The Asylum

By J.M.Carroll

Four nursing student friends head to an isolated family cabin in rural Victoria Australia, to get away and have a break from school and work. The fun begins with a road trip, drinks and music, until they find the basement with interesting contents. After investigating, they are curious to learn more and begin exploring. What they encounter is nothing like they expected and is now a matter of life and death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.M.Carroll
• Release date: Mar 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224705290

J.M.Carroll

Janice Carroll is a new author from Melbourne, Australia. This is her first published book and the draft was originally started about 10 years prior, but wasn't finished until 2024 after being found on an old memory stick. Janice loves animals and has 3 cats which are a huge part of her life. She enjoys hiking, photography and gardening. Her cats are often found sleeping on the table next to her laptop, whilst she is working.

Book preview

Chapter 1.

The sun was shining and warming my back as I waited near the car for my sister Anna, she was taking forever to get her stuff together for work. I’m Kate, we’re twins and we share a place together. She was most definitely the slow one.

Come on! I snapped. I know you aren’t too keen for work today, but we gotta go, we’ll be late. I yelled.

Hold your horses, Kate! I’m coming. I know why you’re so keen. You get to see Daniel today after his break. Anna said.

Yeh of course I’ll see him. I said. We do work together you know. That’s not the only reason Kate and you know it! joked Anna.

He’s nice and cute. You really like him don’t you? Anna questioned. He’s alright, but I think I prefer guys who aren’t interested in my sister. Kate said as she laughed.

"Well, that means he’s interested in you too, I suppose ha-ha, can I help it that we’re twins? Anna joked.

We’re actually having dinner this Friday. I told her. Oh really! Well, well, well, finally! Anna said as she smirked,

I hope he doesn’t get me alone in the storeroom again thinking I’m you, like last time. Oh geez, I forgot about that. said Kate. They laughed.

Work for us was in the Emergency department of the local Bayside Hospital. We were trauma nurses, still training at university and we loved our job, most days anyway.

The helipad on the roof was always busy with emergency drop- offs from some crash or accident. We knew it was all hands-on-deck when the phone rang to notify us of incoming patients and today was no different.

As soon as Anna and I walked in the door, our colleagues were preparing for the intake of many injured people from an accident between a bus, a motorbike and a car.

I knew it was going to get pretty crazy, so I prepared myself. It wasn’t as though I hadn’t done this before, I had. I knew what to expect.

Anna was taken to be in one team, and I went in the other. Here we go.

The first bed pushed out of the lift was the motorbike rider. He had serious injuries and looked in a bad way. Luckily for him, he wore his helmet and full body leathers which probably saved his life.

Next were the bus passengers, one by one they were brought into the trauma rooms by the Paramedics. It was like a scene from a war. Beds with sick patients everywhere.

Some patients were left in the corridor as there weren’t any more rooms available. They just seemed to keep coming. It was going to be a long shift.

I got my first break for the day about 4 hours into my shift. It had been madness with patients from the accident and I really needed something to eat. I made my way down to the cafeteria for a real coffee and some food.

‘Give me food, any food!’ I said to myself, approaching the bain-marie. I realised that with all of the chaos going on, I hadn’t seen Daniel yet. I wondered where he was and if he was back at work today or not.

Daniel was an Emergency nurse like I was and had started working here at the hospital only a few months earlier. We had been getting to know each other, whilst working together and I was hoping to see him today, actually I was so excited, I couldn’t wait.

I grabbed a tray and walked up to the hot food window and looked through the options. I grabbed some hot chips, a vegan schnitzel with gravy and a side salad. I should at least try and eat something green.

That will do, I haven’t got too long on my break. I moved along with the others in the line and saw a colleague ahead.

Hi Sam, how are you? I asked.

Oh hi Kate, yeh I’m alright thanks. Slammer of a morning hey! Sam replied. For sure. Are you on a break? I am. I need a coffee. I said.

Yeh I’m on my first break and I need it. Yes, give me coffee ha-ha. I haven’t stopped since I got here. You want to sit over there? Sam asked.

Yeh looks good to me. I’ll just grab a coffee and meet you in a minute. I said. No worries. Sam replied.

I grabbed the large-size coffee cup and asked the lady at the coffee machine to do her best with a strong soy latte. The smell was heavenly. I added it to my tray of food with some extra sugars, a spoon and a cookie and headed over towards Sam’s table.

The coffee’s so good. said Sam relieved.

Oh, I’m glad, I think I’d drink it even if it was bad today. I’m exhausted already. I replied, as I added some more sugar to my coffee. Yeh it was a full-on morning that’s for sure. Sam said.

Yes, it was. I hope it’s a bit easier for the rest of the day, I said, as I dipped my chips in the gravy, devouring them.

Hey, have you seen Daniel? Wasn’t he meant to be back from his holiday today? I asked.

Oh, yeh I did see him for about 2 seconds earlier, just as the helicopter arrived. He went to the other ward for the first intake, why? Sam answered. Ok, just I haven’t seen him yet to say welcome back. I guess I’ll catch up with him when I go back. I said.

Yeh Daniel’s a bit easy on the eye, isn’t he? I know you agree, but hey, everyone around here thinks he’s hot. Sam said cheekily. Well, yeh of course, he’s cute. We’re having dinner together on Friday night I said.

Really? Nice. Do you know where you’re going yet? Sam asked.

Well, no not yet. That’s partly why I wanted to see him. I hope it’s still on. I said anxiously.

Yes I hope so too, then you can tell me all the goss when I see you next, ha- ha. Sam joked.

Yeh, I just have to find him first. Geez our breaks go so fast don’t they, never long enough. I just want to finish these chips. Yeh we’d better get back. I said. Sam agreed.

Upon returning to the ward, I saw Daniel heading out from the change rooms and I headed towards him.

Hey stranger! I yelled out to Daniel grinning. He turned around with a smile.

Hey Kate, how’ve you been? he said, walking towards me. My heart skipping beats as he gives me a warm hug.

I’m good, really good. I said, beaming ear to ear.  Nice to see you’re back, how was your break?

It was nice thanks. Just a lot of doing nothing you know, can’t do much in Qld but laze-about when you’re at the beach every day ha-ha. Daniel said.

Sounds good, I’d wish I could take some time off. I’d love a weekend away from all of this, plus away from Uni stress too. Were you here for the big accident earlier? I mentioned.

Yeh I’ve been here all day. It was a big one hey. I was with the bus driver in John’s team. He was lucky. He nearly lost his leg! Daniel stressed. Oh really? Will he be ok? I asked concerned.

Yes I think so. He’s stable now, but there were so many injured people. They even sent some to the other hospitals too, but we were slammed! says Daniel annoyed.

Yeh I know. Hopefully, it settles down for now. I said. I hope so. We should catch up soon if you’ve got time? Daniel added.

Yeh, sounds good. I said happily. I’ll call you ok? Daniel said as he walked away from me. Ok cool, seeya. I said, with a hopeful smile.

So, Daniel was back. I was happy to have found him finally. He seemed happy to be back and also happy to see me, which I thought was a good sign. He wants to catch up with me later so it’s all good. I’m just not sure why I have a feeling that our Friday night dinner might not be happening after all.

My shift ended and I met up with Anna for the usual drive home together. It seemed to have been a busy shift for her today too. Even though we worked in the same emergency department of the same hospital, we didn’t see each other all shift.

Hi. Anna said, as I approached her sitting on the seat in the staff car park. Hi, how are you? I replied. Ready to go? "Yep. I’m ok, busy day hey? Anna answered.

Sure was, I’m exhausted! I said.

"I’m