“Stay here and be here for him when he wakes up. I’m going to keep doing what needs to be done on the outside.” Now that he finally knew where Xiao-Xiao was, he felt like he could finally breathe. He patted Weiran’s shoulder. “Believe me, he isn’t going to want me here. He’d much rather it be you.”

30

THE HOSPITAL

XIAOKAI CAME OUT of his coma like one might come out of a lake after struggling in the water for hours—suddenly, desperately, clawing at consciousness. It took him a moment to realize that he was in pain, and that it was deep and sharp and aching and agonizing and that it consumed his entire body; and it took him another moment to realize where he was: in a hospital gown in a hospital bed in a hospital room. There were people who were standing around him that Xiaokai dimly recognized as doctors and nurses. Sunlight streamed in through a window on his right side. He could feel something in his throat.

The water pulled him back in, but it was gentler this time. It only held him for a few more hours before it slid him back out.

Sunlight was no longer coming in through the window. It was night. His throat was clear. Beside him, slumped in a chair over the very edge of Xiaokai’s bed, was Weiran.

Internally, he cursed. He had to struggle to move his hand enough to touch Weiran’s hair.

Weiran immediately shot awake.

“Xiaokai? You’re awake—how do you feel?”

Xiaokai opened his mouth. Nothing came out.

“Can you talk?”

“Y—” He had to scrape the words out of his chest, drag them to his tongue. “You need to leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“P-people will…see you.”

Weiran shook his head. “It’s fine. Enough arrests have been made that it isn’t an issue. Besides.” He reached out, took Xiaokai’s hand, squeezed it. His fingers were warm. “We didn’t want to leave you alone anymore.”

All his warmth reminded him of was Bai Xue, of the moments in between when he held him and kissed him and promised him the world. He wasn’t about to just hand over his trust like that again. “Just go.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Who did this to you, Xiaokai?”

Xiaokai closed his eyes.

“Was it Bai Xue?”

“You won’t be able to find him.”

“Where was he keeping you?”