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.)

16. Entomb

The Tiger Inside

By Nasu Hasami

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"Your voice is stuck in time on old machines."

~Le Ren~

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16. Entomb

General Zhou "John" Hua is written on the plaque above the shelf in the columbarium. 6 September 1964 – 20 February 2013. There's a family photo and John's military badges placed next to the urn.

The mother and daughter in the family photo don't talk anymore.

One blames herself. The other regrets not doing something sooner.

The anniversary is always hard.

The mother goes to the columbarium in the morning, and the daughter goes in the evening. It's a silent agreement. It's never been discussed.

When Mulan arrives at the columbarium, the shelf's been dusted and everything's as it should be. She tells her ba what's happened, and hates every minute that he's not here to hold her and tell her everything will be okay.