The Haunted Hospital

Visiting hours for every hospital remains within 6-6.30 PM in the evening; however, due to rush it sometimes gets extended to 7 PM. After that the doors get closed for visitors to check for patients admitted. However, in some hospitals, the visitors may rest in the waiting rooms or on the shades inside the premise.

It was a similar kind on a winter night. This story is in regards to a famous hospital near about my residence. It still shakes me to fear sometimes whenever I recall this incident to my friends.

It was approximately in the early 2010, the clock was ticking to 12.30 in the night. The door of the main building block was opened to the guards. A tip toed white lady of nearly in her forty’s with a height of 5’2 managed to somehow escape the guards while they took a moment off to have a fag. The lady was carrying a small bag of cloth tied on her hand and by her gesture and pattern; she seemed to be a lady from a distinct village outskirts the state.

Approaching the reception, she greeted the lady on the desk in her mere voice and with a pain in her voice she asked, “Madam, please can I check on Mr. Badal Panda for just 5 minutes?”

The instant reaction by the receptionist was a complete denial followed by negativity and irritating attitude. The lady on the desk replied, “It is almost 1 AM! Who allowed you to come in? Are you mad! Bhatta (security guard) …!”

The village lady with more pain in her voice and both her hands folded to her, “Madam, please don’t get angry. I have come from a very faraway place just to meet him. Please allow me for just 5 minutes.” “Hospitals have some rules sister. I’m really sorry but I’m not allowed to do so! You can wait outside in the waiting room or in the premise of our hospital and check on him in the first visiting hour tomorrow morning” replied the receptionist in a calm and better manner.

Discouraged and disheartened, the village lady said, “Madam, honestly I don’t have so much time for that as I will be leaving this city within 2 to 3 hours as I have my ticket confirmed.” Saying this, the lady started crying. This made the receptionist a bit emotional and weak to change her decision. She asked for the name of the patient again along with some other details to check on the register and confirm.

“I’m extremely sorry sister; Mr. Badal has been shifted from ICU to the morgue as he had met his end just the last evening. He is currently in our morgue section” grieved the receptionist after confirming the patient from the register. After hearing this, the village lady outburst in tears and dropping the bag from her hand.

After a while, consoled by the receptionist the lady requested, “I know one who has gone does not return, still can I at least see him in the morgue for one last time? I will just take a minute and be on my way, I give you my word!” On this kind request made by the lady, the receptionist agreed and said, “Let me check what I can do”.

While, this was happening, the clock struck 1.15. On that very moment, coincidentally a nurse was leaving for home as her shift got over at 1 am. The receptionist called out to her and requested, “Sunita, dear could you please help this lady to check on the body number 145 kept in the 3rd morgue chamber just for a moment? This lady would be leaving urgently after that.” Hearing this, the nurse exclaimed, “Minakshi madam, I’m really tired today! My shift just got over and I need to run home to get some sleep. Please pardon me.”

The receptionist, however, convinced the nurse somehow to check upon the body just for 2 minutes at the maximum as no one else was available at that very moment. The convinced nurse with an irritated mood led the village lady to the morgue section on the 8th floor. The chamber where the body was placed was located straight from the lift lobby after 5-6 rooms followed with a right turn to find the door to the chamber.

Once the body was shown to the lady, she dropped her tears touching his feet bidding him goodbye recalling his help towards her in the past. “He was a very good man indeed. May his soul rest in peace”

The lady was then led to the lift back by the nurse to get to the reception. The floor gate was just closed and the lift gate was just about to be closed, while they had left the chamber door of the morgue a bit opened. All of a sudden, there was an echoing sound of a childish voice which became louder gradually. The village lady on hearing this starred at the source of the sound to see a small girl of about 10 years was proceeding towards the lift waiving at them to wait for her. The white kid was noticed to be wearing a small gown and had no hair on head or face. The lady seeing this requested the nurse, “Madam, please wait for just a moment. A small girl is coming, let us just take the kid and then leave.” On this request, the nurse quickly moved to check and found that a girl child was indeed walking towards them.

With this sight, the nurse got startled and closed the lift gate with greater force and made the lift down. Seeing this, the lady got shocked and exclaimed in anger at the nurse, “Madam, why do you do that? We could have taken the child with us on humanitarian grounds, which might have most probably got lost from her parents.” To the lady’s words, the nurse explained, “Sister, what you have seen is just your illusion or just believe it’s your imagination. Please forget what you have seen!”

The lady just could not believe the nurse said that, she protested instantly, “Are you serious right now? A little girl just tried to reach us for help and instead of helping her you are denying and ignoring that fact! What kind of a person are you exactly!” Seeing the lady’s anger, the nurse tried to cool her down by explaining, “The girl you saw, if you have noticed correctly, does not have any hair on her body and was wearing a gown and not only that….”, before she could have finished, the lady interrupted, “Yes, yes I know! She did not have any hair, was wearing a gown and was walking bare footed with her small legs. Does that mean she was not a human? Does that mean we should not help her for that very reason?”

On this protesting counter question by the lady to the nurse in the lift, the nurse answered gently, “Yes, you are correct. She is not a human any more. She had died just this morning at about 8 am.” To this shocking reply, the lady said, “but she was simply walking that both of us saw clearly! How can it be she is dead?”

The nurse then made her understand, “Once someone dies, a white ribbon is tied around his/her left wrist which no one else can find outside. If you have noticed correctly, the child was wearing the exactly same ribbon on her left hand! So please forget whatever you have seen.”

To the nurse’s convincing words, the lady gave a simple smile and removing the saree from her hand pointing towards her own wrist, she asked the nurse, “Are you referring to this ribbon?”

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