeowook felt certain he could have saved Eeteuk when his number fell dangerously close to zero, but now he couldn't, not for a death like the one he was going to face.  His number, like Henry's, could have jumped at any sign of recovery.  They just needed Ryeowook.

"I have to see him!" Ryeowook shouted.

Everyone remained silent, most likely unsure of what to say.  A knock at the door interrupted the strange quietness, and Kyuhyun stood from the couch.  He went to the door, opening it.  Ryeowook glanced towards the door, finally dropping to the ground.

"Ryeowook," Yesung said, staring.  "I found the cure."