7

The door rattled under Ethan's hands, the shrill squeals of those things making him shiver. He glanced over his shoulder at Dr. Elliot, wondering how long it was going to take. He had been bandaging that nurse up for a few good minutes now. The wounds must have been deeper than Ethan thought.

"Almost done Ethan, your doing great. Just keep these things out for a little longer and we'll be fine. Now, where did you say the nurse was in the real world?"

Elliot glanced over his shoulder quickly, glad of the doctors reassurance. He is trained to do that though, so don't feel too special. If you think you've made a new friend, your crazier than everyone thinks.

"Ethan? Ethan? Snap out of it kiddo."

Ethan opened his eyes and stared at the doctor. "Um, the nurse office or something. On the third floor. Why?" Elliot looked back up from the girl, opening his mouth a few times, as if to speak.

He's going to leave you Ethan, you know it, I know it, and even that woman knows it. Haven't you learned, eeeeeeevryone leaves you?

"Because Ethan, when we wake up, we are going to go up to the nurses station together and wake her up."

Ethan sighed a breath of relief. The door shuddered under his arms again as the thing on the other side pounded at the door. No ones leaving me … I'll be fine. Why wont this thing give up? Suddenly Dr. Elliot let out a cry of fright. Ethan turned his head and noticed that the girl was gone.

"Where'd she go? Doctor Elliot?"

"I don't know Ethan. One minute I was feeling for a pulse, and then she just … vanished. Okay, we have to find her. We need to somehow get back to our world. When I say go, I want you to let go of the door, okay?"

"Doctor Elliot are you mad!"

"No … and you can call me Paul, Ethan."

Ethan watched as Paul stood like the baseball players do, and raised the metal pole up behind his right shoulder. The words go erupted from his mouth, and as Ethan let go of the door it flew open, knocking him back against the wall. He lay on the ground and watched as the patient beast flew through the air, and Paul took a swung. Then another came through … and another … and another …

Ethan woke with a jolt. He was back in his room. Back in the real world. Paul … I left him! I left him with those beasts. Then the other voice began to creep in. Aw you left him, makes a change of them leaving you. Wonder what's happened to your friend. You could always check the first floor staff room…

Ethan sprang off his bed and started rattling at his door. "Hey, someone help! Someone open the door!" He glanced through the window and then realised it was all wrong. The corridor didn't feel right. He wasn't back in the real world. He didn't know where he was …