Chapter Text
Gun isn’t right there when it happens.
It’s another promotional event for School Rangers, held in a big mall, where they are interacting with fans and so on. Off had been the MC for most of the time, fully in his element, and Gun had caught himself too often just staring instead of doing his job, that he is now doing his best to focus on the fans. Subsequently he ends up on one side of the stage when Off hands over the microphone to someone else to get a drink since his throat is sore after speaking for so long.
Nothing seems unusual until Gun hears a muted thump, which he just classifies as a door slamming somewhere, so he ignores it. He is just about to say something when the first scream sounds. He jerks around because it was coming from the other end of the stage. Suddenly more people are screaming and there is a scramble on the other side. Hurriedly he tries to make his way over there, but there are too many people blocking his path and he is once again repeatedly cursing his height.
He can’t understand what’s going on as everyone keeps on talking over each other. All he can identify is ‘blood’, ‘help’ and ‘what happened?’. A chill runs down his spine. Whatever is going on, is not good. He pushes at Arm’s body right in front of him, but the other won’t move, frozen. Worry seeping in, he hastily scans the heads towering over him, for his most important person.
Where is Off? He can’t find him though. New, Arm, Earth,… But no Off. Where – ? His attempts to make himself a way to whatever is happening are becoming more frantic as his bad feeling intensifies. No one seems willing or capable of answering his questions either, so he pushes forward.
Until suddenly Tay’s head pops up from the chaos, “Gun!” he calls out, voice hoarse, “Gun, where are you?”
“Here!” he pushes past someone else to connect with Tay’s wide eyes and the moment he does, he knows whatever the other is about to say isn’t good.
“Gun, you have to get over here!” he waves his hand, his voice stumbling, “It’s-It’s Off! He…”
The older doesn’t have to say anymore as Gun’s eyes go wide and his body goes cold as he now starts shoving his way forward with panic coursing through him. Someone who could be White stumbles aside as Gun pushes him with too much strength, but he can’t bring himself to care. Something happened to Off, is all he can think of. Please don’t let it be too bad.
Finally he stumbles past Earth into the small circle created by GMMTV artists and staff, blocking what’s going on inside from curious onlookers. It takes him several blinks to realize what he is seeing because his brain doesn’t seem to want to comprehend it.
Tay is kneeling on the floor again, his hands covered in a red substance Gun doesn’t want to think about, wide eyes snapping up to the younger man when he stumbles into the circle. New is standing next to him, a hand on his shoulder, face even paler than usual. And then there is Off. Tears prick at Gun’s eyes when his gaze falls on the older man. Off is laying on the floor, placed on his back, with his right shoulder on Tay’s knees. His blue jacket has disappeared and his hair is messy. His eyes are still open but drooping and they seem kind of foggy, blinking from a face that seems way too pale for Gun’s liking. But when the younger’s eyes finally land on his friend’s left shoulder, he nearly falls to his knees. Because Off’s whole left shoulder and chest is covered in red, in blood. A medic from staff is pressing on it to slow the bleeding but it keeps adding to the pool beneath Off despite their efforts.
“Papii…” he chokes out as he stumbles forward to fall to his knees next to Tay who makes space for him, “Papii, what…”
“G… Gun…” Off mumbles through pale lips, hand too weak to reach out properly.
“What h-happened?” Gun looks at Tay as he grabs Off’s hand in his own shaking ones.
“I don’t know,” their friend shakes his head, eyes wide, “At one moment he was fine and then suddenly he-he fell…”
“Gun, keep him awake as best as you can,” the medic interrupts, gaining his attention, “The longer he stays with us the better. He’s losing a lot of blood and the ambulance might still take some time.”
“Okay, okay…” he stutters, eyes locking with Off’s, “Hey, Papii,” he places a shaking hand against the older’s pale cheek, “Look at me, alright? Focus on me,” he offers a shaky smile, purposefully avoiding looking at his friend’s shoulder, as tears start to run down his cheeks, “Just stay with me.”
Off blinks lazily, eyes staying closed for a second until Gun lightly slaps his cheek, “Tired…” he mumbles, “What is…?”
“I-I don’t know,” Gun stutters, “But-But it-it’s going to be fine,” he shakes his head to get some of the tears away, locking eyes with the medic who only gives him a worried look back before refocusing on the bloody chest, “You’re going to be fine, Papii,” he essentially begs to whoever will listen.
“Don’t…” Off tries, only to break his own wobbly speech by a cough, that brings worrying red onto his lips, “Do..n’t cr-cry…” he rasps past the blood in his mouth, “…’m fi…ne…”
“Of course, of course you are,” Gun does some kind of mixture between a laugh and a choke, tears streaming down. Tay makes a strange sound next to them as New pulls him up and into his arms, “Hey, hey, stay with me!” Gun reiterates hastily as Off’s eyes fall closed again, slapping his cheek, “Come on,” he chokes, his own pants and hands now stained by blood.
Off’s eyes blink open again slowly, but they are fogged over and unfocused. It’s clear he can’t actually see Gun anymore as he doesn’t even turn his head in his direction.
“How much longer for the ambulance?” Gun hears New ask above his head to the medic.
“I don’t know, but it shouldn’t be long,” is the nervous answer.
“Will he…” Tay trails off as the small man still works on somehow keeping Off awake.
“If they arrive soon, he should make it,” the medic says, “I hope at least,” he adds lowly under his breath, but Gun hears it anyway and it sends ice racing through his veins.
This can’t be happening. This can’t be… Papii will be fine. He can’t –
“Keep him awake,” the medic urges again, breaking Gun out of his panic.
“Of course,” he stutters but even he can’t manage to keep Off’s eyes open longer than a few more minutes. He is begging the other to look at him again when shouts to make space sound through the mall and the people hurriedly move to clear a path. Through blurry eyes Gun sees three paramedics with a stretcher rush up to them. The one not carrying anything but a bag hastily kneels down next to their company medic.
“What happened?” she asks, scanning Off’s shoulder.
“I’m not sure. My best guess is a bullet, though I don’t know from where he got shot at. Nobody saw it happening. He just suddenly collapsed with his shoulder bleeding,” their medic makes space as the paramedics hastily get to work.
Gun is extremely reluctant to relinquish his hold on Off as one of the paramedics tries to push him away, “Sir, we need to be able to work freely. Please step aside.”
“No, I – “ he tries but Tay carefully pulls him to his feet.
“The best we can do is leave him with them. They know what they are doing,” his voice is chocked as he wraps Gun in his arms, “Off is going to be just fine.”
“I-I… He has to be…” Gun shakes his head, “I never told him… I never… I can’t…” he mumbles into Tay’s chest.
“I know, I know,” the older tries to calm him, “You can tell him when he wakes up.”
Gun doesn’t give him an answer, just lets himself be hugged, as New has an arm wrapped around Tay’s shoulders, “Did you hear what the medic said?” he whispers to the older.
Wide eyes turn from the small figure in his arms to him, “Yeah, that… that Off was shot?”
“But who would…?”
“I have no clue,” Tay shakes his head, “Maybe he got injured in a different way.”
“But it makes sense from the wound and – “ but he doesn’t get further, because the paramedics have loaded Off onto the stretcher and are preparing to leave which causes Gun to tear away from the hug.
“Can I go with him, please?” he grabs the third paramedic’s arm, eyes wide and glassy.
She stops in the process of packing her bag, looking him up and down, “Are you his family?” he shakes his head, “His…” she hesitates, “Partner?”
Gun is just in the process of shaking his head again when Tay interrupts, “Close enough. Off doesn’t have any other partner.”
The paramedic sighs, “Fine, but hurry up, we need to get to the hospital as fast as possible.”
Gun nods with fear coursing through his veins, “We will follow you by car,” New adds as he grabs Tay at the arm and drags him towards the company cars.
The younger instead runs after the paramedic as fast as he can make his shaking legs move as they hurry to catch up with the stretcher. It’s just been secured in the ambulance as they arrive.
“Take him along,” the paramedic says to her colleagues as Gun climbs into the vehicle next to Off’s unmoving figure, “His partner.”
One of the men just nods while the other doesn’t look up from where he is searching for something in the medicine cabinets. The first one directs Gun to sit on a small seat with seatbelts next to Off’s right arm. He manages to buckle himself in after a few failed tries, before reaching out a hand to hold Off’s. He shudders when the other’s skin is ice cold from loss of blood. Normally Off is emitting a lot of body heat, another reason why Gun loves to hug him, but now the older’s skin is like ice and he unconsciously rubs the fingers in his to warm them up.
Gun can’t listen to what the paramedics are saying. He is mumbling comforting nonsense to Off even though the other can’t hear him and recalling moments from their time together. One time his eyes wander up to where the blood is coming from. Off’s now blood-soaked white shirt has been cut open, exposing his pale skin. A bandage with a padding has been wrapped around the injured shoulder, but blood is still everywhere, already soaking through the fabric as well. Bile rises in Gun’s chest as he sees that so he focuses back on Off’s face, which seems to be getting even paler behind the breathing mask the paramedics have put on him.