17
The elevator hummed and moved at an excruciatingly slow pace. Andrew was strapped to the gurney and unable to lift his head, so his only view was of the bright fluorescent lights on the ceiling. Occasionally the silhouette of Dr. Lichten’s manic grin or the dark outline of one of the orderlies would loom over the bed. They said nothing, although Lichten would periodically giggle. Apparently it was hard for him to keep his enthusiasm for the evening events contained.
The elevator finally jarred to a halt on what had to be the lowest level of the hospital. The slowness of the elevator had given him the impression that they were deep below the earth, and the air felt heavy, as though it was indeed supporting the weight of the hospital above.
They wheeled him out into a windowless h
