Part 9

Mrs. Druse walked through Swedenborgian Space searching for the light. "Why can't I see it?" she wondered. She walked around confused until she found herself in the old Kingdom. She heard someone crying and whirled around trying to see where the sound had come from. Then she spotted it, there was a little girl, hovering in a corner with her back to her sobbing. "Mary?" she whispered. No, it couldn't be. Mary had survived the fire and had lived into her 90's, there was just no way that this little girl could possibly be her, unless... Mrs. Druse moved forward cautiously, and placed her hand on the childs shoulder. The little girl looked up; it indeed wasn't Mary, but little Mona Klingerman.

"What happened to you child?" Mrs. Druse soothed.

"I don't know" Mona solved, and then gasped when she realized she could talk. "I c-can't find the light- and, and those two evil men are, P-Paul and G-Gottreich, they're after me."

Mrs. Druse looked at her curiously, the questions racing through her mind. Why hadn't Paul and Gottreich died when her and the others saved Mary, and how did Mona know they're names.

"You know Paul and Gottreich, Mona?" Mrs. Druse asked holding the girl in her arms.

"Well, n-not personally of course. B-but my mom has told me such evil stories about them. I-it's why I never knew my g-great Aunt Clara. When she was 7, she c-came down with a bad case of the f-flu, and was admitted to Gottreich Hospital for observation. Gottreich w-was her doctor, and P-Paul was his intern. At first they cared for her w-well. P-Paul was 19 at the time and m-made a good companion for Aunt Clara. T-then things changed. Gottreich had brought Paul into his s-secret lab and an hour later P-Paul came out a different human being- if you could call him that. N-no one knows what happened that day, but w-when he came out he had the most hideous fangs and P-Paul had turned e-evil. P-Paul started beating up on Aunt Clara, and then one day Gottreich and Paul brought her into the lab. T-that was the last anyone e-ever saw of Aunt Clara. Gottreich claimed that she had d-died of complications from her medication, but My great grandparents didn't believe it. They tried to sue for medical mal-practice but there wasn't enough evidence." Mona sobbed. "N-now they're after me- they w-won't let me go to rest, they want me to s-stay with them t-to make up f-for all the trouble m-my great aunt gave them."

Mrs. Druse pondered this for a few minutes. There was no reason that her and Mona shouldn't have crossed over unless there was some sort of business that both of them needed to tend to- and being used to make up for troubles that were caused 66 years ago wasn't it.

Just then a cold breeze swept through the room and Paul and Gottreich entered the hallway from the pain room. "Drusey" Paul sneered, "how lovely to see you again."

Mrs. Druse stared at them coldly. "I thought we got rid of you when Hook saved Mary and the children, you slimey pests!" Paul grinned evilly. "Now that is where you're mistaken my dear old Sally." He said, moving toward her and putting an arm around her shoulder. She tensed up but refused to let him know that she was scared. "Me and Gottreich survive still because our old medical practices have not died." Mrs. Druse looked at them curiously. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. Paul rolled his eyes. "Have the fumes from the fire fried your brains or something?! What I said was, our old medical practices haven't died. Meaning ..." he said slowly and loudly as if he was talking to someone with a hearing problem. "SOMEONE ALIVE IS STILL WILLING TO CARRY OUT OUR PRACTICES!" he said laughing. At that moment, Dr. Stegman emerged from the pain room carrying an ice pick. "Alright Doc, I think I've had enough practice now...can I try it on a real pers.." he began to say and then spotted Mrs. Druse. "DRUSE!" he said "What a lovely surprise- please come in and make yourself at home..." he said moving to the side of the door. "Dr. Stegman!" Mrs. Druse said urgently. "You don't have to do this, Paul and Gottreich have no heart, but I know somewhere deep down you do. Put down that ice pick and turn yourself in . You can save a lot of lives that way, and your sentence won't be as harsh either. As soon as you stop this madness, these two will be gone and Kingdom Hospital will be a much more peaceful place." Dr. Stegman just laughed. "Now why would I want to do a thing like hat, when- well, when Dr. Gottreich is my great great grandfather?!" ...