"Unhand me now!!!" I screamed.

"Shut up woman," one of the two huge men who were dragging me along a pitch-black corridor silenced me.

"How dare you!! I am gonna sue you for violation of human rights!" I snarled back at him.

"Hmm!! Do that when you're out of here;which I presume that you won't," the second added with a wicked smirk on his face.

"I sure will,and at that time, you will wish that you didn't meet me!!" I retorted back.

"I would advise you to be quiet. Lest you want that tongue of yours cut off," The first man snapped at me.

That surely made me shut my mouth up.

The two huge men held death-grip on my arms,dragging me along a never-ending corridor. It smelt of rot and I felt like gagging due to disgust. Suddenly, my anxiety kicked in.

"What were they gonna do to me?" I wondered.

I felt hopeless and helpless all of a sudden. Tears were threatening to fall. I hated this feeling. This feeling of lacking the ability of rescuing my own damn self. I felt weak and this made me angry and my blood start to boil like magma.

What did I ever do to deserve this? I tried...tried hard and pushed myself to help everyone at all cost. Even at my own expense. Stood beside anyone in need but fate can be cruel. I have no one by my side. Did anyone notice my absence?

My heart ached with pain and I felt forlorn. It has been a long time since I felt this way. But pain is like a shadow;it follows you everywhere.

Suddenly, I spotted some light at a distance. We were reaching the end of the corridor. What are they gonna do to me? Rape,torture,murder....

My head was reeling with horrible outcomes in that place. I can't let this happen. I started struggling again but with no avail.

"No!!" I screamed.

I was being reminded about a past which I had long forgotten. A past which took me years to forget and now...it all seemed like yesterday. A past when I was in rags and shabby clothes and was treated just like an animal.

These people were animals and it's no miracle for them not to treat me like one. Memories came flooding in like adrenaline into my mind.

An 8 year old girl living in a street and surviving on garbage. She looked cold and dirty and filthy. All because her foster parents threw her out after they had their own baby. She was of no use anymore. Struggling to find food and shelter at all means but never begged. For three months...three months, she wondered on the streets of Los Angeles. Only for one day to be caught and defiled by a man.

What was her fault? She never begged to be adopted. Then why did they do this to her. Why? Tears were now flowing like a river. Damn these tears!! I promised to never cry again but still... Nun Christine told me to never...

Nun Christine... She who saw a worth in me and took me in from the streets. Looked after me and raised me like her own. Never judged me and believed in me,that I had a bright future.

Suddenly,I was thrown into a brightly-lit room by the two men.

"Ooph!" I landed in a thud.

The door was slammed shut. I had nowhere to escape. I squinted by eyes due to the bright light. The room was wide and spacious and it had a table and a chair at the centre. On the table was food. Food!!!

My stomach growled in response. I was famished. I hadn't eaten anything in like one...two ...three...three days to be exact. I was salivating like a starved lion.

"Hold your horses Natalie. What if the food is poisoned?"I wondered to myself.

These people might be planning to kill me with this food. I forced myself to look away from the food but the smell...

With so much light in the room, I could see myself clearly. I was dirty; my hair was in a messy bun and my clothes torn. My hands were brownish and I stinked like a skunk. Damn,when was the last time I took a bath?

Nevertheless,all this didn't matter cause I needed to survive. I examined the room further and spotted a big mirror at one side. So this was an investigation room. I bet some people was staring at me now.I walked towards the mirror and touched it as I smirked. It felt unbreakable.

"Eat up!" Boomed a voice.

"What if it's poisoned?"I shouted back.

"It's not, so eat,woman!"It commanded.

" I don't trust you. What if you wanted to kill me?" I retorted back and I tilted my head in denial.

"There are easier methods to get rid of you,you know," It said in a flat voice.

Well,duh. I should've known. I quickly sat down and started digging in. The meal was delicious and I moaned in delight.

"So, what is your name?" The voice asked.

"What are now,on a date?" I inquired with a smirk.

"Just answer the damn question,woman!!" A sharp voice commanded.

So,it seemed that I was being interrogated by two people. By there voices,they were men who were between 28 and 30 years; they were at their prime.

"Okay,no need to shout. My name is Natalie Bay."I responded politely.

"Tell us more about yourself,Natalie." The first voice stated.

" I am a 28 year old doctor. I studied in Los Angeles till high school. Went to Gulf University UAE for medicine under a scholarship. Did my internship in Charplen Hospital and I've been working as a certified doctor in Elizabeth Memorial Hospital for two years now. I own an apartment in Sharjah...and a house too. Oh,I forgot...am single," I replied with a smile.

"So the next few questions will be answered with a No or a Yes, we clear?" Asked the second voice in arrogance.

I nodded in agreement.

"Were you in Fort Park on 5th April?" The second man asked.

"Yes,"I replied.

"Were you still lurking around the park at 7 pm?" He questioned.

"Yes,"was the response.

"Did you get the attention to leave the park at 6 pm?" He continued.

"Yes," I replied with a hunk of meat in my mouth.

"Did you hit Prince Adams on the head with a metal rod?" He interrogated.

My appetite suddenly disappeared knowing where he was headed to. I fell silent.

" Did you or did you not?" He emphasized.

"I did but..."I was cut off.

" That's enough...Did you held a gun at the Prince?" He continued.

"Yes,but I..." I trailed off in a whisper.

"Did you kill his man guard?" He asked.

"No," I stated firmly.

"Lastly,did you have an intention of harming the Prince?" He asked.

I lowered my head to the ground. I clenched my hands into balls of fists. When Nun Christine took me in,she raised me and taught me to be a good human being. And I swore to uphold her teachings the day her coffin was lowered to the ground. However,she emphasized on one thing;to never tell a lie.

I slowly raised my head and held it high and said,"Yes."

A fortnight ago

" A 32 year old man found down with no pulse. External injuries...a gush on his right shoulder. BP 105/80....HR 110..." Said a paramedics as he dragged a patient on a stretcher into the ER section.

I quickly ran to his side.

"Did you get any fluids?" I asked a female resident who was already at the patient's side as I examined him with my stethoscope.

"2 litres...he needs a pan scan," she responded quickly.

" Do you know what happened?" I inquired further.

"Radia says that a few speakers blew up in a concert," she replied.

"1...2...3..Now," we hoisted the patient and placed him on a bed.

"I heard that you need some help," we were interrupted by John, a surgeon as he strode into the room.

I quickly placed a clean cloth on the bleeding shoulder pressing it simultaneously."Bleeding is controlled," I stated to him with a smile.

"Man...abdominal trauma....hypertensive," stated a voice as a patient was taken into a room.

"Our ambulance is on Level-O?" Questioned Suzie, the receptionist to a paramedics.

"Yeah,patients are flowing all over town,"she responded with diligence .

"Okay people be ready, we are gonna have a full house,"she announced.

" An open arm fracture...I need another large 4 IV..."another voice trails off with a wounded patient.

The ER section was buzzing with activities with patients being wheeled to operation rooms. Doctors performing CPRs and cutting through flesh to stabilize the patients could be seen. Moans and cries of some patients could be heard. The scene was intense but that was to be expected in the ER section.

By the time I had sat down for a rest,I was dead-beat. It has been three hours since the state at the ER section was stabilized. My feet were sore. I had been on call since early morning and only had a 15 minutes lunch break. It was all back to the dreaded intern year again. I groaned in frustration as I sipped a glass of water.

" Damn,am beat,"I said to John and June,my colleague.

" Yeah,you can say that again,"they both replied in unison making us laugh.

"It's a half an hour to 4 pm. Can't wait for my shift to end and head to bed." I stated as I eyed my watch in weariness.

"Hmm,don't count on it. Anything can happen here," retorted June.

" Yeah true. It's the ER section for crying out loud," seconded John.

And immediately at the entrance came a paramedics with only an arm on the stretcher. I quickly run to his side.

"Right arm premiere detachment. The patient is still trapped in the vehicle. We need to head back to to the scene. Doctor John has the details." She informed me before storming out.

" You knew," I said to John in bewilderness.

" Hey,they called in just a couple of minutes ago," he said,raising his arms in defence.

"Okay. We need to put the arm in ice," I informed an intern who rushed off for some ice.

The arm was ripped off perfectly from the limb. It looked horrible. However,I had seen worse for this to sway me in discomfort. Ten minutes later,the paramedics rushed in with a left leg.

" God,how worse is this accident?"Cringed an intern in inquiry.

"Doesn't matter. Just pray that the patient is well for the reattachment surgery." I informed him curtly.

I strode towards the counter and started chatting with Suzie about the weather in Sharjah. What could I do with an arm and a leg? All I could do was wait for the patient and see what could be done. Amidst our conversations,a woman busted at the entrance screaming for her husband and I quickly rushed to her.

"My husband...Yunner Farsey...He was in an accident..."she trailed off.

" Relax... Am Doctor Natalie Bay and your husband is yet to reach the ER... As soon as he arrives we are gonna help him. So please,relax and sit here in the waiting area," I comforted her as I directed her to sit on a chair.

" 47 yr old Yunner Farsey...both his right and left leg detached...excessive bleeding..." Busted in a paramedics with the patient.

When the woman spotted her husband,she started screaming and running to his side. Damn,this couldn't have gotten any worse.

" Restrain her," I ordered some interns who tried to get her away from the patient.

" What's the vitals?"I asked a nurse who was beside the unconscious Yunner.

" BP 90/60....HR 40...Internal bleeding in the lungs..." She responded quickly.

I quickly threw my stethoscope aside and wore gloves. Took a scalpel and cut just above the fifth rib and injected a needle and a tube.

"What's the Heart rate?" I asked as I removed the tube causing blood to gush out.

"30," replied a nurse who had fixed an IV tube on the patient.

"Nat,the heart rate is falling," warned John who was standing at the door.

"The patient needs to be resuscitated, "I stated as I tried to stop bleeding on the injured left leg," Whose gonna do it?" I asked in haste.

"I will," stated an intern,making me eye him suspiciously. "Trust me, I can do it," he added.

I nodded and he rushed towards the patient and did a CPR.

"Nat, it's falling to 10...9...8...7...6,"warned John.

" Harder!" I told the intern.

And with one last jerk, "Beep!!"

My heart stopped. I eyed the machine and looked at the readings, 130...Phew,that was close.

I smiled at the intern and turned towards John and glared at him.

" I have already done with the procedure s and the operation room is ready,"he stated as he scurried off.

I heaved a sigh of relief and stepped aside as the patient was trolleyed out to the operation room for the reattachment surgery. The intern beamed at me with a big smile and I walked to the Doctor's restroom to change and retire for the day; my shift was over.

After the long stressful day, I walked out of the hospital. It felt like centuries. A soft breeze swept past me making my long hair bounce in air. I had let it fall down towards my back rather than tying it up. I quickly caught a cab and drove to my apartment.

" Huh,"I sighed as I took in the scent of my apartment when I stepped in. It smelt warm and welcoming. I shut the door behind me and dragged myself to bed. I needed the sleep.

"Beep!Beep!" I was woken up by my alarm which read 7 pm.

I dragged myself to the bathroom and washed my face. I walked to the kitchen and prepared myself some dinner; Fried prawn rice. I ate my dinner as I watched some news on the TV. Cleared the dishes afterwards and headed to my balcony to observe the beautiful lights. Sharjah at night was breathtaking. The lights and cars and people walking at night...It was amazing.

Mostly,people went out at night; the daytime is too hot for one to go out. I decided to move here from Los Angeles because of my history with it. It held so many bitter memories. Moreover, with the absence of Nun Christine LA never felt like home anymore. She passed away when I was in my second year. It was very hard for me. Took a leave to attend her funeral which was attended by a great mass. She was a great person.

She taught me love,how to cherish and try to live an amazing life. When I finished burying her, I moved all my belongings to Sharjah;not like I had much. I was helped to settle in by my friends here. They were welcoming and tried to make me fill at home. Hence,Sharjah became home. I have been living a simple life since.

However,I had an amazing social life filled with friends and parties,but I don't drink. Alcohol was never my thing; Nun Christine's influence maybe. My life was revolved around close friends,work and home. I also took in the habit of travelling. Been saving up money for a vacation every year. Been to Brazil, South Africa, Madagascar and many other places. I needed to spice up my life and this was the thing.

However,I had a bad love life. It's not like I was dumped or cheated on,but I had no luck. Men just pass me off. Not that i minded;the male species are a mystery to me. I tried avoiding them at all cost. So,I have been alone for a long time. I also tried having a pet cat. Sunny she died after 8 months of taking her in. Am still moarning for her loss. Since then, I never had pet.

So,it has been me and me and me all along. My company was myself. I never regretted this at all. I don't think I will ever.

"Let me take up some rounds."I stood up and headed to my room.

Amongst my many trips,I find the one to China amazing. I had met many people and learnt new skills. Talking about skills, the trip to China enhanced my medical prowess. I learnt a big deal,actually, I learnt martial arts. Who wouldn't take up such a chance when it appears? I did, and one of the old masters took a liking of me. He personally invited me to be his disciple and I agreed.

I learnt how to use weapons like katana,hakinata and the nunchukus. I had a wonderful time. However, what I took serious was in Karate. My master taught me how to use my medical knowledge to fight. These skills were buried long ago and only a few knew. Actually, my master,Chie Li,was the last to have obtained these skills. Such knowledge was deemed dangerous hence it was burnt to become extinct.

I could easily paralyse someone pressing on some delicate nerves on their bodies. However,there was a sequence or else I might just end up killing someone. By pressing on a nerve on the neck;close to the jugular vein,below the clavicles of each shoulders and at the sacral vertebra, I could achieve a temporary paralyses. The person would be paralysed until I gave him a ' release'.

A release is just relaxing the pressed nerves and the person would be as good as new. However,it took alot of practise and near-death states. I was happy to learn such a skill.

I walked to my room and took out my black outfit. It was given me as a gift by Chie Lie before he passed away. I adorned it and slipped out of the balcony; jumping from one balcony to another till I reached the ground.

I jumped the fence and climbed a 6 feet neighbouring house's rooftop. The air was cool and made me feel exhilarated. I started jumping from house to house soaring together with the wind. I felt free.

I loved this feeling. It makes me who I am. It helps numb the pain that I have felt for all those years. The losses and the beatings and taunts. All of them.

After an hour, I retired back home; slipped in through the balcony. I went for a shower and made a dalgano coffee and watched a movie. I looked at my phone for any new messages and saw June's.

" Rest tomorrow, no work." It read.

Yeah, I was gonna have fun tomorrow. Shopping in the mall for a whole damn day. I quickly texted Ferozah,a good friend of mine, and told her my plans. She was so eager to meet up too. Ferozah was an Indian girl raised up in ********** estate. She ran away before she was sold off and was helped in her studies by some good samaritans. She applied for Computer Science in Gulf under a scholarship.

We were roommates and we had a good time. She likes quiet places and always shuts off strangers. She has been my best friend and helped me when I was moarning for Nun Christine. She is a kohinoor to me.

I immediately turned the television off after I felt overly exhausted and headed to my bedroom for some sleep, hoping for an amazing next day.