Chapter 2

The clinic lights flickered on, harsh and unforgiving.

She eased him onto the examination table, her breath uneven as she locked the door behind them. Only then did the reality sink in—she was alone with a bleeding stranger. A reckless decision.

She pushed the thought aside.

Under the clinic lights, the damage revealed itself layer by layer. A deep gash ran along his side, edges clean, deliberate—made by a blade, not an accident. Bruises marked his ribs, old and new overlapping, telling a story of repeated violence, of a body used to impact and survival. His knuckles were split, his forearms scarred with faded lines healed wounds that spoke of past fights, past escapes. This wasn’t a man who had been hurt once. This was a man who lived in danger and walked out of it every time.

She was veterian doctor, she stitched up animals in need she can do this also. After a little people talk with herself, she started to work. As she cleaned the blood, her movements gentle but efficient. she tried to keep him awake.

“What happened to you?” she asked softly, not expecting an answer.

He stirred when the antiseptic touched the knife wound, a sharp breath escaping him, but he didn’t pull away.

“Don’t ask,” he murmured, eyes still closed. “Just… finish it.”

As she worked, She spoke softly, almost to herself. “You’ve got deep cuts along your side… bruises over your ribs. Whoever did this… they knew what they were doing.” She stitched carefully, her hands steady.

“You’re strong to survive this, but this isn’t normal street violence… you fight, don’t you? You’re… trained.”

He let out a soft groan, eyes half-lidded, but didn’t answer.

“I’m a vet,” she said, her hands steady on his wound.

“I don’t have human anesthesia. You’re going to have to bear the pain while I stitch you up.”

He hissed through clenched teeth. “You… shouldn’t be doing this.”

“I have to,” she replied softly. “Hold still.”

She frowned, fingers steady as she stitched the deep cut, needle sliding through skin with practiced ease.

“You’re losing too much blood,” she said quietly. “You should’ve gone to a hospital.”

A faint, almost humorless smile touched his lips. “Hospitals ask questions.”

Well that answered her question. She didn’t respond.

As she cleaned and stitched his wounds, her eyes couldn’t help but notice how toned his body was. His abs were tight, his shoulders strong, every movement controlled even in pain.

She shook her head, scolding herself silently—this wasn’t the time to be thinking about how perfectly built he was. Yet, it was impossible to ignore.And all the while, she wondered what kind of life taught a man to endure pain in silence—and to fear help more than death.

She helped him sit up just enough to take the pain medicine, making sure he swallowed it.

“Who are you?” she asked softly. “What happened to you?”

He gave a faint, pained groan, but no words came. Soon, his eyes fluttered shut, and he slipped into unconsciousness, leaving her alone with the quiet hum of the clinic and a thousand questions she wasn’t sure she wanted the answers to.

She sank back into the chair, exhaustion tugging at her limbs. Afterall it wasn't in her everyday routine to save a bleeding stranger in his clinic. Her hands still tingled from the stitches, her mind racing.

Who is he? Why is he like this? Every scar, every bruise screamed danger, and yet… she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Saving him felt right, but a part of her knew it was reckless.

'I have no idea what I just brought into my life.'

She stood up to leave the clinic and came back in the  morning with food for him as he can't stay like this. Maybe in the morning she will get answers from this mysterious stranger.

She gently pulled a blanket over his shoulders. That’s when her eyes caught a mark on his wrist—a tattoo, sharp and precise, a string of numbers , almost look like a secret code, she didn’t understand. Her fingers itched to touch it, but something made her hesitate.

Her pulse quickened. This isn’t just a man… he’s part of something else. Something dangerous.

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This is my first book and first try in writing.