Laurie drifted in and out of consciousness as the gurney rolled along the hallway of Somerset Memorial Hospital. Her hand throbbed underneath the blood-soaked bandage as she forced herself to stay awake long enough to make out where she was. This must be heaven, she thought, believing the hospital staff and patients to be spirits draped in white scrubs and gowns, as they seemed to glide along the waxed floor. The nurses hovering above her whispered something indistinct and Laurie wondered if it was important.
They rolled her into room 17 as Nurse Morgan dispatched Dr. Chase. He entered the room.
"Assistance to transfer," Nurse Morgan informed him. Dr. Chase stood before Laurie's feet and instructed Nurse Morgan to hold her head as Nurse Katie rolled down the bed sheets.
"Ready? 1…2…3," he counted as they swiftly but carefully lifted their patient off the gurney and onto the bed.
Dr. Chase requested an IV drip. Nurse Katie prepped her left arm, wiping it with rubbing alcohol and gave the 'all clear' signal. The needle entered deftly, as Nurse Morgan applied the IV tube.
"There, now she can get some fluids in her," she said, putting away the kit.
"Any next of kin?" Dr. Chase asked.
"Her son drove her here. He's in the waiting room," Nurse Katie replied. "What should we tell him?"
"Nothing for now. We'll know more when she's conscious," the doctor instructed.
He opened the door for the two nurses and they exited the room.
Laurie awoke to a familiar beeping sound that wasn't her alarm clock. Her eyes peeled open, trying to take in her surroundings. She distinctly remembered the last time she was in the hospital – to give birth.
August 31, 1981
The doctors and nurses fluttered around Laurie as the contractions became more frequent. She grabbed hold of her husband's hand and screamed as Jimmy tried to console his wife. "You're almost there!" Laurie nodded in reassurance as the doctor instructed her to keep pushing. Complying with the orders, she wondered if there was extra pain involved for twins…
"Laurie, Laurie!" a voice called out. The memory slipped away as she traced a feminine outline with her retinas.
Nurse Morgan stood by the bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"What time is it?'
"A little after noon. It's still October 1st."
"John?"
"I can bring him in if you want?"
Laurie nodded.
"I'll be right back," Nurse Morgan said as headed to the waiting room.
Opposite the bed on the far wall, Laurie noticed a wide window that looked out into the hallway. It was just a plain window, but she couldn't take her eyes off of it, as she stared at her reflection. She only looked away as two bodies entered the room.
"Mom!" John said, pulling up a nearby chair.
"I'm fine," Laurie said, reassuring her son.
Nurse Morgan consulted Laurie's chart.
"It says here you were prescribed Zoloft?" she asked.
"Yes…um…for nightmares," Laurie admitted. "I see a psychiatrist once a week. When I was seventeen my brother tried to kill me."
Nurse Morgan tried to disguise her reaction to no avail.
"It's okay, it was headline news in Haddonfield."
"Look, can my mom go home now?" John asked, trying to hurry it along.
"She's responded to the IV drip and seems to be coherent, but we need to run a few more tests. We believe she sustained a concussion when she fell, Nurse Morgan informed them, but if everything goes well, she should be home by tomorrow."
"Great," Laurie said, trying to sit up.
"I take it you don't like hospitals?"
"They have their moments," Laurie joked.
Nurse Morgan motioned for John to leave the room.
"She'll be just fine," she reassured him.
No sooner did they leave did Laurie's gaze jump back to the window. It seemed to be calling her name, although there was nothing exceptional about it. It was an ordinary faux-glass pane. Laurie seemed to stare beyond her reflection this time, into an invisible void until a familiar face began to take shape.
She quickly pressed the emergency button as John and Nurse Morgan rushed back in. Panicked, Laurie clung to her son.
"He's here!" was the only thing she could manage to utter, pointing at the window.
"Who's here?" the nurse asked, noticing that there were only three reflections.
"My brother, Michael Myers!"