The Tiger Inside

by Nasu Hasami

Orthopaedic surgeon Mulan Hua is dedicated to her career and determined to rise above the statistics of her profession. But that shouldn't mean she has to compromise on the things she wants. Surely, in the 21st Century, a girl can have everything. (Flash fiction series. Companion story to The Nightingale's Song.)

15. Mortality

The Tiger Inside

By Nasu Hasami

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"I stared at my shoes in the ICU."

~Death Cab for Cutie~

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15. Mortality

The first week back at work after the assault is hard. Mulan's patients have missed her. Her colleagues have worried about her. There are flowers in her consultation room. Despite her caffeine addiction, Maddie in the cafeteria refuses to charge her for coffee. Her locker is filled with Snickers bars and shrimp crackers. There's half a dozen pairs of Crocs set aside for her in theater. Some have been decorated with messages of encouragement and stickers. Some have LED light strips taped to them.

Then Mulan gets stuck in an elevator and she thinks Shang Li might have broken it deliberately, not that he's giving anything away as he stares into the middle distance with hard eyes. But the strait-laced cardiothoracic surgeon is wearing tie-dyed Crocs. There's a Snickers bar in his coat pocket, next to his penlight, and there's a crimson stethoscope around his neck. And when the silence drags on for no more than an awkward minute, "Can't Stop the Feeling!" begins to play from Shang's phone.