pairing: BaekChenLay
length: 2510 words
Part Two: Healing

“Did you get them?” Lay looked questioningly at Baekhyun, who shook his head with a grim expression on his face. The eldest male cursed, but immediately shut his mouth when he saw how crestfallen Baekhyun looked. “Don’t worry, we’ll try again later,” Lay quickly reassured the younger male, wrapping his arms comfortingly around Baekhyun.

“H-how is he right now?”

“He’s not as delirious as he was before,” Lay reported as he and Baekhyun ducked through a large space in a rotting wood fence. The two boys crept through a large field before reaching the dilapidated building they called home. The overhead ceiling light flickered dimly as Lay flipped the light switch on before leading Baekhyun to the master bedroom.

There, in the cocoon of blankets and pillows that the boys had constructed into a makeshift bed, lay Chen, whose deathly pale face was beaded with sweat. His breathing was shallow as his extremely bony hands rested on his chest, rising and falling in a barely noticeable manner. Baekhyun bit his lip as he wrung his hands in anxiety, seeing how sickly the youngest male looked. He angrily kicked away a stray piece of wood towards one of the dirty lime-colored walls, which elicited a quiet rebuke from Lay, who didn’t want any further damage to befall their ramshackle home.                                                              

“I couldn’t get close to the medicine aisle at all this time. They’re too many of them gathered in the store right now.”

Lay gently pulled Baekhyun down to kneel on the floor beside the sleeping Chen. “Keep his forehead cool for now,” he instructed before grabbing an empty burlap sack and slinging it over his shoulder. “I’ll go scavenge for some food in a different area. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll find some medicine as well. I’ll knick it if I do.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t do better,” Baekhyun said, hanging his head in shame as he fought the tears that threatened to spill out of his eyes. He hated seeing both of his family members suffer: Chen from the illness that had struck him three nights ago and Lay from exhaustion over having to keep them all alive in this horrible world. The only reason the three of them had managed to survive for this long was due to Lay’s quick thinking as he devised plan after plan to ensure their safety.

As he watched the eldest male disappear from the room and out of their sanctuary, Baekhyun tightly curled up his fists as he trained his eyes on the youngest male, feeling guilty that his incompetence was further delaying Chen’s much-needed treatment. Remembering what Lay had ordered him to do, Baekhyun silently stood up and walked into the decrepit tiled bathroom, grabbing a raggedy towel and wetting it with the ice-cold water that spilled out of the cracked sink faucet. He swiftly returned to Chen’s side and tenderly patted the burning skin, wiping away the sticky perspiration with care, before laying the towel on the youngest male’s forehead. Slight moans escaped the unconscious boy’s mouth as his body continued its internal struggle against the illness that was attacking him. Baekhyun felt helpless as he could only comfort Chen by sitting next to him and wrapping his warm fingers around Chen’s chilly hands.

--

Lay returned with a few packs of beef jerky and a carton of orange juice nestled in the sack. “There’s another store about a few miles away that still has working freezer units,” he reported as he tossed a packet of jerky to Baekhyun. “I managed to swipe the juice from that, so we’ll just need to keep it frozen so it’ll last as long as possible. And Chen needs the vitamins, so when he wakes up, we can pour a cup for him.”

Baekhyun nodded and scurried off to pull out the small ice chest that Chen had stolen one afternoon, soon after they were forced to move into their new home. They had only found a broken refrigerator in the run-down kitchen, so the ice chest was their replacement container for preserving food and liquids. Although the ice chest was small, it served its purpose well as long as the boys routinely kept it partly filled with fresh ice. They didn’t have much food to store in it, so there was never any worry about overcrowding the box. When Baekhyun returned with the ice box in his arms, Lay delicately placed the juice carton inside before firmly sealing the chest shut to ensure that it was kept insulated.

“No medicine in that one either?”

Lay shook his head in dismay. “I think the main store is the only one left. We just have to hope those monsters start clearing out soon.” He glanced briefly at Chen, who was still lying motionless on the floor. “We’re running out of time.”

Baekhyun felt sick to his stomach as he chewed on the tough jerky. He forced it down and willed himself not to vomit it all back up. Even though he had no appetite at the moment, he knew Lay had risked his life to bring back this sustenance for them, measly as it was. The overhanging thought of Chen still not getting the medical attention he needed made the jerky taste even blander than it already was.

Lay finished cleaning and reloading his Desert Eagle pistol before securely tucking it in a hand-made pocket he had sewn inside his jacket. “It’s getting late now. We should try to check the store early tomorrow and swipe the medicine then. I’ll take the first watch.”

“No, I’ll stay up,” Baekhyun said, knowing that Lay must be worn out from traveling so far in the balmy heat while trying to avoid being attacked. He stared down the eldest male, who was about to protest, until Lay finally gave in and laid down next to Chen, draping a protective arm over the youngest boy’s thin body.

“Whistle if you need me.”

“I know.” Baekhyun tucked his knees towards his chest while keeping a hand on his P250 that was tucked in his belt and the long night began.

--

“Baek, we need to get out!” Lay’s panic-stricken voice traveled up into the master bedroom, where Baekhyun was watching over Chen.

“Huh?”

Lay appeared at the doorway of the master bedroom, eyes wide and frantic. “Grab Chen and move! They’re coming!”

Baekhyun realized with horror what the eldest male meant. He scrambled to hoist Chen onto his back while Lay ran around, throwing their meager belongings into his knapsack. He tied up the ice chest with the blankets Chen had been laying in and quickly followed Baekhyun out of the building they had briefly called home. “Which way do we go?” Baekhyun asked, holding the youngest male close to him.

“This way!” Lay began running north towards the smoky mountains with Baekhyun right behind him. They kept running, never looking back, until they heard grumbling noises getting louder and louder. Lay hurriedly pulled out his pistol as he angled his body to fire several shots at the mass of bodies pursuing the three boys. “Just keep running!” the eldest male shouted as he saw Baekhyun reach for his own pistol.

So Baekhyun ran. Dust filled the air as they kicked up the red dirt from the ground, making his eyes water and his nose itch. But he pushed forward without hesitation as Lay continued shooting as many rounds as he could to hold off the stampede behind them. The eldest reloaded the Desert Eagle as he sprinted, swearing loudly as he almost tripped over a rock since his gaze was briefly focused on his gun.

While Lay continued firing more bullets, Baekhyun noticed an object with a blinking bright red light fly through the air. “MOVE!” he screamed, grabbing Lay’s arm before diving behind a crumbling brick wall. Just as they moved away from the main street and crouched down by the wall, they heard a deafening explosion and shielded themselves from the flying debris.

“Put your hands up!” a stern voice commanded as soon as the dust from the explosion settled.

Lay and Baekhyun both exchanged frightened looks with each other as they slowly raised their arms, Baekhyun having slightly more trouble as he was precariously balancing Chen on his back. They turned around simultaneously and found themselves surrounded by several soldiers aiming AK-47s at the three boys.

“Drop the arms! Now!”

Lay released his pistol at once, letting it clatter noisily onto the dusty ground. Baekhyun used one hand to undo his belt, also letting it fall to the floor with his P250 handgun attached.

A tall, muscular man stepped forward, surveying the two petrified boys and the unconscious one slung on Baekhyun’s back. Judging by his authoritative walk and his menacing aura, it looked as if this man was the captain of the squad. “You boys aren’t infected, are you?”

Immediately shaking his head, Lay answered firmly, “No sir, we aren’t.”

“What’s wrong with him?” the captain asked, pointing at the comatose Chen.

“He’s sick,” Baekhyun blurted out in desperation. “He needs medicine right away. Please, we need help. Otherwise, he’s going to die!”

“Baekhyun, shut up!” Lay hissed vehemently. The eldest wasn’t sure if these men could be trusted yet and giving away such a weakness could easily get them killed if they were in the wrong hands.

The captain merely raised an eyebrow before glancing over these disheveled, starving boys once more. He held up a hand, signaling his soldiers to lower their assault rifles. “Kris, Tao, grab the sick one.”

“Yes, Captain!” Two towering males stepped forward and tried to place their hands on Chen’s limp body. Baekhyun flinched away while Lay jumped in front of his family members, arms outstretched in a protective stance.

“Don’t you dare touch him,” Lay spat angrily, glowering at the two soldiers. They merely pushed him aside before once again reaching for Chen. Baekhyun backed himself against the brick wall, trepidation evident in his eyes as he clung onto the youngest male.

“No need to react with such hostility,” the captain said as he bent down to help Lay up from the ground. The eldest boy recoiled instantly, but the captain’s steely grip on his arm was too powerful and he was forced to stand. “You asked for help, so I shall aid you.”

“R-really?” Baekhyun’s eyes still carried fear while his voice projected a note of hope.

“How do we know we can trust you?” Lay narrowed his eyes as he looked at the captain with contempt.

“The fact that we saved you earlier and haven’t killed you on the spot should be reason enough,” the captain answered smoothly, ignoring the glares that Lay was shooting in his direction. “On my honor, I, Captain Choi Siwon, promise that I shall protect you three and we can save your friend before it’s too late.”

Lay stared long and hard into the older man’s eyes, which were cold and expressionless, before finally saying in a scathing voice, “Fine. But we’re carrying our friend to your base ourselves. No one else can touch him.”

Siwon knew there was no point in further arguing with this volatile young man so he simply signaled for Kris and Tao to step away from Baekhyun and Chen. “Follow us.”

--

Baekhyun stared at Chen, who was laying in a small white cot in the hospital wing. Lay had gone to grab some food from the cafeteria for them. The three boys had been living in the rescue base for a week now. Their living conditions had drastically improved. They had a small unit with a bedroom and a bathroom for themselves. Their shower now ran hot water, which was a welcome relief from the frigid showers they had grown accustomed to in their old home. A closet filled with clean sets of clothes was available to them, so they were finally able to strip off their dirty clothing that hadn’t been properly washed for ages since they didn’t have soap. A large king-sized bed was also sitting in the bedroom, but it hadn’t been touched yet since Baekhyun and Lay preferred to sleep in Chen’s hospital room while the youngest was still recovering.

His cheeks had lost their deathly pale color and his breathing was more pronounced now. He no longer shivered and shifted in bed, looking more at ease than he had since he first fell ill. The two older boys never left his side if they could help it, knowing that when he finally woke up, he would be scared and confused because of this strange new environment.

Siwon had visited once, several days ago, to inform the two boys that once Chen woke up and was deemed healthy enough to leave the hospital wing, that the three of them would be undergoing intensive training.

“What for?” Lay asked suspiciously, still on guard after their first encounter.

“You boys will be joining my squad. In order to stay here, you must do your part to keep our society safe. So you will train and become soldiers under my jurisdiction,” Siwon calmly explained.

“Can’t we do something else?” Baekhyun didn’t want to go back outside. It only carried horrible memories that he wanted to erase forever. He was content with staying in the base, even if it was somewhat dull and boring.

“We need every able-bodied man we can get to help fight off the infected and search for survivors like you three. Otherwise, we will never be able to reclaim our land.” Siwon was unyielding and left before the two could continue protesting.

Lay returned with a tray holding a plate of pasta and a cup of apple cider. “Have some dinner,” he told Baekhyun as he placed the tray on the table next to Chen’s bed. He then sat down on the edge of Chen’s bed, affectionately the sleeping boy’s thin face. “Any progress yet?”

Baekhyun shook his head, his mouth full of food. After he swallowed the strands of pasta, he answered, “The doctor doesn’t know why he still hasn’t woken up yet, but he says it’s only a matter of time.” There was a pause before Baekhyun asked quietly, “Are we really going to become soldiers?”

Lay sighed before replying, “I don’t think we have a choice. It’s either we listen to Siwon’s orders or we go back out there and fend for ourselves.”

“I guess Chen will finally get his wish,” Baekhyun commented wryly. The youngest male had always been the most adventurous and enthusiastic of the three, making Baekhyun fight mock battles with him whenever they were at home while Lay hunted for food.

“We’re going to get through this together. I promise,” Lay said as he leaned over and grasped Baekhyun’s hands in between his own. “No matter what, we’ll protect each other until the end.” He stared resolutely with a determined expression at the younger boy’s face. “No one can ever break the three of us up. Ever.”

And then, Chen opened his eyes.

♈♈♈