Salted Fish Chapter 80: Extra 4: The Agent and the Doctor (Modern AU) [END]

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

When the bullet hit the terrorist’s head, Z took a bullet in the shoulder as well. He felt the bullet penetrate the flesh and blood and shoot out of his back. The pain spread like a spider web from the wound for a moment. But it shouldn’t have hurt the bones. This was probably considered his only luck.

The companions behind him swarmed the remaining terrorists. Xenophon strode over, put one of Z’s arms over his shoulder, and quickly put him into the helicopter that arrived later. Z was taken to the hospital as quickly as possible. There were doctors on call 24 hours a day for the agents, ready to treat their injuries.

Z used to hate hospitals. The smell of disinfectant water gave him a headache and brought back bad memories. But from a certain point on, he suddenly did not refuse to come to the hospital.  He was even a little eager to come to that place. It didn’t matter if he got hurt a little for that.

Because he found that there was a new doctor in the hospital.

Young and handsome, he spoke in a soft voice, and gave them delicious chocolates after the treatment.

So cute.

(In addition, he also like to tell jokes. Once he told Xenophon a joke about the Arctic rabbit, as a result, Xenophon laughed so hard that the stitches in the abdominal wound blew up and he almost died. However, instead of blaming the doctor, Xenophon’s opinion of him rose sharply, calling him “a rare person with a real sense of humor”.)

Duan FeiZhou was on duty this day when he saw Z from the “Night Watch” team of the Sixth Division. As a doctor, he did not know the real names of the agents, only their code names. (Then again, their real names were known only to themselves and their superiors.)

Z was wounded in the shoulder, pierced by a bullet. Fortunately, no bones were broken.

Duan FeiZhou immediately put him on the operating table to close the wound. When he was ready to administer anesthesia, Z grabbed his wrist.

“No anesthesia.” His voice was hoarse.

“How can you not want anesthesia?” Duan FeiZhou frowned. He knew that each of these agents was an iron man of incredible fortitude, but sometimes they seemed to overestimate the limits of their ability to withstand.

“I…am allergic.” Z clenched his teeth.

Duan FeiZhou froze and immediately pulled up Z’s personal file.

In the “allergy history” section, he found the names of a bunch of anesthetics. He was allergic to all the anesthetics that were available in the hospital. The only way to give him anesthesia was probably to take a stick to his head.

This was too unlucky…

“I’m sorry, I should have checked your file earlier,” Duan FeiZhou said guiltily.

The man lying on the operating table smiled weakly.

“If you are stitched up without anesthesia, will you be able to hold it?” Duan FeiZhou asked again. He was beginning to consider the stick option.

“No problem,” The silver-haired man said faintly. “I’ve been through this many times.”

He said it calmly, but Duan FeiZhou’s heart throbbed. Why would such a person come to be an agent? It was obvious that he had the most fragile body, but he was engaged in the most dangerous job.

Duan FeiZhou had to perform the surgery on the awake patient without the use of anesthesia throughout. He restrained Z’s limbs on the operating table because he was afraid that Z would move around in pain.

Z didn’t move from the beginning to the end, not even uttering a word, as if he wasn’t the one being operated on, but just an indifferent bystander. Only the cold sweat on his forehead showed how much pain he was enduring.

After the surgery, Z was wheeled to the hospital room.

Duan FeiZhou was on the night shift today, and this was the only surgery today. At the end of his shift, he wandered over to Z’s ward.

The hospital wards equipped for agents were very luxurious, one person a room, undisturbed, but occasionally a little lonely.

Z was lying on a hospital bed, his eyes tightly closed, his silver hair spread on the pillow, his face paler than the sheets beneath him. An IV tube was inserted into his left hand, as it dripped antibiotics into his body. His right arm, along with his shoulder, was wrapped in gauze to prevent him from moving his arm around and tearing the wound on his shoulder.

“Are you feeling okay?” Duan FeiZhou asked. He thought it was a nonsense statement. But if talking nonsense could make him stay by Z’s side a little longer, he could talk until the end of time.

How can there be such a good-looking person in the world? He thought with a little dazzlement. Wasn’t this face too good to be an agent? Or was it because they have to carry out certain “special tasks,” that the agents would deliberately hire beautiful people?

Did Z perform any special missions? To make a beauty ploy on a gang leader or an arms dealer? Just imagining that made Duan FeiZhou so jealous that smoke was coming out of his ears.

Z in the hospital bed opened his eyes slightly. In between his open and closed eyelashes, his scarlet eyes shone with a jewel-like brilliance. Z whispered, “It hurts.” 

There was a hint of resignation in his tone, as if he was craving comfort.

“That’s for sure, you’re not under anesthesia.” Duan FeiZhou said.

“Damn physique.” Z sounded feeble.

“You’re very brave. I’ve never met anyone who went through an operation without anesthesia and didn’t say a word.” Duan FeiZhou looked at Z appreciatively. He thought for a moment and took out a chocolate from the pocket of his white coat. He always liked to carry a small snack in his pocket, sometimes he gave it to the patients, but most of the time it went into his own stomach. He handed the chocolate to Z and nudged his hand. “Here. A reward.”

Z couldn’t move his right arm, which left only his left hand with an IV tube in it. He took the chocolate, only moving left hand, and clumsily tried to tear the package with his teeth. Duan FeiZhou couldn’t stand it anymore, so he took the chocolate back and tore it open for him. Then he held the chocolate to his mouth.

Z’s scarlet eyes stared at him motionlessly. Perhaps it was Duan FeiZhou’s imagination. He felt that Z’s eyes looked as if he wanted to swallow him in one gulp.

It was fierce and sexy.

Z opened his mouth and took a small bite of the chocolate.

Every time he took a bite, he had to chew slowly for half a day, as if it was some kind of mountainous seafood, and couldn’t bear to eat it all at once. In fact, it was just a random candy bought from the supermarket shelf.

Duan FeiZhou wasn’t in a hurry, so he slowly fed him.

Z obviously ate the chocolate, but he developed a wonderful feeling. It was as if he were the one being devoured. Skin and bones were peeled, swallowed, and eaten clean, with nothing left. The man, Z, was so aggressive that his eyes alone gave him the illusion of being pierced in the chest.

After the last bite, Duan FeiZhou was about to throw away the wrapper when Z suddenly took a bite of his finger. His teeth gently nibbled on his knuckles, and his warm, moist mouth wrapped around his finger. A deft tongue swept across his finger, licking away the little bits of chocolate powder on his finger.

Z sucked on his finger, his red eyes narrowed slightly as if he was tasting some supreme delicacy.

The roughness of his tongue made Duan FeiZhou shiver, and he hastily withdrew his finger.

Z raised the corners of his lips, and a low chuckle escaped his throat.

“I’m sorry,” he said. The tone of his voice was all but guiltless.

Duan FeiZhou turned red. He hurriedly explained a few post-operative precautions, and told Z to ring for the nurse if he needed to.

“And what if I want to see you?” Z asked.

“I…I will come to check in every day. You can ask the nurse to call me when I’m on duty.” Duan FeiZhou averted his eyes. He had seen it when he operated on Z. Z’s body was covered in layers of scars, the “merit badges” he had accumulated over the years as an agent.

Underneath the scars were smooth, toned and powerful muscles, and looking at them made him swallow a mouthful of saliva. Duan FeiZhou’s face became even redder. “You…you rest. I have to go see other patients.”

He lied. This was a ward dedicated to agents, and he wasn’t in charge of any other patients besides Z today. It was just that if he didn’t escape Z, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back.

Z looked at the young doctor’s back as he fled, and couldn’t help but reveal an insatiable smile. He licked his lips. The taste of chocolate still lingered on his tongue. He had never eaten such sweet chocolate before. So sweet that his heart melted into a puddle of water.

The next day, Xenophon came to visit him.

“You look good.” His old partner looked at him in amazement, “Those who know think you’re injured and hospitalized, but those who don’t think you’re on vacation.”

Z smiled noncommittally. For people like them, being injured was indeed the same as being on vacation. The goal of the average person on vacation was to go to a scenic tourist destination and find a beautiful woman to accompany them. His vacation was to stay in the hospital, accompanied by…that cute little doctor.

Wasn’t this better than a beautiful woman’s company?

“Chief, I found that on the recent mission, weren’t you a little too reckless?”

Xenophon brought flowers and a fruit basket for the patient. He sat by the bed and peeled oranges. After peeling he handed the oranges to Z, but Z shook his head, to indicate that he didn’t want to eat them.

“That’s the mission. Shouldn’t it be done?” Z asked indifferently.

“Yes it should be done, but…you seem to have overdone it a bit. Sometimes it can obviously be solved in a more secure way, but you just recklessly go up – like you don’t hate to get hurt.”

Xenophon stuffed all the oranges into his mouth. His entire mouth was filled with sweetness.

At this time the doctor came to check the room. The young and handsome and very joking doctor went around Z’s ward, asked him about his health today, explained a few precautions, and then pulled out a chocolate like a trick and threw it to Z. From the time he walked into the room until his figure disappeared at the door, Z’s gaze remained firmly locked on him, never moving away for a moment.

As if he was a hunter with a sniper gun, and the young doctor was the prey he wanted to get.

Xenophon suddenly felt that the orange in his hand wasn’t that sweet.

Ah, no wonder the chief didn’t want his oranges. With the handsome little doctor’s chocolate, who needs any oranges?

“Now I understand why you are rushing to get hurt,” Xenophon said sourly. “Getting hurt so you can see him?”

Z tossed the chocolate to Xenophon and ordered, “Peel it for me.”

Xenophon huffed and puffed, and tore open the wrapper. “Boss, if you want to see him, you don’t have to get hurt,” he said in a sagacious tone. “You can just plain ask him out for a coffee or a movie or something.”

Z looked at him with an expression that looked like a new world had been opened.

Xenophon rudely shoved a handful of chocolate into his mouth.

I can’t believe he’s making eyes at the little doctor in front of him, a single dog. You’re dead. Damn.

Z’s injuries were healing quickly and he would be discharged in a few days. Duan FeiZhou wrote the discharge summary for him and handed him the medical records. Z took the medical records and held Duan FeiZhou’s hand as well..

Duan FeiZhou tried to pull back his hand, but Z held his wrist firmly and refused to let go.

“Doctor, what time do you get off work?” he asked.

“Five, five o’clock…” Duan FeiZhou stammered a little.

Smiles swirled like ripples in Z’s eyes, “Can I…buy you a cup of coffee?”

 

With this as an opportunity, the two began to date. Almost everyone in the group of agents thought this was a good thing. Their leader had been single for so long, it was time to find a lover.

According to Mr. T’s point of view, people can go ahead and not marry or have children, but without a love life, sooner or later they will be psychopathic.

He was criticized by the younger generation, Miss Acheson and Palmer, as old-fashioned, but he insisted on his own views. The only one who was not very happy was probably Xenophon. Usually when they weren’t on assignment, he would at the end of the day “Chief, let’s go to my house to play games,” or “Chief, let’s go to the gym together,” and always got a positive response.

However, now he always gets the answer, “No, I have to pick him up from work.”

What’s more, if they worked late for something, they would see the little doctor drive over to pick up Z. The two men would sit in the car kissing each other, while the cold London rain slapped Xenophon’s face.

This day Duan FeiZhou and Z went to see the re-release of Harry Potter together after work. Duan FeiZhou watched it with great interest. Z was not very interested, but still patiently watched it with him. He didn’t quite understand why his young lover liked such children’s movies, but what the lover liked was certainly good. At least the owl was cute.

After the show, the two walked along the Thames Embankment.

It was no longer the days when homosexuality needed to be covered up, and they could hold each other’s hands openly.

“Speaking of which,” Duan FeiZhou said, as he gazed at the brightly lit riverbank at night, “The director talked to me today. He said that according to organizational rules, internal personnel can’t fall in love with each other so as not to affect the mission with emotions. If they have to talk, one of them will have to be transferred to another department.”

He stole a glance at Z out of the corner of his eye, afraid that he would be angry.

Z’s expression, however, was as calm as ever.

“Then you can just resign,” he said in a deep voice.

Duan FeiZhou raised his eyebrows, “What?”

“You resign,” Z repeated. “My salary is very high, I can support you.”

Duan FeiZhou mulled over the meaning of his words.

Is this the meaning of…to be with him for life? His heart suddenly beat so fast.

“But, but I can’t not go out to work…,” he stammered.

Z went on to say, “If we register, then you are my legal dependant. In case I die in the line of duty one day, you can collect my pension. I have inquired about it, and our pension is quite high. Enough for you to live your life in peace…”

Before he could finish his sentence, his mouth was covered by a hand.

“You are not allowed to say anything about death!” Duan FeiZhou’s eyes were anxious, “Really unlucky!”

“I am telling the truth. In our line of work, those who can live to retirement age are the minority.”

“Not allowed to say!”

Z laughed, his scarlet eyes narrowed into a crescent shape. “Then should I quit, you support me?”

Duan FeiZhou’s ears were red.

“I…I can support you,” he said periodically. “My salary is also quite high. And your job is so dangerous. You’re always injured, and you’re allergic to anesthetics. It’s difficult to even do surgery…”

He heard Z laughing. The hand that was pulling him suddenly tightened, then clasped his five fingers tightly, as if afraid he would flee from his side.

The light rain that fell from the sky suddenly became heavier.

Z took off his jacket and draped it over both of their heads. Duan FeiZhou felt as if he had turned into a strange mushroom. The two of them were so close that their breath brushed against each other’s faces, and Z’s forehead was pressed against Duan FeiZhou’s.

“I’m teasing you,” Z said. “I can apply for an office job. In fact, because of my physique, the top has long wanted to transfer me out of a front-line position. Otherwise they would have been criticized…for being inhumane.”

“That’s great! I don’t want you to always get hurt either.” Duan FeiZhou said.

“Then it’s settled.” Z lowered his head and captured his lips.

Under their jackets, they kissed obliviously.

Some people passed by them, cast strange glances, but said nothing, as if the sight had become strange.

Z wondered if he should tell the person in his arms that he had actually started fantasizing about who to invite to the wedding when they first met. When would they have the wedding? Preferably in the spring, when the flowers were in full bloom. He wanted to weave a beautiful garland for his beloved.