Lääkärin kohtalo: eli Sairaalan n:o 6

The story opens in a forgotten wing of a hospital, a crumbling outbuilding swallowed by tangled nettles, willow, and wild hemp. Its rust‑stained roof, half‑collapsed chimney, and dank, soot‑blackened walls give the place a foreboding, almost prison‑like look. Inside, the air hangs heavy with the sour smell of rot, stale cabbage, and ammonia, while piles of tattered linens and cracked mattresses create a chaotic maze of decay.

Within this gloom, five men occupy a single, dimly lit ward. Among them, Nikiitta, a gaunt former soldier with a fierce sense of order, patrols the room with a clenched jaw, ready to strike at any sign of disorder. Opposite him sits Mooses, a wiry, quick‑witted Jewish patient whose sharp laugh and restless energy contrast starkly with the surrounding misery. Their uneasy coexistence hints at deeper tensions, as Mooses, granted the rare freedom to roam beyond the building’s walls, gathers scraps of kindness from the streets while Nikiitta watches with a wary, possessive eye.

The first act sets up a stark backdrop and an odd fellowship of characters, inviting listeners to wonder how their fragile alliances will hold as the hospital’s shadows deepen.