I stalk the monotonous hallways of the Hospital.

My work is necessary, and I am inevitable.

You know who I am.

Everybody knows who I am.

One day I shall meet you with open arms.

I lean over an old man in his bed, he sees me and his eyes fill with terror.

This is my macabre hobby, my morbid destiny.

I am the Reaper.

Countless have faced me, none have stopped me.

Even with all your medical machines, all your sanitizer, all your medicines and elixirs – you don’t stand a chance.

Nobody ever does.

I let the old man slip away, off into the eternal void.

As his work ends, so begins mine.

His chart says he has… Had a UTI.

Tragic.

I go along on my shift, unnoticed by Doctors and Nurses alike. Ignored by some, and straight-up tempted by others.

A child in the reception seems to see me, so young and innocent, with a hand-full of sweets laced with e-numbers, sugars and other nasties. He’s visiting his grandma, and I know for a fact it’ll be the last time they meet.

I know for a fact grandma will recover.

But the boy’s fate was sealed the moment he put the first sweet to his mouth.

He waves at me – his mother tells him off.

I shoot him a wry smirk – I’ll be seeing him very soon indeed.

There’s a girl in A&E with a broken foot. The Doctors and Nurses think she will pull through. I know otherwise, I see what they do not.

I see her disease, so I take her.

I take two more on that night.

A husband and a wife, both with terminal food poisoning.

The Doctor makes excuses, and tries to shake off the blame.

Only I know he did all he could.

I took them.

One went up.

One went down.

After a full night’s work, I retreat back to my cupboard.

This is where I keep my strongest weapon – death in a bottle, an evil concoction to be released into the ventilation system.

One that will choke and kill.

This is my great plague – Ready and waiting for just the right moment.

I am the Reaper, that is what I call myself.

Although my scythe has bristles, my tattered robe a mangy jumpsuit…

…I bring death all the same, and reap only what you sow.