"NOT ALL NURSES ARE GOOD!"

Summary: Whilst babysitting her young niece Ashley falls over and breaks her ankle. She is admitted to the hospital, where it doesn't take her long to realise that there is something terribly wrong there. Hospitals are meant to be a place of healing, but in this one people are dying mysteriously. Despite her condition Ashley can't help but be curious, and she begins to investigate, putting herself in more danger than she can imagine. Is there any way Ashley can solve this mystery, stop the deaths, and stay alive at the same time?

I:

The night seemed to go very slowly. Ashley spent a lot of her time awake and in pain, or waiting for the painkillers to work. The nurse who was looking after her was a large woman with a big comforting smile and Ashley hoped she'd have her most nights. Of course being a job where they worked shift work that might not pan out, but Ashley could still hope. From the other side of the curtain she could hear the sounds of the other people in the ward. One was snoring softly, and another got up on a few occasions to go the toilet. As Ashley was drifting back off to sleep after one of the many injections of painkillers she sensed, rather than saw, that someone was standing near her, and she prised her eyes open. Standing beside the bed was a man, dressed in a nurse's uniform and he was looking down at her but the moment she opened her eyes he looked away. "Just checking you." He muttered and then he hurried away. Ashley shrugged and managed to sleep for a bit.

"Good morning sunshine." Someone said happily, and Ashley opened her eyes with a yawn. The sun was just coming in through the window to which she was next to.

A woman wearing a blue shirt, with a darker blue apron over it, and dark blue pants was cleaning along Ashley's table, and she was humming happily to herself.

"Thank god it's morning." Ashley said with a sigh. She wen to sit up in bed, but the pain prevented her from moving more than a few centimeters and she swore under her breath.

"So, what have you done to yourself?" The cleaning lady asked.

"I don't know- something to my ankle. They've got a few thoughts, but they're not sure yet." Ashley explained as the woman finished the cleaning.

"Breakfast will be served soon." She said. "I think they ordered cereal and toast with coffee and juice for you since they weren't sure, but you'll get your menu today to fill out."

"Okay." Ashley said, and the cleaning lady left the cubicle and went to do the next person's table. A nurse popped her head in.

"Hi, I'm Jenny, I'll be looking after you today. I've just got to do something in the next room, but then I'll be back to do your obs- do you want to sit up for breakfast?" She asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, that would be great, thanks." Ashley replied, and the nurse came in and moved the bed up and positioned the pillows so that Ashley was sitting up.

"You had a bad night I heard?" Jenny asked as she went to leave.

"How did you know?" Ashley asked surprised. Jenny hadn't even looked at her chart.

"I took over from Sandra at six so she filled me in on everything." Jenny replied and she went off to do what she had to do.

A woman came in and put Ashley's breakfast on her table, and then moved it over to her. "Someone will come around later to check what you want for lunch and dinner." She told her and hurried off.

Ashley sighed and poked at her cereal. She wasn't very hungry, but she managed to drink her coffee and her orange juice and take a few bites of toast before Jenny came back. "You're scheduled to go down for your scan about eleven." Jenny said as she began Ashley's obs.

"Have you ever had an MIR scan?" Jenny asked after she recorded Ashley's obs on her chart.

"Not that I remember, although it's possible I had one when I was younger." Ashley replied. "Is that where they put you in that tunnel thing?"

"Yes that's it. Are you afraid of small spaces?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know about afraid….but I don't think I'm going to be completely enjoying the experience." Ashley replied.

"Well make sure you let them know it makes you feel uncomfortable, and I think they give you music to listen to when you're in there, and you won't be all the way in with it being your ankle." Jenny replied.

"By the way," Ashley asked, a sudden thought occurring to her. "Was there more than one nurse looking after me last night?"

"No just Sandra. She had this room and the next one." Jenny said.

"Oh, I thought there was someone else here when I woke up once-just staring at me." Ashley said thoughtfully.

"That could be the painkillers." Jenny said. "At least you didn't see an alien, or a ghost, or Freddy or something."

"Yeah, lucky." Ashley said. "Am I allowed to go to the toilet?"

"Not at the moment, no. You're on bed rest and no mobility until they work out what's wrong with you. Do you need a bedpan?" Jenny asked.

"Um no," Ashley lied. "I was just curious."

The morning passed with Ashley lying on her bed watching television and sleeping from the painkillers she was having so often. Around ten thirty her mum came in, with a large bag. "Sweetie, I'm sorry I couldn't come up last night. They didn't want to disturb the ward." She said, hugging Ashley to her.

"That's all right." Ashley said, just relieved to have her mum there with her.

"Sharon said she won't be pestering you to babysit for awhile." Her mum said, as she began to unpack the bag she'd brought with her. "Now I've got your pajamas and things, books to read, paper, pen, toilet bag….what else do you need?"

"Um….nothing for the moment." Ashley said. "When you came last night did they tell you what they thought was wrong with me?"

"They didn't know. They said something about you needing a scan." Her mum said. "How's the ankle anyway?"

"Pretty sore. And it feels like it's ten times it's normal size- I can't even lift my leg up!" Ashley explained.

A face appeared around the curtain. "Hi, my name's Kyle and I've got to take you down to have your scan." He said. "Then I've got to send them to your surgeon and he can work out what's up with you. Are you ready?"

"Do I have a choice?" Ashley asked.

"I don't think so." Kyle replied. "Now what we need is to get you onto this stretcher since I can't take your bed down to radiology."

Ashley glanced over at the bed apprehensively.

"You can't get out of bed can you?" He asked.

Ashley shook her head, but Jenny appeared then. "I'll help you slide her." She said, and the two of them moved Ashley onto the stretcher which was harder and far more uncomfortable. Jenny put a blanket on top of her to keep her warm.

"No jewelry below the waist?" Kyle asked.

Ashley shook her head.

"Right, then let's get this show on the road." Kyle said, as he put the bars up on the stretcher. "You're her mum?" He asked, and Ashley's mum nodded.

"Well this shouldn't take more than half an hour and we'll be back." He said, and maneuvered Ashley out of the room. She waved to her mum, and they were off to the radiology department.