Lila Spencer - Night of Mystery CHAPTER ONE "I don' see why I can' just go home ... I feel fine-d ... " Lila Spencer exclaimed nasally through her clogged up sinuses. "When you add a 'd' in fine ... you're not fine," her mother stated wryly at the expense of her daughter's condition. "Now, Lila ... " Dr. Wayne Parnell spoke up, " ... staying here is the best place for you right now. We need to look at the test results to pinpoint your exact condition and that won't be ready until tomorrow." Lila grumbled fitfully in response, crossing her arms over her chest at having being admitted to the hospital for the night. She had developed a bit of a phobia to hospitals ever since she witnessed her sick grandmother actually dying while visiting her when she was only six years old, and she still hasn't gotten over it since. "Sweetheart ... " her father chimed in, placing his hand gently on her shoulder, " ... you're becoming a young woman now"""a statement Bruce Spencer thought he'd never admit since he's always saw her as his baby girl"""if you can handle being assaulted by gamblers and crazy hillbillies, staying here for the night should be a piece of cake in comparison." Lila smiled at what he said for it made her feel good that he was finally acknowledging the fact that she was a genuine sleuth, something her mother still has trouble accepting. "Okay ... " she said in compliant, " ... I'll stay like a good girl. But promise me that you'll be here first thin' in the mornin'." "We promise ... " Susan said warmly. "Now don't you worry, Lila ... " Dr. Parnell cut in, " ... if you need assistance at anytime, the nurses' station is just right down the hall." That did make Lila feel somewhat better as she took comfort with her favorite teddy bear, Chuckles, for he always made her feel safe at night when she was frightened or nervous. "Now just get some much-needed rest, and I'll check back with you in the morning," the doctor added warmly being the good caregiver that he was. After they all said their goodbyes and left, Lila snuggled with Chuckles, looking at the cold sterile walls of the room she was in with the hope that this night will go by very quickly. CHAPTER TWO Lila sat dolefully on the bed with the TV remote in hand, flicking through channels endlessly as there wasn't anything remotely interesting on that could break the dejected mood she was in. Even her dinner didn't accomplish that, as her bowl of canned-style chicken soup was only half consumed and the saltine crackers were virtually untouched. Why did I have to get sick enough to stay here? ... The fact that she was alone in the two-bed room made her feel even more apprehensive about staying for the night""at least talking to someone else would help cope with her "captivity" here. As if the hospital staff heard her silent pleas, the door suddenly opened and two nurses rolled in a gurney, and lying on it Lila could see a girl looking at her. She appeared to be a little older than her""around Katie's age if she were to guess. The pair of nurses gently and carefully transferred the teenage girl onto the empty bed, making sure not to disturb her left leg, which Lila could see was wrapped tightly in some kind of brace from her ankle all the way up to mid-thigh. After the girl was all settled in, the nurses rolled out the gurney, leaving the two bedridden girls to themselves. "Hi ... I'm Lila," she said kindly to her new "roommate" with a smile on her freckled face. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Jessica ... Jessica Fusaro," the pretty dark-haired girl replied back friendly. "You sure sound like you belong here, if you don't mind me saying so," she added at the sound of Lila's nasally toned voice. "Yeah, the doctor's not sure what's wong with me ... I keep tellin' it's just a thimple cold." Lila took notice of Jessica's predicament and felt pity on the poor girl""at least she wasn't confined as she could simply just get up and walk out of the room if she wanted to. "What happened to you?" she asked very concerned. "Auto accident ... " Jessica responded and flinched a little, as if the mere mention of that incident had aggravated her injured leg a bit. "Some person driving was not paying attention and rammed our car. My leg got pinned against the front seat while I sat in back. It actually looks worse than it feels." "You were fortunate, considerin' how worse it could've been," Lila mused on the severity of car accident fatalities she's heard numerous times on the news. Jessica suddenly snapped her fingers and her brown eyes widen. "Now I recognize you ... you're the girl that rescued Alisa a couple of months ago when she was touring here." Lila smiled in response, although she was beginning to get a little tiresome of her newfound fame, after she had been on practically every talk show in the metropolitan area since that little occurrence. Sometimes having too much recognition is not a good thing ... something that her older cousin can certainly relate to. "Yeah, that would be me ... " Lila replied sheepishly. "Fusaro ... that name sounds awfully familiar ... " she then said while deep in thought trying to recall where she heard it before. "My father is a circuit judge for this district ... the only recognition our family name gets," Jessica responded as if she had said that before. "You're the first teenager that has asked me that. I usually get that question from adults," she added, paying attention to Lila's awareness in such matters. "Well, I guess I'm not your ordinary teenage girl ... " Lila replied humbly. She was indeed feeling much better now that she has someone to talk to, and who apparently shared the same interests with her as an added bonus. Perhaps staying here overnight might not be such a bad thing after all ... CHAPTER THREE Later that night, Lila's fever suddenly shot up and she thrashed around the bed in an almost half-dazed state. Her body was covered with sweat as she felt like she was burning up inside. During her delirium, she dreamt about some unknown person or persons, but couldn't tell who or how many. Then the sounds of something clanging or breaking were suddenly heard. She moaned softly as the weird dream continued. More strange noises occurred again, followed by flashes of light, and then silence ... Lila soon began to awake she felt her head throbbing. Whatever this illness I have is definitely no ordinary cold ... She reached over to the small end table next to the bed where a container of water was left for her. As she grabbed the plastic container to get a much-needed drink, she happen to notice from the moonlight shining through the large window blinds that Jessica was not in her bed. Sitting up now, Lila could see that it was neatly made as if it was never occupied. Rubbing her eyes, she thought her vision was doing tricks on her as her fever was still present. She got out of bed a bit weakly and felt something soft against her foot. She glanced down and noticed that Chuckles was on the floor. Lila picked up her beloved companion, placing him carefully back on her bed and then strolled over to the other bed. There was no doubt at all of what she saw as she even gently touched the tightly made blanket. Looking even more confused now, Lila decided to walk out the room and head to the nurses' station. Her bare feet felt clammy against the cool tiled floor of the hallway as she slowly made her way. Stopping in front of the small counter, she noticed a lone woman sitting as she quietly read some paperback book. The nurse suddenly took notice of the teen girl standing before her. "What are you doing out of bed?" she exclaimed in an urgent tone. "If you need assistance, just press the call button and someone will attend to you." "My name is Lila Spencer, an' I wan' to know what happen to the girl that was in my woom ... number 216," she said still stuffed up. Checking her computer first, the nurse turned back to Lila. "I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken. It says here that no one has been admitted to that room ... except you." Her blue eyes widen in shock at what she just heard. But that can't be ... I just talked with her a few hours ago! CHAPTER FOUR Lying back on her bed after she was escorted back to her room, Lila thought long and hard of what just transpired. Maybe they transferred her to another room because perhaps they felt I was contagious ... but why would the nurse say she wasn't even admitted in the first place? The night shift was now on duty and wasn't present when Jessica was admitted to the hospital earlier today. Maybe there's a major glitch with their computer system ... Sitting back up, her sweaty brow furrowed and her blue eyes narrowed into doubtful slits. Something fishy is sure going on around here ... and I intend to find out what, sick or no sick ... CHAPTER FIVE Lila quietly stepped out of her room again, and stealthily made her back to the nurses' station. The hallway was deathly quiet as you could practically hear a pin drop. Reaching the small alcove, she noticed to her relief that that nurse was no longer there now""just as she hoped. Sprinting through the door, Lila sat at the computer and noticed a program already open for hospital queries. She typed in Jessica's name under 'patient name' and it replied back "none found." Just to make sure that it's working properly, she typed her own name and her bio information came right up. Letting out an exhaustive sigh, Lila sat there in thought. I guess the nurse was telling me the truth ... Someone had to of erased Jessica's file from the system ... someone most likely affiliated with this hospital ... But why would someone go to such great lengths at making sure that Jessica wasn't even here? ... Lila then recalled that weird dream she just had. Those noises I thought I heard ... could that have been someone actually taking Jessica out of the room, perhaps by force? If so, I guess they left me alone seeing that I was obviously delirious from my illness ... Just then, she heard the sounds of footsteps approaching quietly, but discernibly. Realizing that it must be that nurse returning, Lila couldn't just slip out without being detected, so she quickly hid behind a storage cabinet close by that was barely large enough to conceal her petite form adequately. Crouching down, she heard the woman entering and taking her seat at the computer. "What's this ... Lila Spencer? ... " she said in reference to the patient query on the computer screen. Oh, shoot! ... Lila placed her hand over her mouth in shock at being so careless ... she just hoped that she wouldn't get caught because of it. The nurse grabbed a small hand-held radio from her belt and spoke into it. "It's Warrens ... there may be a problem with that other girl in the room. I think she may be getting nosy." Another voice was then heard coming from the radio, but it was too distant for Lila to hear what was being said. "Yes, I got it ... take her to the basement. Warrens out." The nurse then placed the radio back on her belt and stood up. She turned to leave when she suddenly stopped for a moment, looking around the work station carefully. She took a couple steps forward and was near the cabinet! Lila stayed absolutely quiet as she covered her mouth tightly to suppress her ragged breathing. A few tense seconds later, the nurse shook her head then left the area. Lila could hear her finally leaving and she let out a quiet sigh for that was a little too close. From what she heard, it sounded like that that nurse ... Warrens, was heading to her room and take her down to the basement. Her blue eyes then lit up""could that be where Jessica was taken to? Rising from her hiding spot, she peered out into the hallway to check if it was all clear. Not seeing her around, Lila bolted in the direction opposite of where her room was, and headed straight for the nearest stairwell. CHAPTER SIX The stairs felt even colder than the hallway floor as Lila walked down still bare foot, of course the rest of her remained quite hot as her fever persisted. It starting to seem like wherever I go there's some mystery to be solved ... Reaching the basement level, Lila opened the exit door and peered into the dimly lit hallway. As before with upstairs, all was nice and quiet. Walking ever so gently, Lila tried to hear for any kind of sounds like if Jessica was being held against her will. Even though her head throbbed, she did manage to hear some faint noises up ahead. It led to a closed door with a small window in it. Peering through, she gasped at seeing a group of people sitting on the floor of the small room, tied up and gagged! Two other individuals were also present as they stood over the captives chatting amongst themselves. Lila took particular attention to the pistols that were holstered on their belt straps. She immediately perceived that the prisoners were employees of the hospital judging by the nurse and security uniforms they wore. Jessica must be in the middle of all this, but why take her in the first place? ... and why this elaborate charade to do it? ... It was then the teen snoop realized that this might have something to do with her father, the judge. Well, whatever the reason, this takeover plot is sure a bold one. I wonder if Jessica's "accident" was even orchestrated in order to bring her here? ... There was only thing Lila could think of to do, and that was alert the police of the hostage situation going on for she was no match for two armed guards all by herself. She needed to get to a phone, assuming these invaders didn't already cut the lines, which in the movies they almost always do. Regardless of that, she has to at least try for there's no telling what will happen to Jessica (wherever she is), or those poor hostages. Getting to a phone would require going back upstairs, and that nurse is surely looking for her right now. Just then, Lila heard someone approaching the door, and she scrambled out of the way, quickly hiding around the corner of the hallway. She spied one of the armed guards leaving and walking off in the opposite direction. His sudden departure could possibly mean that they need more hands to search for the missing "nosy" girl. Coming to the conclusion that heading back upstairs would likely result in her getting captured, Lila thought it would be best to remain here and try some way of freeing those captives herself. Trying to think of something, she heard a squeaking noise behind her. Turning to it, she shrieked as she saw that it was a small mouse scurrying along the edge of the floor. A smile then formed across her freckled face as an idea presented itself ... CHAPTER SEVEN Carrying the small mouse in her hands made the animal less fearsome as Lila realized that it was more afraid of her than she was of it. Besides, she thought the little rodent was very cute looking. Squatting down in front of the door, she carefully opened it just tiny bit and shoved the mouse through it. Muffled screams from the female prisoners were suddenly heard. Lila readied herself for that guard to come out. And as if right on cue, the door opened and the guard stepped out while holding the mouse in his shaky hands. Lila chuckled to herself as she could clearly see that this tough-looking man was actually afraid of a tiny little mouse. With him being distracted at the moment, Lila quickly got up and grabbed the gun from his belt. The guard felt that and twirled to see this young girl aiming his gun right at him. Lila didn't know whether to tell him to raise his hands as she was still enjoying his anxiety with the mouse. "Get back in the woom!" she shouted decisively like she meant business, which in truth she was scared beyond belief on the inside. To her relief though, she noticed the guard complying with her demands. Once inside, the six people seated on the floor were taken aback at seeing a teenage girl coming to their aid. "C-can I please drop this infernal creature ... " the guard said nervously for he was now sweating in fear. "Okay ... but gently," Lila replied still holding the gun firmly in her hands. The guard bent down and dropped his hands to the floor, releasing the diminutive animal. It quickly darted straight for the open door as it had enough excitement for one day. "Now, untie the security guard," she then ordered, and the man obeyed as he went over to the lone male prisoner. Once he was released, the security guard took the lethal weapon from the teen girl, and Lila then began tying up the bad guy to secure him. After she finished binding him, she noticed a two-way radio attached to his belt and grabbed it. "You can start untying them ... " Lila said to the "good" guard in reference to the captive nurses. "He won't be going anywhere I can assure you," she added, mentioning her improved skills at tying knots. Lila then headed for the door. "Wait ... where are you going?" the guard asked her in bewilderment. "I need to find someone else ... " she replied plainly and dashed out of the room before the guard had a chance to stop her. CHAPTER EIGHT Turning on the radio, Lila could hear chatter amongst the multitude of villains that infested this nice, quiet hospital. She guessed correctly that they were frantically searching for her. Lila kept moving around in the spacious basement as the signal kept getting scrambled. Listening carefully to the conversations, she was trying to hear where Jessica could be stashed since she obviously wasn't down here. The voice a man was then heard as he sounded like he was the leader of the group""Lila was certain that Jessica was with him. In fact her suspicions were indeed correct as she heard some faint noises in the background, like someone with a gag in their mouth. Lila sat for a moment to think of what her next course of action should be. Now if I were some big hotshot bad guy, where would I be holed up? ... Her blue eyes twinkled as she guessed the most logical place ... the head doctor's office! Villains can be so predictable sometimes with their over-inflated egos. She remembered hearing that Dr. Parnell was the senior doctor on staff, so it must be his office they're occupying. Of course, with the hostages now freed, Lila was sure that they would be trying to summon for help, but she wasn't sure how they would accomplish that, or when the police would even get here. I could just lie low down here until the cavalry arrives. That's what my parents would want me to do ... but I can't sit here knowing that Jessica is in danger. Wow, I guess I do act too much like Katie ... Making up her mind, the junior detective rose to her feet with a resolute expression on her youthful face for she was determined to help Jessica any way she can ... CHAPTER NINE Arriving back on the main floor, Lila scanned the area carefully for any signs of life""fortunately there were none. It made sense to her that the chief doctor's office would be on this floor, now to just find it. She went through the task at checking each door she came in contact with, inspecting the nameplate located on it. Reaching the end of the long hall, Lila groaned at not finding the right door. The radio she still held onto suddenly squawked to life. "We have a situation here ... I found Gibbons tied up and the hostages gone! ... " a voice called out in an urgent tone. Lila cursed to herself for she hoped that she would find Jessica before that guard was discovered ... but at least the hostages are apparently safe now. Maybe the police are on their way ... "We have to assume the police on their way ... " the voice continued, mirroring Lila's hypothesis. "Okay, listen up everyone ... " that voice Lila guessed was their leader spoke up, " ... we move to Plan B, I repeat Plan B ... Warrens, go get the package and we'll meet at the rendezvous point." "Roger that ... " she acknowledged. What did he mean by package? ... Lila thought wondering, then it hit her ... That must be some code word for Jessica! ... Which means she must be held unguarded! Lila then went into double-time searching the adjoining hall for Dr. Parnell's office. And sure enough, she found it! Opening the door, she noticed it was dark inside and turned on the light switch. Sitting behind the large oak desk, Lila saw Jessica sitting in a wheelchair with her hands lashed to the arms of it, and her mouth sealed shut with white tape. The imperiled girl moaned frantically at the sudden presence of her roommate. Lila dashed over to her and gently peeled off the sticky tape. Her mouth was filled with a wad of gauze as she tried to spit it out, so Lila helped her by extracting it out with her fingers. The pretty brunette coughed furiously now that her mouth was free. "Are you okay?" Lila asked concerned. She looked a bit surprised at seeing Lila coming to her rescue, but was grateful that she did. "Yeah ... better now that thing is out of my mouth." Lila then moved behind the injured girl and started moving the wheelchair. "Aren't you going to untie me first?" Jessica asked while moving her bound hands as an indication. "There's no time wight now ... " she responded quietly as her sinuses sounded worse than before, " ... they're comin' for you as we speak." "They're already here ... " another voice suddenly spoke out, and the two girls saw that nurse standing at the open door! CHAPTER TEN Jessica sat there stunned that their escape attempt was apparently foiled. "You should've just stayed in bed like a good patient, Lila ... " the nurse said icily. "Now, it looks as though you might be heading down to the morgue instead." Lila gasped at that alarming threat, but this wasn't the first time her life was in danger, nor would it probably be her last. She saw the nurse raising her radio up to her face as she was no doubt going to call in for reinforcements. Thinking quickly, she saw some type of ornate stone carving on the desk, and she grabbed it. The nurse looked wide-eyed in horror as she saw Lila hurling the hefty object right towards her! Not having enough time to dodge out of the way, the statue landed squarely against her chest, knocking her right down to the floor. Without missing a beat, Lila pushed the wheelchair speedily towards the door. As she reached the fallen woman, she grabbed her radio and threw it hard against the wall, smashing it to pieces. The nurse tried to get back up to stop the fleeing girl, but the blow knocked the wind out of her as she still lied on the tile floor in a fit of anger. Racing down the hall with Jessica in tow, Lila headed for the main exit before more company arrives. "Why were you grabbed? ... And who are these people?" she asked her trussed companion for she wanted to know. "I don't who they are, but I did hear one of them mentioning my father," Jessica replied as she was still clueless of the specific reason why she had been held captive. "Sounds like a classic case of coercion to me ... with your dad being a judge and all," Lila offered an opinion, which sounded the most reasonable. As she turned a corner, Jessica spoke up quietly, "Stop, Lila ... there's someone standing at the door." The junior sleuth backed up the wheelchair, then peered over and sure enough she saw two men standing guard, probably on the lookout for the police. So much for a quick exit ... "What're we gonna do?" Jessica asked her rescuer worryingly for she was frightened by this whole unnerving experience. Seeing the radio she had with her on Jessica's lap, another idea came to her. Retrieving it, she clicked on the talk button and began speaking into it, "This is Warrens ... " she said, trying her best at imitating the nurse's husky-sounding voice, which her nasally condition actually assisted her. "That nosy girl must've gotten to the package first ... I need help in findin' her." Lila then stood there and waited, hoping her charade worked. "Tyler ... Bates ... go help assist Warrens," the leader spoke up, and right after that, Lila saw those two men leave their post at the front door. Worked like a charm ... Jessica was indeed impressed with Lila's quick thinking and ingenuity. "How're you able to come up with an idea like that?" she said as Lila was now wheeling her to the exit doors. "My cousin is a big time detective, and I learned some of her twicks ... " she replied proudly, when suddenly, she began to slow down. "What's wrong?" Jessica asked apprehensively. "I dunno ... my head feels fuzzy ... I guess I overexerted myself durin' all this ... " Lila replied sluggishly as she stopped pushing the wheelchair altogether now for her fever was rising dangerously. With her hands still tied, Jessica was powerless to do anything. "Lila, untie my hands and I'll get us out of here." The sickened girl trudged around to face Jessica. Her eyes were very droopy as she started swaying ever so slightly. "Liiiilaaa ... pleeeezzz ... hellll ... meeeee ... " the words of Jessica sounded slow and garbled as her senses began to shut down. Then blackness overcame her ... CHAPTER ELEVEN "I think she's waking up now ... " a voice was heard, which sounded strangely familiar to Lila as her vision began to return. Distorted images began to focus better, and what she saw shocked her more than anything she had ever experienced before in her young life. "Mom ... what're doing here? ... " she said weakly as her strength was still not back fully. Her father and Dr. Parnell also came into view as they looked relieved to see her awake. "You had us all very worried when you went into some form of coma last night ... " Susan responded still shaken up as she held her daughter's hand gently. "But the doctor here says that you're out of danger, and that you'll be fine." "Coma? ... " Lila said all confused, " ... but I didn't have a coma, I was ... " She suddenly sat up in a bed and noticed that she was back in her room! She looked at the other bed and saw Jessica lying there, gazing at her with a concerned look. "Now, you're going to need to take it easy, Lila ... " Dr. Parnell instructed, " ... we don't want you to risk getting a relapse from your condition." He eased her back on the bed with a gentle hand. "Jessica ... what're doing here?" Lila's asked her as her mind was in such a whirlwind that nothing made any sense to her now. "I was admitted for a broken leg ... don't you remember?" she asked all confused, but then realized that Lila's awful experience last night might have affected with her short-term memory. "But ... you were kidnapped by these men who took over the hospital to coerce your father into doing something, and ... " she rambled on to the surprise of everyone in the room. "My, young lady ... " Dr. Parnell spoke up, " ... you certainly have a vivid imagination ... sounds like you've read a lot of Nancy Drew or Jenny Dare." He then looked at Lila's parents, "My daughter is a fan herself." "Oh, we fully understand ... " Bruce chimed in at their own daughter's all too fascination of the genre. "But it felt so real ... the smells, the sounds ... " Lila then noticed the sun shining bright outside the window. "What day is it?" "It's the next day," Susan replied. "You made it through the night." Lila looked back at her roomie with utter confusion in her blue eyes. "So you were never taken captive?" "I think I would remember if I was kidnapped and tied up somewhere," Jessica replied smartly without being too sarcastic. "Great, now I'm crazy then ... " she said all frustrated. "Lila, you're not crazy ... " Dr. Parnell cut in calmly, "the mind is a very powerful and mysterious thing. We can conjure up images so potent, we'd swear that they're real. Your particular illness, which thankfully is now in remission, must've affected your ability to distinguish fantasy from reality for when we dream, we wake up knowing it was just that." Lila tried hard to come to grips with what's happened for she couldn't deny the fact that Jessica was with her safe and sound. I guess I really did imagine it all along ... that must've been some coma I was in ... "You said my illness was in remission, does that mean I can go home then?" she asked the doctor hopeful as she wanted to really get out here more than ever now. "Based on your latest test results, I'd say in a few hours ... " Dr. Parnell replied happily. "I just need to discuss with your parents regarding medication and bedrest for you." After the adults left the room, Lila looked at Jessica with a look of extreme guilt. "I'm very sorry for putting you on the spot like that ... " "It's okay, Lila ... really," Jessica replied warmly. "I'm just very glad you made it through the night in one piece. The way you were writhing and moaning like that, I thought you were having one heck of a nightmare." "You could certainly call it that ... " "So, in your dream, you said I was held captive ... was I rescued?" Jessica inquired for she was curious herself. Lila paused for a moment before answering her. "Yeah ... you were," she smiled, wanting to put a happy ending to one of the weirdest experiences she had ever faced.