Pandemic Hospital

By Ed Ramirez

A reporter has to achieve an interview with, which is said to be the best psychiatrist in the city.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Feb 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781071586662

Book preview

Pandemic Hospital

Ed Ramirez

––––––––

Translated by Emmanuel Lucero 

Pandemic Hospital

Written By Ed Ramirez

Copyright © 2021 Ed Ramirez

All rights reserved

Distributed by Babelcube, Inc.

www.babelcube.com

Translated by Emmanuel Lucero

Cover Design © 2021 Ed Ramirez

Babelcube Books and Babelcube are trademarks of Babelcube Inc.

PROLOGUE

My boss at the newspaper where I used to work gave me the task of writing a story about the man who was said to be the best psychiatrist in the city, because his methods didn't even require medication of any kind.Friday’s afternoon, the date: August 10, 2018. The day, friday, I can't remember what time it was.

That night I got home and tried to put my thoughts aside about this new assignment. I prepared some snacks and a cup of coffee, listened to the radio, and at 11:00 P.M., I went to bed.

The next day, Saturday August 11, I decided to go to the cinema to watch some movies. I did not want to think at all about that famous guy; After all, I knew that I could make the preparations on Sunday, the day before I start my activities.

Sunday arrived, it's 8:00 P.M., I prepare my white sheets. For doing so, I follow the way I like to make my notes and other writings of my profession: always in groups of three stapled sheets of paper. If it's possible, the sheets of paper should be recycled paper as we usually call them in the environment in which I work, that is, those sheets that some of their sides have not been used and are blank, ready to serve. Two sets of three sheets, my pen, and of course, a second pen as backup.

I prepare my dinner: two scrambled eggs, refried beans and a cup of coffee. The radio and at 23:00 o’clock, I go to bed.

Content

Chapter I: Monday................................................................1

Chapter II: Doctor P...............................................................3

Chapter III: The old man...........................................................6

Chapter IV: The Red Widow........................................................9

Chapter V: Mungam.............................................................14

Chapter VI: The Chair............................................................21

Chapter VII: Floor B.............................................................33

Chapter VIII: Cellar B1-1.........................................................36

Chapter IX: The Lamb of God (Agnus Dei)...........................................41

Chapter X: American Psycho......................................................45

Chapter XI: The last floor.........................................................50

Chapter XII: Dr. Rodwell.........................................................53

Chapter I: Monday

Monday has finally arrived, the date: august 13, 2018; my appointment with the person who gives a sense to the title of this story would be at 1:00 P.M., I have arrived at 12:50 P.M. I rang the bell on the main gate and over the intercom, somebody said: Yes. Who is there? Do you have an appointment?, Yes, of course. My name is edison donovan and i have an appointment at 1:00 pm with the psychiatrist ernest rodwell; the director of the hospital, Mr. Jason Moore was the one who attended me and facilitated the appointment, I answered. Yes, wait a minute, please... the person said. After that, I just waited for some minutes...

Go ahead. You will have to wait three seconds after the alarm buzzes and the door will open. The alarm buzzed, I opened the gate. Since then, a chill ran through my whole being, a feeling of emptiness and death seized me, since what my eyes would see, was something that I would never believe if someone had told me:

There were nurses, dressed in white, with impartial expressions on their faces, wheelchairing around with four patients. Some of those who walked, did so in circles, raising and lowering their heads. One or another sitting on the ground, with his head resting on a pillar in the huge front courtyard. I kept walking, and when they seemed to notice my presence, they started to crash their heads against the nearest pillar.

The nurses continued wheelchairing the patients, everything continues as if nothing happened. I started to walk faster, and between two pillars, there is a bench, and on the bench, there is a guy dressed all in white, sitting with his right leg crossed over the left, he just looks from side to side. I manage to hear him clear his throat, as if he's about to say something.

I don't know if it was caused by my increasingly hurried steps, but those who were walking in circles began to make some strange noises: Ah, ah, ah. Ummmmm... they repeated over and over again, while stopping their walk.

A cold sensation invades my body, and a need to vomit prompts me to close my eyes for less than a second and climb the three steps to enter the hospital, whose second door was already open.

After passing the door, the first thing I noticed was a change in the temperature. It is logical and obvious, after all, the front ground is outdoors, and the temperature inside here is more pleasant, warm. Although, unlike the exterior, the lighting in this new room is somewhat precarious, but enough to appreciate faces and activities that are being carried out:

On my right, about five meters away, the receptionist behind those typical circular furniture is answering the phone. On my left, there is a row with seven chairs, of which five of them are occupied: the first two people with their cell phones, the middle person reading a magazine, the fourth person about to fall asleep, and the fifth person, looking at his watch... All this seen from the entrance to the end of the pavilion.

I am aware of this scenario in just an instant, before my concentration is interrupted by the woman who was three steps to my right, almost in front of me.

Chapter II: Doctor P.

Good afternoon. Welcome to St. John's Psychiatric Hospital. I'm Dr. P. and I'm in charge of walking you to the principal's office, Mr. Moore. Would you like a cup of coffee, a glass with water or a snack? the woman asked me. A glass with water is fine, I answered. Ok, give me a minute please, I'll be back with your water. Take a sit, please, if you want to, she told me, turning around and heading towards the reception area, where I can see that she is saying something to the person who is still talking on the phone. The person in the desk lowers her right hand, raises a transparent jug with what seems to be water, lowers her hand again, and this time it is a transparent glass.  She pours water into the glass and moves it forward, handing it to Dr. P. who grabs several napkins from the napkin holder on the furniture, places them under the glass and with both hands carries all of it