~Week 1 (Hospital)~

“What’s wrong with him, Doc?” one of the men clad in black asked pulling his crisp peaked police hat.

             “Well,” the doctor looked over the boy laying motionless against the stark white bed, “It’s difficult… His family has a history of Dissociative identity disorder; so far he has managed to keep his in check by having a firm grasp on his emotions. However, since the incident his other personalities have become… more apparent.”

            The policeman turned away from the boy and ran his hand through his black hair, “and what does that mean? Is he not in control of himself or his actions?”

            “Not exactly, his primary personality is being overtaken by the others because he mentally cannot cope with the situation. Think of it as his body shutting down completely, his original personality is in a coma, per say, and the other personalities take over depending on the threat or pleasure to his person. Does this make any sense?”

            The second policeman stepped away from the hospital bed, “so you’re saying that his inability to deal with the situation has brought out his personality disorder?”

            Furrowing his brow the doctor stepped over to the boy watching his face, unmoving, unfocused; his eyes glistening with the ever-present trickle of tears. The doctor grabbed a tissue and gently wiped the boy’s face, “It’s slightly more complex than that. Imagine the worst possible thing that could happen to you, something that would tear your heart away from your soul, something almost, if not completely, impossible to replace. That is the pain he is going through. He probably doesn’t want to have his main personality disappear into the recess of his mind; it’s just that his body and soul cannot handle it so it creates different personalities that are stronger and more capable.”

            The dark haired boy laying against the hospital bed twitched against the sheets before letting out a high pitched whine; balling his hands against the sheets he covered his head screaming and sobbing into the sheets. The police officers jumped, startled at the sudden outburst; as fast as it started the boy soon returned to his quiet, motionless position.

            “How come he is like this? Why are his emotions this strong?” The stoic faced policemen rubbed the bridge of his nose, “even if I lost a member of my family, no matter how close I was to that person, my reaction, and anyone else’s for that matter, would pale in comparison to…. This,” he pointed at the boy.

            “His parents abandoned him and his brother when they were very young, the two ended up separated for a many years in the foster system. When they were finally reunited nothing could separate them, not even the hand of God.”

            The doctor sighed and bent over the boys bed resting his arms against the metal bar, “It’s one thing to lose a loved one, it’s a completely different thing to lose a loved one like that, with their close bond; unable to even find remains.”

            At the doctors last words the boy screamed out loud and lurched away from the bed burrowing his head into his knees. The doctor gritted his teeth together and smacked his head regretting his choice of words.

            “Lets continue this outside, gentlemen.”

~

            Following the doctor outside the hospital room the black haired policeman leaned against wall, “I guess I just cant grasp the closeness of their relationship. I’m assuming it was a platonic, brotherly love, right?”

            “ you!” a voice yelled from the room behind them, “I can hear you, you mothering prick! Platonic relationships are some of the strongest bonds, how can you even suggest !?”

            The three men sighed and moved further away from the room; the light haired policeman paused, “that’s not his normal personality, is it?”

            “No, normally he is very quiet and shy; he was the boy in school that everyone noticed but no one knew.”

              “Thank you Dr. Kim,” the black haired policeman extended his arm and shook his hand, “We’ll be back once the clean up has finished on the highway and we have some remains for you to examine.”

            Dr. Kim nodded, “alright, I don’t plan on leaving the hospital until I have someone else I trust to watch over him. Just, keep me up to date.”

~

            Running through the narrow halls the brunette scrambled around the people; slipping on the tiles he fell against his hands, pushing himself back up he continued barreling down the hospital hallway.

             Skidding to a stop at a door he bolted into the room, “Baekhyun! I’m so sorry, I’m so…. Is there anything I can do? No, no of course not…”

            The boy dropped his head against the mattress, “Baekhyun, please tell me you’re ok.”

            Baekhyun stared at the speckled ceiling tiles, the vague sound of a voice ringing in his ears; rolling his head against the pillow Baekhyun lazily raised his eyes to the figure beside him.

            “Chen?”

            The man raised his head and gripped Baekhyun’s hand, “Hey, how are you?”

            “No…” the boy squinted his eyes shut, “Lu… Lu Han. Where is Lu Han?”

            Tears fell down the boy’s face glossing his cheeks in a thin layer of water; his lips trembled at the coming answer he already knew.

Chen ran his thumb under the boy’s eyes wiping the tears away, “you know, Baekhyun, don’t make me say it.”

“Noo! No.” The brunette whined his chest heaving unevenly, unable to take in a proper breath, “Why?”

Baekhyun sobbed loudly as Chen held his hand, “I’m here, I’m here for you,” he whispered lifting the boy up and cradling him in his arms. After Baekhyun finally cried himself to sleep Chen scooted from the bed and made his way out of the room. As soon as he was outside the room Chen leaned against the wall sliding down slowly. He had known Baekhyun since before he and Lu Han had been reunited; Baekhyun changed so much after Lu Han came back into his life, he was still quiet and shy but everything about him seemed different. The last thing he wanted to see was Baekhyun spiral into nothingness. It would be so much worse than before, more than he could grasp.

~Week 2~

Baekhyun blinked slowly, his eyes fixed on the ceiling tiles. He could hear the doctor outside his room talking with a nurse; he didn’t seem like a surgical doctor, maybe a psychologist or a psychologist. They were muttering about mood stabilizers and other pills, sighing he turned over on his side, they could pump him full of whatever they wanted, as long as it took away the pain.

The doctor knocked on the door before opening the door and stepping inside, “Baekhyun, how are you feeling?”

Baekhyun shifted his gaze from the wall to the doctor, “how do you think I feel, Xiumin? I’ve been trapped in this room for over a week. Cant I just go home now?”

“I told you not to call me that, and no, you cant leave yet, you’re still on suicide watch. You’re not stable enough to be left on your own.”

“I can stay with Chen,” the boy offered.

Dr. Kim shuffled through Baekhyun’s medical file glancing at a few papers before placing it on the table, “I talked with him earlier. Once we get your medication fixed we will release you to stay with him, however, you still need to come to the hospital every week.”

Groaning Baekhyun flipped on his back extending his arms for the doctor to reach. Dr. Kim picked up an alcohol wipe and cleaned off Baekhyun’s inner arm before pushing the syringe into his vein.

“Don’t worry,” Dr. Kim glanced at the empty syringe, “we’ll get you home soon.”

Baekhyun smirked, “Home. Hah.”

~Week 4~

            Baekhyun sat on the side of the bed dangling his feet over the cold hospital floor. The doctor and Chen were outside discussing what to do when, what medicine to take when, and what to keep him away from. Frowning Baekhyun dropped to the floor wincing at the cold linoleum against his bare feet. He pulled the gown off and quickly pulled on some random clothes Chen brought for him. Stepping outside the room Baekhyun watched intently as the two talked; Chen had an armful of medicine bottles and papers.

            Turning away from Chen, Dr. Kim addressed Baekyhun, “do you remember the officers from a few weeks ago? Officer Huang and Zhang? They need to talk to you, they have your contact information so expect to hear from them soon.”

            Baekhyun turned to Chen and gripped his arm, “lets go I don’t want to be here any longer.”

~Week 1 (Police)~

             Officer Huang Zitao walked around the closed off four lane highway; multiple vehicles were still on fire, the giant oil tanker was tipped on its side, gallons and gallons of oil spewed out on the pavement the fire burning it up. He sighed and glanced around at the wreckage; approximately 10 people were assumed dead and 46 more were injured and on route to the hospital. Among the dead was the brother of the boy he visited soon after the accident happened.

            Zitao’s partner, Officer Zhang Lay, was steadily approaching, his fierce eyes locked with his. Lay halted in front of Zitao and held out a piece of melted metal; it was a silver cross with a ring twisted around it, he could just barely make out the names etched on the back of the cross: For Lu Han, Love, Baekhyun.

            Lay clenched his lips together, “I was really hoping, for the sake of the boy…”

            Squatting slightly Zitao clasped his hands together, it would take hours for the fires to be put out, likely days to collect all the evidence, and even more to examine the individual pieces and determine who died. Zitao rocked back on his feet once before standing up.

            “I’m sure he knows one way or another,” Zitao rubbed the back of his neck, “we don’t need to bring it up again. Keep a hold on that necklace though.

~Week 4: Day 3~

            Chen sat at the kitchen table watching Baekhyun laying on the couch, blankly staring at the television. Nothing had changed from the time he left the hospital to now, any small thing could set him off and send him into hours of loud wailing. Dr. Kim had asked him to keep an eye out for any changes in Baekhyun’s behavior. Thankfully Baekhyun seemed normal, he wasn’t acting aggressive, submissive, or anything out of the ordinary.

~Week 6~

            “Hey Chen,” Baekhyun hung his head over the couch’s armrest, “the officers are at the door.”

            “Okay, go answer it,” Chen replied, never glancing up from his book, “they’re here for you, not me.”

            Growling Baekhyun heaved himself off the couch and opened the door for the two officers, “Hello, Officers.”

            “Good evening, Baekhyun,” Officer Lay smiled, “may we come in?”

            Glancing over at Chen, who was still not paying attention, Baekhyun shrugged and opened the door wider allowing the officers to enter the house.

            “So,” Baekhyun rubbed the back of his foot with the other, “is there something I can help you with?”

            “Nothing right now. We came to return something to you.” Lay extended his hand; unraveling his fingers Baekhyun recognized the silver metal immediately. Baekhyun reached out his arm slowly, his hand trembling; grasping the necklace he collapsed to his knees. Chen dropped his book noticing Baekhyun curled up against the wood floor, crossing the room quickly Chen knelt down beside the boy. Unwrapping Baekhyun’s fingers from his balled fist Chen saw the familiar necklace; Baekhyun bought it for Lu Han’s first birthday since they were reunited. It was a cross with a ring wrapped around it.

            The cross read: For Lu Han, Love, Baekhyun

            And the ring read: We Are Always Family, Even If We Are Separated