The One Who Listens

Step 2: Speak with your heart

Hua Cheng fished out his laptop from the messy floor and with fluttering hands, booted it. Yes, an email has come. Yes, it has come from the Heaven Hearth Hospital, Psych Department. And yes... Dr Xie was to be his therapist.

He stared at the confirmation mail for five minutes.

He wanted to dance. He wanted to jump up and give Yin Yu, who was preparing breakfast for the three of them, a big bear hug for giving him the hospital number and maybe take He Xuan for an all-you-can-eat bouquet. But he didn't. His first session was from eleven in the morning today and it was already 9. Hua Cheng rammed open his cupboard, side stepping to escape the cascading heaps of clothing, and pulled out a shirt, a white tee which he did not even know he had, and black jeans.

"Were you trying to drown yourself in the shower?" He Xuan asked, biting down on the pan fried pork bun.

"No, I cleaned my room a bit." Hua Cheng took his seat at the table instead of taking his breakfast inside.

"Oh dear, you just had one introductory session, and look at you go." Yin Yu said, smiling.

Hua Cheng ignored the remark as usual and ate to his fill, trying to note what it tasted like in case Dr Xie asked him again. The pork filling was a bit overcooked, but it was still soft and juicy, the dough was crispy outside and fluffy when he dug his teeth into them. He chewed slowly, smiling.

He Xuan stared at him and locked eyes with Yin Yu, and they both silently agreed, an excited bubbly Hua Cheng was just as scary as a murderous Hua Cheng with a butcher knife, standing in the dark kitchen,in the middle of the night, breaking down a whole chicken, right from skinning to chopping.

Hua Cheng did not run to the hospital this time. No, he did not want to be all sweaty and gross right before his session. For the first time in his life, he was looking forward to meeting somebody.

'Your problems are not silly. You are not a joke.'

Xie Lian was standing at the reception, with a big white floppy sun hat tucked under his arm, reading a thick book like it was the end of the world. He was not in his scrubs. A white shirt with the top button undone and a pair of cream slightly baggy pants, looking all ready to go out for a hike. That confused the patient, who stood there at the automated door, fidgeting, wondering whether he got the time all wrong. It was from 11 a.m. right? The psych looked up and a bright warm smile broke out on his face so easily, that Hua Cheng suddenly was overcome with shyness.

Xie Lian returned the book to Shi Qingxuan, who was sprawled over, spinning mindlessly on the rotating office chair, chewing a pencil butt. The morning was calm at the hospital, well at least at the eastern wing, because the E.D was at the west. "So I will get going. I will come back after lunch." he said with a smile.

"That's almost three hours!" She snorted. "Just because he is your first patient does mean you have to go overboard."

"I am not overdoing it. Do you not think it takes time for people to open up?" He tried to reason.

"Fine, I am a nurse. I do not know shit about psychiatry. But-" she dropped her voice, "Mentally unwell or whatever, he sure is hot, no?" She was grinning at him with knowing eyes.

"That's it! I am reporting you once I come back from my sess-" Xie Lian whispered furiously, hoping they were out of earshot.

"Date" she whispered, completing his sentence.

Xie Lian promptly picked up his writing pad off the desk and lightly smacked her forehead with it. Then he handed back his pager, hooked on his ID and turned to usher his patient closer. Hua Cheng was standing out a bit far, so he did not hear their frivolous whispering. He walked in closer and Shi Qingxuan slapped a log page of the desk in front of him.