Play@YSDC

Posted: **Wed May 02, 2007 12:03 pm**

One of the lights in the men's toilets flickered, sending shadows skittering across the unusual amount of graffiti that sprawled across the pale blue walls. The graffiti was written in a dark blue texta, across the walls, the ceiling. The floor was covered in a fine film of dirty water that had spilled from the sinks. Someone had filled the drains with a substance that had long since hardened. That very same person was likely responsible for turning the taps on.

Several patients had complained about the mess, though no one had any idea who had done it and so Carson Boyd had been sent down to clear it up. It was likely going to take several hours to do so and he couldn't be sure the substance in the drains could even be cleaned away without something more heavy-duty then what he had on him.

Posted: **Thu May 03, 2007 1:59 am**

Carson Boyd gave a weary sigh as he looked at the filthy washroom. He was forever cleaning, forever fixing...no matter how many times he scrubbed the floors or rinsed the walls, they would always be dirty again. His efforts were futile, his struggles worthless...and he knew it. The only comfort in his life now came from the blank white pills in the bottle stored in his pocket, and the open but unseeing eyes of his vegetative father. Even the latter was now not much of a relief. No matter how many times he visited him, no matter how many hours he stayed by his side...not a single movement out of gratitude. It wasn't his fault, Carson knew, but it's hard to love someone when all they give you back is the sound of their machine-assisted breathing.

Carson stopped reminiscing, and snapped back to his dull reality. His hands searched his cart, and he picked up a large white bottle, whose label has long since been worn off. Opening the cap slightly and giving the chemical inside a slight whiff, Carson quickly identified it. White vitriol. Closing the cap and grabbing a small grubby flashlight from his cart, Carson Boyd entered the flickering darkness of the first floor toilets.

Posted: **Fri May 04, 2007 8:47 am**

The dry chemical smell that permeated the toilet was familiar and vaguely unsettling. He could still hear the low sounds of chaos coming from the hospital corridors, the footsteps and fragments of speech, but he felt somewhat cut off now that he was in here. The barely legible scrawl that covered the walls contained a few bits and pieces that caught his eye as he entered the toilets:

uncoiling above us ... my favourite was always Law and Order ... call the Nurse for me ... I didn't like to do it ... tuna fish sandwhich ... my love ... is it the Nurse? ... better watch my step

Boyd remembered how his father used to love tuna and cheese sandwhiches with a bit of jam on the top of the cheese. He had also loved a lot of crime and punishment shows, though Boyd didn't think Law and Order was his father's favourite.

Lost in his reverie, he barely noticed that one of the toilet doors was slightly ajar as he passed it. His eye was caught by movement. It was just a flicker of shadow beneath the door that was possibly caused by the movement of his torch but it had seemed almost purposeful.

Posted: **Sun May 06, 2007 1:53 am**

Being naturally jittery, Carson backs up slowly and shines his flashlight on the mysterious stall.

Posted: **Sun May 06, 2007 8:22 am**

Through the three-inch gap between door and doorway, Carson can see that the stall is empty. There is something written on the back wall, however, in larger lettering then what was on the rest of the walls. Only some of what is written can be seen.

"...did you put it, Carson? ...is it hidden?"

Posted: **Sun May 06, 2007 8:52 am**

"Leroy?", Carson mutters to himself upon seeing the words. Leroy might've left a message...but he wouldn't make it so obvious, and he wouldn't flood the washroom just so Carson could see it...

Carsons nerves are aflare, and he leaves the washroom to take a breather.

Posted: **Sun May 06, 2007 9:40 am**

"Attention emergency personnel," says an unfamiliar voice over the intercom. "An emergency situation has developed. Will everyone who is not otherwise occupied, please go down to Accident and Emergency. I repeat, an emergency situation has developed. Will everyone who is not otherwise occupied, please go down to Accident and Emergency."

There is no real need for Carson to go down to Accident and Emergency. Unless they specifically ask for people like him, he's free to go about his usual chores. Like dealing with that toilet...

The two most obvious choices were to find Leroy or to finish off cleaning that toilet.

Posted: **Sun May 06, 2007 11:10 am**

Leroy is helping one of the male nurses move a mobile xray unit into the emergency room when the call goes out over the intercom. The nurse looks up sharply.

"Are you going to be alright with this Leroy?"

Medical staff on the first floor are already starting to rush out of the wards and head down towards A&E. Leroy sees Carson standing outside the washrooms at the far end of the corridor. He looked jittery, but then again Carson always looked jittery. If he didn't learn to relax he was going to blow the whole deal.

"Yeah, i'm going to be alright man, it sounds like you better hustle."

As the nurse heads off, Leroy tries to get Carsons attention.

Posted: **Sun May 06, 2007 8:48 pm**

Carson looks over, and sees Leroy motioning to him. "Leroy! It's a relief to see you, man. Did you write that thing in the toilets?"

Posted: **Mon May 07, 2007 8:26 am**

"What thing's that Carson?", Leroy says, parking the xray unit in the nearest corner.

Posted: **Wed May 09, 2007 11:51 pm**

A confused look crosses Carson's face.

"The writing in the stall. Anyways, what's the 'emergency situation'?"

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 1:31 pm**

Leroy shakes his head, "I dunno, but most of the staff have gone downstairs. Hey Carson, what say we make the most of the situation, check out the dispensary. If we move fast, we can get enough scripts to last us the next few months."

Carsons acting strange he thinks, maybe its time to make one last score and bring their 'scam' to a close.

Posted: **Sun May 13, 2007 10:04 pm**

"Yeah. Yeah. Let's go." says Carson, rubbing his head to get rid of the headache that just came up.

Posted: **Mon May 14, 2007 5:02 am**

The First Floor is busier than anticipated. Nurses hurry to and fro. A few doctors talk animatedly near the reception desk before disappearing into another room. The waiting area, as usual, is packed with people looking for a place to sit or a vending machine to buy from, or just a little space to be alone with their pain. The throng of people is a little thicker than usual, though, particularly around the dispencry. There doesn't appear to be any staff members hanging around the Dispencry, though, and knowing strangers consumed in their own pain, the likelihood of them even noticing something is amiss is slim to nothing.

Posted: **Mon May 14, 2007 1:35 pm**

Leroy doesn't like to take chances. "What do you think Carson?" he asks "I don't think we should go in there unless we have an excuse ready, case somebody walks in."

Posted: **Tue May 15, 2007 5:17 am**

"There's an emergency, right? We'll just say we're trying to look for someone. Grab a doctor's name off one of the lists over there." says Carson, pointing vaguely in the direction of the receptionist.

Posted: **Tue May 15, 2007 10:24 am**

"okay, okay..we'll go in, you stand by the door as a lookout and i'll have a look around. Anyone asks, one of the doctors sent me up here to find his clipboard or beeper or whatever."

Leroy already knows the names of the doctors, anyone asks questions he'll improvise.

Posted: **Tue May 15, 2007 10:44 am**

The nurse who usually works in the dispencry must have been called away, the metal roller window has been shut but the door is unlocked. When they open the door, they find that someone has affixed sticky tape around the edges of the door. The walls are covered in locked cabinets, some with glass fronts, some with steel fronts. The desk has only a clipboard with several forms attached on it. This is where people who are getting medications from the dispencry are meant to sign.

Posted: **Tue May 15, 2007 11:28 am**

Leroy walks over to the desk and looks in the drawers, for something obvious like a pad of blank prescriptions to steal. Failing that he looks for a paperclip, something he can use to pick the locks of the cabinets. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realises what he is doing is crazy, but the empty room, the closed shutters make it all too tempting..

Posted: **Tue May 15, 2007 12:28 pm**

There is no pad of prescriptions in the drawers. It seems that this is where some of the prescriptions were filled out or where medications for those residing temporarily in the hospitals were stored. There are, however, a number of paperclips and other suitable potential lockpicks. He succeeds in unlocking one of the cupboards, having chosen one full of sleeping medications and pain killers.

"Would everyone please remain where they are?" asks a calm voice over the intercom. It sounds like the hospital administrator, Arnold Dullard. "A chemical incident in London Central has caused massive storm clouds containing high quantities of dangerous substances. Could everyone please remain inside and, where possible, find a secure place to stay until the all-clear is called? Thank you and have a good day."

Posted: **Wed May 16, 2007 9:55 am**

"Jesus Carson did you hear that?" It occurs to Leroy that the announcement might bring people into the dispencery. He grabs three or four bottles ( i'm assuming they're fairly small ) and stuffs them in his pockets, and passes a couple more to Carson. Distracted, he forgets to try and lock the cupboard door again. "Lets go find someone medical, see if they know whats going on."

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 1:46 am**

"Christ.." mumbles Carson, more to himself than to anyone else. "I wonder what chemical it is...I hope they have a sample or something, I'd wanna know what the hell is raining down on our heads."

He follows Leroy out the door, but not before dry-swallowing a light pain-killer.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 5:36 am**

The first floor is still swollen with patients, families and wannabe patients but it seems deserted of medical personnel, though even their numbers are greatly reduced. Nothing like a warning to stay indoors to have most people running for the hills. There is a mob of people standing around the reception desk, hiding any nurses who might be there from the two men's view. It's hard to hear what she's saying, if there is anyone there saying anything at all, over the multitude of voices that emanate from the several dozen people who press in against the desk.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 2:16 pm**

"Goddamit, we aint gonna be able to find out anything here". For the first time in a couple of days Leroy thinks about his boy, Toby. He should ring Marsha...
His mobile is in his coat pocket in his locker.

( i'm not sure where Leroys locker would be, in some kind of staff room? )

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 4:07 pm**

Leroy's locker is in a utility room. Many of the other orderlies and janitors have to share this space with a variety of cleaning supplies. Hospital renovations haven't extended to giving them room to move. The room contains a janitor called Paul Summers who clutches a clipboard in a white-knuckled grip, apparently checking up on supplies. Paul looks relieved to see someone.

"Hey, what's going on out there? They got all the children dosed up, someone's been vandalising all of the vents, and that graffitti... Shit, hope you know more than I do," says Paul. "Hey, you're an orderly, ain't ya? They want you lot down in Accident & Emergency but I wouldn't go down there. If it's something chemical, those people might be contagious. Well, not contagious, but, shit, infected with the chemicals, y'know? You might get contaminated. Shit, that's the word. Contaminated."

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2007 11:54 pm**

Carson's eyes light up when Paul says 'chemicals'. He's always had an interest in chemicals, and in between his drug-induced hazes and hospital cleaning he would often go down to the library to learn more about them. Applying them to his job, he has been able to clean faster and more thoroughly than the other janitors. He could probably identify whatever chemical was down there. Plus, if it was a chemical spill, or some chemical raining from the sky, the people couldn't be contagious. Contagion was for viruses and diseases.

"Hey, Leroy, I'm heading down to Accident & Emergency. Comin' with?"

Posted: **Fri May 18, 2007 9:48 am**

Leroy is torn between wanting to avoid any 'contamination' and wanting to know whats going on. He decides to try and get news from the outside world before making a move.

"sure Carson just give me a second"

He brings Marshas number up on speed dial and puts through the call.

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 4:05 am**

"Hello?" A man's voice, sounding slightly panicked, answers Marsha's phone.

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 9:27 am**

Who the hells that he thinks.

"Hello? I want to speak to Marsha. Its Tobys dad."

Posted: **Sat May 19, 2007 11:48 am**

The mobile phone seems to crackle and fade in and out of hearing. It sounds like the signal is dying. "The woman who ... this here? She ran out ... paying for her groceries. What's ... on?"

Posted: **Sun May 20, 2007 7:55 am**

"hello, who is this? wheres Marsha? Goddammit!" shouts Leroy as the signal fades and dies on him.

He stands there scowling for a moment before turning to Carson.

"ok, lets find out what the hells going on"

He puts the phone back in his pocket. He'll give it twenty minutes then try and reach her at home.

Posted: **Tue May 22, 2007 2:48 am**

"Before you go, you two boys want a drink?" asks Paul, brandishing a flask. He seems faintly bored. "It's good stuff. Man, I hate drinking alone. Have a bit before you go running off for a look-see."

Posted: **Wed May 23, 2007 10:27 am**

Leroy looks at Carson. He's anxious but trying not to show it.

"I say we go now, I need to know whats happening man."

Posted: **Thu May 24, 2007 4:36 am**

"Come on, man, relax a bit," says Paul, still offering the drink. "You really think running off half-cocked is gonna get you anywhere? Sit around and think a minute with me. You go out there and you'll never get to go home. You'll be too busy running around tending to people. Chillax!"

Posted: **Sat May 26, 2007 7:48 am**

Leroy makes up his mind to leave and heads for the door of the utility room.

"some other time Paul"

anyway, he's not sure he wants to drink with someone who uses the word 'chillax'.

Posted: **Tue May 29, 2007 7:25 pm**

Paul just nods. "Can't miss the end of the world, huh, Leroy?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 02, 2007 3:50 am**

"Wouldn't miss it for the world..." mutters Carson, eyeing Paul.

On his way down to A&E he thinks about the paradox of not missing the end of the world for the world.

Posted: **Sat Jun 02, 2007 3:59 am**

As they move out into the corridor, they can see people rushing this way and that. A crowd of people surges along, leaving a few startled staff members in their way. A pair of doctors attempt to stem the crowd, pleading with people not to attempt to leave, that they would be safer within the hospital, but most don't listen and continue on their way out the glass doors. The sound of a dozen car engines revving to life is audible even above this din.

Posted: **Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:30 am**

Leroy tries to get the attention of one of the doctors, grabbing hold of them if nescessary.

"Hey, whats going on?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:34 am**

The doctor looks startled, then sighs deeply. "There's been a chemical accident of some description. We're trying to keep people inside. Look, just attend to your duties." He eyes off the janitor. "Isn't there a toilet somewhere you should be cleaning?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:02 am**

"I'll attend to the duty of kicking your ass", Leroy mutters as he walks away, loud enough for the doctor to hear but hopefully not loud enough to get called on it. It looked like he was going to have to go and look for himself. Mainly its Toby that worries him.

"See what happens when you have responsibilities", he thinks.

As he heads down to A & E he gets out his mobile and tries to call Marsha at home.

Posted: **Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:29 am**

"Doctor!" Do you know what kind of chemicals they spilt down there? I know my chemicals, maybe I could help." offers Carson.

Posted: **Tue Jun 05, 2007 9:48 am**

A look of sadness crosses the doctor's face. "No idea. We weren't told any details. In fact, what I know got told to me by the administrator. He got a phone call, apparently. I've no idea what's going on." He turns as another group start heading out and rushes after them.

Posted: **Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:56 am**

Leroy stays on the phone while Carson talks to the doctor.

"come on", he thinks as it continues to ring, "pick up"...

Posted: **Mon Jun 11, 2007 4:56 am**

"Why don't you go question the administrator?" the doctor asks angrily, calling out over his shoulder. The crowd running ahead of him slows to a stop.

There's a click as someone answers the home phone. A burst of static screeches into Leroy's ear. He can hear masculine grunts and feminine groans beneath all the static. The woman sounds like Marsha. In the background, he can hear a little boy crying, his wails barely registering on the phone.

Posted: **Mon Jun 11, 2007 2:42 pm**

"hello.....hello?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 11, 2007 4:54 pm**

The bizarre noises continue. His son's wail becomes louder, increasing in pitch. The two can see through the windows on the other side of the hospital, a black curtain of nothingness approaching, causing the headlights outside to dim. The black wall appears to be only a few dozen feet away from the hospital windows. Those outside start pouring back inside.

Posted: **Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:00 pm**

"TOBY", he shouts, to no avail. What was going on, was Marsha with someone? Events are too confusing for him to feel any other emotion than a growing anxiety. And what was that outside?

The mobile drops to the floor.

"Carson." he says "This is some seriously wrong shit."

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:19 pm**

"Wh-what's happening?"

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:56 am**

The curtain of nothingness continues to approach. Several people hold the glass doors shut, keeping several desperate strangers trapped on the outside. The two engage in a desperate tug-of-war that those on the outside lose. As the front edge of the dark wall reaches them, their flesh chars and strips away, their bones becoming ash within a few short seconds. Several of those who were holding the doors shut shriek and back away, leaving a few others trying desperately to keep it closed, but several wisps of whatever it is start coming in from under the door.

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:30 pm**

"seriously, seriously wrong shit"

panic, confusion and adrenalin kick in, sending thoughts whirling through his head through his head

"this is actually it! some kind of dirty bomb chemical attack. its actually happening!"

he remembers the tape they saw around the doorways of the dispencery. "wisps coming under the door." he thinks "but how could anyone have known? it doesn't make sense."

"don't think move!"

He grabs Carson by the shoulder.

"we have to get in the dispencery. seal ourselves off from the gas"

at the same time he does a quick mental calculation. number of people on the ground floor versus number of people will actually fit in the dispencery.

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:35 pm**

OOC: Ignore the title of thread. You're on the ground floor currently. There's a ramp, elevator and stairwell that will take you to the first floor.

From memory, the dispencry is a rather small area but it is larger than most elevators and a good eighteen people are said to fit in most elevators, so if everyone stood quite close together, they could fit maybe twenty or so people in there. The real issue is convincing twenty people to enter a dispencry while keeping any excess numbers out so that they could shut the door.

The wall of darkness and motes of ash moves steadily towards them, covering a foot every ten seconds.

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:17 pm**

Ok, Leroy is running for the stairwell, assuming that Carson will follow him ( although he might not of course! ).

He realises ( or assumes ) that trying to get everyone into the dispencery will lead to panic stricken violence and intends to keep the idea to himself. None the less as he reaches the foot of the steps he finds himself turning and shouting.

"EVERYONE GET UPSTAIRS!"

Why the hell did I do that, he thinks as he carries on running.

Posted: **Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:08 am**

'Th-that's no chemical...', whispers Carson to himself. He turns, running after Leroy.

Posted: **Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:24 am**

It seems Leroy's words are in vain as most of those within the hospital rush along the length of it, passing him by, no doubt trying to get out through the other end of the ground floor. Unfortunately, there are no exits that way nor are there windows as the ground slopes down from that end of the hospital and the ground floor is underground at that end. The staff and several patients, however, start rushing in his direction, hoping to get up the stairs. Once the medical staff start coming, all those behind follow.

Carson and Leroy make it up the stairs, the studded strips that give extra grip help keep their feet on the narrow steps where otherwise they might have slipped off. The fluorescent light above the first floor landing flickers with a sharp, buzzing sound as they pass underneath it.

The first floor is largely empty. There is no one in the reception desk. There is only a man and a child dragging IV tubes who look around in confusion.

Posted: **Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:53 pm**

Leroy runs over to the kid and picks up his IV tubes.

"Theres an emergency downstairs" he shouts to the man "we're gonna put you somewhere you'll both be safe"

With that he tries to hurry them both into the dispencery, grabbing the kids hand and running with him if necessary.

Posted: **Mon Jun 18, 2007 2:02 pm**

The child moves with a shuffling gait far more slowly than the man and Leroy himself do. The door to the Dispencry has been left partially open and it beckons to Leroy with its promise of safety. The fluorescent lights overhead begin to flicker, not in tandem, but in a bizarre sort of rhythm that make the shadows seem to come alive, twisting and contorting across the walls and making his head spin.

"What's going on?" asks the child. "Are you a doctor? Where's mum? They said there was a chemical thing."

"Now, look," says the middle-aged and rather rotund man, gazing at Leroy with a look of pure disgust. "Now, look, where's the real men in charge here? Shouldn't they be doing something for us?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 18, 2007 2:07 pm**

Leroy will pick the kid up and try and run with him to the dispencery.

"You can go and look for a doctor" he says to the man "or come with us and save your ass"

Posted: **Mon Jun 18, 2007 2:20 pm**

The kid is light and easily carried. The man grumbles under his breath but follows with a deep, loud sigh.

Posted: **Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:35 pm**

Once inside Leroy starts looking around for the roll of tape that must have been used by whoever sealed the door. His plan is to make sure they have more than enough tape for themselves then throw the roll out to anyone else who comes upstairs and tell them to seal themselves in somewhere.
As far as Leroy is concerned the dispencery is now theirs.

Posted: **Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:59 pm**

Halfway through his efforts, the screaming starts.

Posted: **Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:30 pm**

Shivering Leroy starts to seal the gaps around the door, using twice as much tape as it looks as though it needs and making sure there isnt the smallest possible space for the 'gas' to creep through..

"there must be some gauze or bandages around" he says " someone make the kid some earplugs."

Posted: **Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:32 pm**

Carson looks around for anything that might be of use - gauze, bandages, more tape...

Posted: **Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:29 am**

There is no fabric here that could be used for banages. Just paper, pens and medications.

The pimple-faced kid, no older than 14, has used his fingers as make-shift earplugs but even so he has gone quite pale and his breathing has gone from somewhat normal to laboured and shallow. He slumps to the floor.

The older man's tirade of irate abuse at the hospital, at the niggars that must have set off the bomb, at everything but the Queen herself snaps off at the sound of the screams.

The fluorescent lights overhead flicker, threatening to go out.

Posted: **Mon Jun 25, 2007 5:25 pm**

Once he is certain the door is perfectly sealed Leroy will go over to the kid and and make sure he is alright.

Posted: **Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:26 am**

Now that there is no more urgency, the truth of their situation finally seems to sink in. Carson manages to shrug it off. Perhaps being in a Dispencry, surrounded by the drugs that make his days worthwhile, helps him with this.

Leroy is hit by the enormity of the situation. London, his home city, covered in a black fog that turns the population into ash, their flesh stripped and burned, as they hammered on the doors. His home city would never be the same. His life would never be the same. It was enough to make him falter as he moved towards the boy.

The man's voice becomes louder, more desperate and more strident. His whole body seems to help him project his booming voice. "I am Gregory Pickman, renowned lawyer, and I demand to know what's going on. When will we be evacuated? Where is the doctor? I refuse to stand in here like some fool. I need help. I need medical attention."

The lad merely sits upon the floor with his head in his hands.

As abruptly as it starts, the screaming stops.

Posted: **Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:15 pm**

Feeling shaky Leroy crouches down by the kid but keeps his eye on Gregory Pickman in case he heads for the door.

"Hey man, didn't you hear those screams, its dangerous out there. If your hurting we've got painkillers, otherwise we wait here until the authorities say its all clear"

The nervousness is apparent in his voice. Visions of the people outside the hospital doors...corroding.. keep passing before his eyes

Note: if Gregory asks for painkillers Leroy will try and slip him some sleeping pills or sedatives, figuring it will stop him causing trouble.

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 6:45 am**

Leroy's mobile phone rings.

Posted: **Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:16 pm**

Leroy doesn't even remember picking his phone up, but hearing the ring fishes it instinctivly from out of his pocket. For a while he stares at it blankly. He knows he has to answer it but seems reluctant, letting the shrill tone fill the room, in tandem with the flicker of the lights...

Eventually he presses the answer button and puts it to his ear.

"Hello..?"

Posted: **Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:34 pm**

An unfamiliar woman's voice responds: "Yes? Can you hear me? Where are you?"

Followed by a man's voice: "Hello? Yes, I can hear you! Are you okay? This is Aidan O'Connell, with Child Welfare... Uhm... I'm trapped in the Dr. Dullard's office... Is there anyway someone could let me out? This chemical spill has me a worried."

Posted: **Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:42 am**

Leroy listens in frowning.

"Hello" he says "is there someone else there?"

Posted: **Sat Jul 07, 2007 4:18 pm**

"Someone else?" Aidan O'Connell says. "Here? No... It's just me, in the Administration Office. Dr. Dullard stepped out a minute ago and seems to have locked the door behind him and hasn't come back. With this chemical incident, I'm a bit on edge. You wouldn't be able to get someone to let me out, would you?"

Posted: **Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:00 pm**

"Listen dude, you need to stay where you are. And seal yourself in, make sure the gas can't get through the gaps in the door. This.. er gas, its dangerous you hear me!"

Posted: **Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:23 am**

"Wait, there is someone else, there's me! My name's Jill and I'm in the Children's Ward ... or, well the Nurse's Station next to the ward. I'm getting a heater because the little ones are cold." Jill babbles at the same time as you do. "I, let me move the heater to the Ward and then I'll come find you, Mr. O'Connell. Who else is on the line?"

Posted: **Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:31 am**

"My names Leroy, theres four of us sealed in the dispencery on the first floor. But don't come down here! We heard people outside screaming. And on the ground floor.."

He stops, looking at the kid next to him and lowers his voice to a whisper.

"I saw the darkness come in through the front door, it killed everybody. Don't let it touch you!

Posted: **Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:56 am**

"Actually, I think the gas, or darkness, or whatever, has passed through," says Jill. "I went through the hallway to get here and mostly it's just cold. But it does look like some horrible stuff happened as the gas passed through."

Aidan speaks before Jill has finished, almost as though the phone is not sending and receiving the messages as quickly as it normally should. "Jesus... I'm on the fifth floor, and there's a window in this office. Please, someone let me out! Jill is it? Please, could I trouble you to let me out? ... But knock first... If I don't answer, then it's too late for me."

Then she replies: "Yes, I'll come for you. Just ... just stay calm. Leroy? I think the worst is over. You might want to take stock of resources. Maybe we can pool what we have. I might need some help taking care of these kids. I'm going to move this heater into their ward, and then I'll come get you, Aidan." The phone clicks.

"Yes, of course, tend to the children first. I will do what I can here for now..." he says and hangs up.

Posted: **Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:41 am**

After seeing peoples flesh being stripped from their bones its going to take a lot to persuade Leroy to leave the safety of the dispencery, nethertheless he turns around and tries to peer through the shutters over the window. He is most anxious to look outside and find out whats happened to the city, but scared also to leave the room.

This can't be happening all over London, its too much to contemplate

He turns his thoughts off before they can turn to Toby and Marsha.

"We've got a shedload of medicine down here," he says into the phone, "but we're not in any hurry to leave. Hang on I'm just going to take a look outside.."

Posted: **Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:08 pm**

He speaks into a dead phone. It seems they have both hung up. It's hard to be sure but the silence seems deeper now. Out the window is only darkness. The light from the room barely reveals a small patch of concrete and asphalt outside.

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:23 am**

Leroy doesn't believe the 'gas has passed through' and decides to keep Jill comments to himself.

To the others he says, "Theres other people in the building but they're in the same situation as us. Everyones holed up until the emergency services arrive."

He has serious doubts about anyone coming to rescue them but doesn't want to start a panic.

He sits back down next to the kid.

"Hey whats your name?"

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:32 am**

"Outrageous," mutters the man.

"Joel," says the teen.

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:34 pm**

Leroy shoots the man an irritated look then turns his attention to Joel. Part of him wants an argument in order to release some of the attention he's feeling, but the rest of him realises he has to try and keep the situation calm and control. At least talking to the kid will stop him thinking about how awful their predicament really is.

"well, you look like a brave kid Joel. whats with the IV?"

Posted: **Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:25 am**

Joel just sighs and shrugs. "How long d'you think it'd last before it clears?"

Posted: **Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:35 pm**

"I don't know" he smiles weakly "but better safe than sorry huh?"

Feeling restless he gets up again and walks over to the door. He leans against it and takes a deep breath, trying to get the potential sound of panic out of his voice.

"HELLO" he shouts "IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?"

Posted: **Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:29 pm**

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/3/30/939550/Die.mp3
The words fade out only to be replaced by a terrible metallic screeching sound coming from upstairs as though something were being torn or dragged that didn't want to be moved. Joel rises to his feet with a frightened shriek and flattened himself against the corner. The older man looks briefly offended, then terrified, and points a shaking finger at Leroy. "Protect us! It's your duty!"

Posted: **Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:09 pm**

Its my duty? Leroy almost laughs hysterically. Why is everyone depending on me all of a sudden? I'm only the hospital porter for crissake. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO!

"WHOS THERE" he shouts, banging on the door, "WHATS THAT NOISE?"

Posted: **Sat Jul 14, 2007 5:11 am**

No answer. The screech of metal continues unabated.

Posted: **Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:24 pm**

Leroy stares up at the ceiling as the screeching noise continues.

We're all going to die, he thinks

"Okay everyone stay came, right now we're in the safest place possible."

He tries to keep the fear out of his voice.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:02 am**

The temperature drops dramatically, leaving their breaths as white clouds. The flueorescent lights flicker overhead.

"This can't be good," says Joel, his Northern accent made abundantly clear in that one phrase. He had sounded far more of a Londoner before, perhaps the fear had shaken his well-practised attempt to cover his accent.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:15 am**

Shit, Leroy thinks, I have to know whats going on

He takes the mobile out of his pocket and brings up the number of the last incoming call, then presses dial.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:23 am**

He gets the engaged signal.

Posted: **Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:03 pm**

Turning the phone off Leroy closes his eyes and leans back against the door. He knows soon someone is going to ask him what they should do, but perhaps they won't, perhaps he can just stay like this for a while. The screeching wails through his head making it impossible to think anymore.

He plans on staying like this until everything just goes away. Its cold.

Posted: **Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:54 am**

The older man lets loose a frustrated cry and springs for the door, his eyes wild. "Let me out of here!"

Posted: **Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:42 pm**

Leroys eyes flick open. He realises he'd been silently waiting for something like this to happen.

"NO! You'll kill us all!!"

He launches himself at the man and tries to grapple him to the ground.

http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=1162715

not fast enough...

Posted: **Sat Jul 21, 2007 2:50 pm**

The older man opens the door onto a dark and ashen hospital floor. The sea green paint hangs in peels from the walls. Smears of ash and dirt line the linoleum. Ash floats in the air, though, settling on the floors and walls and coming loose in an unfelt breeze. There are signs of a rapid departure, of overturned drink bottles, of knocked-over equipment, a dropped teddy bear, a left-behind backpack, of a newspaper scattered across the floor and imprinted with footprints. Then the door flaps closed as the man flees into the darkness.

Posted: **Sat Jul 21, 2007 2:57 pm**

Leroy stands there in shock and waits for the screams, but none come. He slowly shuffles towards the door and pushes it open again, staring at the devastation.

Posted: **Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:01 am**

Translucent shadows, ghostly in their form, move about. Their features are too insubstantial to be recognised as they move in a grotesque mockery of human life. Behind them all stands a familiar female, watching them, her head lowered so that her eyes were hidden by her fringe, wet rust running down her vest and long-sleeved shirt, down her knee-high skirt, to run in rivulets down her hands and legs.

Posted: **Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:39 pm**

Leroy blinks his eyes.

"Cynthia?" he says.

It occurs to him that he might starting to crack, or residue in the air is causing some kind of hallucination. Really he should go back where its safe, but he doesn't think he could stand to be sealed in that ice locker again, knowing the nightmare was outside.

Maybe Cynthia has some answers, but didn't she go away..?

He takes a wary step forward.

Posted: **Sun Jul 22, 2007 8:51 pm**

The shades shatter like glass statue against concrete, leaving only him and her and a room that stretches impossibly forward. For a long moment, it seems to Carson, Leroy pauses on the precipice, but then he steps forward and is gone.

Posted: **Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:21 pm**

Well Leroy, you're not in Kansas anymore.

He giggles, aware that he's not perhaps in his right mind. I always wanted to say that, but the right situation never came up.

"Cynthia, is this you. Is this because I never listened? Even if your a figment, you're here to tell me what to do aren't you? Like you always did."

"What happened to you Cynthia? I miss you so much."

"WHATS GOING ON!" he screams.

OOC: Shit Leroys lost it. But can you blame him?

Posted: **Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:35 pm**

Cynthia juts out her hip and puts a slender hand on her waist. Then she turns and struts down the stairs to the ground floor, disappearing from view.

Posted: **Tue Jul 24, 2007 3:48 pm**

"Cynthia?"

Bewildered Leroy runs to the top of the stairs and stares downwards.

This isn't real, of course. Perhaps she's a vision, or a visitation. A faery, he thinks recalling the scraps of Irish folklore told to him by his mother, come to show me the way out of this mess, tell me whats going on. And then I'll open my eyes and still be in the dispencery, leaning back against the door. Of course! There must have been something to all that blarney after all. And Cynthia, with her gipsy blood..

Leroy prepares to follow his 'vision' downstairs.

OOC: faeries? yeah right. I keep shouting at him not to go but he won't listen! come back leroy!

Posted: **Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:09 am**

The darkness downstairs is near absolute, though he can detect the hint of light coming from the Nurse's Station as he comes down the stairs. It seems the warm glow is coming from one of the cupboards down there. The sound of whispering reaches his ears as he reaches the bottom few steps, like several children were whispering just off the staircase. One utters a tiny giggle.

Posted: **Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:54 am**

The hairs tingle on the back of Leroys neck. He has a very bad feeling.

Why didnt I bring a torch. Oh right yeah, because this is a hallucination. Still...he remembers the darker side of his mothers tales, hobgoblins and will o the wisps. Giggling children who turned out to be monsters, luring travellers to their doom. What if this were a nightmare insted of a dream? Perhaps he should go back upstairs

Feeling the panic rise he takes a deep breath, then starts running through the darkness towards the light in the nurses station.

Posted: **Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:01 am**

He feels himself mobbed by many small shapes, pressing in on him and holding him back somewhat. Upstairs comes the comforting glow from the Dispencry.

Posted: **Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:38 am**

"Who are you, whats going on?" Leroy shouts out as he continues to run, trying to shove the shapes gently out of the way.

Posted: **Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:40 am**

His hands sweep through thickened air. The voices giggle around him as he reaches the Nurse's Station, lifts the flap and moves for the cupboard. A torch can be seen jutting out of one of the cupboard doors.

Posted: **Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:42 am**

OOC: here we go...

He grabs hold of the torch and turns round, shining it at the shapes, trying to make them out.

Posted: **Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:03 am**

Nothing. He is alone.

Posted: **Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:33 pm**

He breathes a sigh of relief and slumps back against the nurses station.

Its all in your head of course, Leroy old boy. You must have lost the plot there for a while. Faery guides? Imagining old teenage crushes. What a cornball!

He tries to grin but it feels horrible and forced. Shining the torch around the ground floor he tries to spot anything unusual, before preparing to head back to the dispencery.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 2:40 am**

Accident & Emergency's intercom sparked to life. Beneath the static, a voice can be heard. "Nurse Sarah to Paediatrics Play Room, Nurse Sarah to Paediatrics Play Room," says an oddly toneless and genderless voice. Yet there is something oddly familiar about it. It's as though he knows the speaker, and despite it being warped, he could still tell.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:20 am**

Leroy pauses, unable ( or unwilling ) to distinguish between what is real and what might be an illusion.

Don't listen. Joel and Carson are upstairs waiting for you, they'll be wondering where you've gone. Someone trying to lure you...

All the same, he doesn't move.

Cynthia though, she did lead you to this torch. And maybe the voice is for real.

Sure Leroy, look around, its just business as usual.

Reluctantly he heads back towards the stairs and the dispencery, all the time casting the torchlight around the hospital behind him.

I'll go get Joel and Carson, and then we'll come back down. See if we can find any other survivors..

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 10:24 am**

As he places his foot upon the first step, he hears a man's voice screaming in agony coming from upstairs, coupled with the screeching of twisted, contorted metal being ripped to pieces. The screams don't stop, they continue on and on again.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 3:16 pm**

Joel! he thinks, and sprint up the stairs as fast as he can.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 3:31 pm**

http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/3/30/ ... 0Ghost.mp3

He finds Joel still in the room, staring nervously at Carson who stands, trembling in the corner, facing away. Joel takes a few careful sidesteps towards Leroy.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 3:55 pm**

"Joel, whats happening, who's screaming?"

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:00 pm**

"Upstairs," Joel mouths, rolling his eyes upwards toward the ceiling.

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:16 pm**

"Okay Joel, Carson? I've got a torch, its time to get out of here you hear me? Everythings clear downstairs and we're going to take a peek at the outside world, away from all that noise. Sounds pretty good huh?"

Thank you Cynthia, he thinks, you were showing me the safe way out of here after all

Posted: **Thu Jul 26, 2007 4:28 pm**

Joel slides the IV tube over to where Leroy stands. "L-let's just go, man. Let's just go."

Carson just stares at the wall, his shoulders rising and falling with his breathing. He makes little mewling sounds, as though he were crying.

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:35 am**

Leroy grabs Carson and shakes him.

"Come on Carson we don't have time for this, get yourself together. We're a partnership remember, I need you watching my back."

If that doesn't work he'll give him a slap across the face in the grand old hollywood tradition.

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:34 am**

He yanks Carson around and reels back in shock. Thick ropey blood hangs from his nose and lips, splashing and sticking to his shirt. Carson gibbers cheerfully, reddened tears running down from the corners of his eyes. "The water ... oh well ... can't be bothered for trying."

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 5:52 pm**

Leroy grabs hold of Joel and pushes him towards the door as he steadily backs away from Carson.

"Hey, d-don't worry Carson" he stammers, "We're gonna get you er...m-medical assistance."

Posted: **Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:20 pm**

Joel moves obediently. "Y-yeah."

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:24 am**

Leroy backs out of the room with Joel and heads back for the stairway.

"You want to tell me what happened in there?"

A wall of guilt hits him as he thinks about leaving Carson behind.

But we're going to get help.

Yeah, right.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:27 am**

"There was water dripping down from one of the vents," says Joel softly. "It hit him on the face and he turned away, turned to the corner, and wouldn't talk to me. He started bleeding... I don't know. I know I don't want to go back in there."

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:35 am**

Damn it

Leroy pauses on the staircase.

OOC: what are his chances of giving Carson medical assistance. are there drugs in the dispencery that could stop/slow the bleeding?

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:47 am**

OOC: Unlikely for that amount of blood. A doctor or surgeon could try to diagnose him properly and treat him if you could find one.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:00 am**

OOC: Well, that eases Leroy concience for the short term.

He takes his young ward down to the ground floor. Still uneasy he shines the torch around.

"There was a voice over the intercom, telling a nurse to come to.. pedeatrics I think."

but instead of heading in that direction he can't resist going over to the main entrance and looking outside, to try and see whats happened to the city.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:05 am**

As he approaches Accident & Emergency, he notices a few thin trails of blood that leads to a broken window into the outside world. It seems to be almost raining ash outside. The grey motes dance in his torch light. But that isn't what grabs his attention the most.

Moving onward, to the square that is Accident & Emergency's main entrance he sees the darkness pressing in on the outside from all sides. He also sees an ambulance partway into the Accident & Emergency lobby, a corner sticking in through glass that must have shattered awhile ago, littering the floor. Within the ambulance sits a nurse in the darkness - no torch in her hand - a mask over her mouth.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:10 am**

"Stay here Joel"

Approaching carefully he shines his torch into the ambulance, making sure he is some distance away.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:25 am**

Sarah blinks, shielding her eyes from the glare of the torch. Her eyes are brimming with tears. "H-hello?" she stammers. "Geoff, is that you? Where did everyone go? I don't want to be alone...I'm so afraid..."

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:31 am**

Leroy, all nerves, keeps shining the torch directly at Sarah.

"Who are you" he says sharply "Are you real?"

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:35 am**

Sarah blinks again, this time in confusion. "I'm Sarah," she says, standing up. "Sarah Carpenter, and of course I'm bloody real. Who are you? Where did everyone else go?"

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:41 am**

Leroy points the torch at the ground.

"I'm Leroy" he says, "I'm an orderly...everyones dead. I mean..there might be pockets of people around and I've got a buddy upstairs, he's hurt bad. But most people, this darkness came in through the doors and killed them, I saw it, it touched them and they melted, like they'd been thrown into acid, dozens of them..screaming

And now the hospitals full of ghosts" he whispers.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:46 am**

"There's worse than ghosts out there," says Sarah, trembling. Now that the torch isn't shining in her face, she can get a better look at Leroy. "There were four other people with me in this ambulance. They couldn't have just vanished!" She cautiously steps out of the ambulance and looks around. "Wait, you said your friend's hurt? I can help him." She hefts her bundle of medical supplies in her left hand and slings it over her shoulder while clutching her scalpel in her right.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:04 am**

: leroy.jpg (12.41 KiB) Viewed 749 times

Leroy doesn't seem too suprised to hear that people have been vanishing, he just shrugs it off.

"Yeah, this is real through the looking glass territory"

All the same, his relief at discovering somebody else is obvious, doubled by the fact that she seems competent.

"Ok, I have to warn you though, it could be a real mess and we need to take it careful. And this is Joel by the way."

He turns round and shines the torch on a fourteen year old boy attached to an IV.

For now he decides not to mention the worse stuff he heard, the screaming and the sound of twisting metal

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:10 am**

"Nice to meet you chaps," says Sarah. She fishes out some surgical masks from the bundle and hands them out to Leroy and Joel. "Let's go. You'd better put these on. I'd originally donned mine to protect myself from the ash, but there's an even better reason to wear it. Believe me, I know all about needing to be careful now. We've got to stick together at all times."

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:59 am**

"Thanks" syas Leroy, taking the mask and heading for the stairs. It occurs to him that if Carsons heamorraging they better move fast. "Do you think, I've been seeing some strange s**t, do you think the air could be toxic...that reminds me, Carson got sick after he was splashed by some water from one of the vents. I think this whole damn place is poisonous.."

He stops, mindful that Joel is listening. Something else occurs to him as they climb the stairs.

"You said your name was Sarah? Was there a call for you over the intercom?"

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 3:19 pm**

"If the air were toxic," says Sarah as she quickly follows Leroy and Joel, "we'd all be dead by now. And we're not hallucinating. I wish we were, but I'm sure all of this is real." She shivers again, looking carefully in every darkened crevice as they pass, dreading that something will leap out and grab her. She had been especially wary when walking through darkened areas of the hospital or through the car park at night ever since Lyle had started stalking her, but nothing had ever happened here. Instead he had finally come after her in the one place she had felt safe. "I heard the intercom message too, and it probably was meant for me. I don't know who was speaking, but the message had to have come from one of the nurses' stations or maybe the administrator's office. It can't be for real, though, or they'd have used my last name. I think...I think someone's trying to lure me there. I...I feel like I'm being stalked." Again.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 3:31 pm**

A smear of blood curves towards a broken window just past the threshold outside of the Accident & Emergency. As they come down the hospital corridor, their footfalls the loudest things they can hear, they notice a series of blood drops leading across toward the Linen Area. A clatter of metal can be heard coming from behind them as though someone had dropped a steel tray onto the floor.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 3:41 pm**

Sarah freezes, her blood running cold, and turns back towards the sound. She grips Leroy's arm and raises a finger to her lips. Then she silently hands him and Joel each a knife from her bundle and makes sure that all three of them have two masks each. She motions for them to put their masks on if they haven't already. Then she takes one silent step towards the source of the noise, clutching her scalpel firmly in her trembling right hand.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 4:24 pm**

There is no sign of anyone behind them. The sound did seem to come from the depths of the Accident & Emergency area.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 4:33 pm**

"There could be one of those...monsters...back there...or more," Sarah whispers to Leroy, "but it looks like someone's badly hurt. We've got to help them. Let's follow the blood trail, but be careful."

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 4:41 pm**

The blood trail heads towards the large storage room to the left, in the opposite direction from the sound.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 4:49 pm**

"You've got the torch," Sarah whispers, "so you should lead the way. I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled for anything following us." She shivers again, feeling vulnerable out in the open like this.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 7:08 pm**

"monsters?" Leroy is instantly suspicous "look, i've got a friend upstairs and he's bleeding to death. shit, he's probably dead."

they lure you down here with ghosts of old girlfriends. now theres this attractive blond telling you to go ahead with the torch, show her you've got balls. follow the trail of blood thats a good boy

except she touched you didn't she. that was real.

"either way we go we're leaving someone for dead, you realise that?"

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 7:18 pm**

Sarah nods, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. I want to save them both, dammit, she thinks. How can I decide? "If your friend is that bad off," she whispers, "we should go upstairs. It looks like it might be too late for this person anyway. I'll follow you either way. It's your call."

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 7:27 pm**

Leroy looks at Sarah carefully, trying to sus her out, but he never could stand up to a womans tears.

"Ok, so we'll save both, but upstairs first"

He tries out a smile, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. Still, it was worth a shot.

"Everyone stay behind me, but keep an eye out for anything following us too."

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:09 pm**

Sarah nods again and brings up the rear, constantly looking back and listening for any more strange noises. She knows she'll be the first one attacked if anything comes at them from behind, but Leroy has to lead the way with his torch and she can't let Joel take the risk. Where could Geoff and the others have gone? she wonders. How are we going to survive this mess? The Doctor isn't going to materialize in his TARDIS and save us, and I'm no Martha Jones. I'll do whatever I can, though. At least I'm not alone any more. She doesn't really know Leroy or Joel yet, but their presence reassures her.

Posted: **Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:38 pm**

Leroy heads up the stairs, alternately shining the torch ahead and then behind to make sure nothing follows them.

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:57 am**

There is a lot of blood running up the stairs from the First Floor to the Second Floor. Not enough to indicate someone who was dead but to indicate someone who was quite injured.

The sound of movement can be heard and when Leroy shines it in the noise's direction, he sees Carson jerkily unhinging the Dispencry's door with a screwdriver. Long lines of ropey blood hang from his nose, the edge of his lips and his ears as well. The blood seems to have clotted as it fell, or else, it had never been a thinner consistency.

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 9:09 am**

"Well there he is", says Leroy, putting a hand on Sarahs shoulder as she prepares to go forward.

"You don't think that blood could be..infected do you?" Whatever is up with Carson he doesn't like the look of it. He moves towards him, carefully.

"Hey Carson" he says, trying to sound matter of fact and friendly. "Watcha doing?"

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 9:29 am**

"Building," murmurs Carson.

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:19 pm**

"The bleedings stopped but..he isn't normal. Maybe he had some kind of brain heamorrhage, I mean the blood was coming out of his eyes and ears and everything. Do you think you can do anything..I don't know if we should get too close."

"What you building Carson, something useful?"

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:22 pm**

"It might be infected," says Sarah, setting the bundle down and opening it up. "Could have been something in the water. He sure is acting odd. In any case, I don't want to infect him further with these dirty gloves. She takes them off and puts on a clean pair from the bundle, then hands another to Leroy. "Here, put these on. If he doesn't cooperate I may need your help to talk some sense into him or, if necessary, restrain him."

Sarah begins to examine Carson, checking to make sure the bleeding has in fact stopped and seeing if there's anything she can do for him.

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:29 pm**

"Hey old buddy" Leroy says to Carson, "I found you a nurse, just like I said I would, and a pretty one too. Shes just going to check you out, make sure the bleedings stopped, so you take it easy okay."

Leroy will walk up to Carson first and try to distract him with a load of amiable chatter. He especially keeps an eye on the hand with the screwdriver.

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:36 pm**

Sarah can't help but smile behind her double masks. "Thanks," she says to Leroy, then turns back to Carson and continues to look him over. "My name is Sarah Carpenter. Just relax and I'll help you." She checks his temperature and listens to his heart, quickly getting into the rhythm of her job and able to at least temporarily stop thinking about her terrible plight.

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:58 pm**

"Building ... the nets ... too close ... must keep it down." Carson smiles sleepily at Sarah but he doesn't otherwise respond to her, forcing her to take his temperature and listen to his heart rate while he takes down the door. Once he has it, he goes and puts it in the middle of the floor and goes into the Dispencry to start dismantling the cupboards.

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 4:08 pm**

Sarah follows Carson, puzzled, and continues trying to find out what's wrong with him. "What nets?" she asks. "Keep what down?" She glances over to Leroy. "He's definitely acting funny. Was he this way before that water dripped on him? I was afraid the water supply might have been contaminated. I took the precaution of bringing some containers of water from the ambulance. We should drink only that and avoid anything that comes out of a tap, but it won't last forever. There's got to be water stored away somewhere, though."

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 4:29 pm**

"Have to build," says Carson, irritated and demanding.

Posted: **Sun Jul 29, 2007 4:53 pm**

"Probably best to just let him build...whatever he's building," says Sarah, packing the bundle back up. "He doesn't look like he's about to drop dead, at any rate. We saw those trails of blood earlier. There was the one downstairs, and there was also one leading upstairs to the floor above. That second trail looked like a lot of blood. Whoever left it must have been badly hurt, but probably still alive. You said you also heard screaming upstairs earlier, right? I can't go up there by myself, though, especially since I don't have a torch, but I don't like the idea of leaving Carson and Joel by themselves either."

Posted: **Mon Jul 30, 2007 7:40 am**

"Well, one thing I probably should have mentioned before, Carsons got a bit of a painkiller habit. If I had to guess now I'd say he was doped up, it might be safer to leave him where he is. He seems happy enough anyway.

If theres anyone else in the hospital i'm down for seeking them out, as long as we stick together. What do you say Joel, you want to come with us? I'm not sure the outside world is ready for us yet."

nets, I wonder what Carson means?

Posted: **Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:44 pm**

"Well, that might explain his behavior," says Sarah. "Okay, if you're sure we can leave him alone, let's head upstairs to the second floor. Whoever left the blood trail leading up there is likely still alive but has lost a lot of blood and needs help quickly. Let's go." Besides, she thinks, I'm really dreading going back to the ground floor. Something was down there with us, and whatever was awaiting me in the Paediatrics Play Area probably isn't good. And whatever wounded these people is likely still down there.

Posted: **Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:41 am**

Taking one last look at Carson, Leroy prepares to head up to the second floor.

"You were outside", he says to Sarah, "what was it like out there? Do you think this thing has affected the whole city?"

He's about to mention he has a son out there but cuts himself off. At some level he realises he's probably dead and he can't handle thinking about that, not right now.

Just pretend its not happening. Keep on playing happy families with Sarah and Joel. After all isn't that what the old man would have done?

Shut up, he tells himself.

Posted: **Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:01 am**

"Was that a...?" Joel murmurs, stopping mid-step and peering down the stairs to the Ground Floor. "I guess not. Strange."

Posted: **Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:30 pm**

"What was it Joel, you see something?"

Posted: **Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:59 pm**

Joel rubbed his eyes with his free hand, he had tucked the scalpel in his belt for safe keeping - his other pushed along the IV drip that he was quickly growing tired of. His throat ached, but not as bad as it was before coming to the hospital. At Leroy's question, Joel shook his head. "Mind's playing tricks," he said with a scratchy voice. He blinked his eyes and looked to the Sarah and Leroy standing before him and asked, "Do you think we can find my mum? She just went down to the shoppe to pick me up a magazine."

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:23 am**

"It's horrible out there," says Sarah, wincing from the memory. "It looks like that cloud thing has affected the whole city." She turns to Joel. "Your mum went to the hospital gift shoppe? We can check it out once we've dealt with the injured. Wh-what did you see?" Sarah peeks timidly down the stairs. "Please, you can tell me. I won't think you're crazy, I promise. If I told you what happened in the ambulance, you'd think I'm crazy."

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:00 am**

Joel pointed hesitantly down the stairs to the ground floor, as if doing so might bring about unwanted attention from an unseen enemy. He cleared his throat and said "There... I thought I saw a boy, about 2 years old ... but it's just the shadows on the floor, I think." Then turning away from the stairs, he asked, "After the injured, can we get some water to drink? They should have some in the gift shoppe, right?"

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:18 am**

"We should go see first," says Sarah, "just in case. Believe me, I have no desire to go back down there, but if there's a little boy toddling around we can't just leave him." She reaches into her pundle, pulls out a sealed container of water, and hands it to Joel. "I brought some of these from the ambulance, and I'm sure they have bottled water in the gift shoppe. For the long term maybe we can find some of those big containers of water they use in water coolers in a storeroom somewhere. First things first, though. You two ready to go downstairs?"

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:26 am**

"Talking about sounding crazy...earlier I thought I saw someone too, a ..friend from the old estate. When I followed her downstairs there were all these, what seemed to be ghosts down there, but when I found the torch and turned it on, everyone had disappeared, even Cynthia. What I'm trying to say is something might be trying to lure us down there..

We all know that whats going on isn't normal. If you ask me this is real book of revelations shit."

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:36 am**

Sarah nods. "You're right," she says. "That strange message on the intercom sure seemed designed to lure me. I really don't want to go down there. It's probably a trick of some kind. We'll go up to the second floor after all. That blood leading upstairs is real, I'm sure of that." She quivers as she takes another look downstairs. "When we were in the ambulance, I recognized a voice that was speaking on the radio. The voice of someone very bad...and someone very dead. I sure hope he stays that way."

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:59 am**

Joel shivered. He wasn't ready for any of this... it was supposed to be a routine procedure, not the four horsemen of the apocolypse. And if that ash brought forth bad dead people, he hoped it wouldn't do the same for bad live people. His thoughts flickered over to the last time he saw his father, the day he knocked the man unconscious with his father's favored high-school trophey - the same trophey his dad waved in front of his face on countless occasions as he reminded Joel just how useless he was.

He took the water from Sarah and managed, "Thanks..." and he followed closely behind of the other two as they led the way.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:17 am**

The hospital gift shop is outside as the hospital administration had no way of finding room for it within the hospital itself. It is also a part of the cafe/restaurant area that is in the process of being renovated. It is surprising that it was open at all but then, the administration at the hospital tended on doing surprising things.

The large blood smear leads upstairs. Its dusty and coagulated, with lumpy, bloody footprints leading down the landing to the ground floor, only to disappear. Upstairs there is even more blood, leading alongside bloody footprints, to the Children's Ward. This floor seems almost static, lost in time, as though they were in a museam room where everything had remained the same for years.

A low whistling comes from the lower west side of the hospital floor (lower west on the map).

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:36 am**

"Be quiet," whispers Sarah. "Whatever did this could still be around. Let's keep following that trail of blood. Wait, hold on."

She pauses when she hears the whistling, holds up a hand, and peers in the direction that it came from.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:39 am**

Joel looks toward the whistling, toward the Director's Office and the ICU, wondering what's making the noise. "Um... you don't think ... maybe that's the sound of air from outside coming in a broken or open window, do you?" The boy didn't like the idea of having a gaping opening to the outside so close at hand. He repositioned himself to make sure Leroy was between him and the whistling as interference.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:43 am**

Sarah shrugs and listens intently, clutching her knife and trying to discern whether the sound is the wind, or if it has a human source.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:45 am**

Unless the human has mastered the art of being able to breathe in while whistling, then no. It is always possible, though, humans being capable of whistling in all sorts of ways, though Joel's idea is perhaps more likely. Or it would have been, had the whistling not seemed to be nearing them with each few moments.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:47 am**

"Move!" hisses Sarah quietly, ducking back into the stairwell. "It's coming!"

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:39 am**

A phone rings shrilly and persistently from downstairs and far away. It is not coming from the Nurse's Station by the foot of the stairs but further from the rear part of the Ground Floor.

The source of the whistling, low and eerie, continues to approach. Beyond and beneath the sharp-pitched sound comes the shuffling scrape of soft-bottomed shoes against the linoleum floor. The lights upon the Second Floor flicker on and off, creating a hellish kalaedoscope of half-forgotten memories and twisting, coiling, inhuman forms.

Sarah retreats downstairs, the sound of the telephone calling her, its insistent sound comforting in comparison to that alien whistle-shuffle of whatever approached, for the telephone was a human invention used for human contact.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:58 am**

"Follow me!" hisses Sarah as she scrambles down the stairs. "Hurry!" She easily outpaces Leroy and Joel, but she hopes that they're behind her. The thought of going anywhere alone terrifies her, and they've got the torch. All she knows is that she has to get away from that thing. Without realizing it, she heads past the first floor landing and towards the ground floor, the place she fears the most. She feels she has to answer that phone. It's coming from my duty station! she realizes. Could Daddy be trying to call me? That must be it! His shift ended hours ago, but he must have heard about what's going on. She quickens her step in the hopes of hearing his voice and speaking to him again.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:33 am**

Before Leroy realises, the situation seems to be out of control, although he's as freaked out by the whistling and footsteps as everybody else.

Theres no escape, the ghosts are everywhere!

He hears Sarahs 'follow me' and turns round to see her disappear down the stairs.

"For Gods sake Sarah, wait!" he says in panic, and starts running after her, hoping that Joel is quick enough to keep up with them.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:26 am**

Joel does his best to keep up, but it isn't easy lugging around an IV drip and going down stairs with it. "Can't we take the elevator? Doesn't this place have elevators?" Joel asks, not expecting an answer.

As he watches the two adults easily outpace him, he's reminded of the joke where two boys were running from a bear in the woods. The first boy says quite anxiously, 'I sure hope we can outrun this bear!' The second boy responds with 'I don't have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you!' Joel laughs - at what could be such an awkward time. This brought him back to the present.

He had no idea why they were running. It was just a whistling noise. "You know... maybe someone was bringing a tea pot around on a roll-around burner?" He knew that didn't make much sense , but neither did running away from something just because something was whistling in the dark.

Now on the ground floor, Joel looked around for some lonesome two-year-old child... not really wanting to find it. That would seriously slow them down.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:37 am**

The phone call rings insistently. It has reached its third ring. A chill wind blows through the corridor downstairs, causing their breaths to form even greater clouds of condensation, and their bodies to tremble with lost heat. It seemed that the First and Second Floors were subtly warmer, perhaps by several degrees Celsius.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:04 am**

Halfway down the stairs Leroy finds himself having to choose between letting Sarah run ahead without a torch or waiting for Joel to catch up.

"Sarah!" he shouts again, as he stops and shines the torch back up the stairwell. When he turns back round he's lost sight of her in the darkness..

When Joel catches up he takes hold of his hand until they hit the ground floor, his guilty father feelings starting to kick in again.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 5:52 pm**

"Br-r-r-r-r!" Joel exclaimed as he shivered in his thin hospital gown. "Who turned on the Air Conditioning?" He was greatful that Leroy decided to hold up for him... and thoughts of how his dad might react in this situation tickled his brain.

'What's wrong with you? Are ya bloody cripple, bloke? You can't even keep up with an old man like me! Worthless piece of shite!'

Joel grimaced at the thought and tried to push it out of his head with more pressing matters. He looked around as they ran along searching for a jacket he might be able to snatch. He also tries to determine from which direction the chill wind comes, to see if he can associate it with the ventilation system, or if it might have a more natural reason. He supposes it could be some sort of chemical reaction caused by the ash, but why would it be more prevalent downstairs when the ash seemed to permeate the whole hospital excluding the sealed up rooms.

Posted: **Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:28 pm**

What am I doing? thinks Sarah. She slows down so that Leroy and Joel have a chance to catch up and she can catch her breath. "Sorry, chaps," she says, huffing. "Sometimes I forget I'm practically a bloody track star. Is it still chasing us...the whistling thing? There is a lift, but I don't know if it still works and I wouldn't want to get trapped inside. That phone...it's the one at the duty station where I work, near the operating theaters. I think my dad's trying to reach me - he's a doctor who works here."

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:05 am**

"I think we should stay away from lifts", says Leroy, shuddering at the thought of being trapped inside one, "but lets find the phone. I don't care if it is some sort of ghost, as long as they tell us whats going on!" He looks round. Carting patients to and from the operating theatre is something hes done dozens of times, so it doesn't take him long to get his bearings.

"Ok, this way."

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:12 am**

"The ... stuff, it doesn't seem to have affected anything but people. Power's still on. Lifts should be perfectly safe," the boy reasons through his shivers. "I don't like this cold though... this isn't natural. Maybe I could hack into the mainframe and see if someone kicked the air coolers on? At least I could try to turn the heat on."

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:20 am**

Sarah shivers some more, the cold making bumps rise on her flesh. "Right, let's hurry," she says, keeping pace with Leroy. "I know the way too. We'll try not to stay down here too long. It's still cold upstairs, but not like this. The cold isn't natural. I don't know if the building's heat is still working. Maybe we could find a portable heater."

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:09 am**

The whistling sound abruptly stops, leaving them in the silence of their own footsteps and harsh breathing. The cold air seems to be rushing up the left corridor and dispersing down the right. As they approach Accident & Emergency it becomes warmer and more moist as well as more powerful, slowing them down, only to halt and give them a few moments respite, just to blow again.

Six rings and they are halfway there.

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:20 am**

Sarah proceeds hastily alongside Leroy, looking around carefully and paying particular attention to their rear to make sure Joel is all right and that nothing is coming up behind them. She's been through these halls many times and knows them intimately, and yet she had never felt in such peril. Even when she had spotted Lyle stalking her, she had known that he wouldn't have tried anything with so many people around. Now the halls seem empty but for the three of them, and the ringing of the telephone with its promise of contact with the outside world.

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:25 am**

The moist, fetid wind dies down. The ground trembles for a moment and then shakes with a violent force never before experienced by those inside. Each person is knocked flat to the ground and bounced as the floor seems to drop and rise. A loud booming sound can be heard not far from the hospital, followed by the sound of things being knocked down, and above it all, terribly high above it, is an alien keening, high and monstrous. The booms are timed well with the ground's movement and as the booms, crashes and crunches move away at incredible speeds from the hospital, so too does the keening sound, and so too do the forceful bumps weaken, until the noise crackles like thunder in the distance and only a vague shake catches their attention.

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:36 am**

Sarah yelps as she is thrown to the floor, only managing to hold onto her knife because she had been gripping it so intensely. Once the shaking settles down, she drags herself to her feet and collects the bundle of medical supplies, then looks over the others. "Are you lot okay?" she asks, her eyes big and full of fear. "What the devil was that?"

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:53 am**

The quaking and shaking had Joel rolling around on the floor, so too fell his IV Drip. In the jostling about, the IV bottle had become damaged and was leaking onto the floor. Joel looked up to Sarah as he was making his way to his feet, "Um... is this really bad?"

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:01 am**

"Let me help you with that," says Sarah. She pulls some medical tape out of the bundle and uses it to seal the breach in the bottle, then sets the stand upright and replaces the bottle on it. "I don't know what caused that, but I sure hope it doesn't come back!"

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:38 am**

"Thanks," Joel said, though his face didn't reflect his mood. He had just about enough of lugging around the extra baggage while in a life-and-death situation. "I suppose that was an earthquake," the boy rationalizes. "Probably just opened up a large fissure or something." He shrugged and then added, "Or, could have been Godzilla, but I thought he was in Japan." The boy smirked. "Let's get going, I'm freezing my chest hair off, and I don't have that much of it to spare."

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:33 am**

"An earthquake or a bombing raid?" says Leroy as he picks himself up. "Christ, when its the end of the world they don't go for half measures do they? I just hope it doesn't get any colder. Maybe we should try and find some of those silver blankets, you know, for people in shock that stops them losing heat?"

If theres a window nearby he tries to look outside to see what damage has been caused. Otherwise he listens to see if the phone is still ringing.

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:40 am**

The telephone continues to ring. The area surrounding them has really been made a mess of. Files and folders, medical objects, pens and mugs, have all been knocked from their shelving to the floor. Outside, the world is so dark and thick with ash that the penlight can barely penetrate a few feet before being consumed.

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:22 am**

At least, Joel thought, it wasn't as cold as it was back a ways. "Those silver blankets... like the material the astronauts use? Yes. Let's get some of them! Or at least, a jacket for me. This gown is too thin! Say, Sarah, do you think the morgue would have extra clothes laying around? You know... personnal effects of the dearly departed prior to all of this?" The boy leans down and picks up a permanent marker and a notepad, tucking the marker in his back pocket for future use. "Here's a silly question," Joel asks noticing Leroy's facination with the outside world, "what stopped that ash from continuing to come into the building?"

For a moment, Joel began to wonder if maybe they had all died in that sealed up room. And maybe this was Hell, like in the movie 'Silent Hill'. Then suddenly, he missed his mother fiercely. He hoped she managed to avoid the ash.

Posted: **Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:00 am**

Ash floats about the hospital though not nearly to the same extent as it does outside. Here it is a light smattering that float and sink to the floor and walls, only to be picked up on some unfelt wind and moved about again. Outside, though, it is a thick cloud. As they continue down the hospital to Accident & Emergency, the ringing of the telephone becomes louder.

Sarah knows the laundries, soiled linen and other similar rooms would contain clothing or, at the very least, blankets. There would also be clothes in the various chests of drawers in the hospital wards.

Play@YSDC

Leroy in the End Game

Leroy in the End Game

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