HELL'S NIGHT II
CHAPTER 17- CODE WHITE


Katie and Duke rushed back to the security desk, eager to gain control of the pending situation. Duke glanced at the security monitors out of the corner of his eye as he picked up his desk phone and dialed the sheriff’s office. Katie, meanwhile, picked up a different phone mounted on the wall nearby and connected directly to the hospital intercom.

“Attention staff, we have a ‘code white’ I repeat ‘code white’,” Katie’s voice echoed calmly and clearly over the speaker, alerting the staff on duty. The name ‘code white’ was adopted by the hospital over twenty years ago after the last incident nearly burned the building to the ground. Code white was simply meant to inform everyone that there was suspicious activity, but nothing was confirmed. Code black, however, meant that activity was confirmed, and was usually followed by an evacuation order. Code black was more commonly used to denote a bomb threat, major medical emergency, or public health threat. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

“Katie, I’m getting some damn recording from the sheriff’s office. What the fuck is going on here?” Duke asked, puzzled as Katie hung up the intercom phone.

“I’m not sure, but I just saw a live news broadcast and they still didn’t apprehend Michael Myers,” Katie started to answer but didn’t want to finish, knowing where her mind was heading.

“Christ, what should we do? You think I should tell that weird man who was in here spouting off earlier tonight about Michael Myers?”

Katie thought about it for a second, and then shook her head. “No, we gotta handle this ourselves. We’ve been prepared for a situation like this for a long time. I am sure we can handle it.”

Duke was getting ready to remind her of the combined IQ’s of the current employees on staff tonight when Barry and Mandy came rushing around the corner, their shoes squeaking on the floor beneath them.

“Katie, what’s going on?” Barry asked nearly out of breath as he clutched a manual of some sort to his chest.

“Code white, that’s like bad right?” Mandy added.

Duke sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Not necessarily,” Katie explained. “We just have a suspicious vehicle parked in the emergency ramp, with no one inside it. We tried to call the sheriff but just got some recording. It’s not the end of the world. However, we have to treat it as serious, especially considering the date and circumstances of what’s been happening around town tonight.”

“So here’s what’s going to happen,” Duke intervened before anyone could respond, realizing the current situation required him to take command and defuse the problem. “I’m going to make continuous rounds throughout the hospital. I have a radio and I’ll leave one here at the desk, which will now be manned by you, Barry.”

Barry just nodded as Duke continued.

“Katie, you go find Dr. Kennedy and the remaining staff and inform them of the situation at hand and the precautions I am taking. Other than that, act completely normal.”

“What should I do?” Mandy asked, feeling left out.

“All I want you to do is go outside and take the keys out of that truck and stay in the lounge until I find the prankster who’s messing around,” Duke told her, not wanting to place too much responsibility with her. “The main thing is to remain calm and not to make the few patients we have tonight anymore nervous then they already are.”

With that, they split up to perform their individual duties.


***


“Code white, what the hell is that?” Madison asked, confused as they heard Katie’s transmission over the loud speaker.

“I’ve heard of code blue and code red, but never white,” Tony added, equally confused. The two were lying in bed resting, watching television while Dr. Loomis paced back and forth in the room, pondering the unusual announcement.

“I’m afraid I might know,” Loomis stated plainly as he pulled back the window curtain and peered out into the night sky.

“What? You don’t think--” Madison started to ask, but it wasn’t really a question.

Loomis looked at the two gravely and nodded his head once in agreement. “Both of you remain here in this room. Do not let anyone transport you anywhere else, and keep this door locked.”

“What are you going to do?” Madison asked nervously.

“I’m going to find Michael Myers before he finds us first,” Dr. Loomis answered as he drew his firearm from his holster and quickly exited the room, leaving Madison and Tony in the dark to wonder.

And wait.


Proceed To Chapter 18
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