"Oh, dear," the nurse said. "Doctor Atkens was afraid something like this might happen. You don't remember anything, do you?"
Mikey thought hard for a second. "No," he admitted.
The nurse walked over to the phone. "Let me get the doctor in here, sugar," she told him with a wink. "She'll tell you what you need to know."
A short time later, a young woman in a lab coat came into the room. Dr. Jennifer Atkens was fresh out of medical school and was working at the hospital to get a little experience before starting her own practice. "How's the patient, Jody?" she asked the nurse.
"A little confused, I'm afraid, Doctor," the nurse replied.
"I see," Jenny came up next to the bed. "Well, if you'll excuse us, I'll let Mikey know what's happened."
"Sure thing," the nurse nodded. "I need to get back to the desk anyway." She smiled at Mikey in the bed. "If you need anything at all, sweety, you just buzz me. Okay?"
Mikey nodded, and the nurse left the room. "Okay, Mikey," the doctor said, "let's see that bump."
She looked him over for a few minutes, the whole time telling him how he got there. About the crazy girl who had attacked him, and his bumping his head. "Becky's gone back to your house now to bring your mother here," she told him as she finished her examination.
"Becky?"
"The policewoman that brought you here," Jenny explained. "She's an old friend of mine. We went to school together." Mikey just nodded. "Well, I'm going to have to go make my rounds now. If you need anything, just push that button and Jody will get it for you."
"I like her," Mikey smiled. "She's real sweet."
"Yes, she is," Jenny agreed. "She's one of the most popular nurses at the hospital. Well, you try to get some sleep, okay. Your mom should be here soon."
Again Mikey nodded, and turned over on his pillow. Jenny smiled as she turned off his light. She headed over to the nurse's desk to tell Jody that everything was okay, but slowed down as she got closer, seeing the strange sight there.
Jody was behind the desk, looking at a patient's chart. She didn't look up as Jenny reached the desk. In fact, she didn't move at all. Her entire body was a hard white substance, with a red stripe spiraling up from her feet to her head. The nurse looked like a barber's pole.
Cautiously, Jenny reached out and touched the unmoving nurse with her index finger. Jody's body was hard and unyielding, but felt somewhat sticky. Pulling her finger away, Jody looked at it for a moment before putting it in her own mouth. Peppermint, she realized, recognizing the taste. Jody had somehow been turned into a statue of solid peppermint candy.
