The Nurse

The Phantom Nurse
By
Susan W. Bell

Susan took a deep breath as peered toward the full moon. Tonight was All Hallows Eve. A night of free candy, rolling peoples yards, and hunting up spirits. Things the twelve year old wish she could be doing, instead she was ‘Bed Bound’ in room 104 of the third floor of River Regional Hospital. The cause of her confinement, a mild cold that had turned something, something that even puzzled the doctors.

Not that this mattered much to her, she was over the worst part of it. The only thing she remembered was waking up a few days ago with a sore throat, a stuffy head and bad cough. By lunch time, the sore throat had gotten worst, and a low grade fever was present. By supper that night, she was burning up. The last thing she remembered was her mother bundling her up in a blanket. Oh and the flash of the bright red neon E.R sigh. After that everything was a blur.

But again, none of that mattered, she was over the worst part of it now, Three days on drips and a good round of shots and seventy hours of straight bed rest had turned the tide. Her fever had dropped, her throat was no longer swelling and her strength was starting to return.

But still, the young girl had not been deemed well enough to go trick or treating, or going on hayrides or navigating through a haunted maze or house. Or bobbing for apples with her friends or roasting marshmallows by a bonfire or any other of the seasonal actives.

“Its not fair!” Whined Susan to one of the nurses. “Its Halloween and all my classmates are having fun!” She said with a sigh.

The nurse took a deep breath and rolled her eyes as she peered toward the young girl. Slowly a little frown formed upon the bow of her lip as she jotted down a few notes upon the chart. “I know sweetie, but look on the bright side.” She said walking over to the girl.

“What bright side?” Susan said folding her skinny arms across her breast. Her lips where now poking out in the classic pout and her nose was turned up into the air.

The nurse rolled her eyes and nodded her head toward a plastic Jack O’ Lantern that was filled to the brim with candy, the selection of candy was top notch. Everything from king size chocolate bars, to whole bags of chocolate-peanut buttered flavored M&M’s was housed within the confines of the little plastic pale. A treasure worthy of king Solomon.

“Your mother was nice enough to bring you some Halloween candy. You also got some pizza, and you’ve spent the whole day in bed watching horror movies. That is what I’ll call a decent Halloween.” She said sitting down upon the bed of the ill girl.

Susan blinked and blinked again as she peered toward the nurse. “I guess its time to turn in?” she said shifting her weight around a little as she tried to settle down in her hospital bed. The window was starting to frost up a little.


“Need an extra blanket?” The Nurse asked smiling as she peered toward the young girl. The weather bulletin for the evening warned of dropping tempers and hinted at the first frost of the year.

“Please ma’am.” Susan said taking a deep breath as she settled down for the evening. Most of the ’Horror Movies’ had been well low ’B’ Grade ones. And one could only watch so many hours of the ’A Haunting’ or ’Americas most Haunted’ before one started to pick up on the plotlines and ever recurring troupes.

The nurse soon returned with the extra blanket, quickly she placed the thin wool and cotton blended thin over the young girls frame, then going the extra mile, she folded the two layers of blankets under and tucked it under the girl.

“Good night Susan. Remember if you ever need anything, the call button is beside you. DR. Moore would be here in the morning to official discharge you, till then try to get some sleep.” And with that, the nurse took her leave.

Susan took a deep breath as she settled down. For a two hours, the young girl pretended to be asleep. Till the traffic in the hallway had dyed down and the night shift nurses had settled into the flow of the night.

Then once the hallways became silent like the grave, Sue opened her eyes and tossed the covers of her bed back. Quickly she slipped her bare feet into her hospital slippers, once her slippers where on her feet, she slipped toward the door. Once she reached the door, she took a deep breath and pushed the old wooden door open. Then before her courage could fail her, she pressed into the hallway.

The hallway was quite, only the low humming of machines could heard, every once in a while, the death rattle of somebody inching ever closer to the end could be heard. Along with the metallic pumping sound of some machine.

Taking a deep breath, the young girl could feel her tiny hair on the back of her neck standing straight up. The odd sounds, put her on guard, the odd medical smell that hung in the corridor also heighten the feeling of growing dread and pending danger.

Quickly she quickened her steps as she started to dread toward her destination, the Morgue of the hospital. What better way to prove her own courage to both herself and others than slipping through the hospital’s ‘Defenses’ and snap a few pictures of the equipment there to prove she was really there. Plus if all goes well and according to her plan, she could use this as a spring board to secure the ’Writer Badge’ one of the elective badges in her scouting program.

So gathering her courage she pressed on, slipping past the lone nurse who was doing her nails at the nurses station. She smiled at the young blonde nurse, who seemed more concerned with her nails and the latest gossip than checking on her charges. Then again, the third floor had only a dozen or so children. Most of whom where sound asleep.

Once she ’slipped the noose’ as she would put it. She found herself standing in the elevator of the hospital. Gathering her courage she pushed the ’B’ button. ’B’ of course standing for ’Basement’. Once the button was pushed in, the elevator started to move, slowly it started its descent down into the bowels of the hospital.

Soon the lift came to a stop and the metal doors slide open. The sight that greeted Susan was one of pure darkness. Though there was something uninviting about the darkness. Was there a reason the lights where kept so low in this section of the hospital? Was there a reason why the only sounds that could be heard was what appeared to be air being forced through plastic tubing? So many questions, so little time to find out.

Despite her growing fear, and the looming scene of doom that hung over her head. Susan quickly crossed herself and started down the hallway. Armed with only her courage and wit, her pale pink eyes zoomed around her, searching for any trace of human life.

Once she was halfway down the hallway, she heard it, the faint sound of leather shoes clicking upon the title floor. Each passing second brought the sound a half step closer to her, and those passing seconds seemed to stretch on a year or more, till at last it was right on top of her.

The second Susan heard the clicking stop, she spun around and came face to face with a nurse. A young nurse, one with blonde hair and blue eyes. The nurse wore a old fashion nurses uniform.

“Young girls, should be in bed recovering.” The young women said as she peered down at Susan. “And not walking around this section of the hospital.” She quickly added as she walked up to Susan and took her by the shoulder.

Susan blinked and blinked again as she peered toward the women, despite the darkness she could clearly see the outline of her pressed white dress and white stockings. Everything about her was screaming vintage’s. Even the way she wore her shoulder length blonde hair seemed out of touch with the present day. But then again it was Halloween, maybe this nurse had taken a less creative route when choosing her costume.

“You know, Halloween is the day when the lines between are world and the spirit world thin right? Making it very easy for spirits of deceased love ones to come and visit you.” The strange nurse said as they entered into the elevator once more.

“Just like the Obon Festival or Samhain?” Asked Susan as the metal doors closed and the strange nurse pressed the number three.

“Halloween has more in common with Samhain, trust me on that. But your right.” The nurse said with a gentle roll of her eyes. “But like I said before, if the magic of this holiday allows the good cross over, don’t you think it would allow the spirits of the bad ones to cross over too?” she said, giving the young girl a little smile as she peered toward her. As hoped, Susan produced a sudden shake.

“So, what are you getting at?” Susan said as the elevator came to a halt.

The phantom nurse smiled a little as she placed her arm around Susan’s shoulder and guided her out of the shaft. Quickly she moved her down the hallway till they reached her room. But before she pushed open the metal lock, she paused and peered toward her, a look of concern graced her face, could this girl really be that wool headed.





“What I’m trying to say is this. You gotta be careful, you where headed toward the hospital morgue just a few minutes ago. That’s not a place for children, and it can be down right dangers on Halloween. Some spirits like to liner around you know.” She said shaking her as she pushed the metal door handle in and guided Sue into the room.

Once inside the nurse directed Susan toward her bed.

Susan blinked and quickly moved toward the hospital bed. Without thinking, she lifted herself up and eased down the messy covers. Her round pink eyes zoomed toward the odd nurse who was now moving toward her, she titled her head a little in confusion as she watched the nurse pick up her large wooden hairbrush. Slowly she put two and two together.

“Hey!” Chirped Susan. “I thought nurses could not spank!” She whined loudly in protest. As she wrapped her arms across her chest and turned her nose into the air.

The strange nurse blinked and blinked again as she peered toward Susan, she was almost on top of her when she muttered. “And I thought little girls suffering from pneumonia should be in bed resting. Instead of wondering around the hospital late at night, looking for trouble.”  The nurse said as she eased down next to Sue.

Before Susan could launch a formal protest. The nurse pulled Susan over her lap. Quickly the nurse pulled the pink hospital gown up, exposing her bottom to the cool air of the hospital.

“Now honey.” The nurse said patting her bottom with the flat side of the wooden brush. “Be a good little girl and this will be all over very soon.” She said raising up the brush and quickly brining the brush down upon the bottom. Sending a powerful sting through her bottom as it connected with her bottom.

Susan could not help but yep, as the brush came into contact with her bottom. Sending a shocking wave of sting rolling through the whole of her body.

A wicked little grin formed upon bow of the nurses lip as she started the spanking in earnest, sending stinging stroke, after stinging stroke, after stinging stroke down upon the round bottom. Each pass of the wooden brush caused the young girls bottom to wiggle and bounce as if it was child’s bouncy ball.