Xiaoxiao and Xiaoyue

      Li Tian uses all his internal energy to awaken his consciousness and in the middle of the night his eyes open. He sees Sara curled up on the couch. He wants to get up and bring her to his bed but is hooked up to the IV and a monitoring machine. Dammit!

     He considers using the call button but doesn’t want anyone in the hospital to know he is awake. Fuck! I am too weak and I need to find out who orchestrated the accident. The determined look on the other driver’s face as the car got closer made him realize the accident was intentional.

   Frustrated he closes his eyes and considers who the suspects might be. He is mentally going over the list when Kang Mingshun enters the room to check on Sara. Li Tian hears his light movement and opens his eyes.

He watches Kang Mingshun carefully put Sara’s leg back on the couch that is hanging down. He then gently fixes the blanket and takes another one out of the cupboard and tucks it around Sara. Kang Mingshun is about to leave when Li Tian calls him. Startled Kang Mingshun whips around, “SHIT! Boss you are awake! That is great!”

  Li Tian quickly says, “Shhh..come over here. I don’t want anyone to know.”

   Kang Mingshun walks to his bedside, “Boss, how’s your head?”

 Li Tian’s throat is dry, he sounds hoarse “A little fuzzy from the medication but not too bad. Has Yang James come up with any clues yet? It wasn’t a fucking accident.”

  “There is a blizzard I couldn’t get a signal to call him.”

  Li Tia has a dry cough,“Fuck! Well, get me a bottle of water.”

   Li Tian gulps the water to moisturize his throat.“I am going to keep up the charade of being in a coma. They might try again.”

  “You should be safe here. Yang James gave the order no one is allowed on this floor, except your parents and doctors.”

  “They didn’t notify grandfather did they? I don’t want to aggravate his heart condition.”

  “No. They are keeping it from him for the time being. Are you going to tell your parents?”

  “Not yet. My mother couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag and father is only slightly better. If they look upset and worried then it will be more realistic.”

Li Tian has a slight smile, “You can stay in the room. This way it will be easier to communicate with you.”

  Kang Mingshun was about to go to a room and sleep. He glances at Sara sleeping peacefully on the couch. “Okay.”

  “Bring Song Sara to my bed.”

  “…”

 He sees the hesitation on Kang Mingshun’s face, his eyes flicker with jealousy picturing Kang Mingshun tenderly covering Sara with a blanket. He raises his swordlike eyebrow as he quips, “Well, are you going to squeeze in next to Song Sara on the couch?”

  “…” Kang Minshun reluctantly picks up the sleeping girl and brings her to Li Tian’s bed. Sara smacks her lips while muttering, “More..so delicious..”

   Kang Mingshun lays her on the bed and Li Tian leans on his elbow staring down at Sara. He looks up at Kang Mingshun, “Actually go out, I won’t need anything. Come back in the morning.”

   ???? 

   After Kang Mingshun leaves, Li Tian kisses Sara and plays with a loose strand of her hair, inhaling her sweet fragrance.  He gazes down at Sara, the little thing looks exhausted. He gently touches the dark circles under her eyes. I didn’t think you would care enough about me to come to the hospital.

Li Tian was surprised when he heard her voice in the room and shocked when she massaged his legs. Little girl, do you care about me? A ripple of an unknown feeling flashes across his dark eyes as he caresses her delicate cheek. Suddenly he can barely stay awake, the sedative the nurse gave him is time release. He knows if he falls asleep he must maintain the posture of being in a coma. He straightens himself on the bed not forgetting to put Sara’s thin arm around his waist.

   Sara sleeps peacefully snuggled next to Li Tian’s warm body. She is wrapped around him like an octopus when the doctor comes to check on Li Tian. Kang Mingshun told the nurse during the night that the doctor recommended Sara to sleep in the bed with Li Tian. The idea of a warm body next to him would stimulate him to wake up.

   The doctor looks at the situation in the bed and raises an eyebrow.  Dr. Jing is a no nonsense older woman. She purses her lips as she roughly tugs on Sara’s sweater, “Miss. MISS!”

  Sara blinks a few times, “Bi..let me sleep..so tired.”

  Sara is wrapped around Li Tian.. Dr.Jing wants to slap the unruly and dishonest girl. What kind of woman climbs into bed with a comatose man. Nympho! “She raises her voice thinking Li Tian can’t hear what she is saying, “Slut! Where did you come from! Get off the patient’s bed now!”

   The woman’s shrill voice is drilling through Li Tian’s brain. Who is the screeching old bat yelling at Song Sara? He wants to kick the woman out of the room and hug Sara but he needs to pretend to be in a coma. Fucking bitch! He was enjoying Sara’s warm breath on his neck and the feeling of her soft body curled around him. 

   Sara opens one eye and is disoriented, where am I? She rubs her eyes and jumps off of Li Tian, Oh my God! I..I..climbed into bed with Li TIan? I was on the couch..the couch..he couldn’t have carried me over. He is in a coma.”

    She hurriedly gets off the bed almost falling to the ground. Sara’s face is crimson red, she stutters, “Doctor… I..I.. “ She realizes she has no explanation, so she hurries over to the couch grabs her purse then runs out of the room.

She sees Kang Mingshun asleep whileleaning against the wall. He had been up for almost thirty six hours and couldn’t keep his eyes open. She has an angry expression, Did Kang Mingshun put me in the bed with Li Tian? There is no way I would get into bed with him! No way! And he is comatose! She thinks about the way she was wrapped around his body and doesn’t wake up Kang Mingshun. “Ahh..I don’t want to know!” She runs down the hallway to the elevator and pushes the button frantically.

  When Emmi gets to the lobby she is breathless.  Am I crazy?

She leans down to catch her breath. What time is it? She stands and looks at the clock on the wall..hmm..seven o’clock. I wonder if the weather has improved? I can call Fu Chian to pick me up. It isn’t too early. She walks over to the door to check the weather and realizes she left her jacket in the hospital room. I am not going back to get it.

  It looks like they are clearing the street so she calls Fu Chian. He is making breakfast for his two nieces at his adoptive mother’s house and picks up the phone, “Miss Song.”

  She can hear the sound of children in the background asking for pancakes. “Am I disturbing you?”

  “No. I’m making breakfast but I am almost finished.”

  The loud voice of a woman can be heard, “Chian, take Xiaoxiao and Xiaoyue to school they missed the bus.”

 “Is that your wife?”

  Fu Chian chokes on the scallion pancake he is eating, “Kakaa..no that is my mother.” He motions to a shapely forty year old woman to be quiet. “Did you need me to pick you up?”

  “Yes but you can take the children to school first. I am not in a rush.”

  “My mother can.”

  “No. I insist. The weather conditions are bad and you are an expert driver. It might be difficult for your mother.”

   “…” He looks at his adopted mother who’s smoking a cigarette while cleaning a gun. She drives better than he does after years of working in the Underworld.

  “Mr. Fu?”

“Where are you?”

“I am at Li’s Private Hospital.”

 He drops the spatula in his hand and his voice drops, “Miss Song, did something happen to you?”

  “No. I was visiting a friend last night when the snowstorm blocked the roads.”

  “I will be there soon.”

  “Agnes, take Xiaoxiao and Xiaoyue to school. I have to go to work.” He puts two plates on the table and twin girls sit down, “ Little Uncle, you make the best pancakes! Better than Daddy!”

  The cigarette is hanging out of the woman’s mouth while she talks,“You brat! I could hear the girl say you could take them to school first. I have a fucking job this morning.”

  He goes over to where she is sitting cross legged, his voice is low. “Shut up! Brother would be pissed if he knew you were still doing that shit. He gives money every month for you and the girls, combined with what I give you, why do you keep working for that bastard.”

  She pulls him down by his tie and curls her red lips up in an evil smile. “Sweetie, you tell your brother and I will cut off your balls. Don’t forget who took you and that bastard out of the orphanage. As for that other fucking kid I adopted if you see him tell him I haven’t seen a check from him this month.”

  He isn’t sure if it was a curse of a blessing when Mu Agnes took them from the orphanage. True, the conditions at the orphanage were terrible and the staff abusive, but this woman and the prick she called husband back then Fuck!..Shit! they only wanted to train us as assassins.

The blessing was we escaped poverty and met Leo Cadieux. We now work for him. He is a lunatic but he treats us well. As far as Agnes goes, as soon as Brother can come get Xiaoxiao and Xiaoyue we can get away from the bitch for good. The two little girls belong to his friend who was killed and he promised to take good care of them. 

  Fu Chian isn’t in the mood to ignore her threats, does she think I am still that naive weak  boy she brought home? He takes the cigarette out of her mouth and crushes it in the ashtray, “Second hand isn’t good for kids.” Fu Chian usually appears gentle but right now his eyes are filled with killing intent. “Remember to take good care of the girls or you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”

   “Girls, brush your teeth then get your coats. Uncle will take you to school.”