S I X - A Little Nightmares Story

Chapter Eighteen - The Hospital

Six and Mono had only been walking for a few minutes and had suddenly found themselves in front of a large, extravagant building the two of them both recognized, a building which they wish they could forget. The Hospital.

The building was rather large and towered over its surrounding buildings. At one point, it was most likely a normal hospital that residents of Pale City could go to when they needed help, but now, after years upon years, the entirety of the building on the inside and outside was different.

Six remembered this place most vividly. Sometimes she had been sitting in a room waiting on Mono, terrified of where he might be, what he might be doing, what was chasing him, or if he was even alive. Other times she simply was by his side, attempting to keep quiet from the doctor. She still had memories of adrenaline rushing through her as she feared that she, or more importantly, Mono, would be snatched and killed by the doctor.

The outside of the hospital looked more so like a quaint office building rather than a hospital. The dark wooden door that served as the entrance, for some odd reason, appeared to be smashed in, which neither Mono nor Six remembered happening. But the two of them allowed it to register in their minds that each time loop could be slightly different, just a bit.

The small window beside the door was wide open, so it was clear that their smaller selves were already inside the Hospital, and possibly already out of it. Six and Mono shared a glance, saying that the both of them were somewhat scared to go into the hospital of horrors, but it was too late to turn back. They had already been through so much.

Six walked up to the beaten oak door and turned its bronze-colored knob, a click emerging from the uneasy silence. She opened the door with a soft creaking noise and poked her head in through the door. It didn't appear that there was anything that heard the noise as the silence continued to remain unbroken, aside from Mono and Six's breathing. Six waved a hand towards Mono, signaling that it was okay for him to come to the door.

Mono approached the door and Six opened it slowly all of the way. The two of them recognized this place well. Six felt light-headed, but it seemed that this time she wasn't going to pass out, she simply was having a flashback of the last time they had been here. She continued to take small, slow steps, Mono following with concern behind her.

Six and Mono had just come through the cracked, foggy window from the storm brewing outside. Six hated most that the storm was brewing from the tower she had seen over the buildings, so whatever lied in that tower was causing the awful storm that had been occurring.

Mono had just adjusted the paper bag on his head and looked to Six. He came closer to her and pointed to the area outside in front of them, the window across the room. He began to walk towards it, but Six remained where she stood. She didn't want to go, she preferred to stop for a moment. She was tired, hungry, and just wanted to keep warm. She held her yellow raincoat close around her body.

Mono stopped as he noticed that Six wasn't following him. He went back to her and slowed as he neared her. He allowed himself to place his arms around her. "I know you're worn out and scared, so am I, but we need to keep moving. Something is pulling me towards that tower, and maybe it's a good thing.", Mono whispered to him in his small voice, but Six wasn't so assured. She didn't thing what he was pulled to was good, she approximated that it was bad.

But Six smiled a bit as she realized that Mono's warmth was radiating against her. She hugged him back, a soft hug, and Mono pulled away. He gave a hand out to her just as he had when they first met just a few hours earlier. She quickly took his hand and the two made it down the hallway.

Six blinked a few times, thankful she had not fainted this time. Though suddenly, she felt as she had all those years ago, scared and hungry, and looked to Mono. And as if Mono was able to sense how she felt, he held his hand out to her, and Six took it in her own. He gripped her hand as they headed down the hallway.

Mono and Six continued to pass the bars that let them see into the room beside them, a room full of the "patients", which, in truth, were mannequins with twisted parts and metal joints, heads made out of inanimate objects to make an animate one. It didn't seem that any one of them had awakened yet, so none had their attention shifted towards them. Six gripped Mono's hand, and he gripped her's back in an attempt to comfort her.

The two continued down the hall until they came to the tattered double-doors at the end of the hall. The once-bronze knobs were now a dense grey. Only small chips of the bronze remained on the doorknobs, making Six think about how long this time loop could have possibly been going on. The doors were already open, so their smaller selves had already been in this area.

Six looked down from the broken-off stone ledge just outside the doors. A chill went down her spine as she glanced down into what looked as if it were an endless put to the center of the Earth. She let herself lean back towards Mono, not wanting to be the one to go first. She could remember when she never would have feared such a drop, but she had spent years in the Maw, not having to do such things.

Mono sighed a bit and took a step past Six. "I'll go first.", Mono said, glancing at the hanging beds before them, looking as if the ropes might let go of them at any moment. Six felt as if she had become weak and scared, but she decided to let herself believe that Mono was accustomed to these things, considering he lived in Pale City most of his life, just as Six was used to everything in the Maw due to years of living there. When Mono was on the Maw, Six noticed he was a bit uncomfortable with things there, such as the Janitor's lanky, outstretched arms.

Mono eased himself onto the right-side-up bed before him. The bed swayed in the open air, and Mono held his breath as if doing so would save him if he were to fall. The bed became still and Mono looked over his shoulder, back to Six. He waved his hand. "Come on.", he said, gesturing his hand out in case Six needed support.

Six pulled herself onto the bed, using the small amount of telekinetic ability she had. The ability wasn't strong since she hadn't used it in so long, until this day, but the ability was still there and worked. The bed swayed as she found herself on it completely. Mono gripped her shoulder, and Six looked up at him.

"It's alright.", Mono said. "If the bed falls, I can slow time and pull us onto the next bed quickly." Six gave a little nod, thankful that Mono wasn't just saying things to comfort her and was actually telling the truth. Mono turned his head to the next bed closest to them, which was sideways, and he examined it, thinking of what to do.

He suddenly turned himself over and grabbed the bottom of the next bed and crawled up it suddenly, with quick spider-like motions. His head poked up from the top of the bed and he looked down at Six, who was still on top of the previous bed. All Six could think of was how swift and flexible he was with his movements. Mono gestures towards the under-part of the bed that was faced towards Six. "Climb the rope and wood base of the bed to get up here.", he said. Six nodded slightly.

She stood up slowly and eased her hands onto the wood and rope of the bed, gripping her hands onto them. She pulled herself onto the bed and placed her feet onto places that were stable. She began to crawl up the bed, but quickly stopped as the bed began to sway. Her breath quickly became shaky, so Six stopped herself, closing her eyes and keeping herself gripped to the bed.

"Six.", Mono's voice ripped through Six's fear. She opened her eyes and looked up at Mono.

Mono had his hand stretched out to her. "Grab my hand. I'll pull you up.", he explained reassuringly. Six reached up to Mono's hand, but only their fingers would touch if she stretched far enough.

"I can't reach.", Six said through gritted teeth. Mono smiled a bit.

"That's fine."

Six was surprised as her body was jerked upwards, her hand slipping into Mono's. Blue, white, and black energy was circled around Mono's eyes, a caring smile on his face. Realization fell upon Six as she realized Mono had used his telekinesis to pull her up. She smiled as Mono pulled her up on the bed. She became surprised and if she had spoke, she would have stuttered. Her and Mono's faces were directly next to each other, close enough to touch. Six blinked a few times and shook her head a bit.

The two made their way up the beds and finally came back to the inside of the Hospital, just on a higher floor.

Six and Mono looked into the rooms, and it was what Mono had been fearing and what Six was nervous about.

The two whispered the words at the same time.

"The Patients."