I think the hospital I work for is experimenting on patients. (Part Two)

The next day I woke up to my alarm. I felt like I had only just fallen asleep. I got up and as I was getting ready a part of me felt like I had dreamt the whole thing up. I guess I was trying to rationalize. After a brief moment though I adjusted my thinking and convinced myself I hadn’t imagined this.
The ride into work was quiet. I didn’t play anything. I sat in silence and deep thought. I had no idea what my next move was. I didn’t know who to go to with this or if I even had that option in the first place. Someone there knew something and plenty of people had reasons to try to keep the lid on this.
I pulled into the parking lot and finished my coffee. Per usual, I looked at my floor to scan lights and then the third floor. The third floor still had a light on. It was clearly coming from the other side but It crept through to the side I was parked on.
I got out of the car and went to the cafeteria. I needed more coffee and I wasn’t ready to go to my unit yet.
“Well good morning sweet pea! Want some breakfast?â€
It was Miss Myrtle. She was the cafeteria manager and she was well past the point of retirement.
“No thank you Miss Myrtle. Just getting some coffee.â€
I walked over close to her and in a hushed voice I asked.
“Can I ask you a question Miss Myrtle?â€
“Well of course dear.†She said, a little distracted about my changed demeanor.
“You’ve worked here as long as this place has been running. Well pretty much right? What do you know about what happened on the third floor?â€
The smile that was permanently etched into her face faded. In the two years I’ve worked here I’ve never seen her any other way. She was always cheerful and smiling.
“Cassie...I don’t think this is something we should talk about.â€
“Please. I think people got hurt. Like a lot of people. I just want to help them.â€
“You don’t know what you are up against, dear. This is a battle you won’t win. I would hate for something to happen to you.â€
She placed her hand on my shoulder and gave me a look of concern. She walked away.
I hadn’t felt threatened by that at all. It was more like she was scared to talk. Someone had something on her. Or, rather, she knew what would happen if she spoke.
I placed $1.50 on the counter and walked out. When I got back to my unit Sheena was changing in the locker room. I walked up to her and told her I needed to talk to her.
“Something happened here Sheena. Something bad.â€
Sheena laughed.
“Something bad happens here every day, Cass. It’s a hospital.â€
“No! I mean I think several people were hurt. Like experimented on. Against their will.â€
“Did you get any sleep last night? I know yesterday was hard but sometimes you just have to sit in the car and have a good cry after a shift. Let it out and try to move on Ya know?â€
“I went to the third floor.â€
“The third floor? Is this some kind of a joke? Who put you up to this? Mike?â€
I stared at her. I wasn’t playing and I needed her to realize that.
“Cassie. What do you mean? How could you even get up there? You don’t have access.â€
Her face was serious. I finally had her attention.
“Well I guess I do have clearance because I got up there! I heard something yesterday. After you had all gone. I had charting to finish so I stayed after. Second shift was so busy and I was changing in here and I heard something above me. Something loud. No one else was around. I thought that maybe I should go look.â€
“Are you insane? Why would you do that? Do you know how much trouble you could get into? The third floor is forbidden! All else aside, at the very least, it is dangerous! It’s not up to code up there!â€
“Listen to me Sheena. I found files. Lots of them. I looked at one. This patient was tortured. And not only that. It was documented. These people...whoever were in charge of this...they made it happen. It wasn’t something natural. They made her suffer...and her picture. She had words carved into her skin and...â€
“Stop it! Cassie, stop it! You are going to get us fired!â€
She looked at me and took my hand into hers.
“Look. I’m not saying you didn’t find that and I’m not saying I don’t believe you but whatever is up there needs to be left up there. Do you understand? It’s not our place.â€
I looked down at my feet for sometime and as I looked back to meet her gaze I felt a warm tear run down my cheek.
“She was a little girl, Sheena.â€
Her expression changed and now she seemed to understand the gravity of this issue.
Sheena was in her 60’s. She had 5 children and 3 grandchildren. She had moved over here when she was 16 from Mexico in search of a better life and she had made one. She was a devout catholic and she had a good soul. She had taken me under her wing when I got here and I saw her as a mentor. We even got together for dinners sometimes.
“What do you want to do, Cass?â€
“I want to go back. I need to grab some of those files. Maybe take them and go somewhere where I can study them. I want to get to the bottom of this and I want justice for her and whoever else was subjected to this.â€
She let my hand go and slid her hands into her pocket.
“Tonight. I’ll ride up with you and keep watch. I’m not getting out though, Cassie. I’m not.â€
“You don’t have to. If you at least watch for me or help me cover my ass if I get caught that’s all I need.†I said with gratitude.
“Just meet me by the back elevator after report okay?†I asked.
She nodded and walked out.
A part of me felt bad. Bad for dragging her into this. Bad for sharing this trauma with her. But in the same aspect I felt like I could be more productive if I had someone to help me. I knew I could trust her.
The shift went by faster than any other shift I’ve ever worked. Maybe because I knew what was coming.
I waited at the back elevator for about 10 minutes. Just as I was beginning to get restless I saw Sheena shuffling around the corner.
“Where have you been?â€
“Well David was my relief and you know he takes 45 minutes to receive report. Plus, I ran out to my car to grab these. You know. Just Incase.â€
She held up her Rosary.
I started to say something but then I thought to myself. What the hell could it hurt?
“Let’s just get this over with Cassie.â€
And we got in. I hit 3 and swiped. Ding. Green light. Up we went.
“I don’t understand how your card even works!†She said.
Before I could respond we were there. The door opened. We looked at each other and she said,
“Go!â€
I ran down the hall. Towards the light.
I turned the corner so fast I almost tripped. The file and picture were still on the floor where I had dropped them. I grabbed them up and then opened the drawer and grabbed as many as I could hold.
“HURRY!†Yelled Sheena.
She sounded terrified.
I ran back down the hall and before I was even halfway back I could hear Sheena screaming in pain.
I got to the elevator and ran in hitting the close door button.
I looked at Sheena and her hand had smoke coming from it. The Rosary had been burned into her skin.
“What happened Sheena? Oh my God!What happened?â€
The burns were third degree.
“Diablo! Diablo!†She screamed.
She kept screaming over and over again.
“Diablo!â€
We got to the ground floor and I couldn’t get her out of the elevator. She had backed into a corner and was sitting down. Staring at her hand in horror.
I shoved all the files in my backpack and got down on my knees to tend to her hand and, with force that a human shouldn’t have, she shoved me back. Hard.
I went backwards and out the elevator. It started to close and I yanked my leg out in fear it could get caught.
The doors closed.
I got to my feet and hit the button several times but nothing ever happened. I waited in the parking lot for an hour and Sheena never came out.
I got into my car and started calling her. No answer.
I drove home and sat on my bed for a long time. What had happened up there? Where was she now?
I tried calling once more. Voicemail. I texted her.
Sheena. Please text me. I am so worried. I don’t know what happened and I’m scared. Please tell me you are okay. Please just talk to me. I’m so sorry for dragging you into this.
I decided to open a file.
Patrick Whitt
September 20th, 1973 09:00 Subject has shown signs of altered mental state. Subject has been placed in solitary confinement with subject Hardy.
09:45 Subject Whitt has been informed his meal privileges were revoked. Subject has been given the ultimatum of starving of fighting to the death for food.
10:12 Subject has begged us to release one or both of them.
13:00 Subject has become irate.
14:20 Subject has been crying and pleading for release.
16:50 Subject Whitt has been ordered to kill Subject Hardy.
I closed the file and stood up. Throwing it onto my bed and backing away from it.
They were forcing these patients to harm each other and themselves. Like a sick game. I bent over and threw up my dinner. I felt disgusted.
Then my phone chimed. I walked to the bed to grab it and was happy when I saw it read Sheena. I swiped it open to see her response.
I screamed as soon as I opened it. The adrenaline went coursing through every fiber of my being.
It was a picture of Sheena’s lifeless body. She was lying in the room where I had taken the files. Still clutching the Rosary.
Written across her left arm...
Save Me.


Source.