Cerridwen and the Phantom Nurse
Chapter Three: Nurse Amanda Fairchild.

Nurse Amanda motioned for me to take a seat at one of the tables that seemed to be bolted to the floor. As I climbed up and eased my bottom down upon the chair. My mind started to wander. And my eyes started to drift around the lobby. The lobby was a verbal ghost town.  Slowly my eyes started to focus on Nurse Amanda who seemed to be talking to the barista who between us three seemed to be the only  three living people around.

A few minutes passed in this manner with Nurse Amanda waiting by the counter with her arms folded across her chest, just under her breast as she tapped her foot upon the ground to mark the passing of each second. The barista seemed to be moving slower than maple syrup in winter. Or maybe she was just new at her job. Or was she just coming to work? Anyway Nurse Amanda seemed to be in a hurry, like she was racing the punch out clock. I wonder if she had been just about to punch out? Maybe her shift had been extended and would only end when she saw me safely back to my room. And tucked into my hospital bed. 

After what seemed like forever and a day, the barista handed two styrofoam cups across the counter. Nurse Amanda whispered something to the barista that made her eyes go wide as saucers. After that little exchange she started to move toward our table.

“Here.” She said, handing  me the styrofoam cup. “Now listen, I don't have much time. So, do me a big favor.  And be totally honest with me, what is the real reason you were not in your bed when the night nurse made her early morning rounds this morning.” She said in a point blank manner knocked me right out of my day dreaming.

“Well.” I said, taking a deep breath as I wrapped my fingers around the styrofoam mug for warmth. “Okay, my friend told me a ghost story about a nurse who is supposed to haunted this hospital. And I've heard dozens of urban legends about her from others. And I guess I wanted to find out for myself if she was real or not.”

The nurse nodded her head.

“So. Let me ask you, do you believe in ghosts?” She said as she took another sip of her coffee. 

“Well.. I don't know what I believe in anymore. A few minutes ago, I saw this really sick nurse. Like she was rude to me, and called me names, she even hit me. And called herself 'Spooky' like I know there is supposed to be another ghost nurse who haunts this hospital. Her name is supposed to be Spooky, and she is supposed to be Nurse Mindy yang.” I said as I slowly took a sip. The beverage was still too hot to really enjoy.

“What if I told you that there are ghosts in this world and ghosts can harm you? Would you believe me?” The strange nurse asked as she took a sip from her coffee. 

“I don't know..” I said looking down at the table. I started to draw a figure eight with the tip of my finger. I then looked up and noticed the nurses eyes had gone cold, they were cold as ice.

“You had an encounter with Nurse Spook about an hour ago. You were lucky, you managed to escape her grasp. Few have. Those children who have fallen into her clutches normally never see the light of day again. Sometimes they do. Those that have resurfaced are normally hollowed out shells of their former selves.” Nurse Amanda said as she peered at me. “All of them have one thing in common, they thought it would be fun, to see if they could see if the rumors are true.”

I nodded my head and took another sip of my beverage.

“Let me explain.” She said, sighing. “Running parallel to our world there is a different world. This world is a world of shadows. Sometimes, say on certain days of the year. Halloween being one, and at certain places, this hospital being one of those certain places. The two worlds crossover. They intersect allowing people from this shadow world to cross over into this world and for people from this world to cross over into their world. Are you following me so far?” Nurse Amanda said with a heavy sigh.

“I think so.” I said taking another sip of my beverage was now cool enough to enjoy without running the risk of burning the skin off my tongue.

“Okay good.” Nurse Amanda said, sighing again. She seemed to be sighing a lot. “Because really, things normally don't go this far. I normally catch children and return them to their room before Spooky can get her claws on them. But tonight was insane. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, certain places in this world are focal points for these intersections. You know that abandoned playground nobody uses? The one everybody swears is haunted? That old, abandoned house that everybody swears is haunted? Graveyards.. the list goes on and on. Anyway you stumbled upon one of those intersections tonight.” 

I nodded my head.

“So, if what you're saying is true. Those rumored haunted locations are not only really haunted but also intersections where our world and this shadow world overlap each other?” I said as I tried to make heads or tails of what this strange nurse was saying.

“Yes.” She said smiling. “You're pretty sharp for a kid who just stuck her hand into a vipers den. Which  really boils my blood. Because if you knew this much, you would have known better. I really wish I could teach you a lesson you will never forget. But my shift is about to end. And I need to rest.” She said, sighing. “I've used up too much of myself tonight and I'm gonna be feeling it come tomorrow evening.”

“So you are a ghost?” I asked.

The nurse just smiled and slowly started to vanish in front of me. 

“Not a ghost per say. But a guardian spirit. While the shadow world might be filled with dangers, and filled with evil spirits that mean to do harm to all living creatures who trespass into their realm. There is kind of a 'Police Force' if you will of guardian spirits that do their best to keep the evil at bay and to shepherd those foolish souls who have wandered into the shadows back into the light.”

And with that she totally vanished.

 A stunned silence fell over me as I peered toward the seat that Nurse Amanda was just sitting in. The hospital it seemed was just waking up. Doctors tired from their long twelve hour shifts were starting to fill the lobby. All of them looked grim, some looked tired. Others looked mad as hell. Nurse's too followed behind them. Their scrubs were dirty and some were even stained with blood and other body fluids. Their hair sticking out. Their face's pale. It kind of reminded me of those old oil paintings I'd seen from the First World War in my school’s history book. 

Of course these doctors and nurses and  the supporting  staff were waging a war. A never ending war, one in which the enemy, Death would never be defeated, neither would his lieutenants Illness, pesticides, and the most feared of them disease, the three horsemen of the human race. I did not have long to muse on this, as soon another nurse was nearing my table. She also had blonde hair and blue eyes.

“Cerridwen.” She said as she peered toward me. “Where have you been, young lady? We've been looking all over this hospital for you! Do you have any idea how much trouble you have caused for the staff?” She said putting one hand on her hip as she leaned over and held up her finger.

I blushed a little, I wanted to say something. But I felt now would not be the best time to say anything. Instead I just looked down and in a meek,humble tone of voice said.

“I'm sorry!” I said looking down at the ground.

“Sorry not going to cut it young lady!” She said almost turning red. “I've had the whole hospital  turned upside down in my search for you.” She then shifted her eyes toward a wheelchair that sat in the corner of the lobby. 

“I want you to wait right there, and you better not move one inch! You're already in deep trouble.” She said in a scolding tone of voice. She then walked over and got the wheelchair and pushed it toward me. She then unfolded the thing and then, with some kind of superhuman strength picked me off the chair and placed me into the wheelchair. Once I was seated in the wheelchair she started to push me toward my room.

“You're grounded!” She said as she pushed me down the long hallway. “You're so grounded until your doctor says you can leave. So grounded. You just lost all your privileges. You're not allowed in the playroom. You're not allowed to use the hospital's internet. The television is.. well your room does not have a television but if it did we'll remove it!” She said puffing. 

I blinked and blinked again. Well for one I thought I was too old to use the playroom. I had not idea my ward had a playroom to begin with, two, my phone could not even access the internet and my laptop was at home charging. Plus to access the internet you need the hospital's password. I had no idea what the password was. Three, my phone was a old flip phone.. I only used it to send a text to my boyfriend.  You know we sometimes flirt through text. And three who watches television anymore!

“I swear if you were my child! I would turn you over my knee right now! What with you Benton girls and wanting to sneak out of your rooms. First it was that Madeline Brewer girl, then it was that Jamie Potter girl and now you! It must be something in that water!” She muttered.

“Can I ask a question?” I said blushing. I saw my chance and I took it.

“Yes.” The nurse said in a snappy tone of voice as she pushed me toward the lift.

“Is this hospital haunted?” I asked as I started to look around me.

The nurse heaved a heavy sigh.

“Oh not that story again! I swear to God if I find the air headed nurse who has been spreading those stories around, I promise you I'm going to turn her over my knee!” She muttered as she looked down at the ground.  

“No, this hospital is not 'haunted'. That is an old urban legend that has been around since the late eighties. I remember hearing about the legend of the phantom nurse when I was your age. Trust me, the only thing 'haunting' this hospital is a sudden outbreak of brats, like you, who think it's fun to sneak out of their beds at night and roam around the hospital. A hospital is no place for children to play hide and seek in! This is a place of healing, not a playground or theme park or amusement park. If you want to go to a haunted house wait till Halloween or go to Liberty Land in Memphis or Bayou Land down in New Orleans or something!” She said with another sigh.

I did not say another word for the rest of the trip.

Now, before I end my story, I'm going to add a few more facts that I uncovered. I was released from the hospital a few days later. My fever had broken and I was deemed well enough to go back home. None of the nurses told my mom about my late night adventure. And mom spoiled me by taking me out to Red Lobster before turning back to Benton. Now a few nights after I was released from the hospital. I went on Google and typed in “Nurse Amanda Fairchild” what came up was an obituary.

It seemed there was a nurse named Amanda Fairchild, though her co-workers tended to call her 'Nurse Mindy' she was loved by all. She was killed in a tragic car wreck a few days before Halloween. The obituary included a photo. And let me tell you, I'd almost wet myself the moment I looked at that photo. Because peering at me through the old digital scan was a woman who was the splitting image of the woman who had brought me coffee a few nights before. 

Which leads me to ask a question, a question I'm too scared to find out. If Nurse Mindy was real, what about Nurse Spooky? The nurse I fought with in the basement. And what of that little talk we had about the shadow world. Was Nurse Mindy warning me away from venturing into forbidden areas or was she giving me advice? I have so many questions, and yet for once I think It would be best to leave those questions unanswered. 

The End.

The Adventure of Cerridwen Circe Whitethorn continues in “Cerridwen plays Dotty”. If you would like to read more about the adventures of Cerridwen Circe Whitethorn please consider reading. “The Adventures of Circe Whitethorn” and the many other stories which she stars in. And as always thank you for reading.