The Case of the Haunted Hospital
Disclaimer:
Scooby doo and all related characters are owned by Hanna-Barbera and/or Warner Bros.
"Velma's Friend" AKA "Metal Head" and Mary Jane are owned by Warner Bros.
"Velma's Friend" was named "Ethan" by "LittleSoprano" in that author's online stories
"Journey of Self Discovery" and "Their first Christmas" and is used along with certain scenes
with permission.
All other characters are the figment of this author's imagination and will be returned unharmed.
September 13th , 1:00am, Coolsville District Hospital...
Ten minutes before it happened Mrs. Andrews woke in a darkened room. The still outline of her husband sitting in the chair beside her bed was clearly visible from the light of the open door.
She remembered her parents saying they were going out to dinner but would return after breakfast,
as would her in-laws.
She heard the night noises of the hospital. Another husband sitting beside his wife's bed was snoring.
Some one had their radio on a soft jazz station. The beeping of machines as they monitored their
patients. The subdued voices of the nurses as they went about their duties.
She had fed her new born girl, Leah. The nurse had taken Leah away for the night after she had
been burped and had fallen asleep.
She saw the shadow as it entered the room. Mrs. Andrews' eyes were as big as saucer plates as she watched the pale shadow cross the room, reach out and smooth a lock of her husbands messy hair. She tried to cry out but nothing would come out. She watched as the shadow, dressed in a white nurses uniform, continued to cross the room and disappear into the wall.
That's when Mrs. Andrews began to scream...
September 13th , 6:00am...
Shaggy had always loved to run. Even before he was a star on the Coolsville High School track team.
He didn't run for the competition, or the attention, he ran for the sheer exhilaration. His specialty had been long distance, which he was doing now. He and Mary Jane had planned a five mile route that would test his endurance to the maximum. He also ran because he had learned to split his thought process so that he could concentrate on the run and also let his mind think in an altogether different direction.
His mind now wandered to his blond wife of three months. He and Mary Jane (MJ to her friends)
had married in June. It was now September. It had been an interesting and wonderful three months of
adjustment from the single, free spirit life they both had enjoyed before deciding on marriage.
MJ had promised a special breakfast when he returned from his morning run. He was about one-half
through the route when he heard the car. It was early for any traffic on this stretch of road. He moved closer to the edge of the road, giving the approaching car enough room to pass safely. He was surprised to see MJ drive up beside him, stop, and roll her window down.
"Short run this morning Bright Eyes...Hop in" She said, the worry in her voice made him stop.
Without questioning her, he moved to the passenger side, opening the door.
"What's up?" he finally asked, buckling his seat belt and wiping the sweat from his face.
"Fred had to rush Daphne to the hospital last night" MJ glanced over at him, judging his reaction to the news about one of his oldest friends." Some type of complication with the baby,
that's all I know, the gang wants us at the hospital as soon as it's convenient" she finished.
"If it was Velma, she means yesterday" Shaggy observed. "Better lay out my clothes while I shower and call the hospital and see if you can get an update."
"Your clothes are already on the bed...I called the hospital before I left...nothing new...sorry,
no special breakfast this morning" MJ informed him.
"That's ok MJ, there will be other breakfasts" Shaggy said, his mind questioning what kind
of emergency. 'Fred must be sick with worry...those two were always in love but unwilling to admit
it until recently' he thought.
September 13th , 6:00 am, Coolsville District room 120...
The two nurses walked into the room. Their uniforms rustled as they took their positions on either side
of the bed. A third nurse followed them in.
" Did we get some sleep after we got you settled?" The nurse said, smiling.
Daphne thought to ask "What 'we' was she referring to" but thought better of it. Instead saying...
" Not much, but some."
" My name is Anna Sharper. I will be your R.N. During your stay with us. Dr. wants to try some
positional therapy to help the baby to change positions and aligned...Mr. Jones, this will take a while and be boring if you are just watching. It is my understanding that some of your friends
are in the snack counter area, if you want to give them an update, then return, that would be fine."
" Go on Fred, I'm fine and our friends do need an update" Daphne said, encouragingly.
She really didn't want him there right now. She didn't want him to see her in some of the positions
she had imagined.
" If every thing goes well, we may let you dance with your husband" nurse Sharper said.
" You are kidding, aren't you" Daphne asked.
" Not at all, it's a special dance that will help the baby drop into a normal delivery position" the nurse added.
" Are you sure Daph? Fred didn't ignore the nurse, only needing reassurance.
" Yes, I'm sure" Daphne said.
Fred leaned down to give Daphne a kiss and squeeze her hand, then heading toward the door.
"Now, let's see about repositioning the baby. This is what we will be doing..."
September 13th, 6:45 am, Coolsville District, Waiting room/snack counter...
Fred had arrived, ordered coffee and danish, had been informed that Shaggy and MJ were on their
way to the hospital. Both his and Daphne's parents were there along with the rest of the gang. After
hugging both sets of parents, and receiving a hug from Velma and MJ...
"Daph is doing just fine. The baby's head isn't in the right position, so they are doing some
'positional therapy' as they call it."
They all sat around the table, a subdued air surrounding them. Shaggy and MJ arrived, finding the
gang sitting together. Their food sat in front of them untouched. Shaggy had changed from his running attire to dark casual dress pants and his favorite blue pull over, while MJ had picked a demur gray
smock and matching pants.
Velma jumped up, giving both hugs, then stepping back said " Fred headed back to Daphne's room,
so I guess it's up to me to update you guys..." She gave a quick overview of what Fred had
told them, then " Fred has headed back to Daphne's room and we are waiting for the D.O.N."
' The Director of Nurses? Why?' Shaggy thought, astonished that the D.O.N. Would want to see them.
" Her assistant only said to wait, that the Director wanted to speak to us personally"
Velma added.
Author's note: Well, with Daphne doing exercises and Fred worried about the baby and Daphne,
who will take the lead on this. The head not in the right position isn't life threatening,
and the Dr. wants to hold a c-section as the last option, is trying other therapy first.