Chapter 3: When the Lights go Out

"WATCH OUT"
Se Hun yelled and pushed Tao away, the gunshot broke the window and buried itself into Se Hun's back, Se Hun didn't let out any sound and just fell to the ground. Tao was so close, but so far away from Se Hun, it was like Tao was paralyzed, he couldn't move, he couldn't speak, and he couldn't look away, he just continued to stare at his friend's unmoving body. A few seconds passed and people came running from classrooms hearing the gunshot. Teachers rushed to Se Hun while some of the student were checking to see if Tao was ok, but Tao still didn't move. But the moment the teachers lifted Se Hun's body, Tao jumped up and quickly grabbed Se Hun's body. Se Hun didn't move, it looked like he was just sleeping, but the fluid coming from his back and going down Tao's arms was a constant reminder - blood - one of the very things that keep us alive. Tao was helpless he couldn't hear the voices all around him, or the hands trying to get Se Hun out of his grasp, but the moment he heard the siren of the ambulance, he ran outside and quickly climbed into the ambulance with still his friend glued to his body, he was afraid if he would just let go, then it would all just stop and it would be the end. The paramedics tried hard to separate Se Hun from Tao's arms, but they were only able to do that once Tao finally lost conscience from the shock.

 Tao sprung out of his bed, still a little dizzy, he couldn't see clearly but he knew he wasn't in his room, then like an arrow to his heart he remembered everything that happened in an instant. Even with all the dizziness and the temporary blindness from the pressure his body felt when he got up so suddenly he still ran out of the room, desperate to find his friend. Some nurses tried to stop him but he still couldn't stop, he was so worried that he couldn't even speak in English, he was truly like a mad man. The doctors finally decided to hold him down and give him a strong sedative. But if only that was so easy, all of a sudden a girl came out of her room, wearing patient clothes, she ran up to Tao and slapped him real hard, that left the doctors and nurses in shock, she put both her hands on his face and asked him in Chinese:
"Are you ok?" (I have no idea how you say are you ok in Chinese O_O)
Tao, upon hearing his own language finally calmed down, he was still kind of panicky but he started talking to the girl:
"......Where is Se Hun?"
The girl gave him a confused look but finally spoke:
"I don't know who Se Hun is, but if you are talking about the guy that they brought together with you, then he is undergoing surgery, I heard some doctors talking about how he was shot by a bullet from a sniper."
Tao started looking around, he took the girl's hand and started dragging her along, he asked her:
"Where is the surgery room, I have to be with him now."
The girl pointed at one of the corridors, she sat together with Tao until Se Hun didn't come out, it's not like she could leave anyways, Tao was holding her hand so tightly that she was afraid he would crush it if the doctors came out with bad news.

They sat like that for hours and when the light that said "undergoing surgery" finally turned off Tao flew in, the doctors shocked said:
"Don't worry, he'll be fine, now please wait a minute until we phone the police, this is a serious matter."
Tao grabbed the doctor's hand, and said in wary voice:
"Please don't, I'll have someone clear it all up, there is no need to inform the police."
The doctor stopped for a second and agreed to Tao's request, after that Tao didn't leave Se Hun's side for a moment, night or day, he was next to him all the time, the girl tagged along with Tao, and they became friends, the girl after Tao had finally calmed down spoke:
"My name is Mei, what's your name stranger?"
Tao suddenly noticed that even thou he talked so much with her, he didn't know her name and she didn't know his, he said:
"My name is Tao, that's all you need to know..."
But the girl didn't ever ask for his full name, or what happened, or where he was from, she just stood by his side, but it's not like she told him anything about herself either. A few days later Se Hun finally awoke. Tao was so happy that he could probably kill Se Hun with all the hugs he gave him, Tao decided that then was the right time to tell Se Hun everything that happened since they came to England, about Alizeé, about Lay, simply everything, and then the final thing he had to say came:
"Se Hun, I'll send you back to Hong Kong, I don't want you to get involved."
Se Hun was shocked by what Tao said, still Tao countined:
"...I have already prepared the plane tickets and all the arrangements, you leave in two days..."
Se Hun just stood there, until he finally hit Tao in the gut, not a normal punch, it was more like a Falcon punch. Se Hun yelled at Tao:
"Are you freaking normal?! You're sending me back? HELL NO! We have been best friends since forever, and you're afraid of getting me involved? Oh god that Alice or whatever her name is won't have to kill you since I will!"
Tao honestly didn't hear half of things Se Hun said, he was just so happy, he couldn't even express it in words, and all of a sudden tears started flowing down his face, Se Hun was shocked by what he saw and quickly spoke:
"Oh wow, Tao, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, please don't cry..."
Tao quickly hugged Se Hun and told him:
"I have never seen you mad before, thank you Se Hun for being my friend, for always being there for me and also thanks for just being alive."
Se Hun hugged his best friend back, since Se Hun really did feel blessed for having a friend like Tao. Tao pulled away, and once again was happy as a puppy, he then told Se Hun:
"By the way, there is this girl I would like you to meet, she kept me company all the time while I was waiting for your lazy to wake up."
Se Hun went along with Tao to the girl's room, Tao stormed in without knocking and started shouting:
"MEI! MEI!!! MEI!!!!!! Oi, where are you?!"

Se Hun saw a little board in front of her bed, he picked it up and looked at it, he was shocked by what he saw, and the told Tao:
"Tao, this girl, she has Tuberculosis and a tumor in her brain, and it's in it's final stage."
Tao turned around to face Se Hun, he was so shocked by what he had just heard, he quickly ran out of the room and started searching for Mei.