Lullaby

At the morgue of the hospital, Lu Hongxiang was sitting on a chair motionless, with his head bowed. His son was talking with the doctors on duty, while his wife was holding their daughter in her arms, whispering a lullaby in her ear. It was midnight already and she has been holding her like that, for hours.

The mother cradled her daughter's cold body, which was wrapped up in blankets, in her arms and was trying to warm her up. She was sitting on the morgue's table, rocking the sleeping girl back and forth, the same way she used to do, when she was little. She sang that lullaby to the lifeless body for hours. It was Wei Wei's favourite song, since she was a baby.

"My baby you are tiered,

You need a good sleep,

Close your pretty eyes,

A golden dream will fly to you.

Mom is sitting beside you,

Rocking you gently,

When you wake up from your dreams,

Sweet cakes are waiting for you."

Her tears had run dry and the pain in her heart, had numbed her body entirely. Her baby would never wake up again.

"My baby, my sweet baby... I am sorry Mommy is so sorry. You left this world alone and afraid. Mommy is so sorry my baby... I failed to protect you... I failed to take care of you... Mommy is sorry, Mommy is very sorry..." Whispered the mother in the girl's ear, but she would never hear her reply ever again.

The doctor finished the autopsy and revealed the cause of death 'Exsanguation due to a premature miscarriage'. Lu Ye Ze was shocked. His sister was pregnant, he wasn't aware of that. He had been so muddled with his own issues, that he failed to notice his younger sister. An unforgivable guilt casted over his soul. He failed to protect his little sister.

Wei Wei had a complete medical file in that hospital, as she had been admitted there several times, in the last few weeks.

Lu Ye Ze opened the file and to his surprise, there was a name in the space reserved for the baby's father. He was surprised when he saw that name, but not shocked, as he noticed that the relationship between his best friend and his sister, was rather intimately close.

He pulled out his phone and dialled a number, but the call never went through.

Pei Lightian's parents were informed by their niece, who worked at the hospital, about the terrible accident. They were both shocked and in pain. They were getting ready to get in the car to leave for the hospital, when Ning Lingyu mobile phone, started buzzing in her purse.

She took it out and looked at the screen. It was an overseas number, she hesitated in answering first, but then she thought it might be her son, so she quickly swiped the answer key.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hi, Am I speaking with Mrs. Pei, parent of Mr. Pei Lightian?" The voice at the other end asked in English.

Ning Lingyu's heart shuddered, she felt how her knees were giving up.

"Yes" She replied, as well in English.

"I am calling from the SHP Institute in Malmo Sweden. Unfortunately your son's treatment plan failed and his heart couldn't withstand the surgery".

The woman clutched her phone and supported herself on the car door. Her heart was racing in her chest and her breaths were cutting short. She gasped for air several times, but her lungs were still suffocating.

The person at the other end of the phone was silent, waiting for her reply, but the woman couldn't say anything.

"You can lift his body from the institute from tomorrow onwards, an address will be sent to you via text in a few minutes!" Continued the person, then terminated the call. The countinuos beeping sound of the terminated call, matched Ning Lingyu's heart beat.