Cambodian Ward
Chapter 1 ~ Message Mr. Hasan

Five more minutes of my night shift work starts. I made sure that the uniform I was wearing was neat and hoped that tonight would be nothing. As an inpatient nurse schedules night shifts, it can usually be more relaxing or even busy such as morning and afternoon shifts. But that's not the problem. The problem is that invisible creatures are more visible at night.

“Amel, come,” invite Marni

“Shortly,” I replied while locking the locker and then rushed towards the nurse station.

There we get directions from the shift chairman, including reciting the patients we have to treat. Located in the fifth floor ward of adult patients with second-class room service. Each room contains three patient beds.

“Before starting the task let's pray, hopefully these patients are getting healthier and tomorrow are allowed to go home.”

“Aamiin,” I replied in unison with the others.

“Hopefully no patient died,” added Marni who was again guaranteed also by us.

“Also there are not many sightings and disturbing creatures,” I said in my heart.

Having the advantage of being able to see invisible creatures, enough to interfere with my activities. In fact, not infrequently I was afraid of a sighting that was so creepy and in the hospital the sighting of “they” was creepy.

Sometimes there are figures that do not have legs, hands and even body parts that decompose. Not infrequently the condition is bloody, it seems like the victim of an accident.

“Amel, you check the temperature and room tension left side and Marni room right side. Dela, pavilion room,” said the shift chairman divided the task.

After the briefing was completed, I prepared a tensimeter and thermometer and a note to write down the measurement results before being recorded to the medical records of each patient. Right now I'm standing in front of a board that says all the names of the patients in this ward.

“Marni, Mr Hasan is home huh?” I asked Marni because I didn't find Hasan's patient name. I remember very well last night Mr. Hasan had shortness of breath and had to be helped with oxygen.

“You don't know ya?” marni asked in a whisper.

I looked and scrunched my forehead.  “Know what?”

“Tadi mornings Mr. Hasan died, he said the heck sorted out we shift it.”

“Inna innallahi wainnailaihi rojiun,” says. Marni pointed to one of the names listed on the board.

“Mother Citra. The new patient is like,”, I said while reading what time he entered and indications of his illness.

“Ih has not connected yet, Ibu Citra is his wife Pak Hasan. He came in this afternoon,” whispered Marni to my surprise.

“Masa?”

Marni nodded her head. We also split up to do our job. I entered the room that was my territory measuring the temperature and blood pressure of all the patients.

“Night, check routine first yes,” I said when entering Melati's room.

There are two beds filled and the empty middle bed is only limited to curtain dividers. It turned out that the bed near the window was a patient on behalf of Ms. Citra. The mother seemed to be asleep, I slowly felt her hand about to measure the blood pressure.

I turned to the right side of Mother Citra and confirmed my vision.

Brakes

 My heart beats faster, my hair is standing straight and my neck is getting heavy. A sign of the presence of invisible creatures near me.

Rushing I measured the blood pressure and body temperature of Mother Citra. From the corner of my eyes I could see that Mr. Hasan was standing and looking at me.

“Suster Amel.”

My lips were about to chant prayers, my hands were even tremors. Although it has been since childhood I can see “they”, but the fear still exists when the creature invites interaction. My hair is getting goosebumps hearing that figure say my name again.

I do not know for sure who exactly the figure, it could be just a genie that resembles Mr. Hasan. Because the dead human spirit should already be in another realm.

With trembling hands and a figure looking at me, what I was doing was difficult. Immediately I removed the tensimeter from Mother Citra's hand and rushed out of the room.

Bugh.

“Sorry,” I said because I hit someone who was about to enter the room.

“Yes, it's okay. Uh, sister Amel yes.”

I made sure that the one in front of me was human, even I looked at his two feet on the ground.

“I Andri Sus, his son Mother Citra and Mr. Hasan.”

“Oh,” I said while nodding his head. If this man had known that I had just seen his Father even call out my name.  

“The father has not existed, uh Mother even entered here,” he said and I saw the tired and sorrowful murat on the man's face, slowly I turned to look towards the bed where Ibu Citra was. There is no Mr. Hasan.

“I just tensed Mother Citra, the pressure is normal. Hopefully stable continue yes and the doctor can decide to go home, so can rest at home,”.

Finished measuring the temperature and tension of all my patients back to the nurse station and write down the results of routine checks on the medical records of the patients I checked. Not long after Marni came back and sat beside me doing the same thing with me. Another nurse was traveling to give drug therapy or injections and check the infusion fluid.

By midnight, I was the only one at the nurse station because another nurse was circulating in the room, there had just been a patient in care and there had been a critical patient. I'm focusing on recording the results of the examination into a computer file.

“Suster Amel,” call someone standing in front of the table.                                                                                   

“Iya,” I replied while saving my work and then turning the chair. “Astagfirullah.” I screeched then stood up and stepped back away from the table.

The figure of Mr. Hasan standing there, the man looked at me and extended his hand. Makes my body goosebumps again and the atmosphere suddenly feels gripping. My mouth felt like cursing and shouting calling my colleagues.

“Suster Amel, please tell my wife. I go and take care of myself, do not be too long in sadness. It's not time for him to go with me,” the figure said.

I could only rub my chest while continuing to pray. Seeing that the figure did not shout or run away while I chanted a prayer, maybe I read the wrong prayer. Finally the figure disappeared, my hair returned to normal.

“Hahh, kirain will relax turns out to be crowded,” complained Marni who just came. He took off the gloves and washed his hands and was astonished by my standing position, panting and rubbing my chest.  

“Why you?” ask Marni. I shook my head. “See what just now?” ask Marni enthusiastically.