I awoke again. I wasn’t stuck to the chair anymore, if fact I was laying in a bed. I was in a small twin bed. It was up against the wall so I could out from one side. I sat up on the edge of the bed, my head was throbbing again. I quickly checked my arm where he gave me the shot. There was a black dot where he had stuck me. The veins around the spot were black, what had he done to me?
I looked around the small room I was in. There was a nightstand next to the bed. On it there was a reading lamp, glass of water, and a picture. I picked up the picture and looked at it. It was of an old house, the same one that I had that flash of. “The orphanage” I said aloud. Also in the picture were nine kids standing on the stairs going up to the house, a nun and a man also stood on the ground on either side of the children. I scanned through the faces of the kids and stopped on one of them. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I was looking at me. I was 12 at the time. So he was right? No, this must be a fake picture. Then how did he get a picture of me when I was 12, especially when he is dead?
I turned the photo over and looked at the back. It was dated for August 1996. Below the date was another message. It wasn’t written in the same hand writing as the date. It looked more like a child’s hand writing. All is said was, “don’t forget.” I pocketed the photo and stood up. The bed was in the corner of the room and the door leading out was next to it. It only had one window and a window in the door. This isn’t in a normal room. I went over to the window looking outside. I was up high, about the second or third floor I think. Down below I could barely make out the sidewalk and the street. There was a stone wall separating the courtyard of this place from the sidewalk. There was green grass and some bushes in the courtyard below. I turned around and went toward the small window in the door.
Looking through that window I saw a hallway. Across from me were other doors with little windows in them as well. The walls were white and a tiled floor. I opened the door and peaked out into the hallway. I could only see down one direction, it went on for quite a while then ended with a wall. The lights were on in the hallway but there was no one there. I must have been in some type of hospital I though. I took a step out of the room and into the hallway. Looking down the other hallway and I knew instantly that I was in a hospital. There was a wheelchair next to the wall and a gurney on the other side of the hallway. A white sheet was over the gurney.
I needed to find out where I was, I went down the hallway to the left. Each door was the same except for the numbers. Each number started with a three and had a letter with it. I was guessing that there were only 26 rooms on this floor. Moving down the hall I had pasted several rooms. I came around a corner and saw the nurse station. No one was there. Papers and things were left around the desk. A have a cut of coffee was sitting on the desk. I put my hand over the cup of coffee and no heat. It must have been a while since anyone was here.
There was a phone on the desk. I picked it up quickly hoping to get a dial tone. Nothing but dead air, I put the receiver back on its base. I sat down in the chair and pulled out that photo to get a better look at it. I scanned through the faces and found Arthur, his face didn’t change that much since he was a kid. He was in the middle of everyone. He didn’t have a real happy look on his face. The rest of the children were smiling and looked happy, even me.
I rummaged through the desk looking for a pen, and found a sharpie. I circled my face and drew line up and made a note marking that is me. I then circled Arthur face and made the same note marking who he was. I looked at the other faces, none of which were popping out at me. I pocketed the pen and the photo, and stood back up. Looking back down the hall I came from I caught a glace of movement. Someone must be here, I thought. I bolted down the hallway back towards the room I woke up in. Getting back to that room I found nothing. I checked through the window to the room and saw nothing. I checked the rooms around mine and nothing. I moved slowly down the hallway further away from the nurse station. A little ways down another hallway to my right appeared. I didn’t notice it before.
Turning down this hallway, the lights were on here as well. The room doors were further apart then the last hall. These must be bigger rooms, I thought to myself. At the end of this hall I noticed some more movement. I started down this hallway I came towards the end and the door of the last room on the left was barely open. The lights were off. I pushed the door open slowly and reach in to turn on the light. It was unnaturally dark in the room. The windows were cover so no light could get in. My left hand searched the wall for the switch. The only light that came into the room came from the hallway, but it wasn’t enough. I hit the switch and the lights flickered on. The room had two beds in it, each with it own privacy curtain pulled around them. There was a smell in this room. Like nothing I have ever experienced before, I cupped my hand over my nose and mouth.  Taking a few steps into the room I notice that one of the curtains was moving. I moved slowly over, not to make any noise to alert who or what was there.
I looked under the curtain for any sign of anyone standing there, but saw nothing. I pulled back the curtain and nearly fell backwards at what I saw. Strapped to the bed was Beth, she was dress in a pair of blue jeans and a red v cut t-shirt and with a white undershirt. She was asleep or unconscious. I quickly regained myself and moved to her side. What was she doing here? I thought. I put my hand on her shoulder and shook her gently.
“Beth” I whispered, “Beth.”
She stirred, good she was still alive.
“Beth.” I said it a little louder.
“Jason?” Her eyes opened, and she tried to sit up but was still strapped down. “What’s going on? Why can’t I move?”
“Hold still let me undo the straps.” I started to undo the strap on her writs and then her feet. Once done shot up quickly and hugged me tightly.
“How did you get here Beth?”
“Don’t you remember,” I shook my head no. “You brought me here.”
I just held her in silence. That dream must have been true.