Crushed Suns - SCI (Mysteries)

6 - Gassed

"Well, that was a big success." 

Elio rolled his eyes at Ma Han's sarcastic statement. "Give me what you've been drinking, Miss Detective, and maybe I'll see this 'success' you speak about."

Ma laughed, gaining a few strange looks from around them. 

They were inside the SCI investigation headquarters, and the Hispanic boy was getting a crick in his neck from staring from his laid-back position at the now sort-of-clean-from-soot police unit as they worked around him, filing out reports and other police-investigation things they don't show on TV. 

All the moving around him was giving him a headache. And he was still shaking. And he had done the one thing Ri Chu told him not to do; leave the apartment. Anyway, his only source of distraction from the previous near-death explosion was the police lady with a ponytail, so Elio made the most of it. And it was very easy; she was as bored as he was.

Ma shot a Cheshire grin at Elio over her cup. "You sure you're old enough?"

"You sure your leather isn't fake?" Elio shot back.

"Want to find out?" The tough detective lady got up, bottle put down and already pulling a sleeve off, ready to get side-tracked into something a lot more fun and normal than a mur- 

A hiss resounded from a nearby pile of papers: "Han, finish your report."

"Yes, Sir."

Seeing Ma Han's disappointed look and feeling sympathetic (it wasn't her fault that he couldn't help Ri Chu, or that the police got involved, or that the detective accidentally exploded his hiding place in the process of "saving" him!), the Hispanic chirped up with a malicious cold sarcasm.

"Detective, you can't tell me you're not even a cherry-bomb bit curious about the quality of that leather, especially after that whole she-bang that happened back there! What, did you loose all your fuel? Concussion not working for you? Because it's so not working for me. Wait, actually, is <ringing ears from an explosion> and <deep distaste for being kidnapped by fuzz officials> on a list of requirements for concussion?" 

...

Silence.

"...wow."

Realizing he was being ignored, Elio made a show of glancing at the laptop in front of Bai Yutong, "So, you're not a medic. Could you search it up for me, then; what qualifies as concussed? Or maybe hack it from somewhere, since you know soooo much about tech? I mean, I'm really exploding to know more of how you-" 

"CHILD! If you don't sh-SHSHSHHHHH-!!!" Bai Yutong hissed in pain and aggravation, head whipping around to glare at his assailant (the one who slapped the back of his head). "YAH! YAO!" 

A silent brow raised at his antics before the dark eyes focused back on the job at-hand. "Formal."

Bai sighed, weak enough as it was, accepting his fate. "Doctor Zhan," he mocked, "I was not going to swear. I am not that incompetent." 

"And yet you still wouldn't listen."

Closing his eyes, Bai inhaled slowly, praying internally in 5 different languages. Ma Han cackled and subtly low-fived Elio, enjoying her boss's suffering.

Sitting in front of him, Dr. Zhan tightened the bandages around his partner's hand, ignoring the doubt at that statement. Bai hissed again making the doctor pause. 

"Stop moving, unless if you truly want this to look worse."

Once Zhan looked away, Bai mocked him once more, muttering under his breath. "Meh, meh, meh; want it to look worse- OW!"