Goddess Bless You From Death
C51 - Special Case 2.
In the chaotic hospital crowded with people, the young doctor who had just come out of the examination room hoped for a cup of coffee to refresh himself. However, the communication device in his pocket started buzzing incessantly. He faced the wall and gently knocked his head against it.
"DAMN IT!"
"Is something wrong, doctor?"
"Uh.. nothing," Charn replied, smiling at the nurse. Then, he rushed to the recovery department on the upper floor, where he was called, although he genuinely wanted to escape back to his condo right now since his shift had ended.
"Did you call for me?" Charn asked the nurses at the counter.
"Yes, Dr Charn. Sorry to disturb you after working hours, but there's a police officer here looking for the doctor responsible for Patient 804"
"Police?" Charn frowned slightly before walking to the recovery room where he was in charge.
"Hello?"
"Hello, you cheeky kid!?"
"Wait! Wait! Here, do you see this?"
"An outfit?"
"What kind of outfit?"
"A gown."
"Exactly! This is a gown. And this is a doctor," Charn proudly pointed to himself. "Not that kid from the drinking party."
"Gosh, do I have to work with you?" In contrast, the intelligence agent slumped in his chair, his face a look of despair.
"So, what are you here for?"
"The guy lying flat here is a suspect in a murder case."
"Are you serious?!"
"Well, I'm kidding. He's actually a cotton candy vendor. I wanted to eat some, so I came."
"You're being sarcastic, Mr Mek."
"Think before you ask, Dr Charn." Despite the three-year age gap, there was no awkwardness between them. Since that night of drinking together, any formalities had vanished. "When will he wake up?"
"Probably in a day or two. He has a head injury but no blood clots, brain swelling, a torn lung, broken ribs, or a ruptured spleen," Charn reported casually before collapsing onto the sofa. "How did he end up so badly injured?"
"He was involved in an incident where he killed a restaurant owner, then got hit by the owner's son."
"So the case is closed then? There's a dead perpetrator and another victim, who committed a crime."
"Yep, except there's another body at the crime scene that doesn't seem to be directly related." Mek shifted slightly before standing up. "I'll have someone keep watch."
"Where are you going?"
"Knowing that, what can you do with it?"
"Maybe exchange it for free meal coupons?" Mek rolled his eyes before glancing at his watch. "Treat me to a meal."
"Even with your medical profession, you still don't have money for food?"
"Do you think being a doctor makes one rich?"
"I'm busy. See you."
"If you treat me to a meal, I might help with the case."
"Help with what?"
"Checking the crime scene, examining the patient, that sort of thing." Charn got up from the sofa and held his head high with a superior attitude.
"I have a forensic team."
"You're breaking my heart."
Mek shook his head slightly and answered the phone that was buzzing persistently in his pocket.
"Yes, sir?"
[Where are you right now?]
"I'm at the hospital, looking at the perpetrator, who just went into surgery."
[Good. The body found in the restaurant's freezer has been sent to the hospital.
The forensic pathologist is about to start. You can either listen to the information or wait for the file to be brought back.]
'Alright." After the call ended, Mek glared at the young man who was raising his eyebrows in front of him with annoyance. "What kind of doctor eavesdrops on people's phone conversations?"
"With you talking so loudly, it's like I'd have to hide in the bathroom not to hear."
"Fine, if you want a meal, follow me."
"No thanks. It's too late now, Officer. You only valued me after the call ended."
"Stop playing hard to get."
"First, you realised my worth too late. Second, I'm not going into the autopsy room because it's not enjoyable."
"First, you're useless from the start. Second, if you're scared of ghosts, just say so. Don't try to make excuses. Pathetic."
"I'm not easily provoked from the beginning. Too bad for you, Officer. Go enjoy yourself with the corpses alone."
"Oh, really?" Mek raised an eyebrow and smirked at the young man who was about to leave. "It's alright, Dr Charn. Everyone's scared of ghosts. Not everyone has the courage for things like this. I understand." Mek spoke with a tone full of fake sympathy, but his face was smirking mockingly, causing the doctor in the lab coat to frown.
"Ugh, I should get going. I have work to do that some people are too scared to handle. As expected, kids will always be kids." Mek walked away, counting down in his mind. If he couldn't handle this kid, he would have broken ties with Darin, Sei, and Singha a long time ago. Those guys felt like this kid multiplied by ten.
Three!
Two!
One!
"Fine!! I'll come along! I've grown up like a giant! I'm not just a kid! So, treat me to a meal!"
"Huh, sure thing. You're really grown up." When they were drinking together, he had called this kid 'little one' just once. The kid had made such a fuss, so he knew how to provoke him by now.
The two arrived at the autopsy room, which was not far from the mortuary. Ever since the incident at that abandoned house, Charn's fear of ghosts had only intensified. Being a temple boy before didn't mean he had thoroughly embraced the Dharma. Look at Thup! He sees ghosts regularly, but he is still just as scared.
"If you're this close, why not just possess me?"
"Just walk!"
Mek rolled his eyes at the kid behind him. He was starting to think that bringing this kid along was a mistake. The smell of formalin permeated the room. It was familiar to a doctor who had gone through training, but the sight of a corpse on the autopsy table was still unsettling since he dealt more with living patients daily.
"Charn, if you bump into me again, I'll really kick you," Mek said, shaking off his irritation as the kid clung to him. "What kind of doctor are you?"
"A Thai doctor. If I were English, I'd be an English doctor. Want to hear it in French? Je suis médecin français."
"Annoying." Mek rolled his eyes for the hundredth time since they'd met. He walked over to examine the unidentified corpse taken from the scene in more detail before calling the irritating kid to follow him. "Alright, where's your duty, Doctor?"
"Confirming death."
"Then I guess I could be a doctor too."
Charn sighed as he walked over to take a closer look.
"Anyway, forensic experts need to examine it themselves. I only handle the living.".
"Uh-huh."
"Where did you say you found it?"
"In the restaurant's freezer."
"Restaurant?"
"Yep."
"Can I get the name of the restaurant?"
"Why do you need it?"
"I need to know so I won't accidentally eat there. Look at this."
Charn reached for a metal pointer from the table and used it to point at the right arm of the deceased, which had some flesh meticulously removed.
"Some of the flesh here is missing. Also, this abdominal wound is still fresh, so the death probably happened only a few days ago. Being in the freezer, it's hard to estimate exactly, but this kind of wound looks like it was cut to be put into something."
"Don't tell me...
"I'm going to." Charn rested his arm on the autopsy table and used the pointer he had just used to poke at the body to point at Mek. "This isn't just a victim. Judging by the state, it's likely a meal ingredient as well. Surprise!"
"Ugh, Charn! WHY THE HELL DID YOU SAY THAT?" Mek smacked Charn with the folder he was holding, not holding back his strength.
"Hey, you dragged me into this!"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Holy cr*p!!!" Charn, who had been enjoying watching the cop in front of him look like he was about to vomit, was startled by the sudden knock on the door.
"Wow, you totally freaked out."
"Hey jerk, I was startled, okay?" Charn blurted out inappropriate words, his mind mixed up by his ongoing shock.
"Hello, I'm the forensic doctor, here to examine the body."
"Oh, Dr Ray."
"Hey, you little rascal," the newcomer greeted Charn warmly.
"And you..."
"I'm Mek, an intelligence agent sent here to gather initial information."
"Sounds like you're quite busy."
"A little bit," Mek replied.
"I think you might have some doubts about this case."
"Yes, if the autopsy results align with the evidence found at the scene, the case should be straightforward to close."
"Then I'll hurry with the examination. The lab is also analysing the evidence found at the restaurant."
"Alright. I'm not in a rush today."
"Great. How about we grab a coffee once I'm done? I can go over the details with you."
"Sounds good."
"I'm hungry." Suddenly, Charn interrupted the conversation, ignoring the ongoing discussion.
"Did I chain you?"
"Double standards!"
"Nonsense."
"Hahaha, you two seem to get along well. Do you know each other?"
"More like we're forced to know each other," Mek replied, addressing the young doctor who seemed to be around the same age as him. He was as tall as Charn, around 180 centimetres tall, but he appeared much more composed and mature.
"Where are you going? You promised to treat me."
"Alright, alright. I'll take my leave for now. I'll come back in about an hour."
"Just call me Ray. I think we're about the same age."
"Got it."
"Food!"
Finally, Mek dragged the stubborn Charn to a nearby restaurant near the hospital. It was a café with both rice dishes and beverages, and it had pleasantly cool air conditioning.
"What do you want to eat?"
"You're harsh with me, but you're all sweetness with that doctor."
"Should I be rude to someone I'm meeting for the first time? You're the one with no manners."
"Didn't you yell at me the first time we met?"
"Maybe I was possessed by a ghost," Mek said, opening the menu and ordering what he wanted.
"I'll have the same, but with iced green tea instead," Charn said, giving the waiter a friendly smile before returning to his sulky expression when he looked at Mek.
"Well, look at you, smiling all sweetly at the girls, but you treat me like an ass."
"My ass?"
"A dog's ass, maybe."
"Why are you being so crude?" Charn's mood lightened as he teased Mek, who had been frowning the entire time. "You said you're not in the field, right?"
"On-demand."
"Because?"
"Remember, I told you the suspect who killed the restaurant owner got hit by a car?"
"Yeah, you said it was the son who hit him, right?"
"Yeah."
"So?"
"The guy handling the case was standing next to him, so he got hit too. I had to step in for him."
"Sounds like bad luck."
"Yeah."
"So that means I'm lucky, right?" Charn rested his arm on the table and smiled at Mek, who was reading documents across from him.
"Lucky?"
"That I got to see you again."
Mek glanced up from his documents to see the kid giving him a sly smile.
"Are you flirting?"
"Maybe worth a try."
"Trying to flirt or trying something else?" Mek put down the documents, rested his arm on the table, and leaned in toward Charn.
"Are you trying or am I?"
"I'm not bottom," Mek said with a smirk.
"Neither am I," Charn replied playfully.
The two stared at each other, both refusing to look away. It felt like a high-stakes bet, with the restaurant staff pausing awkwardly as they watched the two customers gaze at each other as if they were preparing for a duel.
"S-Sorry. The food has arrived."
Both Mek and Charn diverted their gazes from each other and began eating, talking about completely different topics, with a noticeable change in demeanour.
"Sure, boss. Yes, I'll check on it," Charn replied, handing his shiny silver card to the waitress. He noticed that Mek had been on the phone for quite a while and was now drinking water, which signalled that he might not continue his meal.
"Caught up with work?"
"Yeah, did you already pay?"
"Are you going to pay me back?"
"No, thanks for the treat."
"Actually, I could treat you for life," Charn teased with a wink, "but you'd have to die tomorrow."
"You little sh*t," Mek thought to himself, that he probably wouldn't get anything meaningful from this kid. "As for the autopsy results, I'll need to come back tomorrow. I have other business to take care of today."
"Come back tomorrow? Then call me."
"Is the plan to have me treat you in return?"
"No, I just don't want you to be alone with Ray."
"Why?"
"He's fast with his hands."
"And you're quick with your mouth."
"And my hips are fast too. Want to try?" Charn winked at Mek, who was about to get up.
"My hips are quick, too. Want to try?" Mek chuckled before standing up to his full height. "And my feet are quick too."
"How about we flirt first and then settle who's on top with rock-paper-scissors later?"
"You insult me in paragraphs, and now you want to flirt?"
"I like you. I've never met someone with such a sharp tongue."
"Should I be touched?"
"So, what's the deal? Will you let me flirt?"
"If I say no?"
"I'll keep flirting like this," Charn said, standing up to face Mek with his arms crossed.
"Alright, you can flirt," Mek said with a smile before walking closer to the younger man, whose height was not much different from his own. Mek's eyes sparkled as he leaned in to whisper in Charn's ear, "If you're the bottom in bed."
Charn laughed a bit and then tilted his face towards Mek, letting his prominent nose brush against Mek's smooth cheek. "I can be at the bottom... if you volunteer to be on top."
The battle between the intelligence agent and the young surgeon was monumental. There were no criminals, spirits, or superstitions-only the winners and the losers in the ultimate battlefield on the bed.