Triad Tourists

Chapter 26

Beep beep beep beep

Work, and I have to go. A doc has to smile, work, write prescriptions, talk down patients, and be nice. I don't wanna pretend anymore.

That guy's death runs rent free through my mond, but the hospital can't know that. Maybe I should get therapy? It's free.

After checking in, I wait to be informed. Someone will need me. Always.

Everyone isn't sitting around letting their sleep kick in. It's a busy day, as usual. The leading cause of visits these days are mostly bodies going to the morgues. Entire buildings and hotels are clasping. People are flooding in ill because they came months after failed home remedies. Paperwork, paperwork.

I sit with my hands on my knees and sip warm water. When my nerves act up in my leg, I put my hand on it to stop. Someone passes by and asks if I'm ok, and I answer a yes. They keep walking, going on about their business.

I wonder how much money I have? What if someone raids my place and takes it? I have a lot of money! _00 isn't bad. I wonder. Maybe... "$3,000!?"

"Sān?" Someone looks at me with confusion.

I tense in my seat. "Duìbùqi!" I nod my head. "I was thinking aloud." I doubt they understood me.

"Nǐ shìgè qíguài de bāngshǒu." He whispers something and walks off.

Someone stands in front of me and clears their throat. "Decor?" They lean towards me without bending their knees.

"Eh?"

They stand straight and clear their throat again. "Doctor." He bows as an apology.

"Shì" I answer.

"Back to it then, I guess." My back pops as I stretch.

"Stop!" Our heads turn to noise just as a person shoots between us.

Oh great, a chase.

"Ma'am!" I yell as I chase after them. "Tíngzhǐ yùnxíng!"

(Stop running)

"Bāng!!!" The woman yells as she bomb-rushes people out of her way. It doesn't matter if they're small or big or workers or patients. She kicks a wheelchair at one point, causing me to subtly stop and watch the poor person yell until someone stops their chair.

"Duìbùqi!" My pleas are drowned by everyone's yelling. Tíngzhǐ yùnxíng!!"

(Stop running)

"Si!!" She picks up a broom and starts swinging wildly. She's not on drugs, doesn't look strung. Something pisses her off or that's what I'm going with until we get her down.

I watch as people storm over others to try and move. A few people try to get the children out of the way, but they all just don't want to get hit. Since nobody is brave enough to try to get hit, I guess I'll do it. "Stick!" I bump a man out of the way to reach a pole myself. The man rushes to the woman and tries to grab her, but he gets hit in the face and is out. The rest of the men and women trying to get to her try to duck, but most eventually get hit or pushes out of the way.

I take off my coat and long scrub shirt. This leaves me in scrubs that I roll up for movement. I always seem to strip before fights. I run towards her full speed with my much shorter stick. She's turned away, that's becomes a wish when her stick hits me in the face SMACK dead in the jaw. One side of my teeth hits the other. Another swing comes from ahead, but my arms block it. My face is protected, but my poor arms! Since she keeps swinging from the top, I tackle her as fast as I can. The stick lays between us flat. My hands cover her own around it. They're a lot bigger, so it isn't hard to keep her hands secure. If they slip and she moves the stick, I could end up concussed. Who knows what'll happen if nobody can stop her in time.

Wow she's strong for a small woman. "What meds are you on, WOMAN!?!?"

"Gǎisi!!" She spits at me. It hits my shirt, along with two other blobs until she stops and starts to wail.

"BI-" I press the stick with force so it hits her forehead. We struggle against eachother, but since I'm on top, she can't overpower me so easily. My mind went blank for a split second and I raised my hand to hit her, but thankfully I just wrapped my hands around her own and squeezed tighter.

I get beat up everywhere I go

A needle quickly goes into her arm. We watch as she quickly screams until she's as silent as a corpse.

A black man holding the empty needle grabs my arm. "Are you okay?" He asks while breaking a sweat.

I sigh and loosen my grip on her hands, but I don't move. "Still working."

He laughs. "You know we have a lot of work to do now."

The rampages aren't a burden because a person is raging, they're a burden because they hurt people around them. They don't realize the real pain comes from having to look at and help each and every person while still fitting the regular flow of people in. People trying to sue for getting hit, the stress, the shock they're in. For that, all of the bns are gross.

"I- I was hit in the face."

He tugs at my arm. "I understand. Let's get you into a room."

I pull away from him. "After I finish."

"But-"

I cut my eyes at him. "After I finish." It isn't a threaten look or tone, it's a pleading one. I can't sit and be bombarded by thoughts.

He sees my face and pulls his mask up. "Wait in the lobby for ice. After that, check the floors for trampled people."

***

I try not to touch my swollen face as I walk to my apartment. The cream I was given really makes it burn. I enter my apartment and fall to my knees. I resort to lying on my jacket and scrub shirt as if it were a pillow. As soon as I feel sleep settle in, I'm awakened.

"Rise and shine!"

"!!! Uh!" I jump onto my hands and knees and pull a weight from under the couch.

Blood sits there looking at me as if I would do something intriguing. He's ethereal, fluffed hair, opened suit, and peeking tattoos.

✨😺You fine but "what you doin in my room?" My weight feels 10x heavier today.

"Just-" he continues talking, but I don't listen. I quickly drop my weight onto the couch and tiptoe over toward him.

Headache, excessive tiredness, side effects of medicines, confusion, trauma, triggers: Blood isn't really here. How did he even get in? I'm slowly losing my mind aren't I? He doesn't even like me. Maybe stopping my meds will help.

Before I touch him, I want to be sure. "Blood, shut up."

He scoffs. "Shènme?"

"Shut up!" I wave the imaginary image off and plop onto the couch.

I'm pulled onto my feet. "Ok, let's go."

I don't wanna!!!!!