Awful Hospital Hi-Res Art and Concept Notes: Anna Sthesia (Patreon)

Appearing on page 919 of Awful Hospital, Anna made her first appearance in the "Doctor Dementist" creepypasta, and a big part of me still prefers both her and Dementist to be wholly unexplained. I was never even sure if I really wanted them to be part of Awful Hospital's canon, but I don't think I could have gotten away with leaving any of the weirdo doctors out. It's challenging, fleshing them out while still trying to keep them bizarre and mysterious.

Anna is the manifestation of the Hospital's anesthetic gas, which as explained in the comic works by basically elevating the patient's perception. Just like "laughing gas," they feel like they're somewhere else and experience anything but what's merely happening to their body.

When Fern received a single puff of the gas, she experienced its full effects for about one layer, or one page of the comic - the trippy hallucinatory vision she initially saw of Willis and Isaac. Since then, the gas has worn off over the course of eight pages with Fern becoming more cognizant but still "not all there."

Though Anna's gas (which is also Anna, basically) is used throughout the hospital, she only manifests her core form in the Dental ward, and is basically afraid of everyone and everything other than Dementist. They are extremely close, but it's neither a romantic nor platonic relationship exactly; it's something on a level humans don't really experience, almost like they're part of the same being.

The slimy tongue is a recent addition to make her just a bit more disturbing, seeing as that has to go over your mouth and nose to keep you on the gas. However, I opted for her to just "spray" gas in Fern's face, rather than latch on - it would just be a bit too unwholesome to have that happen to Fern.