M2: I feel like I'm on a roll again so here's chapter 14! Enjoy!

FILE 12

HOSPITAL HORRORS PT. 1

The doctors said that Sakura was in a coma by the time SPR got to the hospital in the city. Mai was crying her heart out and the girls did their best to comfort her while Naru got the details of what was going on. They learned that the kumo that bit her was poisonous and that was coursing through her system until they found the antidote.

"Although that is a big bite and the details may be too long to tell but it is definitely a spider bite and we need to know what it looked like," Stated the doctor.

Mai looked up and at the doctor. "It had a red marking on its back."

"Sounds like the Australian Redback Spider. No one has died from it before and it certainly hasn't caused this type of reaction. We'll give the antidote a shot and see if there's any improvement," The doctor said then left to carry out his instructions.

"Saku-chan," Mai murmured and collapsed back into her seat.

Lin took the opportunity to sneak a glance at Sakura in her room and she seemed to be at some sort of peace, as if she was seeing someone from a long time ago. Then he saw something odd. A single cherry blossom, a sakura flower, was sitting on her chest. He wanted to go in there and touch it for some reason but fought against the impulse and leaned against the wall and waited. A nurse with short black hair walked by and into Sakura's room with a cart. After a few minutes, the nurse came out and said that they could see her now although she was still in a coma. Mai rushed in and clasped Sakura's hand within her own and the others surrounded the bed. Lin could no longer see the blossom anywhere and wonder if the nurse took it.

"Saku-chan, please wake up," Mai said.

"She'll be fine, Mai. She just needs some rest," Ayako reassured.

"Yeah! Give some time for the antidote to work," Osamu chirped.

Masako covered her mouth with her kimono sleeve and leaned on the bed. Naru asked what was wrong, thinking that something was happening to Sakura.

"Something evil is nearby," Masako uttered before the all heard an earsplitting scream from down the hall.

Bou dashed out of the room followed by the rest of the group stopping just short of the nurse's station. In front of the station stood a child in a bloody hospital gown and long black hair covering her face. Her arm was twisted in such an unnatural way that the palm was now facing the front. She raised her arm and one of the nurses screamed in terror. Bou chanted and the girl turned to face Bou and screamed before disappearing in a wisp of smoke. John went over to the nurses and calmed them down while the others puzzled over the ghost child. Finally the lead nurse was able to speak up.

"She's been haunting this hospital for years, now. Not just her either, but other spirits like her as well. They mostly go after the patients who are near death, but, they sometimes chase after us too and reaching out to us like they want to take our souls. We run away or scream and they just vanish."

"They're like zombies!" The second nurse wailed.

The one nurse who wasn't there was the nurse that had attended to Sakura.

"Where's the nurse that attended to Kohinata-sama?" Masako asked.

"Why, none of us and it's just the two of us up here. The doctor had to go downstairs to get the antidote in the secured room."

"Then who attended to Sakura?" Ayako asked.

Lin raced back to the room and found that it was just like they left it and that Sakura was resting comfortably. He sighed and leaned against the wall just as the others rushed in and relaxed when they her safe and sound. The lead nurse went over to the table beside the bed and looked at a vial that was sitting there and her eyes flew open wide.

"This is the antidote but how did it get here?!"

The doctor walked in out of breath and his hand leaning against the doorframe.

"I…I came back because I…couldn't find the antidote and then I heard the scream from the stairwell because the elevator wasn't working," He explained.

"The antidote is right here and it was already given to the patient!" The nurse exclaimed

"What? How?!"

"I don't know! Now we have ghosts helping people too?! This hospital's going to drive me batty!"

"The ghost child was here again?"

"Yes! And these brave people drove it away!"

"Only temporarily," Bou admitted sheepishly.

"Please, help us! We can't run the hospital like this!" The doctor pleaded. "I'll convince the Director to authorize it!"

"Ask him," Bou said as he pointed to Naru.

"A child? You must be talented! Please accept this case!"

"Naru, please! To protect Saku-chan!" Mai pleaded alongside the doctor.

Something in Mai's eyes made Naru's heart melt and he gave into her demand. She hugged him in return and he blushed while Masako fumed. Mai realized what she had done and backed away before apologizing profusely. Naru just waved her off and ordered the doctor to take him to the Director. The doctor showed him the door and then lead the way out, leaving the rest of the group there to sit around Sakura and Mai placed her head on the bed and closed her eyes for just a few minutes and fell asleep without meaning to.

I woke up next to Saku-chan still lying in bed with her eyes closed but I also see a sakura blossom on her chest, softly glowing as it rises and falls with each breath she makes. Standing on the opposite side of the bed was the nurse from before, only dressed in a white kimono underneath a white kamishimo and white trousers called hakama. She had a sword tucked into her black obi on the left side.

"You're that nurse! What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"Calm down, Mai. I'm not here to harm her if that is what you're afraid of."

"Who are you?"

"I am a Shinigami, Mai, and you have entered the spirit realm through your dreams."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to look after Sakura-chan since she is in a vulnerable state. The cherry blossom you see on her chest is her soul and that is how it manifests itself. There is also the problem of these malevolent spirits acting as Shinigami and transforming souls into what you have seen at the nurse's station. These type of souls cannot move on without some sort of purification and guidance but something is keeping them here and that is also why I am here."

"Why did you give her the antidote?"

"I gave the antidote laced with soul suppressant in order to cure her and mask her presence from the spirits here. It is not her time to die yet."

I breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at Sakura who was sleeping peacefully. It made me wonder what she was dreaming about.

"She's visiting her family right now, if that is what you're wondering. She misses them terribly."

"I know. Three of them are her shiki because they wanted to remain with her."

"And she wanted to remain with them. It's like a win-win situation with them."

"How much of the hospital have you explored?"

"Not much. I wanted to make sure that Sakura was safe first. You must be careful in your current state as well. You are vulnerable as well. One of the spirits can take you with them and make you to be just like them. Other than that, you are free to travel anywhere in the hospital in this state. You will hardly be detected."

"Ok."

"Good luck on finding something."

"Just take good care of Saku-chan."

"I will."

I left the room and went down the hall to the stairwell that led downstairs and upstairs. My feelings told me to go down so I went down and exited at the entry level. The ghost girl was by the entrance looking out the door but it seemed like that she could not go any further than the spot she was planted at. I stood by the receptionist's desk so I would not be noticed and then the girl turned around and walked deeper into the hospital. I followed her and she went to a stairwell and headed down. I was getting a bad feeling but I followed anyway and found myself in the basement. I looked around but something seemed off about it, like it was too small. I noticed that the girl was at the far end and walked right through the wall! I approached the wall cautiously and examined it and noticed that there was a crack in it. Wait…the crack was too perfect. It was more like a seam. I looked for more and found what I was looking for…a door. There was a hidden door in the basement but where did it lead to?

"Mai, it's time to come back," I heard the Shinigami say.

"But…"

"Mai, it's time."

Mai woke up and released Sakura's hand so she could stretch and looked around. Masako and John were at the window talking while she heard Osamu, Ayako, and Bou just outside the door. Lin had his back against the wall and was watching Sakura and herself.

"Did you have another dream?" He asked.

Mai nodded in response and looked back at Sakura. Sakura would be out for a while and she knew it. At least the Shinigami would protect her. Naru walked into the room just then, followed by the trio from outside. Everyone held their breath waiting for Naru to speak.

"We have a case. Unload the equipment."