[May's been to this clinic before. It's provincial, but the doctor knows what he's doing, and she likes the woman she usually talks to. She can appreciate a good bedside manner, even if she doesn't strictly need one. The sympathy is secondary. They don't ask probing questions, which is about as much tacit cooperation as she expects from any civilian. She doesn't give them anything, besides a name and generous compensation. She's never shown up in a uniform, but they can't be completely oblivious, considering the injuries and costumes she's turned up wearing. This time, it's evening makeup and an elaborate qipao. It was mostly blue and green before. As of now, it looks like she was in a knife fight, and if she wasn't on the losing side, then the other guy must be in really bad shape. She lost a fair amount of blood getting out here. She usually stops by for the convenience, but for once, it was actually pretty far out of her way, so she tries not to be disappointed that the nice nurse (the person she's more likely to trust with this) isn't on duty.
There's an open patient file that says Mei Qiaolian. The woman's transcription, probably. She won't try to read the rest. Instead, she hops up onto the gurney, stiffly. The qipao isn't easy to move in. It wasn't her choice, for that exact reason. She knew from the start that it would be impractical. It doesn't surprise her that she got hurt. She's been stemming the bleeding as well as she can, and watching the progressing stains with complete indifference. Her superiors have to learn, sometime, not to trust her with pretty and expensive things. At least the shoes are flats. After a settling beat, she turns her head one way and the other, craning her neck, expressively. If it was a mime, if she didn't say anything at all, he'd still know she was looking for someone that isn't around.]
Is the baby due?
[If those aren't the absolute first words she's ever said to the doctor directly, they're at least the first in English. She's careful about that, made sure of it, probably because she sounds—she is—American. If her guess was correct, if the baby were due, then he probably wouldn't be here either. The thought occurs to her only a second too late. It's been a few months since her last visit, but he shouldn't question how she knows there's going to be a baby. She's got an easy answer for that.]
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sadegg) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
therearenostringsattached2014-11-05 04:56 pm
( idec what to call this au, but fuck the actual timeline. )
There's an open patient file that says Mei Qiaolian. The woman's transcription, probably. She won't try to read the rest. Instead, she hops up onto the gurney, stiffly. The qipao isn't easy to move in. It wasn't her choice, for that exact reason. She knew from the start that it would be impractical. It doesn't surprise her that she got hurt. She's been stemming the bleeding as well as she can, and watching the progressing stains with complete indifference. Her superiors have to learn, sometime, not to trust her with pretty and expensive things. At least the shoes are flats. After a settling beat, she turns her head one way and the other, craning her neck, expressively. If it was a mime, if she didn't say anything at all, he'd still know she was looking for someone that isn't around.]
Is the baby due?
[If those aren't the absolute first words she's ever said to the doctor directly, they're at least the first in English. She's careful about that, made sure of it, probably because she sounds—she is—American. If her guess was correct, if the baby were due, then he probably wouldn't be here either. The thought occurs to her only a second too late. It's been a few months since her last visit, but he shouldn't question how she knows there's going to be a baby. She's got an easy answer for that.]