Out of the Hospital
Suddenly, someone knocks loudly on the door. Both Gabbie and Cármen gasp and let out a little yell. The door of the hospital room slams open and a tall man in white coat walks into the room. He held a clipboard with papers in his hands. “Gabrielle April Weaver?”, the man asks while looking at both Gabbie and Cármen. “I… I was just leaving sir”, Cármen quickly replies, while getting up from the chair and pauses for a quick second to look at her friend. Gabbie’s face is pale, and she seems to be terrified for some reason.
“I checked your results, from your blood exam and heart files, everything looks perfectly fine. We will keep you on observation for twenty-four hours. The specialist will check in on you for the last time, tomorrow morning between ten and twelve. Then we will give you your official release forms and you will be ready to head home, miss Weaver. Do you have any questions for me?”, the doctor stops talking and for the first time takes his eyes off of the papers on the clipboard and looks Gabbie in the eyes. Gabbie is too shocked to reply, she recognizes this man, she’s sure of it. Or is she the one who is becoming paranoid now? Just before she gets the chance to reply, the beeper of the doctor goes off. “Excuse me, miss Weaver, I’ve got to go”, he tells her and walks away. Gabbie is too shocked to move her body. She just lies there, staring at the end of her bed, where the doctor just stood. What just happened? Where did he come from? Did he recognize me? The thoughts were flashing through Gabbie’s head.
“Gabs, what just happened?”, Cármen rushes over to the bedside and holds Gabbie’s hand. Gabbie slowly looks at Cármen, with high wide eyes. “That man… I recognize him… He’s here… We are not safe… We need to go…”. The words coming out of her mouth made sense to her, but Cármen looks at her like she just spoke some made-up language. “What are you saying, Gabbie? I don’t understand. Who’s here and why do we need to go? You cannot just get up and leave! You heard the doctor. Besides, this is a hospital, you are safe here!”, Cármen tells Gabbie. “You don’t understand, Cármen… When I was at the red farm, with Margret, the old woman, just before I met you… On the wall in the living room… There was a photo of him, together with other people… And Margret… I’m sure they’re family… They found me… They found us! What don’t you understand, Cármen, we need to go!”, Gabbie yells.
“Are you sure, Gabs? Maybe he just looks like him? I mean, you have been through a lot the past couple of days. I mean… A lot! This might be PTSD. I don’t want to call you crazy now, but this sounds like the trauma which is playing with your mind, Gabs”, Cármen slowly replies. “Listen, and don’t get me wrong, I know you are looking out for me, but I don’t need a therapy session, now… Help me get out of here”, Gabbie replies while peeling the heart monitor electrodes off her skin. She gives a little yell. Next are the IV drips, she takes a slow breath and pulls them from her arm and stands up, determined not to let another person die because of her. She looks over to Cármen, who, to Gabbie’s surprise, gives her a nod. Cármen rushes over to the door of the hospital room and looks out of the door. It is just two doors down to the main elevator, but also right in front of the nurses desk. They have to be careful. Cármen slowly walks back into the room. “Do you think you’ll get another visit from a doctor or nurse tonight?”, she asks. “No, after seven, the doctors leave, the hospital is basically an abandoned building after sunset. I have an alarm button, then it will take a nurse 1 to 5 minutes to respond…”, Gabbie replies. “Perfect! I will text Monica, she will come pick us up after sunset, then we can easily leave from here”, Cármen tells this plan with full excitement, while she grabs her phone and starts tapping her screen.
After what felt like an eternity, at seven sharp, Cármen receives a text message. “She’s here”, she whispers to Gabbie. They both slowly get up, trying to make as little sound as possible. Cármen walks up to the door of the hospital room and sticks her head outside the door. The corridor is so quiet, you can hear a needle drop. The nurses desk is empty. Cármen turns around facing Gabbie. “Wait here, I’ll call the elevator, then just run towards me, but make as little sound as possible”, she whispers. Gabbie nods her head. Cármen slowly walks outside the room and rushes to the elevator and presses the call-button. After twenty seconds, the elevator arrives. “Come”, she quickly whispers and Gabbie slowly but almost without a sound sprints towards the open elevator. They both slam on the ‘Close Doors’-button and sigh in relief while the doors of the elevator close.
The elevator makes a loud sound, they have arrived on the ground floor. The elevator doors open. They don’t hesitate and almost run towards the revolving door at the main entrance of the hospital. They quickly push the revolving doors and head outside. As soon as they reach the outside world, Gabbie stops and takes a second to enjoy the cool night air. They quickly scan the open space. It’s truly a concrete jungle out there, just a few trees but the rest is all concrete. Concrete benches, concrete borders, it’s such a soulless place. “There!”, Cármen suddenly yells while she points at a red pick-up truck. It’s Monica, she’s resting her body onto the hood of the car with a cigarette in her mouth. The girls quickly run up to her. Cármen hugs Monica tight while Gabbie awkwardly waves at her. They all quickly get into the car and Monica looks in the rearview mirror at Gabbie. “So, Gabbie, where to?”, she asks. “We have to go back…”, she quickly replies.
Armed only with a few scattered clues and the memory of the red farm, she realises their only lead is to return where it all began.