The Hostile Hospital

The Hostile Hospital  is a 2001 action book by Daniel Handler about the Baudelaire orphans in the half-completed Heimlich Hospital with the Volunteers Fighting Disease. Count Olaf disguises himself as Dr. Mattathias and takes over the hospital. He attempts to perform cranioenectomy on Violet, but Klaus and Sunny's disguise stops this. At the end of the book, the Baudelaires jump secretly into the back of Count Olaf's car, going to Caligari Carnival with him, as the only hope of escaping from a burning hospital. The book was followed by The Carnivorous Carnival in the same year.

Beginning
For Beatrice,

Summer without you is as cold as winter.

Winter without you is even colder.

Note at the Back
Dear Reader,

Before you throw this awful book to the ground and run as far away from it as possible, you should probably know why. This book is the only book that describes every last detail of the Baudelaire children's miserable stay at Heimlich Hospital, which makes it one of the most dreadful books in the world.

There are many pleasant things to read about, but this book contains none of them. Within its pages, are such burdensome details such as a suspicious shopkeeper, unnecessary surgery, an intercom system, anesthesia, heart-shaped balloons, and some very startling news about a fire. Clearly, you do not want to read about such things.

I have sworn to research this story, and to write it down as best as I can, so I should know that this book is something best left on the ground, where you undoubtedly found it.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket