Sustenance is an undeniable need for every living being. The selfless Mother Earth bestowed us her everything for sustenance.

 

However, the ungrateful we, continue to tear her flesh as  she bleeds and gnaw eve if she turned barren. Despite, slowly being killed by her children, Mother earth never turned away.

 

The selfless sacrifice of the world is not enough. The pride of humans was never satisfied at receiving what was needed. We the egomaniacs, needed more, we took pride in showcasing the ability to get those, which aren't a necessity for sustenance.

 

The poison of pride further escalated to showcase the ability to afford wasting resources. To get beyond one's need despite the hunger of others became the new symbol of status.

 

Driven by pride, our intellectual rapidly being driven into madness.

 

The masses are selfish, the society is bred by greed, the unreasonable humans expect more than they give; even worse, they started to expect without giving.

 

Pride ruins oneself and the lives of those around.

 

You don't see a sense of pride in the wild.

 

Amidst the trees, where mark of civilization is yet to corrupt. There is need; hunger; fear; drive to survive; hunt; kill, and the drive to procreate.

 

However, there is no pride, if there was a creature with pride it will be culled by Mother Nature. It is only us, she'd allowed. However, in turn, we kill her for her mercy...

 

When driven by pride, you only have oneself support.

 

But when driven by need,

 

The world conspires to give.

 

***

 

Lydia is possesed by this smoldering need to protect, even at the cost of her everything. In the grand scheme of things, she is but a small beast famished and clutching at the last straws of her survival.

 

But it is that burning drive to live, which makes her more dangerous than a well-fed King of the jungle.

 

Predators usually hunt beasts that are smaller or weaker than themselves. Lydia does not have claws, not the stature of an alpha, she is not a predator nor a beast king. However, the circumstances forced her to be a hunter.

 

Being forced to hunt by the vicious monsters, Lydia found her first prey.

 

Her calm stride towards Dr. Shilong made the doctor feel chills in his spine.

 

"...you are?"

 

"The daughter of the patient that you just now swore to keep alive."

 

"Ha-ha, so you are that woman's daughter. Brother Jaw-Long did not say anything about you but I think gifting you alongside your mother will be appreciated."

 

"I will keep your mom alive as long as you stay beside the ICU ward. If I see you missing I will pull the cord myself and blame it on her weak will to live," the sneering words of Dr. Shilong dripped with malice. His cruel eyes would not make anyone doubt his statement.

 

'I hate the look in the eyes of this kid. Brother Jaw-Long has specifically instructed me to keep the woman alive, but let's see if the brat will stick around with the threat over her mother's life,' Dr. Shilong looked at the young Lydia with a faint sneer.

 

"Dr. Shilong, I am disgusted to even call you a doctor. We, doctors, strive to save lives not take them. You are not even half the man I thought you were," said Dr. Cuifen with loathing disgust naked in her eyes.

 

"Young Miss, what's your name? I will look after your mother, I will protect her, I swear this upon my life and on my pride as a doctor," continued Dr. Cuifen.

 

Lydia looked grateful towards Dr. Cuifen, but before she could reply, an annoying voice interjected the duo.

 

"Cuifen, I applaud your sense of righteousness. I applaud it because it is amusing and funny. You're quite the entertainer!"

 

"Brother Jaw-Long is the right-hand man of the Wangs, and the Wangs run this town. Whatever the Wangs wish, it happens in Hangzhang. The Wangs wish for this lady's death, the reason she is still alive is only because of Brother Jaw-Long instructions."

 

"In this town, everyone listens to the Wangs. The police have been instructed to ignore the incident, and the director of our hospital is instructed to let the men of Futou gang do whatever they please."

 

"I wanted to pursue you, Cuifen, but looking at your stubborn self, you will get yourself killed young in this town. Maybe as last favor I could ask for Brother Jaw-Long to not let you die a virgin, that will be a waste," the lecherously Doctor stopped hiding his debased inner self when he thought that the lives of everyone in the hospital are under his control.

 

He felt surer of himself because of the support of Brother Jaw-Long.

 

Amidst the day dream of the self-absorbed power trip, the complacent face of Dr. Shilong's suddenly contorted in extreme agony. An inhuman wail tore through the corridors of the St. Therese Hospital.

 

Emergency fire Axe was usually more of a wall accessory. People usually forgot its existence in the side of the wall. However, today it was wedged deep into the shoulder bone of Dr. Shilong, his face went pale as he twisted his neck hard to look at the fiendish person holding onto it.

 

Dr. Shilong was aghast to look at the calm eyes of Lydia looking back at him. Before the doctor could say anything, Lydia ripped out the Axe and chopped down on Shilong's other shoulder.

 

The repeat of the soul-wrenching shriek of Dr. Shilong woke up the stunned Dr. Cuifen. Mr. Liu came running at the sound but was stuck in daze as he was petrified at the grisly sight of Lydia tainted by the blood of Dr. Shilong.

 

The complacent King of the jungle may play with its food, but a cornered beast will draw first blood.

 

One may think that they know someone when one have interacted with them for years. One will gradually pick up on their behavior, their habits, and their preferences. Given enough time, one can even predict their unique reactions to most situations.

 

With adequate amount of time, One may think that they fully know someone. From the very first moment spent, everyone start to judge the character of other.

 

By the findings you either trust or be wary of the person you met. You judge them to be courageous or be a coward. You deem them worthy of respect or belittle them in an inoffensive way or even sometimes with an offense.

 

Time is a double-edged sword, it not just cuts into the disguise of the other person, but also oneself. With time one get comfortable showing thier true colors as one will find the person they interact as non-threatening or one will pretend to show heightened sense of respect if that person is threatening. 

 

We judge, asses, evaluvate and react. This is a very innate social behavior of humans.

 

However, all the threat assessment will go down the drain when a living entity stopped giving a damn about the next moment.

 

A buffalo can rip a lion when it gives no damn. The prey becomes the predator, reaping lives when least expected.

 

This is how Mr. Liu felt as he saw the blood-stained Lydia, the scream of Dr. Shilong didn't register to him. The scene was noiseless as he looked at the calm eyes that had calculatingly incapacitated the tall and ruthless doctor. A slight moment of hesitation would have given Dr. Shilong multiple opportunities to escape or maybe even retaliate, but there was no hesitation in Lydia.

 

Mr. Liu had seen many criminals, amongst criminals, there is a rare breed, the warrior. The men of this breed respect justice, but only their own. They are not crazed killers, their actions are always surgical, it is with a cause that they take up the blade. They don't follow orders, they follow the conviction, for which they are willing to die for.

 

"...Lydia..."

 

"Mr. Liu, I mean no disrespect, you are less than an ordinary man if you cannot exercise your authority. The law is dead in this hospital, I only wish to save those who still hold a breath and are innocent, like my mum."

 

"It is not in me to humiliate you with force or coercion. If you wish to report me, so be it. Law gave up on protecting my family and me, if it wants to oppress me, I have no time to care about it."

 

".. YOU HAVE NO TIME TO CARE?!" freaked out Dr. Cuifen petrified at the young girl who is treating blood as if its water.

 

"That is exactly right..."

 

"Dr . Cuifen, right? Time is a priceless resource, we take it for granted till we know our time is nearing its end."

 

"If you are as smart as I think you are, you should have it figured it out that my end time has been set by the people who run this town."

 

"This squealing pig on the floor is the inside man for their dirty work, I'd have him slaughtered like the beast he is, if not for the use he has for me."

 

"Now... I'd request you patch him up."

 

"You think I will take orders from a crazed freak like you?" opposed Cuifen. She continued, "you committed a crime. A serious offense, your life as a free person is over!"

 

"You'd be lucky if you can get out of prison in ten years from now," furiously replied Dr. Cuifen as she stared daggers at Lydia.

 

Lydia looked at the feisty doctor, took a deep breath and looked away, as Dr. Cuifen was smirking at her victory in the stare-down.

 

Lydia told her in a calm voice that, "You are right, I'm a criminal as of now, I broke the law and if I get out this alive, prison life is a happy ending for my story," saying this she suddenly turned towards her and swiftly chopped the fire axe right above her head.

 

The cheap wall tile shattered and the metal edge of the Axe was wedged deep into the concrete that is just inches above Dr. Cuifen's forehead.

 

If time is a slow process of finding oneself, then fear of death is a risky shortcut. We know who we are when we stare at death in the eye, the fake front or the disguise that we put up comes undone when you know you could possibly die.

 

Those who hold onto the brave front despite the gut-wrenching fear become men of valor. Those who cannot stubbornly persist become timid souls that are forever at the mercy of those stronger.

 

Dr. Cuifen wanted to be brave, but brave are not those who wish to be courageous, but those are ready to die for it.

 

Her knees buckled under the unforgiving sight of death at the metal edge of the Axe. Her bowels went limp tainting the hospital carpet with a wet patch.

 

Her knees still shivering as she looked up at the monster that could have murdered her.

 

"Doctor, don't play dare with a dying person. When death is at the doorstep there is very little that I will care for."

 

Lydia squatted down with mocking glare at the good doctor, "so doctor, instead of wasting our time and letting Dr. Shilong bleed to death, why don't you patch him up?"

 

As she looked at the wet patch made by Dr. Cuifen, she continued, "too many body fluids are making a nauseating mess... even for a hospital."

 

The sight of Lydia brought chills to not only Dr. Cuifen.

 

Mr. Liu looked at Lydia as if he was looking at her for the first time. His years of understanding of Lydia was inverted in less than a day. Today, as death creeps towards her. He got to know what the girl was made of from within.

 

'Even when death is marching closer, the cornered beast kills before it is dead.'

 

'There is a mortuary at this hospital ...but ...will it be be enough?' were the drifting thoughts of Mr. Liu…