The Hospital

Before Writing
I was a paranormal investigator; but a few months ago, I realized how I wasn't making any progress. So... I quit. You know those old people in libraries telling stories to young children? Well, in most towns; you have to volunteer to do that; you don't get paid. But, in my town I do get paid. That's my new job! I tell scary stories that I have experienced. Well not All of the stories I tell are those that I have experienced... Some are others' experiences. And also, let me tell you, the ones about me are real. Absolutely real. The other ones, I'm not sure. Those stories are all from my friends. Most of the times they are honest... But you never know. Anyway? Let's start?

It was back when I wanted to become a doctor. I had no experience in a hospital whatsoever, so I decided to go to the "experience being a nurse" campaign. Back then, I was curious on why they had chosen the oldest hospital in my town. You know what I'm talking about right? Hospitals are odd places. They are also sad places. A nurse's job is to comfort a patient. I didn't know this before the campaign but patients are pretty lonely when they're stuck there for awhile. Of course their families visit once in a while, but that's only like once a week. Hospital parking is expensive. So the nurses go and talk to the patients while they're lying in bed. That makes the patient really happy. Having someone to talk to, and have that person actually listen to you. And for the nurses; they're happy too. They get to know what the person is actually like. There's always a chance of becoming good friends too. But... that isn't how hospitals always work. After getting to know a patient, some of them pass away. So all of the work... gets thrown out the window. You also get overcome by the glum feelings in your brain. But you can't act like this forever. There are other patients looking for someone to talk to. That's how hard it is to be a nurse. I thought being a nurse was much easier than being a doctor. Well maybe education-wise it is. But you know. From what I just explained. It might not be that easy. I felt queasy when I first entered the hospital doors. The doors slid open with a squeak, indicating that the door was quite old. I explained to the woman behind the counter what I was here for. She smiled and led me back to a room where another woman was waiting for me. She examined me with her strict eyes and briskly stood up. She stuck up her hand at my waist. "Hi, I'll be leading you today." She said her name was Norris. As she showed me around the hospital, time passed quickly. It was past dinnertime when we finished. I realized that there was a problem. "Wait, I was supposed to actually be a nurse today right? Not just get shown around?" "Yes, exactly. You're on night duty." Night duty. The time when all the ghosts, demons, and stuff came and haunted the hospital. After explaining how the nurses' station worked, she left me standing alone with a post it note that had her phone number scribbled on it. With a sigh, I slumped down onto the leather chair that was encompassed by several flashing lights and buttons. I pulled out a book that I had been reading since 2 days ago and read. In a matter of minutes, I had fallen asleep.

I woke up when the nurse call light flashed into my face. Startled, I fell onto the floor and stretched my neck up to see what room needed my service. 2..... 0....7..... Room 207! I hurriedly scurried down the hallways. Room 207 was on the east building. Very far away from the nurse's station. Hsst, hsst, hsst. My shoes made quiet sounds that echoed around the dark hallway. My flashlight got dimmer with every step. I climbed up a flight a stairs careful not to slip. Finally, I reached room 207. I opened the door and got greeted by a dim light near the patient's bed. She was shivering badly. She said her name was Lauren. She was middle aged, but no wrinkles or whitening hair. Pretty young looking to me. "Nurse!! Ohh..... nurse.... Please change my room! I can't stand this place anymore!" I stood there not knowing what to do? I remembered what Norris had told me to say. "Please do calm down. What's the problem?" She quivered as her pointer finger pointed at a nearby window. "O...Over there!!" Outside there was nothing scary; just the view of the west building and street lights. Puzzled, I opened the window and peeked my head outside. "There's nothing here!", I called back to her. "I swear to god, there was a... a ... thing there!" "Huh?" I closed the window behind me. "What thing?" "It... was like a... a smashed face of a young woman.... And with its rotten voice, IT KEPT ON CALLING MY NAME!" "Please calm down... It's just your imagination..." I put her under the sheets. I calmed her down until she finally started snoozing. I sighed and stood up and made my way out of the door. Slowly closing the door behind me, I walked back to the nurses' station and resumed reading my book. Within 5 minutes, the nurse call light was flashing again. Eh... ahhhh... room.... 2..0..7... Again?! This time, I navigated myself to Lauren's room without a flashlight. Quickly, I opened the door and saw her shivering in her bed. "N...N...Nurse!!!!!" It was much worse this time. The moment she calmed down a bit, she shrieked into my face. "It came again! The thing! It's here! Please, I beg you! Just move me to another room already!", "Ma'am! It was just your imagination! This often happens in hospitals after the shock of getting an injury! It's alright!" She shook her head. "IT was clear! I saw IT! The smashed up face... and that woman... kept on calling for me... it kept on saying 'come here, come here, come here...' But I swear to god! If I ever get tricked by that MONSTER, I'll get killed by it!" "Ma'am please calm down. It's alright. I'll get you some medicine so you can sleep..." When she was dozing off, I quietly left the room but, once I was in the nurses' station, I stayed cautious in case Lauren wanted to call me again. She did. "Ma'am how many times do I have to tell you..." I was cut off by her shrieks. "IT CAME AGAIN! DO NOT TELL ME IT WAS MY IMAGINATION! IT WAS HERE! IT WAS LURING ME! THAT THING! JUST MOVE ME TO ANOTHER ROOM PLEASE!" "Ma'am it's OK! Let me go check for you!" I opened the window and looked around. "CLOSE THE WINDOW QUICK!" I slammed it shut. I glared at Lauren. "What is it now?!" "YOU ALMOST LET IT IN! IT TRIED TO PUT ITS FOOT IN! CAN'T YOU SEE IT!?" I had no patience left. I gave her lots of medicine, and almost instantly she was out. I slammed the door shut behind me and as I was slowly walking down the dark hallway... Lauren screamed. Loud and clear. I ran back to the door, and saw Lauren crouched beside it. "Why are you out of your bed? You're not supposed to be in the hallway at night!" "I woke up when you slammed the door, and IT WAS RIGHT THERE BESIDE THE BED! RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! STARING AT ME! KEPT ON REPEATING THOSE DAMN WORDS!" "Let me check, OK?" I reached for the door knob, but before I could turn it a hand reached out and grabbed my wrist. "I TRAPPED THE THING IN THERE! DON'T LET IT OUT!" I finally realized that this woman was probably mentally disturbed. She was actually seeing these things in her mind and I could do nothing to stop it. There was only one solution. "Lauren, how about this? I'll take you to the nurse's lounge and you can sleep there until we move you to another available room. How's that sound?" She nodded. I helped her up and we slowly walked back to the lounge where I laid her down on a bench. "Wait here, I'll get the head nurse..." I called Norris. When she came I explained the whole thing. "Yes, and it was Lauren in room 207..." She stared at me. "What are you talking about?" "Lauren Prieto in Room 207... You know, the one who has a little mental disorder?" ....... Norris wasn't answering. Finally she talked. "Where is she now?" I took her into the nurse's lounge without a word. However, where I had left Lauren.... she had disappeared. "Wha...?" ........ Norris stared at me with scared eyes. Nothing that you would expect from a mean lady from her. "Follow me." I slowly followed her to the basement where many passed-away patients were stored for research on unknown diseases. I felt a little dizzy standing here at 3 o clock A.M. Maybe a ghost would appear... Norris led me to the very end of the room. There was a small bed labeled P. "Do I... have to look...?" She nodded. I peeked under the covers hiding the limp body. It was Lauren. Astonished I looked back at Norris. "But... how? I was talking to her about 30 minutes ago! She was alive!" "This lady... she passed away yesterday..." I stared back at her. She wasn't looking at me. I couldn't argue. I suddenly remembered the monster that "Lauren" was complaining about. There was a bed labeled B next to Lauren's. "Can I take a peek at that one too?" Norris wasn't responding so I did it without her permission. When I looked at the head, I nearly fainted. It was a smashed up face of a woman.

8 years from that incident... When anyone mentions hospitals... I always get that smashed up face in my head... It never goes away....