Dr. Stantz woke up to the touch of a hand on his forehead. He opened his
eyes and saw a doctor touching his head.
"You're up," she said. Ray tried to sit up, but she pushed him down gently. "No, Dr. Stantz, not until you've completely regained your strength."
"What happened?" Ray asked.
"I was hoping you could tell me that," the doctor replied. "Your girlfriend called the paramedics and they found you and all of your friends unconscious in the firehouse sporting wounds she said were inflicted by ghosts. Normally, I wouldn't take an answer like that, but I made an exception for the Ghostbusters. However, she wasn't able to explain how it came to be that Dr. Spengler, Dr. Venkman and Mr. Zeddemore are mentally unstable or how it happened."
"The nightmares," Ray breathed. He stared at the ceiling. "They still don't realize it wasn't real."
"What nightmares?" The doctor inquired. "Does it have to do with more ghosts?"
"Yeah, something like that," Dr. Stantz responded. He looked at the doctor. "Is Dani here?"
"Yes, I asked her and Ms. Melnitz to stay out until you woke up. I'll tell them you're awake." The doctor walked out of the hospital room. Dani and Janine walked in going straight to Ray. He saw how tired and worn they looked. The young man wondered how long it had been just the two of them.
"Hi, Ray," Dani said gently. She kissed his forehead. "Dr. Martin said you're almost completely better." The young woman sat down at the foot of his bed as Janine gave Ray a small hug. The red-head than sunk into the chair next to his bed. They were all quiet for a moment.
"What happened?" Ray asked. Janine and Dani exchanged a hesitant look. "Look, Dr. Martin told me the guys are mentally unstable, which is code for crazy. I know that sounds harsh, but I want to know what happened."
"We pulled them out, but they were still under the ghosts influence even after Dani and I caught it," Janine told him. "We didn't know what to do and the doctors here just sent them to the psych ward."
"They're strapped down to beds," Dani said. "The psychologist won't even let us in to see them."
"Did you explain what happened?" Ray inquired.
"They won't listen," Janine replied. "Don't think we didn't try, but the instant you mention ghosts creating alternate realities in people's heads you get funny looks and ignored. It hurts to see the guys like this. You were almost put in there too because you were going on in your sleep."
"What are we going to do, Ray?" His girlfriend asked. "We can't let Winston, Egon and Peter spend the rest of their lives stuck in straight jackets."
"I know," Ray replied. "We'll get them out of this." He watched as the slightest look of doubt came from Dani's blue eyes. "We will."
"I hope so, Ray," Janine responded. "A lot of people depend on us to keep the world safe and if we don't get the guys back than this just might be it."
"I know," Dr. Stantz repeated quietly. "I know." They all knew what she was really saying, but tried to ignore the nagging thought. "I know."
"You're up," she said. Ray tried to sit up, but she pushed him down gently. "No, Dr. Stantz, not until you've completely regained your strength."
"What happened?" Ray asked.
"I was hoping you could tell me that," the doctor replied. "Your girlfriend called the paramedics and they found you and all of your friends unconscious in the firehouse sporting wounds she said were inflicted by ghosts. Normally, I wouldn't take an answer like that, but I made an exception for the Ghostbusters. However, she wasn't able to explain how it came to be that Dr. Spengler, Dr. Venkman and Mr. Zeddemore are mentally unstable or how it happened."
"The nightmares," Ray breathed. He stared at the ceiling. "They still don't realize it wasn't real."
"What nightmares?" The doctor inquired. "Does it have to do with more ghosts?"
"Yeah, something like that," Dr. Stantz responded. He looked at the doctor. "Is Dani here?"
"Yes, I asked her and Ms. Melnitz to stay out until you woke up. I'll tell them you're awake." The doctor walked out of the hospital room. Dani and Janine walked in going straight to Ray. He saw how tired and worn they looked. The young man wondered how long it had been just the two of them.
"Hi, Ray," Dani said gently. She kissed his forehead. "Dr. Martin said you're almost completely better." The young woman sat down at the foot of his bed as Janine gave Ray a small hug. The red-head than sunk into the chair next to his bed. They were all quiet for a moment.
"What happened?" Ray asked. Janine and Dani exchanged a hesitant look. "Look, Dr. Martin told me the guys are mentally unstable, which is code for crazy. I know that sounds harsh, but I want to know what happened."
"We pulled them out, but they were still under the ghosts influence even after Dani and I caught it," Janine told him. "We didn't know what to do and the doctors here just sent them to the psych ward."
"They're strapped down to beds," Dani said. "The psychologist won't even let us in to see them."
"Did you explain what happened?" Ray inquired.
"They won't listen," Janine replied. "Don't think we didn't try, but the instant you mention ghosts creating alternate realities in people's heads you get funny looks and ignored. It hurts to see the guys like this. You were almost put in there too because you were going on in your sleep."
"What are we going to do, Ray?" His girlfriend asked. "We can't let Winston, Egon and Peter spend the rest of their lives stuck in straight jackets."
"I know," Ray replied. "We'll get them out of this." He watched as the slightest look of doubt came from Dani's blue eyes. "We will."
"I hope so, Ray," Janine responded. "A lot of people depend on us to keep the world safe and if we don't get the guys back than this just might be it."
"I know," Dr. Stantz repeated quietly. "I know." They all knew what she was really saying, but tried to ignore the nagging thought. "I know."