CODE Z: An Undead Hospital Anthology

by Brown, Eric S. ; Besser, Rebecca; Wraight, Anastasia; Rosamilia, Armand; Ibarra, Bowie V. ; Christie, Peggy; Mahan, Jeremy L. ; Sinclair, Pembroke; Snow, Rebecca

“Hell if I know,” Gregory laughed. “It’s insane man. We got calls coming in from all over town. The cops say there’s some kind of big animal running loose.”

  “Big animal?” Harold repeated with a smirk on his lips.

  “Yep,” Gregory punched him in the arm. “That’s what they say but man. . . There’s got to be more than one.”

  “What kind of animal?”

  Gregory shook his head. “Bro, didn’t I just say I didn’t have a clue? All I know is that there has to be more than one of whatever it is. There‘s way too much happening in too many places for a single animal to be doing it all.”

  Harold scowled at him.

  “We’ll have to catch a smoke later,” Gregory told him. “We’re rolling again. I gotta get moving.”

  “You be careful out there!” Harold called after him.

  “I always am man!” Gregory’s voice echoed down the hall back to him.

  Harold watched Gregory disappear into the rain. Somehow the storm’s intensity had picked up even more and distant lightning flashed through the darkness far away, high above the mountains.

  Sighing, he headed for the waiting room. Distraught families and no one really knowing what was happening in town was a recipe for trouble. He needed to be there in case somebody got too emotional and things got out of hand. Wishing Gregory hadn’t mentioned catching a smoke because he suddenly was dying for one, Harold found the waiting room strangely empty just like it had been the whole night. It was as calm as before when the first victim rolled in. Not a single soul had shown up to check on their loved ones or came in with their own emergencies. Something was definitely wrong. The triage receptionist, Rachel, gave him a look that told Harold she felt the same way as he walked by her. Harold kept his mouth shut and returned to his spot at the window. He could barely see anything through the rain since it had gotten worse. . . But somebody was standing toward the rear of the parking lot, oblivious to the storm raging around them. The shadowy figure lumbered forward into the glow of the lot’s lights and Harold’s breath caught in his throat. “What the. . .?” he whispered as he stared at the thing. It wore no clothes though it was shaped like a man. Soaked brown hair was matted to its skin by the rain, covering it from head to toe. Harold estimated it was easily nine feet tall. The thing’s eyes reflected the glow of the streetlights like a cat’s, shining a bright yellow in the gloom of the rain. It wandered through the cars as it drew closer to the ER. “Rachel,” Harold said loudly without taking his eyes off the creature, “I think you’d best get on in there with the docs. We got trouble coming that I don’t think you want to be here for. . . And Rachel, tell them to lock all the outer doors and not to come out here no matter what they hear. Got it?”

  Rachel didn’t answer him, but he heard the soles of her shoes smacking the tile floor as she darted from the waiting room and the heavy interior door to the ER slammed as she left. Harold drew his revolver and checked to make sure it was ready and fully loaded. Sometimes, he would forget to reload it after cleaning it. In his two years at the hospital, he’d never had to fire a single shot before. He flipped its chamber closed. His eyes and gut told him that tonight was going to be a very different one. He doubted the weapon had the firepower to stop whatever that thing out there was, but he would be damned if he wasn’t going to try. Harold had stolen from the people here. It wasn’t right and now, with their lives on the line, it was time to stand up and do his job.

  The beast’s eyes met his own as he continued to watch its slow approach across the lot. Time seemed to grind to a halt as he felt its fury like a tangible force. Its head reared back as it loosed a roar so loud he could not only hear it over the storm but that it literally shook the window he stood in front of.

  It came bounding at him like a runaway eighteen wheeler. Harold barely had time to wonder how something so huge could move so fast before he was throwing himself from its path. The large window shattered sending shards of glass flying as it crashed into the waiting room with him. Harold rolled onto his back, aiming his gun up at the monster. His gun barked three times as his finger jerked the trigger in rapid succession.

  The first shot caught the beast in its gut. The other two struck it dead on in the chest. None of them did any real damage. Harold knew at once the thing’s muscles were so thick, like a bear’s, that they prevented any true penetration. He needed a bigger gun. Either that or he was going to have to get clever. A shot to its eyes would mess it up regardless of how tough the beast was.

  Harold screamed, despite himself, as the beast’s hand closed on the front of his uniform and it hefted him into the air. His revolver went bouncing across the waiting room’s floor. Grabbing the thing’s arm that held him with both hands, he struggled to break free. Annoyed, the beast hurled him into a nearby vending machine. He ricocheted off it, landing beside his revolver with a bleeding back. Grinding his teeth against the pain coursing through him, he snatched up the gun as the thing charged him.

  He fired, putting a bullet through its left eye into its brain. The beast died instantly, but that didn’t stop its momentum. Its floundering body smashed into him and Harold felt his ribs fold inward under the impact of the monster’s weight.

  Lying there, spitting up his own blood, Harold thought about Cathy. She would be alone when their child was born. As his vision grew dark, a chorus of fresh roars thundered in the parking lot outside. The last thing Harold saw in this world was a pair of creatures like the one he had just killed stepping through the shattered window into the ER’s waiting room.

  Our Lady of the Resurrected

  By Monique Snyman

  Crystal stood with her back against the door, she balled her hands into fists and clenched on her teeth as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She shook with rage and felt like she would explode or maybe even kill someone if they got too close to her at that particular point. She opened her eyes and looked through blurry vision towards the hospital bed where her twin sister lay. The only sound other than Crystal’s sobs were the machines Christine were hooked up to, the constant beeping of the heart monitor has been her only company for almost a fortnight, except for when the nurse or doctor showed up to monitor Christine’s progress.

  Crystal inhaled heavily and tried to calm herself as she quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. As her vision improved she looked back toward Christine’s almost lifeless body. Her black hair framed her bruised face, but through all the cuts and wounds she still looked like a sleeping angel. Crystal straightened herself and walked with purpose to the side of the bed. She took a seat on the visitor’s bench and grabbed a hold of her sister’s hand. The words of the doctor continued to resound through her mind and angered her. Who were they to tell her that Christine, the only family she had left, had no chance of ever waking up? Who were they to say that if she ever did wake, she’d be nothing more than a vegetable? Christine was a fighter, she was strong and she just needed some rest, Crystal was sure she would wake up in no time. Who did that doctor think he was when he told her she needed to put off the machine, because they needed the hospital room for another patient?

  Fuck them. Fuck them all. You’re not dying because some high profile patient needs a room. You’re more important to me than anything on this godforsaken planet.

  Crystal’s mind was working overtime as she thought of the incredulous statements the doctor made to try and convince her to end Christine’s life. She was cursing the whole hospital in her head… Hoping that one way or another they’ll get what they deserve.

  “Okay baby, wake up for Crystal.” She said as she held on to Christine’s hand tightly. “Show those idiots you’re still here with me.” Crystal continued as she raised Christine’s hand to her lips and softly kissed her on her knuckles. “Come on… open your eyes and show them you’re not a cabbage yet.” Her voice was still shaking, but the determination in her voice was still prominent. Crystal would prove those doctors wrong, even if it meant the end of her. “Damn it Christine! Open y
our eyes!” Crystal started to get angry. “I know we liked to play dead as kids, but this is hardly the time or place for games. Open your eyes or they’ll kill you!” Crystal waited for any sign of movement, a groan, a sound… anything. Yet, Christine lay motionless.

  Crystal sighed frustrated and gently put her sister’s hand back in its original position, before standing up and walking to the window. She looked out over the snow covered city, while the sun slowly set in the distance. It was a beautiful view and although the hospital had a horrible history of a doctor that went psychotic, it was a distant memory or a creepy bedtime story to tell kids…

  “The terrible Doctor Francis Harris would perform experiments on her patients and if you didn’t go to sleep when told she will come perform those experiments on you too.”

  Her mother’s voice rang in her ears as she remembered the story and thought back to simpler days.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes as she thought about what she needed to do to keep Christine on the life support. Some way or another the doctors would find a way to switch off the machines if her condition didn’t improve in the next few days and heaven knows Crystal would not cope with losing her sister. Not when they only just started to see eye to eye and become inseparable twins like they should have been all their lives.

  Another wave of determination spread through Crystal’s whole being as she realised she had to make it known that Christine wasn’t going to die anytime soon and if she did while Crystal was not around, she would sue someone… anyone.... Realisation and adrenaline driven, she turned around and walked with determination and purpose out of the hospital room and through the corridor towards the nurse’s station.

  The nurse’s station was covered with thick glass, a sure sign of the original purpose of the hospital some fifty years back, but although it was kept classic to its asylum days, there was still a hint of a modern-esque feel, which was probably brought in to make patients feel more at ease. The clinical white corridors were painted in warm oranges and yellows. The visitor’s lounge had that whole autumn look, to make it feel inviting and welcoming. The rooms however weren’t as bright, but the pale yellows were still soothing. The only hint of what the hospital truly was meant for is the heavy barred windows and doors, as well as the ominous looking nurse’s stations throughout the hospital. Other than that, it was a perfectly suited medical care centre. The garden was immaculate even through winter, the fountain was magnificent and the healthcare provided was probably the best care money could buy.

  Crystal stood at the nurse’s station, the chair was turned to face the other direction, but the pretty red headed nurse was clearly there. She cleared her throat to get the nurse’s attention, but there was not an indication as to whether or not she heard Crystal. Crystal tried again. Again, her attempt was fruitless.

  “Excuse me, nurse?” Crystal softly knocked on the window. The nurse spun around in her swivel chair to look at Crystal, the annoyed expression she wore was an obvious statement that she was not amused by the disruption. Crystal watched as the pretty redheaded nurse placed the bookmark in her romance novel and put it down on her desk carefully. Crystal raised an eyebrow as she watched the nurse, noticing her nametag said Mary on the front of her uniform. Crystal smiled and tilted her head to the side. “Hello Mary, I was just wondering if you’d mind getting the doctor for me? Doctor Harris, please.” Her voice was as sweet as honey, but it had little effect on Mary.

  “I’m sorry, but Doctor Harris is currently unavailable.” The nurse said without even bothering to check. Crystal could sense the evil behind those pretty hazel eyes of the nurse, and although she couldn’t put her finger on it, she knew this was one of those women who liked to play God with other people’s lives.

  “It’s in regard to Christine McCollum’s situation and it is very important.”

  “Doctor Harris is unavailable. He’ll make his rounds–” Mary started to say, but the bitter laughter from Crystal interrupted her mid-sentence.

  Crystal leaned closer to the glass and smiled as she looked the nurse up and down. “Now listen to me sweetheart, I’m not playing around. Either you get Doctor Harris down here so that I can tell him I’m going to sue the hospital, or I do it myself. It’s your choice.”

  Mary smiled back, an evil glint in her eye. “I’m sorry Miss, but Doctor Harris is unavailable at present, now, either you keep quiet and stop disturbing the peace or I call security. You’re choice.” Mary studied Crystal for a moment, trying to figure out whether she would have to make that call or not, but Crystal gave in as she knew she would. Mary continued to smile as she picked up her romance novel again and spun her chair around, facing the other way. Frustrated and still annoyed by the whole situation, Crystal slammed her palm against the glass, seeing the nurse jump slightly in her chair at the noise. However she did not turn around to look at Crystal, she just continued reading her stupid romance novel.

  Crystal growled under her breath as she looked at the back of the redhead’s head for a long moment longer, before she straightened herself and made her way back to her sister’s room. She mumbled about the lack of professionalism the nurse showed and how that wasn’t the end of it.

  Crystal took a seat beside Christine’s bed and curled up on the small armchair, hugging her legs against her chest. She watched Christine as she rested her head against the cold wall, she thought about how different she and her sister were and at the same time, so alike. They may have looked the same, but Christine was the good girl. Christine had been the one that loved the frilly dresses and went to church, she was the one that got engaged to a young lawyer and was going to play house, whereas Crystal had been a rebel, she was the artistic one and she wasn’t afraid to fight. So alike and yet so different…

  Crystal fell asleep with childhood memories.

  * * *

  It was around midnight when Crystal awoke, the room was dark and the only sound she could hear was the machines keeping Christine alive. She looked around and noticed that the nurse had neglected to make her rounds that evening, nothing seemed out of place. Crystal grumbled her annoyance out loud as she stretched. She stood up and stretched some more then huddled up in her black jersey, before making her way out of the room and down the hall. Things were quiet, but it was always quiet this time of night in the hospital wards. She walked past the now unoccupied nurse’s station and through the doors to the fire escape stairs. Crystal was in dire need of a cigarette the only designated smoking area was two floors down. She was quiet as she walked down the stairs and even quieter when she heard one of the doors creak open a few levels down.

  Usually Crystal didn’t think much of other people around her, but something inside her screamed for her to stop and take notice. She followed her instincts and listened closer, more groans reverberated through the empty hollow stairwell. Crystal leaned over the railing just a bit to see whoever was sounding so disgruntled, but all she could see was glimpses of a man, walking from side to side as though he was drunk. The groans continued and just as Crystal was about to shout down to the man the door opened on that floor. Suddenly the man that was groaning sprinted forward and tackled the person that came through to the floor. A panicked shriek came from the person, who Crystal now identified as a middle aged woman and she saw him sink his teeth into her neck and pull out a bite size piece of flesh. Blood spurted all over the place, her floral nightgown was quickly drenched in the crimson liquid, whilst the chemical white walls that was a signature sign of the fire escape stairwell turned red. Crystal covered her mouth to make sure her scream did not escape. She wanted to run, to cry out for help, but she could not move… Crystal could hardly breathe as she watched the man continue to eat his unwilling victim in a feeding frenzy that both sickened and disturbed her. He ripped her stomach open with inhuman strength and started to pull her insides out and hungrily chewed on whatever reached his mouth. It sounded revolting and it looked even worse.

  Not willing to watch any longe
r, she backed away from the railing and dazed by what she had witnessed she felt her way back to the door, not taking her eyes away from the stairs. Her fears grew as the groans were accompanied by footsteps again…Crystal struggled to find the door handle, but when she finally did, she quickly pulled the door open and almost fell back into the ward. It was only then that she could find her voice again.

  “Help…” She barely whispered as she rushed through the hall to find somebody to call the police. But the hallway was just as empty as when she first left. “Help!” She screamed louder as she came to the nurse’s station, hoping to find a nurse there, but nobody was present. Without giving it any further thought she ran to the closest hospital room and saw an elderly woman asleep. Crystal grabbed a hold of her emergency button and pushed it in, hoping that someone would take notice. The lady didn’t stir… not until the nurses and doctors rushed toward the room that is. The woman grumbled as she awoke, but Crystal didn’t give much notice to her as the first people started to fill the room. “A man just killed someone in the stairwell!” Crystal shouted at them, but they hardly listened as she was pushed out of the way by a doctor who was taking the woman’s vital statistics. She repeated herself over and over, sounding like a mad woman, until finally someone realised her ranting.

  “What are you on about?” A doctor asked her.

  “I…” Crystal started and then took a deep breath to calm herself. “I was in the fire escape, there was a man and he killed a woman.” She said calmer. The doctor nodded and walked out of the room, followed by a nurse he had called over to his side. It was not long until the nurse rushed away and he turned around and looked Crystal up and down.

  “I suggest you go home Miss, it’s late.” He said seriously. “We’ll handle the rest.”

  Crystal nodded and left, walking back to her sister’s room, disobeying an order to not go home. She wasn’t ready to leave Christine to the mercy of some psychotic cannibal… not yet.