by Simon Rose
Julia slipped off the hospital gown and quickly got dressed, constantly listening for any telltale signs of activity in the corridor. When she cautiously opened the door a little to peer down the hallway, she could see a reception desk near the private area’s main entrance. There didn’t seem to be any way to get past the desk without being noticed. The nurse that had brought her to the private area seemed to be the only person on duty at reception but Julia couldn’t be certain whether there were any other nursing staff present.
Carefully opening the door just wide enough for her to fit through, Julia crept along the hallway, keeping close to the wall. The nurse at the desk was focused either on paperwork or on the monitor in front of her. It seemed that all the other patients in the nearby rooms were asleep but Julia knew that at some point the nurse would be checking on at least some of them. There was also the possibility that a patient could call for assistance, something that Julia couldn’t possibly predict. She bit her lip as she wondered how she’d be able to get past the desk. There was only one way out to where the elevators were located. Even if she got that far she’d never be able to use the elevators to get to the main floor and out into the open. There was a good chance that someone might be suspicious and ask her some questions.
She then had an idea. Her abilities were still quite weak following her experiences tumbling through the different timelines and as a result of all the drugs she’d been given. However, she’d still attempted to reach out to Max, even though her efforts had ultimately been unsuccessful. She focused her thoughts and tried to connect with the nurse. At first, nothing happened, and Julia wasn’t able to access the nurse’s thoughts and memories. Julia then tried to plant a suggestion in the nurse’s mind, one that would make her look to her left and then yawn. As Julia watched, the nurse frowned slightly and looked perplexed but then to Julia’s delight, her plan worked. The nurse appeared a little puzzled as she turned to her left then resumed looking at the monitor while yawning. Now all that Julia had to do was get the nurse to look away for just long enough for Julia to get past the desk, out into the hallway near the elevators, and hopefully reach the emergency stairwell.
Taking a deep breath, Julia inched along the wall. A few feet ahead of her was a tall cart stacked with folded linen and hospital gowns. With some difficulty, Julia focused her mind again, causing the nurse to turn her head to one side, allowing Julia to dash behind the cart. She was now very close to the exit door. The nurse then answered the phone.
“Hello? Yes, of course,” she said. “Not a problem, I’ll see you soon.”
Julia wasn’t sure if she could implant anything else in the nurse’s mind. Julia remained weak, and planting that second idea into the nurse’s thoughts had taken considerable effort, only giving her just enough time to hide behind the cart. And now it sounded as if someone else was on the way. Hospitals were busy places twenty-four hours a day, and even in a private area, medical personnel were unlikely to be working alone for long.
All that Julia could hope for was that the nurse would leave the desk to check on one of the other patients, allowing Julia time to make for the door. Then she got her wish. The sound of a buzzer indicated that a patient was awake and needed something. This was Julia’s chance. The nurse at the counter glanced at the nearby monitor and stood up from her chair. She grabbed one of the charts from a nearby clipboard and turned away from the desk. Julia prepared to run for the door, but just at that moment it opened and another nurse entered.
“Hey, Deb,” said the nurse at the counter. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight.”
“Hi, Josie,” Deb replied. “Yeah, I switched shifts with Susan. Busy night?”
“No, it’s pretty quiet. I’m just going to check on Mrs. Lawson. Could you check on the Jane Doe?”
“Who’s that?” asked Deb.
“Young girl that came in earlier,” said Josie. “She’s just with us overnight. Then she’s going to Dr. Hammond’s private clinic in the morning. We just need to make sure she gets enough rest away from the noisier parts of the hospital.”
“Sure, I can look in on her.”
“I gave her something to help her sleep,” Josie added. “It should all be feeding through nicely but just check on her quickly, will you?”
“Okay,” said Deb. “I’ll just sign in, and then I’ll go and see her.”
Josie left her station with the clipboard while Deb headed towards the back of the counter to swipe the plastic card that she wore on a lanyard around her neck, presumably since she was at the start of her shift. Julia knew that it was now or never. The minute Deb reached the room and found Julia gone, her absence would be reported immediately to the hospital authorities, and also presumably to the police, since they might still be investigating Julia’s identity. As soon as Deb turned to swipe her card, Julia darted across to the desk and hid in front of it, only inches from the door. When she heard Deb collect one of the other clipboards and saw her head down the short hallway to Julia’s former room, Julia slipped out the door.
ON THE WALL beside the elevator was a sign indicating that Julia was on the hospital’s third floor. There was no way that she could risk using the elevator but Julia spotted the stairwell ahead of her. She ran across to the stairwell door and pushed it open, feeling slightly unsteady on her feet as she grabbed the metal handrail for support. She was still a little groggy from all the medication and was concerned that she might stumble and hurt her ankle or something equally debilitating. Steeling herself, she made sure that no one was coming up the steps and then hurried down the staircase.
Once she reached the main floor, Julia was pleasantly surprised to see that she was in an area of the hospital that she recognized. She spotted the directional signs pointing toward the various medical departments and other sections of the hospital. She was close to the hallway that she and Max had used when they’d accessed the Records office in the other timeline. As she’d expected, the hospital was busy with staff members, patients, and visitors at this time of day. It was now around 8.30 in the evening. She could easily mingle with the other members of the public, acknowledging how much more difficult it would have been to blend in and then escape had she still been wearing a hospital gown.
She walked past the map of the hospital displayed on the wall beside the coffee shop, heading for the main entrance, trying to appear casual to avoid giving herself away. Yet she knew that she couldn’t hang around. By now the nurses upstairs would have realized that she’d gone. Julia reached the busy waiting area, where people were engaged in conversation, reading newspapers or magazines, or looking at their phones. The woman at the admitting desk was busy chatting to one of the nurses. If there was an announcement that she’d escaped, Julia never heard it, as she strode through the sliding doors at the main entrance and out into the night.
Thankfully, there was a bus waiting at the same stop that she’d used when she’d been at the hospital with Max. Julia hurried across the road and joined the other people on the bus, thankful that she just had enough change in her pocket for the bus fare. If anyone had raised the alarm she never noticed, keeping her face away from the window as the bus pulled away.
Chapter Seven
The Stranger
IT WAS CLOSE to 9.30 when Max and his parents got home, after stopping for a bite to eat at one of their favourite pizza restaurants. The meal had distracted Max from thinking about the extremely odd sensation he’d felt at the hospital. He also didn’t have too much opportunity to dwell on his recent strange experiences during the drive home as he chatted with his parents.
“So, what are you going to do now, Max?” asked his mom, as they all stepped inside the condo.
“Play some games for a bit,” Max replied, closing the front door. “Jeff texted me and said he’d be online soon. Oh, I forgot to get some chips and a drink for tonight.”
“But you just had a full pizza, didn’t you?” said his dad, with a chuckle. “Don’t you ever stop eating?”
H
is mother sighed.
“Why didn’t you say so when we were driving by the convenience store?” she said. “We could have stopped and got something.”
“It’s okay,” Max replied. “I can just head over there right now, it’s not far.”
“Okay,” said his mother. “See you in a bit. Don’t be long.”
IT WAS ALREADY dark as Max hurried along the neighbourhood streets. He heard the sound of sirens in the distance as he made his way to the convenience store. It was only a couple of blocks from his home, in a strip mall adjacent to a small park with tall mature trees. Max had attempted to put the recent unexplained incidents out of his mind but still found his thoughts returning to what had happened. The images that had flashed across his brain of the mall security guards being attacked had been very violent, yet he’d tried in vain to recall any movies or games from which the scenes might have been derived. And who was the man with the scar? Then there were those green eyes that he’d now imagined twice. All these things had occurred in his mind, and Max hadn’t actually seen them. However, the image of the teenaged girl in the kitchen had felt extremely real indeed, and he could only describe it as a hallucination. Max shuddered at the memory, wondering if he’d seen a ghost. He didn’t want to worry his parents but was beginning to think that he had no choice. He’d more or less decided that even if nothing else unusual happened, he’d talk to his mother the next day.
Max turned the corner beside the park when suddenly someone’s hand reached out from among the trees and he was pulled aside. Max whirled around, terrified. It was a girl, with thick black hair and what looked like a red streak in the front, although it was hard to tell in the half-light under the tree branches.
“Max, it’s me,” said the girl.
She took a step forward, and Max saw that she had brilliant green eyes, which fixed Max with an intense stare. He gasped and found it hard to breathe. It was the girl that he’d seen in the kitchen. She kept a firm grip on Max’s wrist as he struggled to free himself.
“Get away from me!” Max exclaimed.
“Keep still,” the girl hissed. “I’ll make you remember.”
She reached out to grab Max’s face with her free hand.
“Get away from me!” Max repeated, tearing the girl’s hand from his cheek and then stumbling backward into the nearby bushes as she released his wrist.
“Max!” she exclaimed, keeping her distance. “Please, you have to help me! I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not even supposed to exist in this reality.”
“Stay back!” Max demanded, as he got to his feet. “Who the hell are you? How do you know my name?”
He heard sirens again, this time sounding much closer. The girl was momentarily distracted, and Max took the opportunity to escape. He darted out of the trees onto the sidewalk but the girl grabbed his wrist again.
“No!” she said. “Max, you’ve got to help me!”
Two police cars then stopped at the end of the block, restricting access to the street.
“Oh, God!” the girl gasped. “They’ve found me!”
“Who’s found you?” said Max. “What’s going on?”
The girl didn’t reply, let go of Max’s wrist, and then ran. He watched as she raced down the street, away from the police cars, but then stopped as another police car screeched to a halt and blocked her path. The girl tried to run again in a different direction, heading for a nearby alley, but the officers got out of the car and gave chase, one of them tackling the girl to the ground at the far end of the park. She was still struggling as they restrained her and then eased her into the back of one of the waiting police cars.
One of the police officers had seen Julia’s interaction with Max on the sidewalk and came over to him.
“Are you okay?” he asked, as he approached Max. “Are you hurt?”
The officer’s nametag read Jensen.
“No, I’m fine,” Max replied. “Who is she?”
“She’s from one of the secure units at Mountain View Hospital. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” Max replied. “Just a bit shaken up, I guess.”
“Did she hurt you?” asked Jensen.
Max shook his head.
“No, she didn’t, but she told me that she knew me. She wanted to try and make me remember her.”
“And you don’t know her?”
“No,” Max replied. “I’ve never seen her before in my life.”
Jensen nodded.
“Well, we don’t know that much about her either. One of my colleagues was there when someone found her the other day in Castlegate Park, no identification or anything. Bit of a mystery, really. Well, I’m glad you’re okay. Come on, I’ll drive you home. Do you live far from here?”
“No, just a couple of blocks.”
As Max got into the police car, he saw the other vehicles, including the one carrying the girl, drive away. Jensen only engaged in general conversation with Max on the way home and didn’t reveal any further details about the girl, mostly seeming to be concerned with Max’s well-being. His parents were shocked to see Max arriving home in a police car. Jensen quickly told them what had happened and Max assured his parents that he was unhurt.
They all sat at the kitchen table as Jensen explained what was known about the strange girl, reassuring Max and his parents that she was now probably safely back at Mountain View Hospital. There would naturally be an investigation but there seemed to be no indication that what had happened at the park was anything more than a random incident. Max appeared to be in no danger since he and the girl had never met before.
“I’m not sure if we’ll need to speak to you again, Max,” said Jensen, as he stood up to leave. “We’ll let you know. Personally, I wouldn’t think so, but somebody else might want to chat with you. I’m glad you’re feeling okay.”
“Thanks,” said Max.
“You’re welcome,” Jensen replied, smiling at him. “And thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Garrison.”
Max’s dad accompanied Jensen to the front door. When his dad returned to the kitchen, Max’s mother asked him again about what had happened, although Max had no further information. Despite his insistence that he was fine, just a little shaken up, his mother was very concerned. His dad was a little calmer and helped to comfort his mother. On his way to the store, Max had decided that he’d tell his mother about the dreams and visions that he’d been having but he was now reconsidering his decision, at least for now. It clearly wasn’t the appropriate time, although he’d resolved to think about it again in the morning. He was relieved when he received a text. It was Jeff, wondering if he was going to be online for gaming.
“Okay, Max,” said his mother. “I’ll stop asking so many questions, if you’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, Mom, really. Don’t worry.”
“Okay,” she said, smiling, as Max’s dad gently squeezed her hand.
“Go on,” he said. “Go play some games with Jeff. It’ll probably help you put this out of your mind.”
“Yeah, maybe,” said Max, standing up from his chair. “I’ll see you both in the morning.”
MAX WENT UP to his room and gently closed the door. As usual his bedroom was a mess, with pillows and miscellaneous items of clothing scattered across the floor. The bookshelves were relatively tidy for a change although there were a couple of comic books and a loose game disc and nonmatching empty case on the carpet beside the three-drawer dresser.
Max picked up the remote from among the tangle of game system wires and cables on top of the dresser. He was about to turn on the TV before texting Jeff but then Max had second thoughts. He knew that there was no way he’d be able to focus on gameplay after everything that happened. The girl in particular continued to bother him. He’d never met her before but was absolutely convinced that he’d seen her in the kitchen, either as a vision or as something else. And her green eyes were the ones that he’d seen in his mind too. Had those incidents been premonitions, or fleeting glim
pses of the future before it happened? He’d heard about such things and they’d been featured in some movies and TV shows that he’d watched, but he didn’t know much about it. With a sigh, he replaced the remote on top of the dresser and texted Jeff.
Going to bed, long day.
Jeff immediately replied.
No prob see you tomorrow.
Max yawned as he put his phone on the desk beside his laptop. He was tired but still curious about what he’d experienced. He opened the laptop and switched on the power, intent on doing a little research that might at least shed some light on the recent strange occurrences. He heard his parents switch on the TV downstairs as he first searched for websites about mental illness and similar issues. He didn’t know all the specifics of his mother’s condition when she was a girl but she’d told him a little about it.
Max’s initial searches online didn’t really tell him much, although there was an interesting short article about multiple personality disorders. Max was fascinated by some of the stories that he read about how sufferers sometimes thought that they were other people and were totally convinced of their alternate identities and everything that went with them. He even noted that a local doctor called Hammond seemed to be something of an expert on the condition and had a private clinic somewhere in the city. Apparently, the clinic was undergoing an expansion, and a new wing was being financed by the Dexter Foundation, a local charitable group that for a second Max thought sounded familiar.