Doc Mortis

Doc Mortis
Barry Hutchison

The fourth thrilling book in this darkly funny, horror series Darren Shan called ‘deliciously nightmarish’. The first book, Mr Mumbles, is shortlisted for the Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books.Kyle wakes up in hospital – which is strange, because he doesn't remember being ill. And that's not all. He's also deliriously flitting in and out of the Darkest Corners, and in the shadow version of the hospital the surfaces aren't clean, and the sharp instruments aren't used for healing.It's Kyle's most terrifying experience yet, and it's about to get much, much worse.The doctor will see him now…The fourth installment of this darkly comic horror series

Dedication (#u26544e96-4e54-55f5-8001-fe5da31770a0)

For my agent and friend, Kathryn Ross, whose patience knows no bounds.

Contents

Cover (#uc870db28-6e72-5341-ac96-3f42275e3478)

Title Page (#ud6d2922e-9515-53a2-a2bb-6dd24e79e30f)

Dedication

Prologue

SEVENTEEN DAYS EARLIER...

Chapter One - THE HOSPITAL

Chapter Two - THE OTHER HOSPITAL

Chapter Three - THE OTHER OTHER HOSPITAL

Chapter Four - FINDING THE WAY

Chapter Five - THE SEARCH BEGINS

Chapter Six - THE THING IN THE TUBE

Chapter Seven - FACES IN THE FOG

Chapter Eight - THE DOCTOR IS IN

Chapter Nine - THE PORTER

Chapter Ten - THE SECRET HIDEOUT

Chapter Eleven - A TASTE OF HIS OWN MEDICINE

Chapter Twelve - FRIENDS REUNITED

Chapter Thirteen - A COMMON ENEMY

Chapter Fourteen - THE GALLERY

Chapter Fifteen - FROZEN WITH FEAR

Chapter Sixteen - CREATURE CLASH

Chapter Seventeen - TEN ELEPHANTS

Chapter Eighteen - CLOWNING AROUND

Chapter Nineteen - MISTAKES OF THE PAST

Chapter Twenty - FOSTERING RELATIONS

Chapter Twenty-one - CONFESSIONS

Also available in the INVISIBLE FIENDS series

Copyright

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Prologue (#ulink_cda752a8-afde-5c15-9744-93add26352a8)

What had I expected to see? I wasn’t sure. An empty street. One or two late-night wanderers, maybe.

But not this. Never this.

There were hundreds of them. Thousands. They scuttled and scurried through the darkness, swarming over the village like an infection; relentless and unstoppable.

I leaned closer to the window and looked down at the front of the hospital. One of the larger creatures was tearing through the fence, its claws slicing through the wrought-iron bars as if they were cardboard. My breath fogged the glass and the monster vanished behind a cloud of condensation. By the time the pane cleared the thing would be inside the hospital. It would be up the stairs in moments. Everyone in here was as good as dead.

The distant thunder of gunfire ricocheted from somewhere near the village centre. A scream followed – short and sharp, then suddenly silenced. There were no more gunshots after that, just the triumphant roar of something sickening and grotesque.

I heard Ameena take a step closer behind me. I didn’t need to look at her reflection in the window to know how terrified she was. The crack in her voice said it all.

‘It’s the same everywhere,’ she whispered.

I nodded slowly. ‘The town as well?’

She hesitated long enough for me to realise what she meant. I turned away from the devastation outside. ‘Wait... You really mean everywhere, don’t you?’

Her only reply was a single nod of her head.

‘Liar!’ I snapped. It couldn’t be true. This couldn’t be happening.

She stooped and picked up the TV remote from the day-room coffee table. It shook in her hand as she held it out to me.

‘See for yourself.’

Hesitantly, I took the remote. ‘What channel?’

She glanced at the ceiling, steadying her voice. ‘Any of them.’