The morning routine for the hospital staff was very much fixed. A short briefing on their specific duties and tasks. Special mentions for patients needing treatments and physiotherapy. Roll call of beds occupied, transfers and ad hoc visitations of medical staff or officers from other hospitals.
Dr Kendall would close the session by opening the floor to questions. Usually, there would be none. Normalcy remained despite hushed whispers of a senior colleague suffering an emotional breakdown.
Curious, Arman traced Din's path along the hallway right up to the third door. None of the hospital attendants and nurses working the breakfast rollout paid attention to being around their path.
Arman timed himself for the walk. Took him less than ten minutes of casual strolling to arrive at the room Din had mentioned. The room occupied by the patient they codename John Doe. His real name was undisclosed for reasons Arman was not privy to.
He stood in front of the door and glanced around. A stainless-steel trash bin to his left and a square white board on the right. Four boxes, one filled with the alphabets "U.P." Unnamed person. Tapping softly on the door, Arman opened it and peered inside. He knew what to expect. A man in his late 30's resting in bed as he has always done since arriving at the hospital six months ago with four others. One of them later transferred to Ipoh due to complications. Arman heard he did not make it.
He sauntered to the John Doe's bedside. Tall, medium built, good looking with little in facial hair, and the tell-tale signs of him wearing glasses with a slight indentation on the nose bridge.
"Who are you, really?" he murmured, not expecting any answer.
wake me up and find out
Stunned, Arman flailed backwards and crashed into the food tray, spilling some of the porridge and milk into the carpet. He steadied himself and stared at the patient before him. Not a single movement. Nothing.
Arman spun around upon hearing soft footsteps behind him. Saw nurse Mirian Tan looking at him and the mess he had made. He could see the disappointed look on her face. She walked out again, presumably to call a cleaner.
Arman eyed the patient, looking so peaceful, noticing the slightest of movement in the eyelids as though he was having a dream.
He tried again: "Who are you? Can you hear me?"
This time he heard nothing.
What was that about? Are there really ghosts in the hospital?
Arman sighed, recalling Din's story. Thinking it was something to talk to Kendall.
all talk no action gets you nowhere what an ass
A chill crawled up his arm as Arman hurried out from the room. Filling his mind with silent prayers hoping to silence the voice he heard.
On his way out, Arman almost bumped into the cleaner who was besides the nurse. He caught the word "careful" escaping their lips. In bed, John Doe slept as he has always been. Eyes closed, lips midway between a smile and a grin as sunlight wash his lower body in its warmth.
Arman walked away from the room at a semi running pace, not daring to stop and look behind. His mind was in a chaotic mixture of gibberish babble and prayers interwoven cyclically as he tried to push out one thought after another that wasn't his own.
What just happened?
He half expected a booming answer and breathe a sigh of relief when nothing happened.
Arriving at Kendall's room, Arman paced a while outside the door to steady himself before knocking on the door. Waited a while to hear the answer from within: "Come on in."
He opened the door and half peered, half stepped in.
"Yes, Arman. I assume this about Din?"
He took the seat in front of the bespectacled administrator and resident head psychiatrist.
"Yes, Dr. I take it you've heard he doesn't want to do the night shift anymore."
"Yes. The nurses' network is the worsts in keeping any secrets. Given his age, it's not an invalid request. Although I do think he'd be better off working nights. Is there anyone you could rope in as replacement?"
"It would be me for the next few nights until Sam comes in. Have you heard anything on what prompted Din's breakdown?"
Arman cast his gaze oft to the side when Kendall stared directly at him.
"I've heard rumors. Something about the hospital being haunted?"
A small laugh, one Arman didn't tire of catching from his senior colleague.
"My thoughts? He's suffering from stress and being solitary. After all, we did halve the night shift roster only recently. Perhaps work and home related? Din lived only with his wife these days, doesn't he? Maybe she's pressing him to stay home a lot more."
"I've met his wife, Dr. Doesn't look like the nagging type. And she's usually with their grandchildren when he's on night shift."
Arman glanced at her door, turned to face Kendall.
"How much do you know about the patient John Doe in the Northwest wing?"
"Why? What's wrong with him? You know I can't access his files. Or the others who came with him. We're left to care for them and that's it."
"Do you believe in telepathy, Dr?"
"I am familiar with the concept. What? You believe he's one?"
"I do, Dr. In fact, I believe he had been toying with Din's mind up."
The softest on smiles on her lips. Light pink. Early morning gorgeousness.
"Telepathy? Our John Doe? You're serious about this?"
she doesn't believe you did you no good to see her or did you just wanted to get close to her she is so damn sexy
Get the hell out of my mind!
"Arman? Are you okay? You look agitated."
Arman realized his heartbeat had quickened. His breathing becoming more labored. He steadied himself. Pondered if he should tell her about the voice heard in his mind but decided against it.
"I'm fine, Dr. Guess I'm just as stressed out as Din. Haven't been living life other than the one I have here," said Arman.
His eyes sauntered to her neatly tied hair. A small voice suggesting how it accentuated the taut lines of her masculine features.
"Yes. I get what you mean. All these stories might just be the kind of excitement to perk us up around here."
oh my you love her don't you want to make love to her do her make her feel good hahahaha
Stunned by the sheer malevolence in the staccato of thoughts in his mind, Arman stared at Kendall, who smiled back at him. He quickly turned his gaze down. Saw his hands were shaking.
"Is there anything else, Arman? I'd like to get back to my work."
"No, Dr. Thank you for your time. I'll have Din's request drafted before the day end for your signature."
He stood up, pushed the chair he sat on and walked of. In his mind, an image of Kendall's eyes on him exiting as he exited her room.
Ooh you want her so bad you virgin man
This time around, Arman kept his thoughts locked tight. He peppered himself with silent prayers as he continued walking past the reception and a throng of visitors. Finally reaching the main door and stepping out of the building.
Throughout his stride, Arman felt his head would burst anytime throughout the intrusive episode. His heart beating wildly. His only solace was that the stranger inside his mind was gone. Leaving him with only prayers after prayers pinging around.
****
Lightness is a feeling.
She thinks she's floating, and it could be so. There was no atmosphere, no air, nothing, and yet everything she needed was around her. She loved it here. Eden would be something like this. Eden? Where had she heard this word before?
She's in a garden. Lush, green grass, a vista so luscious, an image so calming. She wanted to stay here forever. Wherever here was. Carefree and spirited.
Words of the brave? One who opened doors letting in the lights in all their kaleidoscopic intensities and the dark in their many layers of grey and blackness?
She's aware too of an intermittent sweet melody, a distant hum which she could barely register. And in between, something pushing through the cocooning serenity that was the membrane of her self-awareness.
Something of concern? Something which she needed to build her strength and resolve? To brave a breaking through from this Eden? To be free from this serenity?
Brave it. You are who you are.
Yes. She will be that. Begin by solidified her core being. The person she was? Who exactly?
Whoever she was, something on the outer periphery of her awareness was pressing hard to disrupt her peace.
One who would die trying.