ALL BARK NO BITE | SADISTIC BEAUTY SPINOFF

Chapter 68

~ Break Room, Inje University Hospital, 9 Mareunnae-ro, Euljiro-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Minhyuk stirred the decrepit coffee with the decrepit stirrer, staring at the decrepit beverage he had made himself to start the day. He would wake up every day and start with such verve and spirit... but the rapid shifts, emergencies, constant sickness, sounds of coughing, wheezing, dying and the general callousness of everyone around him was starting to drain him sooner and sooner with each passing day. He put the foam cup to his lips, taking a small sip of his coffee and it threatened to come up as soon as it went down.

He hated it. He had tried to switch it up with the coffee from the cafeteria but it perpetually tasted like bitter tap water and he deemed it his luck to not find a decent cup throughout his miserable day. Minhyuk held his breath before taking another sip "Just for sustenance, just for sustenance" he kept repeating in his head. "Is he talking to himself..." he heard a whisper and a whoosh of the doors as a bunch of nurses strode into the break room, looking tired. "The work is finally getting to him" another answered and he gritted his teeth "Good morning"

"Good for who?" a nurse grouched, she looked older, wide at the hips and a large face... definitely not the kindest "I have had 3 code browns since morning, I have thoughts of putting some of the fuckers out their misery. Like I want to sit them down and ask... Is this how you want to spend the rest of your life? Pinned to a bed, living on drugs, eating mush and shitting yourself? Do you need a pillow? Maybe an overdose? I'll make it quick" she laughed and Minhyuk frowned "That's harsh," he remarked and the woman slowly swung her head in his direction.

"You think you know it all don't you?" she retorted and Minhyuk kept his head down "You've worked here a few months and you think you know it all??". He stood his ground regardless "All I'm saying is... they're not to blame for their condition. They are sick, they don't want to be sick and your rudeness makes them feel worse" he said and the nurse strode up to him, about to raise a hand when a fellow nurse lurched forward in time "Danbi-ssi!" she grabbed her arm "He's new, let him go" she frowned at him "Why are you picking fights with seniors?" she hissed at him.

"How am I starting a fight if she's the one getting mad and swinging out at me?" Minhyuk shrugged, he was tired of being put down and always being told that he didn't know what he was doing because he was new. He was here for a reason, he was qualified enough and he wanted to do his best. The old nurse grimaced at him, pushing the other nurse aside "Let him be, after years of scrubbing backs, picking up shit, writing reports, getting puked on by patients and humiliated by doctors, he'll realise what this job is actually worth" she stepped away from him, knocking the chairs around the centre table on the way.

He heard them whisper urgently among each other, someone giggling and he could feel his blood simmer. Minhyuk hated feeling like he was an outsider... that he wasn't enough. He hadn't made many friends either, the old ones already had their close-knit groups and the new ones were too unfamiliar. He went about his whole day going unnoticed, his company was either too busy or too sick to actually be worthwhile. Still... he had no choice, he looked down at the styrofoam cup and sighed. The shitty coffee had gone cold quicker than anything. Now it tasted like ass AND was chilly.

"Fuuuck" he looked up at the ceiling, trying not to scream out. He could feel his skin sag on his face. Just then, there was another whoosh at the door, something like the clicking of fingers and he rolled his neck, ready to snap. "You know what your problem is...?" he propped his wrist on the chair next to him, back to the door as he snarled "You are just an old, miserable person... yes, I said it, you come in here with garbage in your head and you throw it people who work under you or are being treated by you because that's all you've ever known!"

"You're miserable and you make everyone miserable and you've been this way since the day you graduated and now you're just bitter, just sucking the joy out of everything and sitting cold and stale until someone ends your misery by tossing you in the fucking trash JUST LIKE THIS FUCKING COFFEE!!!" he turned around, pushing the godforsaken cup of coffee in... Dr Doh's face. He stood arms crossed at the door, his clipboard tucked under his arm as he heard him out, his face expressionless. "Oh no!" Minhyuk covered his face and the doctor suddenly came to his senses, straightening up against the door frame, and grabbing his clipboard.