The HOSPITAL

Chapter9. The deep mystery

 Five o'clock in the morning- less than five minutes, in the hospital, it seems the nurses on duty look busy and in a hurry like usual when there are critical and emergency patients. There is nothing bizarre about a situation like this in the hospital. It has become a regular sight and condition every day, no matter the time of day. However, an emergency never knows the time, and everyone in that situation needs to give out quickly. They even do not care about all the procedures requested by hospital staff administration, they are just afraid to run out of time, and one life will be helpless. Whoever must understand the patient's family situation, anyone in that situation will panic if one of their beloved family members is vulnerable and needs medical help to survive.

The morning situation started with panic, the sleepy morning stipulated to wake up, and the hospital medical officers looked tense. The sound of the ambulance siren outside sounded blaring along with the sobs of the patient's family, who escorted their family who needed immediate aid from the health staff at this hospital. Two hospital staff assistants picked up the patient by bringing the patient's bed to the emergency room. They pushed the patient bed in a hurry; as Bertha saw behind the bed rush along by the staff, Milo, the black cat, ran after the feet of the hospital staff who were in a hurry.

Bertha, who was half sleepy at the time, happened to be on direct duty and was still very tired, looking shocked and spontaneously shouted to Milo:

"Milo, hey, where are you going?" but Bertha's screams seemed to be ignored by Milo, who continued to run behind the bed, being pushed by the hospital staff.

"You disobey me, do you Milo?"

shouted Bertha, slightly snapped at Milo. Furthermore, it seems effective because Milo suddenly stopped and turned to signal Bertha chasing after him.

Bertha still contemplates; what is wrong with Milo? Like what happened yesterday afternoon at the hospital related to this morning's situation. Yesterday, Bertha had a long chat during the break with Jenny, the new nurse who had just joined the hospital staff. Jenny introduced herself as Jenny Cavanaugh to Bertha, as she also introduced herself as Bertha Garcia to her. Bertha knew about Jenny in a few details, as she had told her.

Nevertheless, still, a few left some questions and puzzles in Bertha's mind at that time. Jenny is a nice girl, friendly and warm. She seems to have foreign ancestry, as her name tells. Her eyes are light brown; slightly blonde hair, a sharp nose with thin lips coupled with a charming smile. Bertha even occasionally complimented her and said to Jenny at that time:

"Jenny, when my son grows up, I really want you to be my son's girlfriend," accompanied by Jenny's crisp laugh. 

"Is that true?" Jenny asked with sparkling eyes. It looks attractive cute smile still perched on her tiny lips. 

"Seriously, but it's a shame he's only five years old, "said Bertha, followed by Jenny laughed. 

"Oh. Mrs. Garcia I am flattered." and added her  

"Okay, I will wait for him, he will grow into a handsome man," she joked and curved over with her friendly laugh. 

"Please protect me if the law accuses me of child abuse." 

 Of which they both laughed loudly. 

However, one thing makes Bertha still not stop thinking; when Jenny talks about Milo, as Jenny said, there was not a cat she saw but a dark-skinned child with a brown birthmark on one arm, Jenny did not feel weird when talking. Her expression was natural, and the story seems does not to be made up at all. Is Milo a mysterious mythical creature? Bertha also feels strange with that Black cat; sometimes, it is not seen for a few days or so long but comes unexpectedly from nowhere like yesterday. The thing she wanted to ask Jenny at the time was that she alluded to the little dark-skinned boy with round eyes, beautiful eyelashes and curly hair, and a birthmark on his left arm. However, they were too busy chatting and joking, making Bertha forget her intention of asking about the boy. 

It brings her memory back about the night's tragedy when she lost her second husband, where another very heartbreaking incident in her life happened again. Bertha and her husband looked so happy that night; they were both celebrating their wedding anniversary. It was raining heavily that night, so Bertha and her husband, Mr. Garcia, couldn't leave the house cause of the weather. It was perilous to drive in such extreme weather at that time. Besides, they are afraid of traffic or getting caught in heavy rain and flooding on the streets. It would be even worse they would not be able to return home as soon as possible. So, the coupled celebrated their wedding anniversary and decided it in their old house, where Mr.Garcia's parents' legacy by generation to generation.  An ancient place that has been re-designed into a contemporary model, it looks so unique and elegant. The house was so quiet and romantic, and the children were at their grandmother's house is Bertha's parents preferred to be with their grandmother during the school holidays and spend their vacation there.

At the same time, Bertha's maid goes home after finished her work, once the house chored. As well as their driver, that day was deliberately has taken off by Mr. Garcia. Bertha and her husband enjoyed their honeymoon in this quiet and quaint house. A melodic voice from Kenny. G accompanied them. Forever in love playing through his saxophone, which is so slick and romantic. A romantic dinner with wine and candlelight makes the ambiance so calm, and romantic the two couples hold hands while whispering intimate words, strengthening the love between them. Oh, how beautiful love is. Without realizing it, her tears flowed down Bertha's pink cheeks.

Nevertheless, the memories do not stop there, it continues and is fresh in her memory to the unfortunate and painful part. Bertha sobbed and closed her eyes, like a flashback and rewind of a movie scene, seeing her husband suddenly short of breath and gasping for air holding his chest; Bertha was so panicked at that time. The romantic moment turned tense and gloomy; Bertha's husband suddenly had his chest and staggered. Let go of his arms to bertha.

Bertha was startled while trying to hold her husband, who almost fell. With laborious carried him to the couch and laid him down. She called the emergency and asked for an ambulance to come. As a professional nurse, she tried to help her husband, but she couldn't help but panic and cry; as a woman and a wife who faced a situation like this, she would still feel weak no matter how hard they were trying to be strong.

Suddenly thunder boomed, accompanied by electricity that suddenly went out. It was pitch black all around; only the candlelight from the red candle wrapped in the ribbon on the dining table illuminating the room. The rain was getting heavier, and Bertha, with a panic follow-up, the hospital called an ambulance. But the ambulance was still stuck in the flooded street. Bertha is trying to calm her husband, who has started wheezing. Bertha patted her husband's cheek while saying:

" please stay with me."

"Don't sleep, honey. Open your eyes " Bertha started to cry when seeing her husband closed his eyes. Bertha screams, asking for help:

" Any body help me!!!"

"Please, if anyone there can hear me, I need help!!

But, no one could hear her screams amid the extreme weather. In a state of panic and near despair. he saw a ray of light from outside which was pitch black; her spirit rose again and shouted:

"help....!!!!" Bertha shouted back, excited and powerful.

. The faint light from outside grew clearer and closer, and bertha squinted her eyes, trying to see who was holding the candle from outside. She was surprised to see a little boy about seven or eight years old, with curly hair, round eyes, dark skin, marked on his left arms and sauntering approached bertha. 

Bertha didn't ask and didn't care whose child it was and how he got into Bertha's house, which was high fenced and locked from the inside. This ancient house with contemporary design looks like a big spooky giant in the dark. Plus, the yard is full of substantial ornamental plants and trees. No one can peek inside Bertha's very safe house.

.The little boy who came out of nowhere sat quietly next to Bertha, busy undressing her husband, loosening his belt, and even the little boy helped Bertha. She asked the boy to stay:

" Please don't go, stay here for awhile."

the boy answered by nod his head to Bertha. Not too long after, a few moments, the sound of a loud ambulance has arrived heard approaching outside, on the street in front of bertha's house. And the Hospital team officers pounded on Bertha's gate while screaming at her name.

Bertha ran to open the gate and was busy helping the hospital health care assistants; the little boy had left without saying a word to Bertha; even Bertha didn't have time to thank him or ask his name.

Bertha's daydream shattered   when she heard a meowing sound:

"meow"

 She wiped her eyes, misty with tears; she faintly saw a small child waving at her. Bertha wiped her tears and tried to see clearly. However, she only saw a black cat between the legs of the medical team that was moving quickly. Strangely, they were not at all bothered by the presence of milo. It followed them as if they did not feel the presence of a black cat following their steps.

Milo just looked at Bertha for a moment, then ran after the staff who went to the emergency room and then disappeared. Bertha tried to chase him and look for Milo, but Bertha stopped in front of the emergency room door. She peeked inside, what a surprise, she saw a pregnant woman precisely the same as the pregnant woman she saw in the delivery room yesterday. The pregnant woman was covered in blood and screaming in pain, and she seemed to be getting weaker. The doctor staff and midwives, and nurses who handled her in the emergency room their faces all looked serious and tense. Bertha was shocked, and her face looked pale; she leaned against the wall, trying to calm herself down, her heart racing and beating fast. She became increasingly convinced of the deep mysteries of Milo.