Han Tuo waited on a bench outside the industrial ward while a nurse checked residue on his coat. He sat forward with one hand pressed beneath his ribs. The nurse wore a pale green apron and carried a clipboard with a soot-stained corner.
“Does it hurt when you breathe?” she asked.
“Deep breath, yes.”
“Can you sleep flat?”
“No. I start coughing if I lie down.”
Ning sat beside him, leaving enough space for the nurse to work. “The foreman calls it ordinary fatigue?”
Han let out a short breath that was almost a laugh. “He says everyone coughs after a long shift.”
“How long have you been coughing?”
