Just an attempt at a Halloween storyline involving most of the characters. J
Henrik Hanssen stepped into the reception area of Holby City. He was relieved to get out of the cold weather. This Halloween weekend had been colder than he could ever remember.
"Henrik," Ric Griffin greeted him warmly. "How was your weekend?"
"Not bad, thank you. How was yours?" He asked in usual formal manner.
"Interesting. I spent most of it at a seminar on human growth hormone and its uses as a therapeutic drug."
"Sounds thrilling," Henrik nodded, waiting for the lift.
"I wouldn't go that far," Ric smiled.
"Gentlemen," Michael called from behind them. They both turned to come face to face with a very well stitched horrifying mask. "Happy Halloween," Michael called out from behind the mask.
"Oh, Michael, really?" Ric scoffed.
"Hey, just because we don't really celebrate it here, doesn't mean I have to lose my American traditions."
Hanssen's lips twitched upwards in an attempted smile.
"Oh, watch this," Michael pushed past them to stand directly in front of the lift doors.
"Michael," Ric said disapprovingly. "You might give someone a heart attack."
"Hold on," Michael waved off Ric's concerns.
The lift doors started opening and Michael jumped in with a pretend growl, ready to burst out laughing.
Serena Campbell finished looking through her list of patients for the day, dropping the file on her desk and grabbing her cup of steaming hot coffee. She had been there since the crack of dawn and had stupidly forgotten to have breakfast. She felt her stomach rumble and decided to head on down to the canteen for something sweet.
She side stepped to allow a young man with a green painted face to get past her; he was clearly suffering the effects of a very rowdy Halloween weekend.
She got to the lift and pressed the ground floor, waiting patiently for the doors to close, thinking about the latest medical paper she had started writing. It had started being very medical and was turning out to be more about management. She would have to find a way to steer it back into the medical direction. She was thinking of ways to do this when the lift doors finally opened. Something sped in, growling loudly. Without a second thought, she had thrown her coffee over it in a defensive gesture.
"Ah! Ow! OH MY GOD!" Michael screamed as the scalding coffee sunk into his shirt.
Serena stood there with an empty cup, still in shock.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?" He yelled.
"You jumped out at me!" She replied, glancing over at the shocked and yet amused faces of Ric and Hanssen.
"You could've burnt my eyes out!"
Serena rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry," she lied. "Are you okay?"
"Would you be okay if I threw a steaming cup of coffee over you?" He asked as he removed his mask.
"Well, you should know better than to jump out at people like an over excited child."
"I was kidding around," he moaned.
"Do you need assistance?" She asked as Michael tried to pull the soaked material from his shirt away from his skin.
"I have to go change my shirt," Michael mumbled. "You can take over on AAU for me."
"Okay," she suppressed a smile as he stalked off.
"Coffee?" Ric grinned, handing her his cup.
"Thank you," she gladly took it. "So I guess I'll just head on back to AAU."
"Were you coming down here for a reason, Ms Campbell?" Hanssen suddenly asked.
She paused for a moment, trying to remember the reason. "I was going to grab something for breakfast, but I've managed to lose my appetite," she snorted as she looked down at the coffee all over the floor. "Ric, could you get a porter?"
"I'll sort it out," he smiled, heading over to the reception desk.
Hanssen joined her in the lift, glancing down at her for a split second. "Jedi moves, Ms Campbell," he said as the lift doors closed.
"I'm sorry?" She looked up at him.
"Like a Jedi. I'll be sure to take care not to surprise you in the near future."
Serena chuckled, sipping her coffee. Hanssen had a sense of humour sometimes; she only wished he would express it more often.
As the lift doors opened, Chrissie Levy was standing with an amused look on her face. "Just the person I was looking for," she said to Serena.
"It appears I'm needed," Serena smiled to Hanssen as she stepped out of the lift.
"Careful with that coffee," Hanssen said as the lift doors shut.
"What was that all about?" Chrissie asked with a perplexed look on her face.
"Oh, I had a little run in with Michael," Serena smiled, remembering the moment.
"Nothing too serious I hope?"
"Not for me," she chuckled, stepping into AAU. "Now, what did you need me for?"
"Alfred Hitchings," she motioned towards an elderly man with white hair and a beard. He looked quite similar to Santa. "He's been admitted for a stomach pains."
"Severe stomach pains?" Serena observed as the man stole a trough of grapes off of a nearby patient's tray.
"Apparently," Chrissie answered, also watching the man.
"Yes, it looks severe," Serena mumbled as she headed over to the man.
Jac Naylor ignored Professor Elliot Hope's smiling face as she stepped into the office they shared together.
"You didn't notice?" Elliot asked, a little disappointed.
"Yes, I noticed, Elliot. I'm just not going to fall for this one," she glanced back at the ghostly figure hanging from the ceiling.
"Spoil sport," Jonny Maconie mumbled as he poked his head into the office.
"Just because you and Elliot are crazy fans of Halloween does not mean you need to take it out on the rest of us."
"She didn't even bat an eyelid?" Jonny asked Elliot, referring to the ghost prop.
"No," Elliot sighed.
Jonny rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea how hard Professor Hope and I worked this morning to get that thing to hang from the ceiling?"
"And here I was thinking we were all busy, professional individuals," Jac snorted as she turned her computer on.
"Did you guys hear the news?" Mo Effanga asked from the doorway.
"No," Jonny answered. "What news?"
"Apparently Ms Campbell has a patient on AAU who's convinced he's Hannibal Lecter."
They all paused to look at her. "What?"
"Yeah, I was speaking to nurse McGee earlier and apparently he's been admitted for stomach pains. He told Ms Campbell he ate someone's liver."
"Have they called security?" Professor Hope asked.
"Not as far as I know. I think they're checking to see if they can contact his family first."
"Never a dull day at Holby," Jonny smiled.
"This is ridiculous," Serena Campbell threw a severed dragon head from her desk and onto the floor. "Why has this office suddenly become the storage place of AAU?"
"Because they have nowhere else to put this stuff," Michael answered, grabbing a nearby zombie mask and trying it on.
"Suits you," Serena smirked as she started typing up her report.
"Ah, come on, Serena, get into the Halloween spirit," Michael tossed a mask at her.
She watched as it slipped from the edge of her desk and onto the floor. "No," she said.
"Spoil sport," Michael sighed.
"I have absolutely no reason to enjoy a holiday based on masks, pranks and horror."
"Actually, Halloween is based on a lot more than that; back in the day . . ."
"Yeah, I'm bored with this conversation," Serena kept her eyes glued to her computer screen.
Michael sighed heavily before deciding it was time he got to work. "Like my new shirt?"
"It's stunning," Serena said sarcastically.
Michael ignored her disinterest and headed out onto the ward.
Serena glanced up at Alfred's bed. He wasn't there. She took a look around the ward; perhaps he was stealing more food from his fellow patients.
"Sister Levy," she called, getting up from her seat and stepping onto the ward.
"Yes?" Chrissie joined her.
"Where's Mr Hitchings?"
"He was right . . ." Chrissie paused as she observed the empty bed. "I'll check."
"Oh, Serena," Michael called from the nurses' station.
She turned to look at him. "I'm missing a patient."
"Yes, I know. I've just received a phone call from Kellar. Apparently Hannibal Lecter is antagonizing the staff. You better get up there."
Serena sighed heavily.
"Okay, I could join you, I suppose," Michael closed the door behind him and followed her to the lift.
"Sir, you need to calm down!" Antoine Malik called to the old man who had just thrown a folder at him.
"No!" He yelled.
"Just tell us how we can help you."
"You're a doctor; you're supposed to tell me!" He lifted a small ceramic pot.
"Call security," Ric said to a shocked looking Chantelle Lane.
"Security can't stop me!" He yelled, raising the pot.
"Mr Hitchings!" Serena called from the lift.
The man spun around and tossed the pot at her and Michael, who very quickly ducked. The pot missed Michael's head by a couple of inches.
"What the hell, man!" Michael yelled.
"Mr Hitchings, if you don't calm down right now, we will be obligated to sedate you and place a call to the psychiatric department to have you referred."
This seemed to strike a chord with the elderly man as his body posture seemed to relax a bit.
"Now, please accompany Mr Spence and me back down to AAU."
Alfred started walking towards her, before pausing and then racing down the corridor towards the staircase.
"Is this a joke?" Michael threw his hands into the air.
"Chantelle, let security know we're looking for him, would you please?"
"Okay," she grabbed the phone and started dialing.
"What the hell was that about?" Ric asked as Serena started heading down the corridor after her patient.
"Was that Hannibal Lecter?" Malik called after her.
"Just another reason why I love my job," she answered sarcastically.
Jac Naylor watched as Jonny waited behind a corner for another nurse to pass before jumping out at her with the mask he had bought two weeks ago, in anticipation of Halloween. It was quite amusing, but she had to roll her eyes at his childish behavior.
"Did you see her face?" Jonny burst out laughing as the nurse cursed him.
"Can you honestly tell me that you don't have anything more important to do with yourself today?" Jac sighed deeply.
Jonny heard the door open and returned to his position, waiting for the next victim. He jumped out and froze as Mr Hanssen stood staring back at him.
"Mr Maconie," he said calmly.
"Mr Hanssen," Jonny gulped, turning to Jac for help. She turned her attention back to the computer screen in front of her.
"I'm assuming you have more important things to be doing right now. If not, I'm sure I can find something for you."
"I apologize, Mr Hanssen. I will get right back to work," he dropped the mask, giving Jac a playful glare for not helping him.
"Ah, Mr Hanssen," Michael called. "Hannibal Lecter's missing."
"I'm sorry?" the tall man turned to look at him, perplexed.
"Serena's crazy patient," he motioned to Serena who was looking around Darwin.
"You lost a patient?" Hanssen turned to her.
"I didn't lose him," Serena snapped. "He ran away."
"Your Hannibal Lecter patient is on the loose?" Jac smirked, getting up from her chair to join in on the conversation.
"Okay, would everybody stop calling him that?" Serena snapped again. "He's a vulnerable old man who thinks we're all out to get him."
"I'm assuming security's been notified," Hanssen said.
"Of course," Serena answered. How stupid did he think she was?
"Jac, have you seen my custard tart?" Elliot asked as he stepped out of his office, oblivious to what was going on.
"No," Jac called over her shoulder.
"Well, it was there one moment and gone the next."
Serena was about to give up on the pointless conversation when she noticed the trail of custard on the floor. "Michael," she whispered, pointing to the trail.
"You think he's in there?" Michael asked, noticing the trail ended in the storage room.
Serena didn't answer. She walked quietly over to the door, pausing slightly as the rest of the group joined her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. Something rushed her and she fell backwards into Hanssen who in turn fell over.
"And there he goes!" Michael called after the old man who was running down the corridor.
"Well, stop him!" Serena yelled between clenched teeth, trying to move off of Hanssen as quickly as possible.
"I'm not going after him," Michael refused, folding his arms. "God knows what he's capable of."
"Are you two okay?" Elliot asked, helping Serena to her feet and then turning to Hanssen.
Sasha waited patiently for Michael and Serena to return to AAU. He had been covering them both for over forty minutes. He was about to call them when he noticed Elliot and Michael step out of the lift, looking around cautiously.
"Problem?" he asked, noticing the suspicious looks on their faces.
"Hannibal Lecter's on the loose," Michael said, looking over Sasha's shoulder.
"Mr Hanssen asked us to form groups to look for him. He appears to be delusional and dangerous."
"How dangerous?" Sasha's expression changed. "Should we arm ourselves?"
"With what?" Michael sighed. "A couple of scalpels?"
"Something like that," Sasha nodded.
"Oh come on, Sasha," Michael chuckled. "He's not the real deal."
"But he did eat my custard tart," Elliot said.
Jac and Serena carefully stepped through Darwin, glancing into every room.
"This is ridiculous," Jac sighed. "Security should be dealing with this."
"I couldn't agree more," Serena sighed as they headed down to the basement.
"The basement has a bit of a bad omen," Jac heard herself saying.
"Oh? Why's that?"
"People usually get killed down here," she said and instantly regretted it.
"Well, thank you for that thought," Serena smiled, stepping out of the lift into the basement.
"I mean, I'm sure we'll be fine."
"Of course," Serena nodded, cautiously checking the store cupboard.
"I'm sure he wouldn't have come this far anyway," Jac said, pausing as they both heard a loud bang. "What was that?"
"Oh, probably just a pipe," Serena said, trying to ignore the wary feeling.
"I've never heard a pipe do that."
"Well, I'm sure it's absolutely n. . ." another loud thud cut her off. Both women stood perfectly still, trying to decide whether it was a good idea to continue any further or not. "Oh this is silly," Serena sighed, walking with full speed to where the sound had emanated from.
"Wait," Jac rushed after her. "Wait for me!"
They both reached another storage room, waiting outside, listening for any further noises.
"I think we should go get Jonny," Jac heard herself say.
"I am not going up to find Nurse Maconie and beg him to come down to the basement with us like some scared children," Serena whispered, pushing the door open. A movement inside sent both women screaming and running down the corridor.
"Leave the lift!" Jac screamed at Serena, grabbing her arm and dragging her up the stairs.
"I'm quite confident that Mr Hitchings isn't on AAU," Elliot said. "I think it's about time I get back up to Darwin."
"Are you sure?" Michael smiled. "Hannibal might catch you on your way up."
The door to the staircase flew open; revealing and two exhausted and out of breath women. They practically collapsed onto the floor.
"Jac, Ms Campbell," Elliot walked up to them with a surprised look. "What happened?"
"Hannibal," Jac tried to speak between breaths. "Tried to kill us."
"In the basement," Serena finished for her.
"The lift," Sasha called out; grabbing the nearest weapon he could find which happened to be an umbrella.
Everyone turned to watch as the lift started moving from the basement. "Lift opening," the automated voice said. Michael took a step backwards, watching in horror.
The doors opened and Mr Hanssen stepped out, accompanied by a relaxed looking Mr Hitchings. "Crisis over," he said, smiling at the looks on their faces. "Mr Hitchings has returned."
Serena was helped up by Jac who looked equally embarrassed.
"I am pleased you didn't have a cup of coffee in your hand, Ms Campbell," Hanssen said as he guided the elderly man next to him to a nearby empty bed.