DING!
Kazimir and Xolani step out of the elevator and the young woman points up at her name.
"So this must be my office!"
Looking around for his, Kazimir sighs.
"Guess mine isn't over here."
Xolani quickly flips on the light and tilts her head.
"It's a bit bland, huh? Oh? What's this?"
Walking over to her desk, she picks up a stack of papers and thumbs through them.
"Well, I'm certainly happy that you've found your office, Xolani."
Turning to the doorway, Kazimir and Xolani come face to face with Captain Uzini.
"If you don't mind me asking, where's mine?" Kazimir asks. "I've already walked through the whole place."
"Your office is next to Richano's. It's on this same floor, just keep walking straight down and make a left. However, I want you and Xolani to do a wellness check on this address right here. There's a young woman who has been struggling with an alcohol addiction and she recently has given birth."
Taking the paper from the man's hand, Kazimir looks down at it and nods.
"Thank you both."
Placing the paper in his pocket, Kazimir turns to Xolani.
"I'll drive us. After this, we can get started on some of your cases."
————-
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Claiza City Special Forces Department!" Kazimir yells.
"This place looks so…sad."
"It does. I hope-
As the young man placed his hand on the doorknob, he watches as the door quickly opens. Faint cries of a baby could be heard from a room further down the hall.
Without hesitation, the two quickly make their way down and enter, a small yet plump baby wrapped in a blue blanket crying to be fed.
"Oh my gosh! The poor thing!"
Kazimir quickly picks the little boy up and starts to cradle him.
"His diaper needs changing and from the growls of his stomach, he hasn't been fed for who knows how long."
"I'll check the kitchen for some food." Xolani says, running out of the room.
"I guess that leaves me to clean you, huh champ?"
The baby looks up at Kazimir and yawns.
"I wonder if you have any rubber duckies to keep you entertained."
Walking into the bathroom, he starts the bath water and grabs a washcloth from the shelf.
"Okay, let's see if we can take this dirty diaper off. Sorry if I hurt you. I've never changed a baby before."
After removing the diaper, Kazimir throws it away and grabs a bar of soap, placing it on the washcloth and putting it over the water.
"First we'll start with your face. Can't let you walk around with sticky tears, now can we?"
The baby doesn't make a sound, but remains quiet.
"I know, I know. I'd be quiet too if I was with someone I didn't know. And hungry. What's your favorite food? Mine is onigiri. My mama used to make it for me occasionally but she recently passed on. I bet you might like it, too."
The baby sneezes and Kazimir chuckles.
"Bless you. That sneeze was adorable, though. But we don't want you catching a cold so I'll make sure to find you something warm. You've gotta have a cute outfit somewhere."
Rinsing the little boy off, the detective turns the water off and grabs a towel.
"It's kinda big, so try not to get lost."
As he dries the boy, Kazimir could hear little laughter coming from inside the towel.
"You like being dried off? Or do you just like the shaking from being dried off?"
He opens the towel to reveal the baby's eyes, which widen.
"I see you!"
The baby giggles and moves his arms, using his whole body to bounce up and down.
Covering his eyes and revealing them again, Kazimir continues to play along with the baby.
"Okay, okay. Let's get you into something warmer. I wonder if you have any shoes. If not, we can get you some after we leave here."
Walking back into the bedroom, Kazimir pulls out his phone to watch a video on how to change a baby's diaper.
"All of the food was expired, but I found some formula. It's warming up as we speak."
"Thanks, Xolani. Look, isn't he the most handsomest thing in the world?"
"He is adorable, awww! His little brown eyes!"
"Let's see what clothes your mommy has for you." Kazimir says, digging through the drawers. "This dog onesie is kinda cute. But that seems to be all he has."
"No shoes or socks?"
"Nope, none of that. Hell, I don't even see a baby carrier around here."
The two slip the baby in the onesie and Kazimir smiles down at him.
"He needs a name. How about—Satsujin. Yeah, that's perfect."
"Baby Satsujin. It's cute, I like it." Xolani replies. "I'll go check his formula."
With one hand dangling in the crib, the young man watches as little Satsujin wrapped a tiny hand around his fingers.
"I hope your mother doesn't come back. And I hope you don't have any close family. I'm sure that sounds harsh but I found you and I want to keep you."
Satsujin laughs as Kazimir makes a silly face and kicks his tiny feet.
"Awww, it seems you like me too. I'm going to try and be the best dad I can be. I'll even introduce you to Khristina when we get home. She's like a daughter and little sister of mine rolled into one. It may take some time for her to warm up to you, but she's gonna love you."
"Alright, the formula's ready but it should probably cool down a bit first." Xolani says, placing the baby bottle on the dresser. "For now, we can start packing his important things."
"Which is what? Three diapers and a can of formula? As much as I want to be mad at his mother, I can't. Clearly she hasn't gotten the proper help she needs and maybe she's going through PPD."
Kazimir picks up Satsujin and gives him another warm smile.
"But still, how could you leave this tiny thing behind?"
"You seem to do well with babies. Do you have kids of your own?"
"No, but I'm the guardian of one. It's a long story, but her blood brothers and cousin are all too busy to watch her, so I took her in. Her name's Khristina and she's the sweetest, most adorable little girl there is. Though she can be a pain sometimes. But I love her dearly and I'd do anything to keep her happy."
Handing the small child over to Xolani, Kazimir watches as she feeds him the baby formula.
"I used to practice feeding baby dolls up until my brother's disappearance. I wanted to become a pediatrician but as they say, life has other plans."
"I think you'd be a good pediatric. You seem to have a caring nature about you."
The young woman smiles as she watches Satsujin's hands grip the bottle.
"Thank you, Kazimir."
Pushing the bottle away, Satsujin lets out a little belch and the two detectives share a laugh.
"We should get going now. There're still a lot of things we need to get him before we return to the station."
Xolani nods as she softly bounces Satsujin.
"Mhm. We wouldn't want to have him being a mess for when service workers come to collect him."
She turns to Kazimir for a nod of approval, but instead was greeted by a face of slight anger.
"I mean, isn't that how it works? That's what train-
"Xolani, in instances such as this, training doesn't matter. The service workers will only return him back to here."
"That's not true. They'll find him a good home."
The young man shakes his head as he opens the front door for his new colleague.
"No they won't. When we get back to the station, I'll handle all of the reports and communication. You can just go straight to your office and relax."
Xolani raises a brow and looks down at the baby before looking back up at Kazimir, who seemed to be scanning the surrounding houses.
"Kazimir, I don't like where this is going. I have to report something, too."
"I'll do both sides, Xolani. Just trust me on this, alright?"
"…alright."