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.)

69. Blessings

The Tiger Inside

By Nasu Hasami

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"You light up my world like no one else."

~One Direction~

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69. Blessings

There's something crawling on Shang's neck. It's tangles in his hair. The hair he hasn't washed in approximately three weeks. The crawling thing moves to his shoulder, and there's a tiny part of him that thinks it could be a tarantula. (It could be.) The oxycodone makes him feel like he's covered in spiders sometimes. Tiny, furry spiders. His tired brain can't decide whether or not to swat the crawling thing.

Then it crawls to his face.

Shang snaps up, one hand flying to the small, clever hand holding his cheek.

'Hey,' says Mulan. It's barely a whisper. 'Can you get me a toothbrush?'