Chapter Text
In a single and almost impossible moment, entire lives can be gone forever or changed to their core. Every second is invaluable in maintaining the normal flow of life, but time alone is not always enough. Many other things are required in Lingsha's profession. She herself is an unearthly staff in the surgical department and an outstanding specialist in the directions of medicine. For years, she had faced various cases where she always gave a second chance to her patients. Always dedicated and talented, with a sense of humanity and compassion, but serious and unwavering when necessary.
The slender doctor was so accomplished that the walls of the apartment where she lived with her little brother were filled with awards, certificates and photos of her shaking hands with great doctors at conferences.
However, the brunette wasn't so sure at one point when she had to perform emergency surgery on a boy who had suffered a serious accident. Even with the necessary knowledge and experience, she still managed to miss one small but significant thing that cost a lot. She was unable to restore the boy's sight. In the heat of the moment, everyone in the OR was scrambling to save his life, but only Lingsha would blame herself for not thinking through absolutely every detail. It wasn't a medical error, no, on the contrary, it wasn't anyone's fault, but she was extremely angry because she could have helped him. Therefore, after months and constant monitoring, she did not give up on the case. She did not separate from the boy during his entire period of rehabilitation and even already felt him as a close friend, although there was a difference of about fifteen years between them. She wanted to help him as much as possible.
Lingsha was scheduled to arrive at the hospital at eight o'clock in the morning when her shift starts. Today was not that busy with surgeries, unless there was an emergency of course.
The woman greeted the receptionist in the lobby, a sweet foxian who returned the greeting. "Good morning Lingsha! Are you excited? Jiaoqiu will be discharged today!"
Because of her words, the doctor became sad. The boy was showing wonderful improvement in his health, walking and putting on weight, but the lack of sight would always be wrong. At such a tender age, being forever blind did not appeal to Lingsha at all. So many dreams and opportunities were wasted. However, she nodded and smiled friendly again.
"Of course. The little foxian is doing great, but I can't deny I'm worried." Thousands of questions were swirling in her mind, such as: Where will he live? Who will take care of him? How will he do in life?
"As far as I know, he has no living relatives and will most likely be staying in an orphanage." The secretary, who, in addition to working, picked up all kinds of gossip, mentioned. Lingsha failed to keep her nonchalance behind her facade, and her displeasure soon showed.
"When do social services arrive?" The female vidyadhara asked, quickly glancing at the clock to make sure there was still some time left for her first scheduled operation, but it had run out.
"At noon, I guess. Why?"
"Excuse me. I have to go." Lingsha almost ran to the elevator, where luckily her colleague held it back. "Thank you." However, as soon as she found out who it was, she felt sorry for herself and almost felt sick.
"Always for you, Lingsha." Taoran was hideously annoying and not at all handsome. He looked over forty years old, but for a vidyadhara he must have been much older. However, this did not stop him from harassing Lingsha. Poor thing, she had no choice but to put up with him because he seemed like a senior doctor in the hospital.
"Always is a bit of an overstatement as far as I do not want to have frequent conversations with you." The lady said seriously, just before the elevator stopped and the man went down to the corresponding floor and she continued up.
She never understood men like Taoran. His greasy smile and his supposedly careless touches on her body made her think she was more inclined to date women. The only people she got along with were children and his brother. Thinking of him reminded her that they had both been too busy lately to spend even a little sibling time together. She sighed and already exited the elevator to go through the dressing room and start her work.
***
"Are you going to tell me why the teacher is sending you to me on Tuesday at eight twenty to be exact, on your second day of school? Don't feel attacked. It's nice to see you anyway, Moze. How was your vacation?" Dan Heng's sudden change in tone somehow managed to prompt the ever-quiet student who was sitting on the couch in the school psychologist and guidance counselor's office to speak.
"Nothing that would interest you." Dan Heng frowned, he was clearly not as good at his profession as the rest of the school staff praised him to be. His sister was right that kids in puberty were hard to handle.
"Let me guess, you offended someone again?" The young vidyadhara leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow. The boy had never looked up and most of the time would find him with a hood on his head.
"No."
"Did you break something?" Second attempt.
"No."
"Were you late for class?" Third.
"No."
"You were on your phone?" Another one.
"No."
"Then?" The system named brain refused functioning.
"I used stealth to startle the teacher." Moze felt sorry for Dan Heng though, as the kid had no one else close enough to share, deserved to know since he is the only one who asks.
The long-haired vidyadhara could not contain his laughter and his eyes shone with tears. It wasn't professional of him, but right now he wasn't in the role of just another adult to scold him, he was a friend or a brother to Moze. Honestly, with the other students he was doing his job properly. Moze has always been an exception because he is special.
The boy had a problem with socialization and often acted out to escape the many people around him. He didn't like to be the center of attention, but without wanting to, he was ranked as the worst student in the entire school. He definitely hadn't found the most suitable method for them to leave him alone. On the contrary, many people even discussed him.
"How was your vacation anyway?" Dan Heng asked after he finished laughing. He wasn't going to lecture him on behavior or tell him where he went wrong, because there was no point. Moze had already shown how familiar he was with his actions. Moreover, these things seemed necessary for children up to seven years of age, not seventeen.
"I was working."
"Is that so, where?" The vidyadhara looked at him and noticed scars on the boy's hands.
"I was helping out at the Artisanship Commission." Moze still hadn't moved from his position, which wasn't at all strange to him.
"And how was it? Did you like it?" Even if he was just asking questions to pass the time and make it look like he really took action on the boy's behavior, Dan Heng was curious and liked it when the student shared with someone.
"It was interesting but also painful. I wouldn't say I like it because it's too dirty. Last week I offered to clean."
"Hmm, sure. Maybe you'll grant my request to take me sometime?"
Moze nodded and stood up from the couch as the bell for end of the lesson rang. He left the room, but not before Dan Heng made a gesture for him, after which the older man decided to continue with the paperwork he had left earlier.
***
Obstacles are everywhere and designed to make the path you're on as difficult as possible. No matter who you are or what you strive for, obstacles are an inevitable part of the life cycle of any being. Some would see it as cruelty, others would see it as karma, but Jiaoqiu had enough time in the hospital to understand that overcoming them is what made his life meaningful and him strong. At first he was desperate, scared, even disgusted with himself and everything that happened to him. He could no longer associate voices with faces and didn't know if he was alone or not. Lingsha was good company, explained everything to the smallest detail so that he was aware of his condition. The woman also described her appearance and the interior of the hospital. Jiaoqiu appreciated it very much.
When he was allowed to walk, he found it extremely difficult at first, and necessarily held on to something. The most basic tasks of personal hygiene and eating seemed impossible to him without help. After a while he got used to accepting it, and later he voluntarily sought it out. Lingsha was often around helping him. She even read books to him so he could fall asleep and not have nightmares. Her voice was soft and quiet, but at times it sounded professional. He associated her with red and also imagined that there were white bunnies around her. He liked the idea of different ways to distinguish people in his imagination.
Perhaps he wasn't fully convinced that he would manage completely on his own when he was told that he was being discharged from the hospital. He really had no one, and hardly anyone would pay him that much attention in an orphanage. He wished he had a family to rely on. An acquaintance or relative who would be interested in him, but there was none. For the past two or three months, no one had visited him. Thanks to Lingsha, who even because of her job obliges her to monitor his condition, was filling this gap in Jiaoqiu. Maybe that's why, considering her a pretty close person, when her words, although quiet and behind the door, filled him with a little hope.
"I want to adopt Jiaoqiu." Lingsha had said firmly to the officials who had come to collect the boy.
“Miss, these things are not done by mere request.” An elderly lady with a very interesting taste in clothing replied with annoyance in her voice. "There are procedures."
"I'll go through them. I'm willing to do anything to keep him from being sent to an orphanage." The brunette had fire in her eyes, she was so sure of her words.
"The boy is almost an adult, but even if he was, it still wouldn't matter. If there is no one to take care of him, the state will have to do it, or he should stay in a home for people with special needs." This time, he explained in a calmer tone, the man stood next to the old woman.
"I've been watching him since his first day here. Jiaoqiu shows will and results that he can live just like everyone else. You tell me you're going to put him in a home because there's no one to take care of him. I'll take care of him. I will become his guardian. Please." Lingsha didn't give up, never gave up. She always stood up for herself and her decisions.
"Okay miss, but for the time the paperwork is being prepared, the boy will be staying in a home." The officials finally agreed and Lingsha accepted the offer, which she could not haggle with because they had laws to follow.
Jiaoqiu was standing by the door, before overhearing their conversation, the nurse had helped him to wear civilian clothes and then left him alone. The young foxian hoped Lingsha would take him home as soon as possible, but he didn't know how long it would take for all the business matters to be completed.
As the voices echoed, he realized that they would soon enter the room and take him away. He squeezed the hand that held the bag of his personal belongings and documents that were unlikely to be of any use to him. He was ready to survive at least a week of solitude and endless nightmares. He wasn't afraid, more precisely he hated his fate.
The door opened as Jiaoqiu sensed the change in the air and the side sounds buzzed in his fluffy pink ears. By the number of steps he judged the distance the three people had walked in, and by their voices he was able to distinguish them. Lingsha has the clearest image to him, like a ray of light, and he imagined the social workers to be devilish creatures, with wings and horns, completely enveloped in darkness.
"Are you ready, Jiaoqiu? It's time to go." One of the staff told him, too closely, which irritated him. He then felt movement around him and soon his free hand was caught in Lingsha's grip.
"Don't worry. We'll be together again soon. Promise me you'll be careful and not do anything stupid." Her words were whispered so that only he could catch them. The blind boy didn't show anything to leave the impression he understood, but the doctor had already spent so much time with him, studying all his habits and character traits.
Lingsha let him go with the help of the two attendants holding his shoulders to guide him. The boy didn't protest so as not to disappoint Lingsha, who watched him carefully as they left the room and headed for the elevator. She wanted to see him as far away as possible, but she was at work and couldn't leave the floor just yet.
***
Dan Heng was lying on the couch in front of the TV, which was showing the central seven o'clock news, reading another philosophy book from his collection. In fact, there was so much scientific literature on medicine and psychology in their home that they didn't even have room for anything else.
The vidyadhara had tied his long hair in a high ponytail to keep it out of the way and occasionally reached out to pick up his cup of tea and take a sip. He regularly adjusted the frames of his glasses because they often slipped down his right nose.
"Dan Heng? I'm home." Lingsha called from the front door as she was taking off her coat and leaving it on the hanger. The little brother didn't react much and instead unfolded to the next page. The woman wasn't surprised either when she walked in and found him in his usual position. "I bought pizza for dinner." Lingsha put the box on the table and went to the kitchen to wash her hands and get some sauces from the fridge. As soon as she returned to his brother, she found him tucking away the warm pizza. Neither of them could cook. Lingsha because she didn't have much free time, and Dan Heng just can't, so they often ate delivery food.
"It's delicious. Did you get it from the new pizzeria on the corner?" Dan Heng mentioned as he was tearing off a second piece.
"Yes. Um, I have to tell you something. I think I told you about a boy from the hospital, Jiaoqiu." Lingsha looked at her brother who was taking a bite and also looking at her. He nodded in agreement and thought. "We discharged him today, but since he has no family, he was sent to an orphanage. I decided to adopt him."
Dan Heng widened his eyes and almost choked on the cheese that he couldn't chew and swallowed in surprise. His sister sometimes troubled him with her determined intentions.
"I have no right of refusal, thanks for warning me anyway." The younger sipped his tea and rolled his eyes.
"I've always notified you on time." The lady lowered her eyebrows and received a certain look from her brother that meant she was wrong. "Maybe there were exceptions, but you did the same tricks." She fought back.
"I don't remember of any."
"When you didn't tell me you were going to the disco." Lingsha tried to think of something, but she couldn't.
"I was twenty and still living in the dorm."
"Ahhh, okay. Eat your pizza."
A little later, when they had already finished eating, Dan Heng spoke again. "How was your work today?"
"Don't ask. That Taoran jerk was bothering me again." Lingsha sighed boredly as she aimlessly watched the show playing on the TV.
"Maybe it would be a good idea if you introduced him to someone as your boyfriend." His brother was tired of hearing about this specimen and the way he treated his sister. Once he even threatened to beat him, but Lingsha stopped him.
"You know, especially since I'm going to adopt Jiaoqiu, it will be nice to have a partner." She shared her thoughts which made Dan Heng jump to her side and look at her to make sure it was true.
"Finally! I'm not going to wait forever for you to find a boyfriend. Honestly, lately I thought we'd be lonely old siblings with twenty cats."
"Dan Heng, it's normal for us vidyadhara to not have partners. However, we don't have the biological factors to create a generation that instantly excludes the role of families. It's even strange that you and I are brother and sister." In their previous lives, twins hatched from a single egg that shared genes. Lingsha, by sheer coincidence, as a toddler learns about it from the other vidyadhara in Luofu and inquires about it, finding her brother. A little later they take a DNA test to be sure and it turns out they are right. Everyone in the city knows them as the miracle of vidyadhara.
"Yes, it is, but the society we live in is different. Why not try the things of other races?" Since childhood, Dan Heng has been inquisitive, interested in many things, and therefore constantly reads. After some time, he realized that he could apply these qualities to the relevant profession. As he observed the behavior, moral values and historical background of different people, Lingsha always had a passion for healing. The two were mostly alike in their devotion to the things they liked.
"I'm not stopping you. I'm just warning you. Hmm. However, having a girlfriend will definitely help. Taoran will find out and leave me alone." Lingsha was hoping for exactly that to happen. Dan Heng did too, but he thought about another thing he noticed in her words.
"You want a wife?" He sounded completely bewildered and cleared his throat. "Do you like girls?"
Lingsha looked at him with an expression that meant nothing but that she didn't understand what was so strange about it. "You're gay."
Dan Heng widened his eyes in surprise. He had never told his sister about it. Clearly, she just knew him too well and nothing could be hidden from her. "When and how?"
The woman laughed. "Remember when we went out on my birthday and had dinner at that expensive restaurant. You didn't take your eyes off the waiter. You even stuttered when you said your order."
"There really is nothing hidden and covered with you."
"That's right. By the way, now I thought of what else I was going to ask you. Jiaoqiu hasn't finished school, is it possible to enroll him in yours so you can be close to each other." She didn't want to stop him from studying, because the boy was smart and would surely be able to manage even just listening.
"I'll have to bring it up with the principal, but I'm sure Miss Feixiao won't mind. She gives all the kids a chance. She doesn't want to exclude Moze yet."
A spark of joy appeared in the woman's eyes and she smiled at her brother. The two continued to discuss their days at work then it was time to go to bed and they each went to their respective rooms.