"Cough…. let's go. Don't keep standing," pushing the blush down that threatened to crawl up, Suyin walked past but noticed Wang Shi didn't buzz. "What now?"
"Are you sure you want to go like this?" Turning into a leisurely pivot he leaned against the wall. His sinful smile makes her conscious as he pointed at her.
"WHAT? What's the prob-" Her gaze froze as she looked down. "AHHH! It will become a free show if I step out like this," She rushed to the bathroom murmuring, "My clothes must have dried by now."
"Doubtful!" He was ready to see her come out of the bathroom with disappointment. But….
"WANG SHI....."
"I'm here,"
"Lend me a t-shirt. Preferably dark color."
"…"
His brows creased, "I don't think wearing a t-shirt is a good idea as-"
"Just get it."
"You…." He sighed, "Hold on!"
******
Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she paused in her steps. And turned. Her arms folded at her chest as she looked sharply. "No matter how much you stare, they won't become yours."
"…"
"I. WAS. NOT. STARING. AT. YOUR. LEGS." The humor fled as Wang Shi enunciated word for word.
Of course, she knows. She was just interested to tease him, fascinated by the look he carried, trying to understand how his blue t-shirt became her skirt.
And he looked as cute as a button with that confused face.
"If not legs, then----" Her brows rose.
"Hold on to your wild imagination." He shot her a hard glance. "I'm just-" coherent words refused to form as he pointed at her skirt. Confused.
"My mom's a fashion designer. Though I'm not good at fashion, turning a t-shirt into a make-shift skirt is no big deal for me." Swallowing, she added, "However, now I owe you a t-shirt."
"Oh," He said in a relaxed way, but the next second his head snapped, "WHAT?" his response intensified, "You already owe me a meal,"
"Now I owe you a t-shirt as well."
As they continued walking, he took two fast steps and knocked at Gu Feng's door while keeping his conversation on. "I'm picky about my clothes. Be prepared!"
"I am," she winked before stepping in with him.
"Mr. and Mrs. Gu," Wang Shi nodded at the couple sitting beside Gu Feng.
Suyin's gaze fell on the boy who was barely nineteen, but his disease had battered him into a grim submission. Half lying on the bed, he stared at the wall as if the world had ended for him. She also noticed a petite girl sitting on the cold stool holding Gu Feng's hand like life support.
It didn't take a minute extra to guess she was Gu Feng's girlfriend, supporting him despite family opposition and differences.
"I've finally got the diagnosis. But before that, let me introduce Miss. Zhao--"
"Later. Did you say you've got the diagnosis? Tell us." Minister Gu ignored Suyin and came straight to the point, pissing off Wang Shi.
"Everything happened because of your parents," the response came from the frustrated Wang Shi. He ignored Minister Gu and spoke directly to Gu Feng. "Do you want me to tell everything here or take your parents outside?"
"Excuse me! Why are you asking him? We will discuss it-"
"Do it here." Gu Feng interrupted his father.
"FENG!"
"FOR GOD'S SAKE, I'M F*CKING NINETEEN. Mature and old enough to know what is wrong with my body. Just because you both brought me to this world, it does not give you the free permit to make every decision on my behalf. LET ME DO IT ONCE." He lost his patience. The build-up anger and frustration flared up.
"You took me for surgeries, got me operated on my penis, making me feel ashamed and vulnerable. Every three weeks mom gave me injections in the name of medicines, but I know it was not. Otherwise, why would she peel the label off every time? Whenever I questioned, you brushed me off. Have you ever thought of my mental condition? I'm living a confused life! CLUELESS!"
Gu Feng turned to Wang Shi, "I'm of the legal age where I've every right to know about my body. Here onwards I refrain my parents to decide on my behalf and appoint Yu'er to do it if it comes to the point where I can't." he gripped his girlfriend's hand.
"I'M YOUR FATHER-"
Gu Feng, "If you really ARE, and don't want me to leave you forever….. let me take my own decisions."
"Feng," Mother Gu came forward to hold her son's hand, but the latter jerked it off.
"Just go away. You are equally responsible," he looked at Wang Shi, "Please continue,"
"Well…. I will only talk about the case. Rest, you can ask your parents later." Wang Shi said, "You drank lots of alcohol that day. Right?" Gu Feng nodded, "Addition of two bags of IV to the existing alcohol in your system put a strain on your kidneys, resulting in continuous pain."
"All you need was time to let your kidney slowly filter it out, however, at the request of your parents, my team injected you with contract material iodine to do MRI. It should have flushed out within two hours but because of dysfunctional kidneys, it got absorbed by other organs. The result equals to your current condition."
"You mean to say he was fine when we brought him here?" Mother Gu baffled.
Wang Shi, "Yes, it was you dictating me what should I do that your son almost knocked at the door of death."
"So… So he's fine!"
"Just a month of dialysis and medication is all it requires. But I'm sorry, your pancreas had been dead and I had to remove it. You have to be on insulin throughout your life."
Mrs. Gu shared a tearful glance at her stoic husband, visibly guilty for advising Wang Shi to get the MRI done.
"Gu Feng yanked his mother's hand when she tried to touch him on the shoulder. "Tell me everything,"
Wang Shi pinched his brows, taking a glance at Suyin.
"You were born with a rare condition called genetic Mosaicism. Which means the presence of both male and female chromosomes. They did the surgeries to repair your ambiguous genitalia to fit one of the two genders." Suyin answered. Surprisingly, parents didn't stop her.
"So basically I'm both. It's the choice my parents made to make me a boy….. where I could be a girl as well. I'M A MONSTER. " He let go of his girlfriend's hand and looked away. It was expected of him to react like this.
"If you are a monster or not, depends on how you take your life from here." Suyin makes Mrs. Gu sit on the other stool near Gu Feng's bed. "Maybe this was the reason your parents didn't tell you anything. They were afraid you won't be able to take the blow,"
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW? MY ENTIRE LIFE IS A LIE, HOW WOULD I LIVE WITH IT?"
"THEN FLOW with it…. like a rising tide which you can't stop or run away from but learn to float along, like a king. Instead of sulking, be the inspiration. You are not alone in this! At least you're healthy, young, and have the chance to live this beautiful life unlike the patients in the cancer ward, who have no hopes yet they are fighting." Gu Feng looked up to see into Suyin's eyes. Even Minister Gu couldn't help but look at her.
"And when you'll do that, you'll realize it was never that difficult. Take a step and many would follow," Suyin ruffled his hair and pointed at his hands. His girlfriend held one while the other by his mother, despite his distant attitude a moment ago.
"Just worry that when you turn back, you should be satisfied with what you see. Because the day you turn back and dislike what you see, it will be the day you'll be old, on your death bed, still sulking on your unfair life…. But can't do anything…."
Before leaving she cast a last glance at Minister Gu, "It was not a mistake to get Dr. Wang on the case. He's the reason your son is alive, and HE'S THE BEST."
He's the best!
He's the best!
Wang Shi's heart skipped a beat. Her compelling and unwavering voice sent nerves dancing up his spine as he saw her leaving the room. Her words captivated his heart, branding his soul with her invisible mark.
"Dr. Wang, I'm sorry for my rude behavior," Wang Shi was about to leave when he heard Minister Gu's meek voice and turned. "And… thanks to that woman as well. I forgot her name…"
"No you haven't forgotten…. but ignored when I introduced her." Wang Shi replied, "She is Zhao Suyin. Secretary-General from the Ministry of women and child affairs. And she's definitely worth an introduction."
He left, leaving the ashamed Minister Gu alone….
*****