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Even in the darkened room, Jamie could still make out the dark, blurry outline of the figure on top of him. He couldn’t move, his limbs unresponsive despite his screaming demands to do something. Something silver flashed briefly in the darkness before quickly disappearing into his abdomen. Unable to flinch, the blade slid out easily, now stained a deep crimson. Jamie was aware of the pain but only vaguely, head swimming, fading in and out on the verge of consciousness. Another stab, he could feel blood warm and sticky, beginning to run down his side. Jamie grunted, willing himself to just wake up from this nightmare. He could feel the point of the knife running down his chest, splitting the skin. The room was starting to spin faster-
“An’ then…I feel my soul leave my body.” Warm morning light filtered in through the windows. Jamie was sat up in his hospital bed, a lukewarm mug of tea clutched tight in his bandaged hands.
“...Oh?” Asked the Doctor, an eyebrow raised curiously. He sat in a chair at the end of Jamie’s bed, his ankle crossed over his knee as he balanced a steaming mug in hand.
“Aye, it feels like a…like a great chill settlin’ over me.” Jamie’s trembling fingers ghosted over the collar of his hospital gown, where he could still feel the tip of the knife against his skin. “Then I slip away.”
“But then you wake up?” The Doctor took a sip from his mug before reaching over to set it on the small table near the bed.
“I suppose so,” Jamie shrugged, then grimaced as the movement upset his sore muscles. “Least I thought I did.” He put a hand over his heart; the Doctor smiled at him.
“Yes, you did.” He patted Jamie’s knee gently. “Because that’s all it was, Jamie. A dream.” The Doctor collected his mug and a book from the small table before settling back into his seat. “A rather unpleasant one, but just a dream, nonetheless. You’re safe here.” The sound of the door opening interrupted their conversation. A young, pretty woman in a nurse’s uniform with bright blonde hair and large round glasses cracked the door open slightly before peering in.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to disturb you.” She said in a timid voice, “I can come back later.” The Doctor fumbled to free his hands and stood, opening the door.
“Oh! My apologies, Miss, please come in.” The Doctor held the door open. The nurse locked eyes with Jamie and smiled. She carried a large silver tray of bags, tubes, and needles. Jamie shuddered.
“Thank you, sir.” She said quietly, giving the Doctor a small curtsey before moving into the room and setting the tray near the side of Jamie’s bed. She started immediately, checking the hanging IV bag hooked into his arm. “How are you feeling today, Jamie?” Jamie eyed the woman suspiciously; she wasn’t the same lady from yesterday.
“Where’s the other lass?” He asked. The nurse paused briefly, her hands stilling before she continued prepping the new IV.
“Oh, Mrs. Jessica is rather busy today, I’m afraid.” She took the old, empty bag off the hook and hung the new one. “I’ll be your nurse for the remainder of your stay. My name is Ruby.” She turned towards him with a fresh roll of clear tubing with a long, silver needle at the end. “I, um, I have to change your IV today.” Her cheeks were flushed slightly, and Jamie noticed a slight tremble in her hands. Great. He sighed.
“Alright,” Jamie grumbled. He turned his face away and gave Ruby his left arm. Her fingers were as cold as ice as Jamie felt her move his arm how she needed it.
“Oh dear, do you have a history of fainting? I didn’t see anything on your chart-” Ruby’s voice wavered as she sterilized the area.
“I don’ faint!” Jamie said defensively, wincing as he felt her yank the needle out of his arm and quickly press down hard with a square of gauze. “I just cannae look.” He mumbled to the wall.
“Yes sir,” Said Ruby quietly. “Can you press down here for me?” Jamie complied, keeping pressure on the crook of his arm. Ruby grabbed the new needle and a disinfectant wipe; she pushed Jamie’s hand away and ran the cold, rough pad across the sensitive skin. He hissed at the familiar sharp pinch of metal piercing his skin. “Oh dear,” Ruby gasped quietly. Jamie whipped his head around so quickly it hurt. Nurse Ruby was inspecting her work rather closely, a worried expression on her pink face. “I-I’m sorry, Jamie, I’m afraid I missed.”
“Ye missed?!” He cried, pulling his arm away from her grasp. “How do ye miss?” Ruby was shaking now, her glasses slipping down her nose.
“I-I’m sorry! Mrs. Jessica warned me about your rolling veins, I thought-”
“Oh, so it’s my fault then?”
“Jamie.” The Doctor called out from his chair, locking eyes with the man. He gave him a look, a “stop being difficult and let the girl work” kind of look. Jamie sighed and mumbled ‘sorry’ before begrudgingly offering his arm to get stuck again. Ruby yanked the needle out a second time, which made him wonder if they always had to use such force before disinfecting the area again. Jamie flung an arm over his eyes,
“Try an’ not miss this time.” He said and could feel the Doctor’s eyes burning him as he cleared his throat loudly. Ruby didn’t respond verbally but shook her head, biting her lip anxiously as she felt around for the vein. Another sting burned through his arm as the needle finally pierced him correctly.
“There we are.” Ruby gasped thankfully, using a corner of her apron to wipe off her glasses. She finished taping the IV in place, and even though the needle was no longer visible, Jamie steadfastly refused to turn his face towards her. “I’m so sorry, Jamie. I promise it won’t happen again.” She rambled on as she collected the extra materials; Jamie remained silent. Finally, the Doctor spoke up for him:
“Ah, thank you very much, Ruby.” He smiled and moved to open the door for her. “Would you mind sending in dinner a little earlier than usual?” The Doctor lowered his voice slightly. “He gets cranky when he’s hungry.” Ruby gave a shaky laugh and nodded.
“Yes, sir. Will you be staying here tonight? I can send up double portions.”
“Oh no, I won’t be staying. But you can send double portions anyway. I’m sure Jamie would appreciate it.” The Doctor smiled. Ruby gave a small curtsey again.
“Yes, sir. I’ll have that sent up right away. Goodnight.” And with that, she was gone. The Doctor shut the door to Jamie’s room and stood at the foot of his bed, hands on his hips.
“You know, you don’t have to be so mean. Ruby was just doing her job.” Jamie finally tore his arm away from his face, sitting up.
“I don’ like her. I want the other lassie instead. She never missed.” He folded his free arm over his chest, pouting like a child. “Besides, I thought ye said this was a future hospital. Why are they still stickin’ me with needles then?”
“Because you can’t curate medical treatment to your preferences, Jamie, no matter how technologically advanced. As for Mrs. Jessica, you heard what Ruby said. She’s too busy.” The Doctor sighed as he moved his chair closer to the side of Jamie’s bed. “Jamie, she’s a bit new to patient care. Everyone has to start somewhere.” Jamie grumbled something unintelligible, trying to itch at the tape scratching his arm. The Doctor noticed this and pushed his hand away, catching his gaze. “Be nice. It’s not easy work, you know. Don’t be another difficult patient she has to deal with.” Thoroughly chastised, Jamie felt guilty, beginning to regret his harsh words.
“I hate bein’ in hospital,” Jamie mumbled into his lap.
“Then maybe you’ll think twice before you throw yourself into harm’s way again.” He felt the Doctor’s finger under his chin, pulling his gaze up to meet again. “Chin up now.” The Doctor’s face smiled brightly at him, and Jamie felt all his worries melt away. “I got you double portions!” He added cheerily. Jamie rolled his eyes and sighed.
“Lucky me.”
***
Later that night, amidst the early morning hours, Jamie tossed and turned in his bed. Well, as much as his various tubes and wires allowed him to. Finally getting comfortable, he settled and let himself sink further into sleep. Suddenly, he felt something cold shoot up his arm, and the room began to spin behind his eyelids. Jamie struggled to open his eyes, his vision blurry even in the darkness. He tried to sit up but couldn’t. His limbs felt like rubber, limp and useless. Dread shot through him as a familiar weight settled atop him again. Jamie tried to scream but couldn’t even get his brain to open his mouth. A flash of silver glinted off the pale moonlight leaking in from the cracks in the blinds as the outside wind swayed them gently. The dark figure used the knife tip to cut the knot at his throat, tying his gown closed. The thin fabric fell, exposing his bandaged chest to the cold air. Jamie felt the figure drag the dull side of the knife along his collarbone slowly, almost teasing, before the point pricked the base of his neck. He could feel blood beginning to pool before it slowly trickled down his side, spilling onto his blanket. They dragged the blade down his chest, cutting skin and bandages alike. A pained noise escaped him as the figure pushed the knife deep into his side before slowly pulling it back out. After the third one, Jamie felt a familiar cold settle over him, and mercifully, he fell unconscious.
It wasn’t until late morning that Jamie finally awoke with a gasp, clutching at his chest. He looked down, the hospital gown still tied around his neck. Jamie pulled the collar forward to look under the fabric and saw no trace of the events that occurred last night. He couldn’t believe that it was just a dream. The feeling was far too vivid to be something conjured up by his imagination. Looking underneath his blanket, he noticed a blood stain near the side of his bed. Jamie’s eyes widened. The Doctor would have to believe him now. But when Jamie showed it to him when he came to his room later that day, he didn’t get the reaction he was hoping for.
“Jamie, do you think it could be possible that the blood is from your IV? Maybe you caught it on something or scratched it in your sleep.” Asked the Doctor as he prepped the lunch tray he brought in with him. Jamie’s face fell.
“No! I’m tellin’ ye, Doctor. Someone’s been creepin' into my room at night!” He cried, grimacing at the tray of food set on his lap. Jamie pushed it away and grabbed the Doctor’s hand, getting the man’s attention. “Do ye not believe me?” The Doctor felt his hearts break as he looked into Jamie’s sad eyes. He placed his other hand over Jamie's comfortingly, his thumb stroking the back of his hand.
“I believe you, Jamie.” The Doctor said gently and noticed Jamie sigh, squeezing his hand tighter. “And if it will make you feel better, I’ll stay here tonight with you, alright?” Jamie’s shoulders visibly relaxed as he slumped back against his pillow. He nodded. The Doctor patted his hand with a small smile before letting go. “There, nothing to worry about. Now, eat your lunch.”
Like the day before, Ruby came in a little before dinner to change Jamie’s IV. This time, it took her three tries to change his IV. Jamie bit his tongue and bore through it despite wanting to rip the evil thing from her hands and toss it out his window the whole time. Ruby stuttered out apologies again, even as she packed up and left the room for the night. Once she was gone, Jamie looked down at the damage. Much to his horror, a deep blue and purple bruise had begun to form in the crook of his arm and was slowly spreading up his bicep.
“Och, would ye look at what she’s done to me!” He cried, holding out his arm for the Doctor to see. The Doctor looked over and wasn’t able to suppress his reaction.
“Oh, my.” He muttered before trying to feign nonchalance. “That, ah, happens sometimes, Jamie. I promise it looks worse than it is.” The Doctor laid his jacket over his makeshift bed, made from the pair of room chairs. He stood at the end of Jamie’s bed. “Do you need anything else before bed?” Jamie shook his head, and the two settled in for the night.
Jamie lay awake in the darkness, trying to determine if the Doctor had fallen asleep yet or not. The Doctor's snoring from the other side of the room confirmed his suspicions. Carefully, he sat up and grabbed his IV bag off the hook. He followed the extra bit of tube with his fingers till he found the part the nurses used to inject his medication and disconnected it. Now, instead of leading into his arm, anything added to his IV would fill the separate, empty IV bag Jamie had tied to the end. Hanging the bag back up and hiding the empty one under his pillow, Jamie closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Hours passed, and just as Jamie felt himself begin to nod off, the muted click of the door opening made his ears perk up. He could hear someone moving in the room, creeping closer to his bed. Jamie could feel his heart beginning to race and struggled to try and keep his breathing steady. Suddenly, he felt his pillow grow cold under his cheek, the empty bag underneath expanding as it filled with liquid. Jamie let his body go limp, willing himself not to flinch or tense. He felt cold hands around his arm. They rolled him onto his back before climbing atop him. Jamie was shaking, unable to stop himself. He knew he hadn’t just dreamt it up. Now, Jamie just had to wait for the right time to strike. Taking a chance, he opened his eyes just a crack and looked at the figure looming over him. A large dark hood pulled over their head, their features concealed by shadows. Jamie’s eyes, however, went directly to the large, silver knife they retrieved from their sleeve. Seizing the opportunity, Jamie shot up suddenly and grabbed the figure’s wrist, sending the knife clattering to the floor. He shouted for the Doctor to wake up as he wrestled with the figure in the dark. They pushed and clawed at his face, struggling to escape, but Jamie wasn’t letting go. The Doctor fell onto the floor at the ruckus jolting him awake. He scrambled to turn on the lights to see Jamie with Nurse Ruby in a headlock, the girl clawing at his arm, her face quickly turning a bright red as she gasped for air.
“Jamie!” The Doctor shouted, pulling him off the girl and pushing him back against his bed. “Stop it! What do you think you’re doing–AH!” In freeing Ruby from Jamie’s hold, the Doctor had turned his back to her. He didn’t see her as she retrieved the knife from the floor before plunging it deep into the Doctor’s right shoulder. He cried out and collapsed onto Jamie’s bed as she ran out the door. Jamie called out for help, the scuffle alerting several other night shift attendants to their room. They rushed into Jamie’s room, quickly tending to the knife still lodged in the Doctor’s back, while the others went to alert security to find Nurse Ruby.
As one nurse cut the Doctor’s shirt around the knife, another stood at the ready with a medical instrument. It looked like a pen, white with a sleek design, and had a tiny lightbulb at the end.
“Ready? On three…This might feel a bit cold.” The two nurses conversed amongst each other, the Doctor squeezing Jamie’s hand firmly. “Three!” One nurse pulled the knife out with a sickening noise, and the Doctor bowed his head in pain. The other nurse quickly switched on the strange tool; it hummed as she held it over the open wound. Jamie watched in awe as the wound on the Doctor's shoulder slowly closed before his eyes, the blood absorbing back into the skin. “Right, there you go.” Said the nurse, switching the tool off and returning it to the side table. The Doctor shivered, and Jamie squeezed his hand anxiously.
“Ye alright?” He asked. The Doctor nodded, reaching back to run his fingers along his healed shoulder.
“Ah, yes, Jamie. I’m fine.” He mumbled, slowly lacing their fingers together.
Going back to sleep was impossible that night, with constant questioning from the hospital staff and police and people constantly moving in and out of the room. Eventually, the Doctor became so overwhelmed he physically shooed everyone out. During this brief moment when the room was void of everyone but themselves, Jamie heard other nurses talking outside the room about other male patients on that ward reporting similar sounding “nightmares.” He heard them calling him: "her type.” Whatever that meant. Jamie hoped he’d overhear how they found Ruby and locked her away somewhere she’d never escape. Unfortunately, the sun finally rose, and there was still no new information about the runaway nurse. They’d lost her.
That morning, the Doctor busied himself about the room, ensuring he and Jamie were packed and ready to be discharged as soon as possible.