Four

           Mr.CroupandMr.VandemarhadsetuptheirhomeinthecellarofaVictorianhospital,closeddowntenyearsearlierbecauseofNationalHealthServicebudgetcutbacks.Thepropertydevelopers,whohadannouncedtheirintentionofturningthehospitalintoanunparalleledblockofuniqueluxury-livingaccommodations,hadfadedawayassoonasthehospitalhadbeenclosed,andsoitstoodthere,yearafteryear,grayandemptyandunwanted,itswindowsboardedup,itsdoorspadlockedshut.Theroofwasrotten,andraindrippedthroughtheemptyhospital’sinterior,spreadingdampanddecaythroughthebuilding.Thehospitalwasrangedaroundacentralwell,whichletinacertainamountofgrayandunfriendlylight.

           Thebasementworldbeneaththeemptyhospitalwardscomprisedmorethanahundredtinyrooms,someofthemempty,otherscontainingabandonedhospitalsupplies.Oneroomheldasquat,giantmetalfurnace,whilethenextroomhousedtheblockedandwaterlesstoiletsandshowers.Mostofthebasementfloorswerecoveredwithathinlayerofoilyrainwater,whichreflectedthedarknessandthedecaybacktowardtherottingceilings.

           Ifyouweretowalkdownthehospitalsteps,asfardownasyoucouldgo,throughtheabandonedshowerrooms,pastthestafftoilets,pastaroomfilledwithbrokenglass,wheretheceilinghadcollapsedentirely,leavingitopentothestairwellabove,youwouldreachasmall,rustingironstaircase,fromwhichtheonce-whitepaintwaspeelinginlong,dampstrips.Andifyouwentdownthestaircase,andtraversedthemarshyplaceatthebottomofthesteps,andpushedyourwaythroughahalf-decayedwoodendoor,youwouldfindyourselfinthesub-cellar,ahugeroominwhichahundredandtwentyyearsofhospitalwastehadaccumulated,beenabandoned,and,eventually,forgotten;