Photograph | Mammon

Twenty Two

At the sight of Mark, Stephen instantly rushes to his side, clutching his shoulders with a concerned expression. "Mark—are you hurt—what happened?" Mammon is equally as startled, his arms are resting at his sides lifelessly.

His arms resting in a way showing his red palms.

He just looked up at the doctor. "She--"

Mammon's unable to say another word, his mouth moves but he's unable to say a word. Almost as if his body is preventing him from reliving that moment.

Partially understanding the situation, Stephen gently squeezes his shoulders to assure him he'll be there for him. "M-mark, don't force yourself to speak... just take your time, Milo--"
"Already on it!" Nurse Milo quickly brought a chair from the waiting area allowing Mark to speak.

He takes a deep, shaky inhalation of air as he begins to recount.

"What are you doing here all alone? Did she finally get sick of you?"

"No, Brenda, she's actually having a piss" he snapped at the bitchy grandma who he had unintentionally learned the name of.

She kissed her teeth judgementally. "don't be so vulgar, especially in the name of a lady as precious as her!"

"Sorry to break the illusion but precious lady's like her also need to piss!" With utter disgust, she pursed her lips before sassily storming out of the hall.

Mammon flipped off the door that Brenda had just closed before looking at the time... as the old hag had said, she had been there much longer than usual.

Much longer.

That's weird...

Pessimistic thoughts flooded his mind and he tried to ignore them but he couldn't.

Maybe he should check, just in case.

Running down to the gender-neutral toilet he knocks on the door. "Little Miss diarrhoea? You still shitting your guts out?" He joked to hide his concern.

No response. He knocked again. "Firey butthole, don't make me come in--"

The door flies open.

Horror fills his face.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" A pissed-off old man spat harshly while glaring at Mammon. He awkwardly chuckled as he stepped back.

"Fucks sake, first I come across a patient vomiting blood and now this asshole!?" He grunted aggressively as he pulled his trousers over his round belly. "And the cleaners are taking their sweet fucking time!"

Mammon did not appreciate the man's attitude, but he could understand how he was pissed off by Mammon. He glances down. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed the trail of blood he spread with his shoes.

Huh?... a patient vomiting blood?

It took Mammon a moment to fully process the man's words but once he did he realised what an asshole he was. "You saw an injured patient and gave more priority to cleaning than their wellbeing!?"

He bitterly scoffed, "Of course, I'm treated as the bad guy—you should've seen the mess that girl had caused!"

A girl?

No.

It... can't be.

"What did the patient look like?"

"Tch, why would I care--" his shitty attitude immediately dwindles as he witnesses something... no human experiences.

With the frustrating old lady and the immense concern he was feeling... this shitty bastard was Mammon's final straw. His emotions uncontrollably spiralled as he began to lose control of his body. Before he knew it... he transformed.