I'm Stuck at a Hospital and I Can't Leave - Part 03

Hello friends.

I am still alive for the time being.  A lot has happened since my last post that I need to share with you all.

To start, I am still at the hospital.  I have tried a couple different things, but they haven't worked.  But more on that in a bit.

I found a place to stay for the night, which is perfect timing, because it has been dark here for hours, and I feel like I am moments away from passing out.  The ICU ward is completely vacant, with the exception of one person, but they aren't alive, so I'm not at risk there.  The room has blinds and a lock on the door, which is great for my safety.  I have also found a phone charger, a knife, and a bunch of snacks/drinks.  This hospital has a convenience store in it, and there is no one working there, so I was able to get my charger and food/drinks from there.

The knife on the other hand, is from the kitchen.  I went down there in hopes of getting fresh food, which they did have.  However, I was skeptical to actually eat it.  Maybe the food had something to do with how the few remaining people were acting?  I couldn't risk it, which is why I grabbed packages of jerky and bags of chips.  I know they aren't the best for me, but knowing they are prepackaged makes me a little less paranoid.  I felt a little suspicious about the coffee I was drinking, but I had so many cups of it, that I think I am fine.

While I was in the kitchen though, I saw a knife on the counter and I had to grab it.  I don't know how south this is going to go and I would rather be safe than sorry.  I don't know if this situation is going to escalate, or how far it will go, but at least now I can protect myself.

So I have a bed, an outlet to charge my phone, nourishment, and even a portable toilet.  This means that I can camp out here as long as I need to.

I just hope that the watchers can't get in.

So that is where I'm at now.  Everything that happened leading up to here though, is frankly unbelievable.  I'm having a hard time believing any of it, and it happened to me.  I'll take you all back to what happened after my last post.

I wanted to see what other entrances/exits there were to this building, so I started to explore.  While I was walking, I only passed a few people, mostly medical staff.  They were all normal at first, looking at charts and such, but as I would pass them, they would look up and stare at me, even stopping for a brief moment as I passed.  But they would carry on shortly after.  Through my journey, the static was still periodically coming on over the PA system.  If my path was clear, I would just walk by, trying not to interact with anyone

From what I saw, there are seven entrances:

– The Main Entrance

– The Outpatient Entrance

– The Emergency Entrance

– The EMT/Ambulance Entrance

– The Extended Care Unit Entrance

– The Long Term Care Entrance

– The Dialysis Entrance

The most notable thing I saw was that the EMT/Ambulance entrance was closed and locked.  I knew that there weren't any people coming in, but to have that entrance locked off was shocking to see.

I didn't know that they could lock those doors.

The other entrances were much like the outpatient entrance I was camped out at; minimal people around, mostly hospital staff doing their daily duties until I got close or walked passed.  There were no other doors locked though, so that gives me options.  I walked outside each entrance to see if there were any near by buildings I could get to.  For the most part it was just grand, never ending parking lots.

That was until I got to the main entrance.  I took a few steps out of there and I saw that there was a large cafe at the corner near the main street.

I was so excited when I saw this.  Not only was it a place that was still open, but it was within my shortened walking distance.  It might take me longer than normal to walk there in my current condition, but I was hopeful.

I started on my way.  It felt like it was taking forever at my pace, but I kept going out of hope.  There were still cars in the parking lot and the driveway, but I only encountered two people.

Well, two watchers.

They just stood on the nearby sidewalk and stared at me, only turning their heads as I passed them.  Now I might have imagined this, but even though their expressions were blank, their eyes looked concerned.

Regardless, I kept on my path.

Soon enough I got to the entrance, and in time, as it actually appeared to be getting darker.  I was both relieved and anxious, as this meant that time was still flowing slowly, but what would happen in the dark?

I walked into the cafe, and things got really freaky.

It was empty, but I could hear a worker in the back.  This should have raised some flags at the time, as it should have been dinner time, but I was too happy to be somewhere else that I didn't notice.  I hobbled up to the counter and immediately yelled for whoever was in the back.  I heard a woman's voice saying, “Be with you in a moment.” and I was filled with relief, thinking that my nightmare was over.

I was sorely mistaken.

As I heard the woman finishing her task, I just looked around the front area.  It looked extremely familiar, but I just thought that was the standard cafe look.  It wasn't until the employee walked out that I felt the panic encroach my chest.  From the back room came a peppy, young barista that I have seen over a dozen time in the last day and I half, flashing her great, big smile.

It was Deborah.

I backed away from her, and turned around to leave.  I didn't know what was going on, but at this point, the cold night seemed more welcoming that this hell.

But I was no longer in the cafe.

I was back in the hospital, by the miniature cafe that Deborah was stationed at.

I fell down while trying to get away, and it hurt like hell, but I barely felt it.  All I felt was panic and impending doom.  Right in the middle of the floor I broke down in fear.

By the time I pulled myself together and looked up, I expected to see all the watchers to be positioned around me, waiting to finish me off.

But they didn't do that, they just kept on walking by, as if there wasn't a mid twenties guy crumpled on the floor.

I got up and looked around the familiar outpatient wing, trying to figure out where to go from here.  I considered leaving to go look at other floors, but I noticed a doctor with a limp walking towards the door to leave.  Someone I could keep up with.  I wasn't thinking about my safety at this point and my curiosity look over.

Where the fuck did the people go after they left here?

I followed behind him as he left.  I stayed far enough back, and tried to mimic his gait, hoping that he wouldn't notice my footsteps, which he didn't.  I honestly don't know what I was expecting to happen.  Maybe he would walk on forever, or he would just disappear?  I didn't think there was a bad answer, I just needed to know what happened after people left, so I followed Dr. Limp.

He walked into the parking lot, slowly weaving in and out of the sparse cars.  Eventually he got to a car, his car, and he entered it.  Once he got in, he put his belongings on the passenger seat and buckled in his seat belt.  He put his hands on the steering wheel and stared ahead, not blinking once.  I waited for what seemed like an hour, and he didn't budge.  I tried pulling on a door handle and it was locked.  I knocked on the window and still he didn't move.

He didn't move until I stood in front of the car.  That's when he smiled at me.  It was similar to Deborah's large smile, but this seemed forced, like invisible threads were pulling at his lips, and the lips were stretched just a little too wide for a normal smile.  He just smiled straight ahead at me, still without blinking.  I could only look at this for a little bit before my skin felt like it would crawl off my body.

I quickly turned around and tried to walk as fast as I could back to the entrance.

This time though, I saw inside all the cars I passed.  Now I don't know if it had anything to do with the daylight, or if I just wasn't paying attention, but I saw the people.  Every car I passed had at least one

person inside of it, and they were all staring straight ahead, and whenever I passed in front of them, they would smile at me, those big, unnatural smiles.

I made it inside and everyone was staring at the entrance.  It wasn't the standard stare that I was getting previously.  It was almost like they were turned off.  As soon as I crossed through the second set of doors, the PA sparked on and a short burst of feedback shot through the speaker.  Then the people who were left in the outpatient entrance came to life and went back to their tasks and duties.

It was at this point that I heard my stomach growl and decided to check out the kitchen and convenience store.

I feel like I should say that I have been trying to get a hold of friends and family.  No one seems concerned and everyone is going through their day like normal.

Like, I tried to call my best friend, and he wouldn't pick up because he is working his shift and isn't allowed to take calls.  But he is still texting me about video games and movies, like we normally do.  Every message I try to send to him asking for help or telling him about my bizarre situation he ignores, electing to resume our normal conversations.

The same thing has been happening with other friends and my family too.  To them, I haven't been stuck at a hospital and missing for 3 damn days.

To them, it is still the 11th.

But not to the watchers in here.

I tried calling Dr. Ashby, as a WTF type of plan.  I wanted to see how he would react.  Surprisingly it went through.  He asked me how I was doing and I asked him what was going on and why was he watching me.  He laughed and asked if I wanted to reschedule my upcoming  appointment.  I had no words at this point.  I continued to ask what was going on, then I heard a door open on the other end.  There were a couple murmurs and then Dr. Ashby said this.

“Subject seems to suspect the greater design.  Observation will continue.  Completion will commence as scheduled.”

I asked what he meant by that, and he hung up the phone.

WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!

I think I might really be in grave danger at this point, and I am running out of options, but I am too tired to do much at this point.  I found my room shortly after that call.  I am so tired and I am so scared.

I can barely keep my eyes open at this point.

I moved a table in the room in front of the door.  I don't know what that can do, but it is a little piece of mind.

At this point, I have no idea if I will make it through the night, or even if I will wake up.

I really hope I do.

- Cody S