The morgue, Dr.Pam
1506 Words
Hanna walked over to the side entrance of the hospital where she believed Amanda had been taken to- she let herself in.
She made her way swiftly down the corridor, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.
She was on a mission. All she could think about was getting to Amanda. She strode quickly down the hall and turned to enter the main hospital.
She passed by the first patient waiting area. Turned at the sign that said "to Elevators"
Hanna had visited patients many times on the other hospital wards.
She had recognized a few staff members along her path.
A man wearing a surgical mask had grabbed her arm. He stopped her to ask her where the lab departnent was.
"Excuse me lady, I need to get to the Lab, can you take me there?"
Hanna had no idea where to go, but not wanting to make a scene, she quickly looked around- she pointed to the sign that said laboratory, and broke away from his grip.
He fell back a little when she did so. He sarcastically thanked her."Yeah, thanks alot."
She nodded her head, then moved away quickly to the elevators not hearing him as he had kept talking to her.
She stepped into the elevator, scanning the floors, finding the one that she wanted she pressed her manicured nail into the basement level button.
She remembered that the morgue was at the basement level.
Tapping on the button a few times nervously, Hanna went back to the last time she was at this morgue- when her mother, Angela had passed away.
She had recieved a very unexpected call from a family friend....
"Hanna? this is officer Mark Williams I've been trying to get hold of your father, Henry. Unfortunately, he's not answering his cell phone. I went to the house and he wasn't there either. Hanna? do you know where he is, how can I get ahold of him?"
Hanna was happy to help him with this and she said,"Well... he's actually on a fishing trip, you know the one he's been talking about for years -going to Canada with Uncle Mike. He actually did it.
I know mom's not too happy because she can't get ahold of him, but she's been sending him emails and ....he promises to check them when he gets in an area that has cell coverage.
I could let her know that you're trying to get a hold of him, would that work?"
Officer Mark paused and he asked her, "Uh, Hanna is your sister Avery with you?"
Hanna turned her head to the side, she was a little confused by the question.
He went on, "We found your mother's car..it was... upside down in a retention pond, we believe that it's been there for a few days now.
The lights were still on, uh maybe I should come over and talk to you."
Hanna fell to her knees as she realized what he was telling her.
She cried out in pain,"Tell me Mark, is my mom okay? Can you tell me? Mark! tell me she made it out of the car!"
She could hear the strain in officer mark's voice as he choked up a little.
It was at that moment, when Mark choked up. It was then that Hanna then realized that her mother was dead.
Officer Mark told her,"Hanna, I'm coming over there."
He softened his voice, "we need you to come down to the hospital and identify her. I'll try to get a hold of your dad, we can send a Canadian mountie up there, where he is.
I'll see you in about half an hour, okay?"
Hanna was sobbing with her head in her hands. She remained on her knees until officer Mark arrived.
He gently helped her up, he put her shoes on her feet, and grabbed her coat.
He had known Hanna since she was just a small toddler. She reminded him of her his own daughter.
He helped her get into the front seat of his police cruiser and drove her down to the hospital. Hanna was in complete shock...
Slowly coming back to present time, as the elevator landed at the bottom floor, Hanna closed her eyes- remembering that horrible accident that had killed her mother.
All of the sadness and loss she had felt washed over her.
It had left a big hole in the family. Her father had never fully recovered.
Hanna's father, Henry decided to take an early retirement from the Portland police department. He had served as a detective, a faithful public servant for over 30 years.
His heart just wasn't in it anymore.
Her sister, Avery had taken the news badly. She was her mother's favorite.
It should have brought them closer together. She was still hoping Avery would come around.
Shaking off the past, she took a deep breath. "Here we go..."
Stepping off of the elevator, she noticed that the hallway was poorly lit.
The over head flourecent lights were going in and out.
Glancing around, she looked down and saw two lines along the floor.
One line was red, the other, two feet apart from the first, was yellow.
She said to herself, I don't remember this being here before.
She began to walk forward down the hallway, she suddenly heard a humming noise.
The sound as if an automatic vacuum cleaner was nearing her.
Hanna saw a metal type chest on wheels with a red light swirling around on top of it, it was in fact heading right towards her.
She could see that it was following the red line bearing down on her as she quickly stepped aside and hopped onto the yellow line-narrowly missing it.
She looked back to see that robot thingy moving quickly along the red line.
She continued to walk down the hallway until she saw a light at the end, as she neared the light, she recognized it was the office of doctor Pam Reynolds' pathologist.
Her name plate was still on that familiar doorway.
Knocking on the door, she said, "Doctor Pam- are you in here? Hello?"
Peeking her head inside she noticed a cup of coffee sitting on the desk.
Hanna entered into the back of the office and peering around saw several jars of brown, and white tissue floating in clear fluid on the shelf.
Looking a little closer she noticed that one of the tissue specimens actually had a n****e in the middle- this was breast tissue.
Hanna backed up...horrified as she turned around, doctor Pam was entering the office with her arms full of packages label with biohazard stickers.
Doctor Pam asked if she could move out of the way as she was about to drop the packages.
Hanna jumped out of the way.
Doctor Pam put down all of the items and wiping her hand on her long, white lab coat -held out her hand as if to introduce herself to Hanna.
Leaning in to read Hanna's name tag she said, "Social worker.
Don't you think it's a little too late to be coming down here -in fact our patients don't usually need a social workers once they arrive here."
Hanna chuckled awkwardly and said, "I'm actually here on official business- I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes. I'm wondering if you remember me?"
Doctor Pam tilted her head to the side scratching her shortly trimmed- white hair.
Then, putting her hands deep into her lab coat pockets and leaning forward-she peered at the name tag once again.
She looked up into Hanna's brown eyes. "Oh yes, I do remember you It's been quite a while since you've been here."
Doctor Pam grimaced, remembering the horror of the terrible accident.
Hanna's mother wrecking her car in a retention pond after sufferring a massive stroke.
The lights were still on when they found the car the next day.
The horror of Hanna having to identify her own mother, Angela Moore.
Angela's bloated face, her buldging eyes, her lips that were blue.
Bodies did not hold up well when they were in the water.
She had done her best to comfort the girl.
Doctor Pam was surprised that Hanna had grown into such a confident and beautiful woman.
She didn't expect her to come back -ever again.
Doctor Pam grew nervous, she was unpacking the deliveries that the auto server had just brought to her.
. Talking out loud, she said, "Deliveries come in on the yellow line and leave on the red line. The auto delivery system, or ADS is supposed to alarm and slow down when people near it.
It was equipped with infrared. However, some bright technician messed with it a few months ago.
Supposedly cleaning the components, and ever since then it no longer alarms out loud or slows."
She hadn't said anything to maintenance because usually it was just her, alone in the morgue. She preferred it.
She got her packages and that thing scooted off without a word.
- Writer
