The Cupcake and the Lady

Chapter Two~The Long Unwinding Road

The night was dangerously rainy in Arkham. Cars freely floating off of roads and into muddy ditches, police cars all over, and ambulance lights everywhere Herbert West looked. Cars and trucks breaking for all reasons. The black night was crawling with rain. Thunder in the distance and lightning bolts in the sky. Herbert had trouble keeping control of his small car that was just like all the others, just drifting off where ever.
"Shit," he mumbled and to no surprise as Herbert expected it, his car went into a muddy ditch. When it stopped, he sighed. "Son of a bitch night shift!"
He collected himself for a moment, grabbed his keys, his things, and braced himself for the rain. As he stepped out, he put his suitcase over his head, squinted his eyes as he peered through the fog, and saw the hospital.
He huffed as he walked, staring down the entire time. He was there within minutes and without slipping or bumping into anyone or anything. When he walked into the hospital, he immediately set his stuff down and took his coat off. He wiped his glasses off clean with a soft tissue and replaced them.
The hospital was surprisingly well organized for a hectic night. Patients were being tended to, so no complaints so far from scabby attitude folks. Files were in order and everyone was using their 'inside' voices, even some children in the waiting room. He had expected hell once he walked through the doors but instead got a tad bit of tranquility. He wiped his brow with a rather relieved look upon his face and went into the lounge.
Herbert got two sweet 'hellos' from two of the elderly volunteers as he made his way into the lounge, As he opened the door, Dan opened it from the other end, shocking him, for Herbert looked like a sea creature, soaked and pale with his soft angular face.
"Christ!" Dan whispered, " You look like shit. What happened?"
Herbert stepped in, placed his suitcase down, and sat.
"I take it you've not stepped foot outside?'' Herbert said tiredly
"Not for a few hours now, no. Is it bad?"
"Hmm...let's just say that my car is now in muddy ditch down the road," he turned his head in a jiggled motion but quickly turned it back to Dan. "Yes it is bad...and I don't look like shit. I'm just a little wet." He said in a delayed reaction. "I won't be surprised if this hospital is busy tonight." He said in an unusual tone that baffled Dan and so Dan just raised his brow in wonder.
"Right. I sure am glad I took days this week" He smiled and crossed his arms in his fashion.
Herbert smirked and Dan got a tad suspicious.
"What are you smirking at? Stop that!"
"Daniel, you aren't going anywhere unless you've got your snorkeling gear." Herbert said in a humorous tone of voice.
"No way! It can't be that bad." Dan paced out to the lobby entrance and Herbert followed. They stopped at the door and as Dan opened it, water drew in causing both of them to jump and Daniel quickly slammed the doors shut.
"Fuck." Dan said under his breath.
"So? Do you really want to leave?"
"YES! Yes, I really want to leave, but I can't. That just looks way too dangerous to drive, or even walk in for that matter."
"Your staying?"
"Yeah. Yeah." Dan sighed.
"Good. The night is young. Who knows what'll happen."
"The night is a baby."
Herbert grabbed some file folders and they both walked.