Fluffy WangXian Oneshots

Stressed is Just Desserts Part 12

WEDNESDAY

Huaisang was led to another dim room with a massage table covered in tissue paper, a formica table and plastic chairs. There was a laptop with fingerprints all over the screen sitting open on the table.

The doctor was a middle aged man wearing brown glasses and a toupee. Huaisang would have laughed if he hadn't heenan so terrified of catching something incurable. He sat down gingerly, opposite the doctor, who smiled at him.

"So...Mr Zhidao, why did you decide on coming to see us today? May I call you Bu? You said it was an emergency?"

He had a nice voice, this Doctor Roberts.

Huaisang had wondered what reason he could state for coming here while on the plane, and to be honest, he wasn't going to say anything that involved the taking off of any clothes - as it was, he was seriously thinking of incinerating the ones he was wearing now. So that left face and hands that were already open and exposed.

"My hand." He blurted out, staring at his left one.

"What about it?" Doctor Roberts looked at it and then back at him. "It looks fine to me...unless you don't like the way it looks?"

"Exactly..." Huaisang hedged.

"You don't like the way it looks...hmm. Let me see?" He held his own hand out, expecting Huaisang to give him his hand.

"Is there anything you can do?" Huaisang was already getting an idea of what this doctor did.

"Of course, of course. The possibilities are endless. We have a catalogue." The doctor turned on the charm and a hard sell, promising miracles and very short recovery times.

Huaisang half paid attention to him and checked out the room discreetly. As far as he could see, the laptop was the only piece of equipment he could use...they must have records of their patients, what kind of treatment they needed and payment details.

When the doctor finished speaking, looking at him eagerly, Huaisang smiled back enthusiastically.

"How long are you open until today?" He asked, with just the right amount of bubbly enthusiasm.

The doctor looked a little disappointed but he smiled back, scratching his chin.

"Five o'clock today. Might I ask what the problem is, Bu?""

"I need to ask my wife...can I take picture of your catalogue?"

"I'm afraid not." The doctor snatched his literature away quickly. "Your wife will have to come in person, if she wishes to look at the catalogue." He smiled insincerely.

"Oh...that's a shame. Perhaps I can make another appointment..." Huaisang faked looking at his watch. "I live far...can't come back today."

"Really? What about tomorrow?" The doctor scrolled through something on his computer.

Huaisang nodded. "What time shall I come?"

The doctor made another appointment for three in the afternoon like today.

He left shaking Doctor Roberts' hand and wishing he had sanitizer.

Huaisang didn't go far, just enough that if anyone was watching him, they would believe he had left. Then, avoiding the unruly group of youths standing on a far corner, he circled back to a place where he could discreetly watch the front door without being seen himself.

There was a dirty little alley angled exactly in the direction he needed to keep an eye on, and predicting this turn of events already, Huaisang was wearing dark clothes. It had been such a hassle coming here that he'd thought it prudent to finish all in one go so he wouldn't have to come back.