Goddess Bless You From Death

 C52 - Special Case 3.

"Dr Sei, the superintendent is calling for you." The female police officer had been mustering the courage for quite some time before finally opening the forensic room door. In reality, the door wasn't hard to open at all; it was the things inside that made her hesitate. Disturbing the head of the forensic department during his rest wasn't a good idea.

The young man lying on the sofa slowly pulled the lab coat off his face, looking annoyed. His sharp eyes glanced at the female officer at the door before he got up and stretched his muscles.

"I'll go in a minute." His deep, cool voice was even calmer than usual, having been interrupted during his nap.

"U-Understood." The female officer quickly left the room and ran to report to her superior.

There were two people at this station whom everyone preferred to avoid. One was Superintendent Singha, who would chastise anyone who made a mistake until their ears ached. The other was Doctor Sei, the head of the forensic department, whose calm and piercing words could wound just as deeply without a single shout. If Singha was a tiger ready to pounce and tear anything apart, Sei was a wolf waiting for its prey to make a mistake before closing in for the kill.

The young doctor yawned as he walked, his bright red hair clashing starkly with his white shirt and black slacks, a familiar sight to everyone there. If Sei had enough sleep, he would be quiet and reserved; however, if he was sleep-deprived, he would become volatile.

"Alright then, you can start your internship now. Dr Sei will evaluate and supervise you," Singha said, looking up as Sei walked in without knocking. "Perfect timing. Come in."

"Who's the kid?"

"This is the forensic intern who will be starting today. Introduce yourself."

"Hello, Doctor. My name is Blue. I'm twenty-nine years old. Pleased to meet you."

Sei scrutinised the young man in front of him. He was about 180 centimetres tall, with jet-black hair, a sharp face, tanned skin, and brown eyes. He didn't seem clumsy or timid... acceptable.

"Hmm."

"A case just came in. Come with me, Sei."

"What kind of case?"

"A twenty-five-year-old wife went shopping at the mall around noon. When she returned home, she found her fifty-five-year-old husband dead in his study. It's suspected to be due to a pre-existing medical condition." The two close friends exchanged a knowing look.

"But the medication is missing."

"You think it's a murder?"

"The deceased was a billionaire who divorced his first wife before marrying his current wife, whom he'd only been dating for three months."

"Alright, see you at the car."

Sei walked out of Singha's office and headed back to the forensic room, followed quietly by the intern. It wasn't the first time they'd had an intern, but only a few had lasted until the end of their training. Sei was curious to see how long this proud-looking young man would last.

"Go prepare the equipment."

"Sorry?"

"I don't like repeating myself." His sharp eyes glanced over and, with a steady voice, he spoke, causing the young man following him to halt in his tracks.

"I  just arrived here less than an hour ago. How am I supposed to know how things work here or where everything is? Are you really going to give orders without any instructions?" Sei didn't turn around. He simply stopped walking.

"Those who survived here are the ones who learned. Have you entered the room before speaking?" Sei's sharp eyes glançed at Blue without showing any emotion, but it sent a chill down the young man's spine, silencing him completely.

Blue was a top student at the police forensic school, always scoring high and excelling in every activity and competition. His life revolved around studying and studying, which made other aspects of his life, including social interactions, suffer. He looked at Sei's broad back and bit his lip. When he found out he had been assigned here, he expected an older, scholarly, and strict supervisor. But the person in front of him was the opposite of what he expected, someone he never thought he would meet… This was Doctor Sei, one of the top forensic doctors renowned for handling the most challenging cases. Standing nearly 190 centimetres tall with striking red hair that contrasted with the clean white room, he was also known for his strictness.

When they entered the forensic room, Blue felt a tension that made him doubt he would survive the training. He watched as Sei quickly grabbed a bag and equipment from the shelf near the door. Sei was right; everything was already packed for quick deployment. All Blue had to do was grab it—a fundamental lesson in forensics.

"I'm sorry." The young man decided to apologise to break the tension.

"For what?"

"For arguing with you earlier."

Sei didn't say much. He simply walked closer until Blue could feel the height difference. His sharp eyes made Blue feel breathless, but before he could say anything, a heavy bag was shoved into his chest.

"Don't be a nuisance," Sei said, before leaving with a camera in hand, causing Blue to exhale with relief.

At the crime scene, Singha instructed the officers to step aside for the forensic team. Darin, Singha's close friend, approached and pointed behind her. "Is that the newcomer Singh hired?"

"An intern."

"Yeah, yeah. He's handsome. Now I have something nice to look at besides my son."

"When did Thup become your son?"

"Ever since he came to the station. What's this one's name?"

"Blue."

"Do you think he'll make it?"

"Don't know yet."

“Take it easy on him," Darin said, patting Sei's shoulder. "If he doesn't make it, you'll have more work. I won't be helping next time."

"Worried about me or just want something nice to look at?"

"Something nice to look at," Darin laughed, taking the camera from Sei and starting to photograph the crime scene.

"Should I collect evidence around the area, sir?" Blue asked after entering the scene.

"Yes."

Sei observed Blue's every move from the doorway. The intern had good skills, covering his shoes and wearing gloves properly. He collected the expected evidence without needing instructions, but then he suddenly froze, prompting Sei to approach.

"What's wrong?"

"There are wet marks at the base of the victim's glass." Sei looked at the victim's teacup. It wouldn't be unusual to have watermarks... if it were cold water, not hot tea.

"Collect it."

"Yes, sir." As Blue was collecting samples, he accidentally spilt tea on himself. 

"S-Sorry, sir."

"Put everything down."

"Sorry?"

"Put it down!" Sei's commanding tone made Blue even more nervous. Sei grabbed his collar and pulled him away from the area. "Rin, collect the samples for the lab. Be careful."

"Alright, alright. Go ahead," Darin said, understanding her friend's strictness wasn't without reason.

The new intern, having made a mistake on his first real case, felt anxious. His error not only contaminated the scene but could also jeopardise the case. When Sei dragged him to Singha's car, he loosened his grip on the collar.

"I'm really sor-"

"Take off your shirt."

"Sorry?"

"I said I don't like repeating myself. Do as I say."

"But..."

"Take it off yourself, or I'll rip it off."

The serious demeanour of the person in front of him left Blue no choice but to comply. His smooth, honey-coloured skin came into Sei's view, revealing a well-proportioned physique that was neither overly muscular nor underdeveloped.

"Extend your arm," Sei ordered. This time, without hesitation or questions, Blue extended his arm to his superior, not wanting to cause any more trouble. Water from a bottle was poured over his arm, running from his shoulder down to his hand. Bottle after bottle, until Blue finally asked, "What's in the water?"

"In the housekeeper's report, the deceased started experiencing dizziness, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhoea on Sunday. This morning, he felt weak and had chest tightness. Before he died, he had difficulty breathing, leading to heart failure," Sei explained in a softer tone than before, gently rubbing Blue's arm, a stark contrast to his usual demeanour.

"What do you think?"

"..Carbamate."

"Good choice. I expected you to guess something else."

"It's colourless and can... cause heart failure. If someone wanted to kill someone in a way that seemed like an accident related to a preexisting heart condition, they would likely choose this," Blue explained. As he finished, Sei's strong hand lifted his chin, bringing his face close to Sei's, whose striking red hair contrasted with his fair skin. His black eyes were intense, matching his sharp features.

"Stay here."

"But my work.."

"I don't like arguments."

"I'm not arguing-" Blue stopped when Sei raised an eyebrow, seemingly scolding him with his eyes. "This is my first real case."

"So what?"

"And I messed up."

"Yes, you contaminated the crime scene, compromised key evidence, and put yourself in danger."

"I'm sorry, sir," Blue said sincerely, standing and bowing. He wasn't so confident in his knowledge that he couldn't admit his mistakes and apologise.

"Don't mess up next time. Stay in the car and monitor your symptoms. If anything unusual happens, use the walkie-talkie to call me," Sei instructed, handing Blue his own coat that he'd left in Singha's car.

[Carbamate is a chemical compound commonly used in insecticides and certain medications. It works by inhibiting enzymes, such as acetylcholinesterase, which are essential for proper nerve function.]

"Yes, sir." Before Sei could return to the crime scene, Blue grabbed his coat. "Dr Sei... thank you."

"Uh-huh."

Sei returned to the crime scene, feeling the teasing gaze of his close friend, who wore a mischievous smile.

"What the hell is going on?" Sei asked before starting to gather all the evidence left by the trainee doctor.

"Singh, I heard some dogs around here insulting you," Darin said, hugging Singh's arm and raising her voice playfully.

"Insulting me about what?" Singha, who had just returned from interrogating the household, joined in.

"He said kids are annoying. How can you put up with one?"

"Really? But just now, I saw someone annoyed by the kid sitting there, stroking his arm."

"Gasp! I knew it! My shipper instincts are still sharp."

"Are you two going to work or not? If not, get out. You're in the way."

"The maid said that every morning, the wife makes tea for the deceased, preparing it herself without anyone else in the kitchen. She also mentioned that earlier this month, she overheard the wife urging the deceased to change his will."

"If the autopsy and the test results match, it's over," Sei instructed his subordinates to move the body back to the station for further examination. "Rin, check the kid's health again when we get back."

"Why don't you do it yourself?"

“It's not my job."

"Come on, maybe you want to check more thoroughly out of concern. Don't pretend I don't know that Blue is your type, right, Singh?" Darin shook her friend's arm, seeking agreement.

"You're delusional." Sei shook his head slightly before packing the collected evidence into his bag.

Singha just smiled, not offering verbal support to Darin, but he knew well that whatever was meant to happen would happen. He and Thup were living examples of that.

Three weeks had passed since they had taken in the intern. Despite not talking much, the office had surprisingly never felt awkward. Blue sat organising the evidence collection kit after using it on yesterday's case. The cool touch on his cheek made him look up.

"Thank you." Blue's almond-shaped eyes glanced up at the person bringing him a cold drink, accepting it as the familiar scent of menthol cigarettes lingered, something he was beginning to associate with the person in front of him.

"Where are you going this evening?" Sei asked as he approached the sofa.

"Just back to my apartment."

"Singh wants to take us out for dinner."

"Why is the superintendent treating us?"

"He's free."

Another thing Blue had gotten used to was Sei's tendency to speak only when necessary, never wasting words.

"Are you sure you want me to go, Boss?"

"And why wouldn't I?"

"Well.." Every time they went out on duty, if nothing serious happened, he would always get scolded. It was clear that the person, currently covering his face with a lab coat and ready to take a nap, definitely didn't like him. "You don't like me, Boss."

"What makes you think like that?"

"You scold me all the time, whether I'm right or wrong." Blue quickly covered his mouth, realising he had spoken too freely. Spending so much time together over the past two weeks had lowered the walls between them.

Sei removed the gown from his face and stood up to his full height. The forensic doctor walked over to the intern, a glint in his eye, and crouched down next to him, not breaking eye contact.

"S-Sorry:"

"We've had interns here before, and none of them lasted more than three days."

"And..?"

"The fact that you're still here means I'm already being very kind." 

"This is kind?"

"What do you think?"

"It's still far from kind." Sei laughed in his throat before raising his hand to tap the boy's well-shaped forehead lightly.

"I'll try my best."

"'ll work harder so you won't have to try to be kind."

"Finish up and meet me outside."

"Where are we going?"

"Taking a kid out to eat." Blue smiled after the red-haired doctor left the room.

No...He didn't think Dr Sei was unkind at all. In fact, he was very kind, kind enough to make his heart race again.