In the hour since they'd come to the hospital, Annie had met a car accident, a kidney failure, and a natural causes who seemed a few years too young for "natural" to make sense, but that wasn't her business. None of the hospital ghosts she'd come across seemed to know Dahlia's mother.

She peered into a room, and was about to turn away when one of the patients sat up in her bed.

"Are you the nurse?"

Annie blinked. Was she solid again?

"No," she said. "I'm the... I'm Annie."

"Oh. I'd like to see the nurse."

Annie walked toward the bed. "You just have to push this button," she said, reaching over and pushing it for her.

"I tried that," the woman said. "It doesn't work."

"Oh?" Annie stepped back. "Maybe I can -"

Just as she was about to leave for the nurses station, two nurses showed up at the door.

"See!" One of them nearly shrieked. "It keeps happening!"

"Well, why don't you just unplug it?" The other asked.

"I did!"

Annie looked. Lo and behold, the cord attached to the nurse's button was unplugged.

The second nurse, a young man with ginger hair, pressed the button several times. "It's dead," he said. "Completely dead. There must be a short of some sort." He plopped down on the bed without minding the patient and inspected the wires.

"You heard it ring, same as me," said the first nurse, a pretty plump lady with dark curls. "It's this room. It's haunted, it is."

"Don't be stupid," he said. "Some wires got crossed, that's all." He signed and got up. "Well, I guess we'd better ring electrical."

Annie watched them leave, a small smile creeping across her lips. She'd forgotten the rush of having a go with the living. Back when she'd lived on her own, with humans intruding in her space, giving them a fright was the only thing that kept her going. This time she hadn't even tried, and she felt all giddy.

She turned to the woman, who was shaking her head in frustration. Annie had mistaken her for a patient. Well, she had acted like one. Ghosts generally don't spend their afterlife in bed, let alone a hospital bed.

"You see? It's as if I'm not even here. The only people to talk to me were a pensioner in red slippers -"

"Oh!" Annie cut in. "That would be 'Natural Causes.'"

"And a porter who was really quite rude..."

Mitchell, thought Annie. This was Mitchell's weird hospital ghost. And, she was starting to think, Dahlia's mother. She certainly could pass for and older, normaler Dahlia.

"...and now you. And you're not even a nurse."

"No," Annie said, moving closer, "but I might be able to help you."

The woman looked up at her, wide-eyed.

"Do you have a daughter named Dahlia?"

She shook her head, confused. "No. My daughter's name is Pamela."

Annie's heart sank. "Oh."

"Who is Dahlia?"

"Oh, nevermind," Annie sighed.

"Pamela?"

Annie looked behind her. There was was nothing there.

"My Pammie?"

"I'm sorry," Annie said, "I don't know anyone called Pamela."

The woman's eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her hand.

Annie turned again. "No, that's Dahlia." She must have just appeared. She shared the same tearful expression as the woman. "Wait." Annie stepped toward Dahlia. "Pamela?"

Dahlia sniffed. "It's a perfectly hideous name."

"It's a perfectly lovely name," Annie said, glancing sideways at the woman.

Dahlia went to her mother tearfully. Annie watched awkwardly for a moment, then stepped out into the corridor. "Dahlia," she said, "don't go without saying goodbye."

She shut the door and turned. It was all happening so fast. But maybe she'd avoided thinking about Dahlia's unfinished business for too long.

There you are, Annie.

She turned to see Mitchell strolling toward her in his leather jacket and dirty jeans. He looked different. Less... something. He always looked different to her on the outside.

"What are you doing here?"

He stopped in front of her and pointed to the room number. "Room 314. I knew it!"

Annie smirked. "Thank you for coming in today."

"Well, I figured it out about ten minutes ago."

"You missed the fun - it turns out nurses don't appreciate it when disengaged call buttons go off."

"Oh, if I were a ghost, I would never stop doing that. Never."

Annie laughed.

He glanced at the door. "Is she gone?"

Annie shook her head. "I thought I'd give them some privacy."

He nodded slowly. "You OK?"

"Of course," she said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I know you two became close."

"This is the right thing for her."

He nodded and leaned back against the wall of the corridor. "Heard you got barred from the Equinox tonight."

"What?" Annie looked at him. "Have you been following us?"

"Oh come on Annie, where else are two ghosts gonna go out for a party?"

"You knew about it?"

"Of course... I've been round here for a long time."

"Well why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Annie considered. "Gilbert didn't tell me, either."

"Gilbert wouldn't be caught dead at the Equinox," Mitchell laughed. "Why do you think I trusted him?"

Annie shrugged and crossed her arms. She didn't like Den and his gang of wayward ghosts, but she would have liked to have known. "And now I've been shunned by all of them because of you."

"Welcome to the club," he said, glancing at her. "Shit, I wish I was more shunned. If you have any tricks up your sleeve..."

"I'll let you know," she said, only half joking. She turned to him. "Mitchell," she said, "can I ask you something?"

"About what?"

She shifted. "Well -"

The door clicked and opened slowly. Dahlia stood there, mascara running down her face.

Annie's thoughts shifted back to her departing friend. "Oh, Dahlia," she said, pulling her into an embrace. "Everything is going to be OK."

"She's gone," Dahlia sobbed into Annie's cardigan.

Annie held her tight for a few moments, then pulled back. "Wait. You didn't go with her? Is your door still -"

"There was only one door," Dahlia said. "Mum's door."

"But..." Annie looked confused.

"It was her unfinished business. Not mine." She glanced at Mitchell. She didn't seem surprised to see him there.

"Well," Mitchell said, not hiding his disappointment very well, "I suppose there's room at our place."

"Yes, of course!" Annie beamed.

Dahlia shook her head. "No."

Annie's face fell. "No? But what if I am your unfinished business?"

"What?" Mitchell cut in. "No. No way."

"But -"

"He's right," Dahlia said. "You don't need me."

"No, she really doesn't," Mitchell said.

"But maybe there are other ghosts who do." She looked at Annie. "You've shown me so much kindness. I don't know what would have happened without you. I think..." she paused. "I think I can help lost souls. I think that's why I'm still here."

Annie looked anxious. "But where will you go?"

Dahlia paused. "I know you don't like them - and it's nothing against you personally, Mitchell - but I think I know where I belong."

"Dahlia, no -"

Dahlia gripped Annie's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I promised you I'd say goodbye before I left," she said. "So. Goodbye, Annie."

Annie blinked back tears and choked out a goodbye as Dahlia disappeared. "I taught her that," she sniffed, as the air in front of her swirled and went still.

Mitchell waited a few moments before speaking. "She'll be fine. And you know where she'll be."

Annie nodded sadly. Silly as it was, she couldn't help but feel a little envious.

"C'mon, you owe me a movie."

"I'm not up for a war movie tonight, Mitchell."

"No war movies. You choose."

She brightened a bit. "Well, I have been wanting to see The Lake House."

He cringed visibly. "The Lake House?"

She nodded.

He softened. Two hours watching Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves wasn't going to kill him. "Yeah, OK," he said. "Fine."

"Really?" At least she was smiling. That was worth a cheesy movie.

"Yeah. C'mon."

They walked down the corridor in silence.

"Oh," Annie said, as they reached the stairs, "I forgot to tell you - we saw a doctor with one of those ghostfinder thingys."

"What, here?"

"Yes. Why would they have those?"

Mitchell shook his head. "See, that's why I tell you not to go running about away from home. You never know who you can trust."

"I was more worried worried about you."

"Me? Please. I know when I can trust a human. You don't have to worry about me."