When the right time comes

16: Timmy has a family

Xiao Zhan whimpered, taking slow breaths. The pain was immense, restricting him from breathing normally. He couldn't sit. He couldn't lay properly. He couldn't even stand straight, stretching his limbs.

Huffing, he put an ice pack on the contusion on his ribs. It was purplish, almost the size of a palm. Ice pack is almost of no use at this stage but he hoped it at least numb the pain a little.

'Damn!'

Haikuan was quite hard on him the previous day. Xiao Zhan gritted his teeth.

There was an urgent knock on his changing cubicle.

"Xiao Zhan, we have work." It was his colleague.

"Right away."

As he replied, he heard the other one going away in a rush. Quickly putting on his uniform, Xiao Zhan followed suit.

That day, they had to go to the western mouth of Qiantang river. As an impact of dumping solid wastes and huge amounts of untreated wastewater into the river, it smelled like shit as they neared it.

There were already some people surrounding the wetland where the dead body which they had to take out from there lay. Police had separated the area with barrier tapes and local people and media gathered there to witness the scene was also controlled by them.

The body was of a lady as they could see a part of her frock flapping in the river. Reason of the death was unclear. Either it be a suicide, murder or even an accident. The sight was horrible. She is floating on the river, capsized and tangled in a mess of roots and other plant parts that are grown into the river. Her limbs were widespread, long hair flowing in the water, corresponding to its current.

Xiao Zhan and his colleagues prepared the ropes and pulleys. Three of them volunteered to get in the river and carry the body and the other two to help by pulling the ropes to the shore.

With his body pain, Xiao Zhan could only agree to pull the ropes. River is dangerous, especially when it is full of garbage and hiding what's beneath the waters.

The body seems almost three days old, floated from somewhere through the river and deposited on the tangled mess of wetlands. It was swollen, drinking a lot of water and injured here and there, probably when some organisms living in water tried to feast on it. Right ear was completely gone. Xiao Zhan couldn't believe she died drinking this dirty water. He shuddered at the thought. In any circumstance, he doesn't want anybody to have the same fate as her's.

Xiao Zhan didn't feel any disgust while pulling her up from the water nor any of his colleagues. For, they have been well trained to respect dead bodies as it also was someone else's loved one once like they are now to their own people. Lying in their hands are other's dead dreams and hopes. They can't disrespect it.

The body was taken by police for inquest. The firemen had given their statements and went back to the station.

**************

Sitting on the comfy mattress in his room, Wang Yibo bit his lips and whimpered when the syringe sucked blood from his vein. Haikuan smiled sympathetically at him and immediately soothed the area with a damp cotton after taking the sample out of his bicep.

"All done, didi. Thank you so much."

"Thanks, my ass! Buy me a lot of fruits to compensate for the blood you took out of me and I would think about forgiving you."

Yibo huffed, rolling his sleeve down and Haikuan laughed out loud.

"Hao! Whatever my didi wants."