Chapter Text
The cold metal of the chair dug into the back of Qiao Ling's legs as she shivered in the interrogation room. She tried not to think about the blood drying on her pajamas and caking under her fingernails. She tried not to think at all.
When it happened, she didn't even notice. One second she was carrying the plate of apples over to Lu Guang, trying to balance them so that they wouldn't roll, then she was gone. Her body was moving without her, the knife swinging from her fingertips as she approached the couch. Qiao Ling had screamed inside her head, please please no, as the knife sank into Lu Guang's body. She couldn't remember much after that.
They told her Lu Guang was in the hospital in critical condition. They asked her to wait, that someone would be by to get her statement. She wondered where Xiaoshi was, if he was by Lu Guang's side.
She started at the click of the door opening. An older man with brown hair sat down across from her, apologetic look on his face. "Captain Xiao, if you remember," he said.
She nodded, staring mutely at the table. "I need you to tell your version of tonight's events," he began. "I understand your memory is spotty, but I want you to try your best."
Her voice was dry and scratchy as she spoke for the first time since the stabbing. "Is he okay?"
"I'm not permitted to release that information to you."
Right, not while I'm a suspect. Qiao Ling felt the shock of the night wear off, the stark reality beating down into her. She clenched her fists in her lap, eyes still fixed on the table between them. "Please, I need to know. I know to know whether I—"
"He's at the hospital currently. That's all I can say," Captain Xiao's eyes softened. "I'm sorry, I just need your statement."
Qiao Ling fisted her hands in her pajamas pants. The story took a long time to retell, her voice cracking and dropping out several times. When she was done, she felt like she had been wrung out. Captain Xiao checked his notes and nodded. "Thank you, this has been very helpful." He stood, "Would you like a ride home?"
She jerked her head up. "You're releasing me? But I—"
Captain Xiao shook his head, "It's been made clear to us that this is the work of someone with powers similar to your friends. It clearly wasn't your own doing, so there's no point in detaining you."
She covered her mouth with her hand, breathing harshly. A wave of emotion crashed over her. She felt... relief? Somehow it was comforting to know that she hadn't just gone insane and stabbed one of her best friends. She looked up at Captain Xiao, "Can you take me to the hospital?"
"Maybe you should change your clothes first," he said kindly. "Your other friend brought you a bag earlier."
Qiao Ling felt tears prick at her eyes. She accepted the bag from Captain Xiao and let herself be led towards the women's changing room.
After wiping herself down and putting on the clean clothes, she bent over the sink and tried to scrub the blood off of her hands. Qiao Ling held back sobs as she struggled with the blood under her nails. A female police officer who had stepped in to check on her had to gently pry her hands away from the sink and dry them. Outside, Captain Xiao looked over her with concern, "Are you sure you're okay to go to the hospital?"
She swallowed hard, as much as she was afraid, she needed to face her boys and tell them she was sorry. "Yes," she nodded.
The sharp antiseptic smell of the hospital hit her nose as soon as she arrived. The cold, stark lighting made her flinch. She let herself be led through the twisting corridors to Lu Guang's room. He was stable for now, they told her. The surgery was mostly a success, but the knife had grazed his spinal cord, and they were unsure if he would be able to walk again. Qiao Ling tried not to think about basketball, about Lu Guang's quiet confidence on the court as he moved.
They had arrived at the room. Qiao Ling barely had time to prepare herself before the nurse opened the door and bustled in. She drew in a sharp breath at the machines and tubes connected to the white haired boy lying on the bed. The rhythmic beeping of the machines erased all the sound in the world. She stood in the doorway, frozen.
"Qiao Ling," came a tired voice from the other side of the bed. Xiaoshi stood, his hair messy and eyes bloodshot. "You're here," he said, making his way over to stand in front of her. Suddenly, she had no words. She clenched her fists, trying to get air into her lungs. "I—"
Arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a crushing hug. She felt the erratic thumping of Xiaoshi's heart and the trembling of his body. "It was my fault, Qiao Ling. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have involved you, I messed up and if I had just—maybe Emma wouldn't have died, or you wouldn't have gotten possessed, or Lu Guang wouldn't have gotten hurt. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry."
The words came out in a rush and Qiao Ling felt something inside her break at the pain in Xiaoshi's voice. Tears flowed down her face as she clutched the back of his shirt. "I'm so sorry Xiaoshi, I couldn't stop them, I tried so hard, I screamed, I really did. I'm so sorry."
They stood there, holding each other desperately as they cried. It felt like hours, but finally she felt hollowed out, her eyes dry and stinging. Xiaoshi was sniffling into her hair. She pulled back and tried to smile, managing a weak lopsided grimace. "Nobody hurts my boys. We gotta catch this asshole!"
Xiaoshi laughed hoarsely and scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Lu Guang would kill me for this, but some things have to be done."
They both looked at Lu Guang on the bed. Xiaoshi moved towards him instinctually, raising a hand to gently brush the white hair off his forehead. Qiao Ling felt a stab of pain through her chest and she turned away. Their relationship had just been recovering and she—
No. She shook her head. She needed to be strong right now for Xiaoshi. They would figure it out.