Legacy 113: Hospital Haunting
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Late in the evening, Chris Halliwell arrived at the San Francisco Memorial hospital for a night shift. He had been working there as an orderly for a few years now. Aside from the fact that he liked helping people, the flexible hours also allowed him to deal with magical emergencies without getting fired. It was the perfect job for the time being. After clocking in, Chris headed to the changing room. As he did, he ran into another orderly named Jared, who had just ended his shift.
"Hey Chris, another graveyard shift?" Jared asked.
"I don't mind." Chris replied. "How are things around here?"
"It's pretty quiet so far, but San Francisco is a crazy place." Jared said.
"Tell me about it." Chris remarked with a smile.
"Anyway, you'll have plenty of distraction tonight." Jared said. "See you later."
Jared headed out, leaving Chris to wonder what he meant. He shrugged it off and entered the changing room. When he entered, he saw there was someone else in the room. Her name was Sarah, a blonde nurse who had started working in the hospital a few weeks ago. Apparently, she had just started to change, as she was standing before him in jeans and a pink lacy bra. Chris instantly realized what Jared meant, as Sarah was undoubtedly a beautiful distraction.
The changing rooms in the hospital were all co-ed for practical reasons. The hospital probably reasoned that anyone working in healthcare should be used to seeing people undressed. It could still get a little awkward at times, though, like at this very moment. Sarah was a beautiful young woman with a slender figure. It was impossible not to look, as she was directly in front of him.
"Uh… Hey." Chris said sheepishly.
"Hi." Sarah replied.
Trying not to stare at her too long, Chris quickly headed to his own locker and grabbed his stuff. They both continued to change into their scrubs. Chris first changed his pants and then took off his shirt. He stuffed his clothes in his locker and grabbed his scrubs from the bench.
"It's Chris, right?" Sarah asked.
Chris turned to her and saw she was finishing up tying her shoes. "Yeah." He replied.
"I saw your name on the schedule. We're both on pediatrics tonight." Sarah said as she walked over and held out her hand. "I don't think we've worked a shift together. I'm Sarah."
"Nice to meet you." Chris replied as he shook her hand.
"Well, I look forward to working with you." Sarah said with a smile and her eyes quickly glanced over his bare torso. "See you in a bit."
"Sure." Chris replied.
Sarah left the changing room and Chris put on his scrubs. Did she just check him out, or was she just messing with him because she caught him staring before? He didn't really have to think about it, as his shift was about to start.
It was always busy at the hospital in the evening, but things slowed down considerably at night, meaning only a few staff members were present. After few hours after his shift started, Chris brought a teenaged patient back to his room after an exam. He then overheard a mother saying goodbye to her daughter in the next room. The girl was about eight and had been admitted after breaking her leg falling down the stairs.
"I have to go now, sweetie." The mother said. "Your daddy and brother are waiting for me at home."
"No, mommy, I don't like it here." the girl said tearfully. "I'm scared."
"Oh, Kayla, there is nothing to be scared off." The mother said. "It is just one more night and then I can take you home. The doctor said so."
"But mommy, what if the scary girl comes back?" Kayla whispered.
"What are you talking about?" the mother asked with a frown.
"She was in my room." Kayla said. "She was in the corner staring at me. I think she was mad. Then she walked through the wall."
"Oh sweetie." The mother said with a relieved smile. "Then it was just a dream. People can't walk through walls."
"But…" Kayla started.
"No buts." The mother replied. "I really have to go now. Daddy is coming to visit you first thing in the morning and then I'll pick you up in the afternoon."
Kayla started to protest again, but the mother kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Kayla buried herself under the sheets. When the mother noticed Chris, she walked up to him.
"Are you working tonight?" the mother asked.
"Yeah, I'll be here all night." Chris replied.
"Good, could you please check in on my daughter once in a while?" the mother asked. "She is just a little homesick I think."
"Sure, I'll keep an eye on her." Chris said.
"Thank you." The mother replied.
Chris waited as the mother got on the elevator and left. He headed to Kayla's room and knocked on the door. When she didn't respond, Chris moved closer.
"Kayla?" Chris asked.
"Who are you?" Kayla asked from under the sheets.
"I'm Chris. I work here." Chris replied.
Kayla poked her head out of the sheets and looked at Chris. "Are you a doctor?" she asked as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.
"No, not quite." Chris replied. "But I help the doctors and nurses here. Your mom asked me to keep an eye on you. I heard you say something about a girl?"
"She is really scary." Kayla said as she glanced at the corner of the room. "She comes out at night and stares at me. I think she is angry."
"Angry about what?" Chris asked.
"I don't know." Kayla replied.
"Has she said anything?" Chris asked.
"No, she just stands there, and then she goes through the wall." Kayla said. "I feel cold when I see her. I can see my breath."
Chris frowned. At first, he thought the mother was right and it was just a bad dream. Now he was starting to doubt it. This girl could walk through walls and the room got colder when she was there? That almost sounded like a ghost. He shook his head. Maybe he was just thinking about magic too much. He shouldn't jump to conclusions.
"That does sound scary, Kayla." Chris said in an attempt to comfort her. "But like your mom said, it is probably just a dream."
"What if she comes back?" Kayla asked.
"She probably won't." Chris said and he grabbed the alarm button. "But if she does, all you have to do is press this button and someone will come in, so you won't be alone."
"Will you come?" Kayla asked. "I think the girl would be scared of you."
"Why do you think that?" Chris asked.
"I don't know." Kayla replied. "I just think she will be. So will you come?"
"Sure." Chris said with a smile. "I'll be there."
Kayla smiled, feeling comforted. It looked like she was able to go to sleep now. There was a knock on the door and Chris turned around. Sarah was standing in the door opening. He wasn't sure how long she had been there, or how much she had overheard.
"Sorry to interrupt." Sarah said. "But I think it is way past bedtime for this little lady."
"I think you're right." Chris said. "Sleep tight, Kayla, and remember the button."
Kayla smiled and held onto the button as Chris handed it to her. He got up and left the room, closing the door behind him. When he did, he noticed Sarah smiling at him.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing." Sarah replied. "I just overheard and you sounded very sweet, comforting her like that. What was she scared of?"
"Probably nothing." Chris said. "Just a bad dream."
"Good." Sarah replied. "I was looking for you. It's break time and I figured we could get some coffee from downstairs. The coffee on this floor sucks."
"Sounds good." Chris said.
Chris and Sarah headed downstairs and grabbed some coffee. As they walked, Sarah told Chris about a teenage patient that was just admitted after being found wandering the street hallucinating. Apparently, it was because of a new drug called pixie dust, which was popular among high school kids. Sarah explained that there had been multiple incidents already.
After getting the coffee, they went back to the pediatrics floor and sat down in the employee lounge. Since it was night, there was nobody else there. As they were alone, Chris decided that he wanted to get to know Sarah a little better. It had been a while since he had dated anyone, and he thought he had picked up on some signals.
"So how are you liking the hospital so far?" Chris asked.
"I'm starting to get used to it." Sarah replied. "I just moved here from LA, so it was a fresh start in every sense of the word. I've barely gotten a chance to explore the city, as work has kept me busy."
"Sounds like you need some time off." Chris said.
"Oh, no, I wasn't complaining or anything." Sarah quickly said. "I love my job. I wouldn't trade it for anything. But a little free time once in a while wouldn't hurt."
"I get it." Chris replied. "So… did you move to San Francisco on your own?"
"Yeah. Like I said. I needed a fresh start." Sarah said.
"So… no boyfriend or anything?" Chris asked carefully.
"No, that was the reason I needed a fresh start in the first place." Sarah replied. "Just got out of a messy relationship."
"Right." Chris said. It obviously sounded like she wasn't ready to date anyone new.
"What about you?" Sarah asked.
"No, I'm single." Chris quickly said. "No girlfriend, nothing. At all."
That maybe came out a little too eager, though Sarah smiled for a moment. There was a silence as both of them took a sip of their coffee. Chris was wondering if he should ask her out, offer to show her around the city. He was about to ask her when the patient alarm went off. Sarah checked her pager.
"It's Kayla's room." Sarah said.
"Let's go." Chris replied.
Both of them got up and headed down the hall. When they heard a scream, they began running. As they entered the room, Kayla was sitting in bed with the sheets wrapped around her. Her eyes were squinted shut and she kept pressing the alarm button. The room was freezing.
"Kayla, sweetie, what is wrong?" Sarah asked as she went to comfort her. "God, it's freezing in here."
Without opening her eyes, Kayla pointed at the corner. When Chris turned, he was shocked to see a little girl standing there. She was dressed in a hospital gown and looked pale, with blond hair and dark circles around her eyes. When she noticed Chris staring at her, she screamed and disappeared through white wisps. Chris sighed as he realized that Kayla was not dreaming after all, she was being haunted.
Xxx
As Sarah tried to calm Kayla and get her back to sleep, Chris stood outside of her room, wondering what to do. Ghosts didn't appear for no reason, so there had to be something the little girl wanted. Perhaps she was stuck, unable to move on. That could be why she seemed so angry. Chris needed to try to communicate with her, but he needed to be careful. Sarah had no idea about the ghost, and he didn't want her to think he was crazy or something.
"I calmed her down a little." Sarah said as she left the room. "But she is asking for you."
"Why?" Chris asked. "What did she say?"
"She is scared." Sarah replied. "I think it was just a dream, but I couldn't convince her. She seems to like you, Chris. Maybe you can get her back to sleep."
"I'll try." Chris said.
"Good, I…" Sarah started to say, but then her pager went off again. "Great." She said as she looked at it. "I need to check on that drug patient. Are you okay here?"
"I'm fine." Chris replied. "I'll handle things here."
Sarah nodded and headed to another hallway. Chris waited until she was gone and then went into Kayla's room. She was hiding under the covers again, so he sat down on the bed.
"Is she gone?" Kayla asked from under the sheets.
"Who, Sarah?" Chris asked.
"No, the little girl." Kayla replied. "You saw her, didn't you? She went away when you came in. You believe me, right?"
"I saw her." Chris admitted. "But it has to be our little secret, okay?"
"Why?" Kayla asked as she poked her head out from under the covers.
"Because that little girl is a ghost." Chris said. "And we're the only ones who can see her. Other people can't."
"Why can you see her and other people can't?" Kayla asked.
"Because I have magic." Chris said.
"Really?" Kayla asked as her eyed widened. "Can I see?"
"Alright, let me think." Chris replied as he looked around the room. He spotted a stuffed animal lying on a chair. It looked like a purple penguin. "See that stuffed animal?"
"That's Poppy." Kayla said. "She is my favorite."
"Keep your eyes on Poppy." Chris replied.
Chris held out his hand and telekinetically lifted Poppy off the chair. Kayla watched in amazement as he made the stuffed animal fly across the room and land in her arms.
"That is so cool." Kayla said.
"That's magic." Chris explained. "Like the little girl, she is magical too."
"Why is she mad at me?" Kayla asked. "She seems really angry."
"Well, I don't think she is mad at you." Chris replied. "I think she is just lost and scared. I think she really wants to go home, just like you."
"Where is her home?" Kayla asked.
"I don't know." Chris replied. "That is why we have to help her find it. Did she say anything?"
"No." Kayla said. "She just stands there and she keeps coming closer. It gets colder every time."
"Do you know where she goes when she leaves?" Chris asked.
"She walks through the wall over there!" Kayla said as she pointed.
"Alright, I'm going to go take a look. See if I can talk to her." Chris replied.
"No." Kayla said as she grabbed his arm. "Please don't leave."
"I won't go far." Chris said. "We want to help her, remember? In order to do that, I have to find her first."
"Okay, as long as you don't go far." Kayla said reluctantly.
"I will be right back." Chris promised.
Chris got up and Kayla hid herself under the covers again while clutching onto Poppy. Chris headed out into the hall and closed the door. He walked down the hall. He needed to find out more about this ghost, so he needed to talk to her. Although he had told Kayla that she was just lost and scared, the ghost did seem really angry. Also, he didn't like how she had pointed at Kayla. He needed to make sure that she wasn't an evil spirit.
"Hello?" Chris called out softly. "I know you're out here somewhere. I just want to talk."
As Chris continued walking down the hall, he suddenly felt a drop in temperature as he passed an empty room. He went inside and looked around. He could see his breath due to the cold.
"Are you here?" Chris asked. "Show yourself."
"Who are you?" A girlish voice sounded.
Chris spun around and saw the ghost standing in the door opening behind him. Now that he got a better look at her, he could see she was about nine or ten. Her skin was sickly pale and she had dark circles around her eyes. The hospital gown she wore looked like an old model. The hospital had replaced those years ago.
"My name is Chris." Chris said. "I want to help you."
"How come you can see me?" the ghost asked. "Most people can't."
"I'm a witch." Chris replied. "What is your name?"
"I don't want to tell." The ghost said.
"If you do, I might be able to help you." Chris replied. "You want to leave, right? To find peace and move on."
"No, I don't want that." The ghost said angrily as she wisped away and reappeared in front of the window. "I want to go home."
"I'm sorry, I don't think that is possible." Chris said carefully. "Do you know what you are? What happened to you?"
"I'm nine, not stupid." The ghost said as she turned to him. "I'm dead."
"Then you know that you can't go back." Chris replied.
"Yes, I can." The ghost said determined. "I found a way."
"How?" Chris asked.
"Through her." The ghost said. "I will become her and live again."
"You can't do that." Chris replied. "She is an innocent. I want to help you, but you can't harm Kayla."
"You can't stop me!" The ghost replied angrily, causing the window behind her to freeze over. "Stay out of this!"
The ghost girl screamed and held out her hands. Chris was thrown back into the hall by an invisible force and hit the wall. When he looked up, the ghost had disappeared.
"Great, angry Casper has some power." Chris remarked.
Concerned for Kayla, Chris got up and ran back to her room. He was relieved to see she had fallen asleep with her stuffed animal in her arms. Chris felt sorry for the ghost girl, but he could not let her take Kayla. He needed to find a way to let her cross over peacefully, or else he would have no choice but to vanquish her. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.
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