Holly was daydreaming. The difference between a normal daydream and this daydream was that this particular daydream felt very, very real. She was aware that she was sat in her living room, but it was out of focus. There was a warm mist floating around and flashes of blue illuminated the mist. Standing in the corner, near to the TV was the Doctor. He had his hands on his hips, but his face was in shadow. He was studying her.
She turned to her left. Her grandfather was standing next to the door out into the hallway. He was smiling sadly. She knew he wasn’t really there, of course. He was just a figment of her imagination.
He nodded and said “It’s okay,” and then faded away into the blue mist.
Now the Doctor was in front of her, crouched down and looking into her eyes. “How do you feel?” he said, taking her wrist and checking her pulse.
“F-f-fine,” she said, her eyelids heavy.
“I’ve attached the headset to you.”
“Whats the…what’s the mist? The mist…” She felt drunk. She felt like the first time she had had a drink. Roxy had brought two bottles of Hooch to the Den and she’d felt so, so light-headed. She’d almost passed out that night, but had managed to stay awake long enough for Roxy to help her back home and sneak her in without her parents noticing.
“It’s just an incense stick thing,” said the Doctor, showing her a couple of unused sticks. “They help to block out everything around you.”
“Incense? It shouldn’t…make you….feel like….”
“I know,” said the Doctor, “that’s the device. It’s opening your subconscious. Dulling your senses in the hope it’ll let us see what there is to see.”
“Agatha…”
“She’s gone to her friends,” said the Doctor with a smile. “She won’t be bothering us.”
The Doctor patted the TV. Now, just let yourself drift. Whatever comes into your mind will hopefully show up on the TV screen.
Holly wasn’t sure if she wanted this. Her inner most thoughts being broadcast like an episode of Peep Show.
The Doctor could see the look on her face. “Don’t worry, it’ll only show us anything abnormal. Your secrets are safe with you,” he smiled. He moved away from the TV until he was just a shimmering blur amongst the mist. She heard him on the edge of her hearing say, “Now. Relax.”
Roxy and Lilly had arrived at the hospital and Lilly had paced up and down on the spot, mumbling to herself.
“Shall we go in then?” said Roxy, eager beside the doorway. She wanted to meet this Richard Hicks and find out why he had had a seizure like she had. It sounded like his had been even worse.
“We can’t just stroll into A&E,” said Lilly.
“True,” said Roxy, feeling deflated.
“Not unless you have an accident,” said Lilly, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
“Like what?” said Roxy, readjusting the glasses on her nose.
Lilly’s eyes narrowed, she balled up her fist, pulled back her arm and then trust her fist forward, hitting Roxy square on the nose.
Roxy’s nose exploded in blood and she fell to the ground with a cry.
Lilly looked around. Nobody had seen the blow and she dropped to the ground. “Oh, Roxanne. Roxanne, my darling. Are you okay?” She sounded faker than she intended to.
“You hit me!” said Roxy, clutching her nose. “You psychopath!”
“Let’s get you in to A&E,” said Roxy.
“You’re a nutcase,” said Roxy, as Lilly dragged her to her feet. “An absolute nutcase.”
“You’ll be alright, my darling,” said Lilly, as she helped Roxy through the double doors and towards A&E.
A few minutes later they were in a curtained off bay. Roxy had two cotton buds stuffed up her nose with her head tilted back.
“I truly am sorry,” said Lilly, patting Roxy on the back. “At least it’s not broken.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” said Roxy. “I mean I get you don’t like many people, but there’s no need to assault people.”
“The ends justify the means,” said Lilly, creeping to the curtain and peeking between them. “I’m gonna take a wander and find this Richard Hicks.”
“Yeah, don’t mind me,” said Roxy, laying back on the bed.
Lilly wandered down the corridor until she spotted a white board with RICHARD HICKS written in felt tip pen on it. She peered around the curtain. His wife was sat beside his bed, her hands around his.
Lilly growled to herself and then pulled open the curtains.
“Mrs Hicks?” said Lilly.
“Yes,” said Cheryl, a little confused.
“Doctor Galloway. Nice to meet you,” she said, shaking Cheryl’s hand.
“Oh, right, yes,” said Cheryl. “Can you tell what’s wrong with him?”
“I’m going to need you to leave for a few minutes while I speak to your husband in private.”
Cheryl frowned. “What? Why?”
“I just need him to tell me exactly what happened. Go get yourself a drink or something, eh?”
“Are you a nurse?” said Cheryl, noticing the distinct lack of scrubs.
“I’m a doctor as I said before,” said Lilly. “Doctor Lilly Galloway.”
“A doctor in jeans?” said Cheryl, eyebrows arched.
Lilly wrinkled her nose and smiled. “Just let me speak to your husband, yeah?”
“Who are you really?”
Lilly stepped further into the bay and looked over her shoulder. “Someone who may or may not be able to help.”
Cheryl’s heart jumped a little, but she managed to compose herself. She wasn’t ready to expect a very young woman’s ability to save her husband.
“I don’t know if I can trust you. You just don’t look like a doctor to me.”
Lilly rolled her eyes. She was obviously going to have to take the blunt approach. “Okay, the truth is: I’m not a doctor. Not at all.”
Cheryl opened her mouth to speak.
Lilly held up a finger to stop her. “But I am someone that can help, but I need you to shut up and let me speak to your husband.”
Cheryl frowned.
“Now I’m not a good person, despite what a particular friend of mine might have you believe. I do good things, but I’m not a good person. It’s just not me.” She pulled back the curtains a little bit so Cheryl could see Roxy across the corridor in the opposite bay holding her bloodied nose. Roxy frowned. “See that girl in there - I punched her in her nose so we could get in here to speak to your husband.” Lilly sat down on the other side of the bed next to Richard. “Now, if you don’t let me speak to your husband then I’m afraid I’m going to have to do something very similar to you, except it’ll mean you’re out cold for a few minutes. You can either be conscious for this or unconscious. Your choice.”
Cheryl remained stock still and silent.
“I can help him, Mrs Hicks. I really can. So just keep quiet whilst I ask him a few questions. Do we understand each other?”
Cheryl nodded but didn’t say a word. She was too frightened.
“Thanks,” smiled Lilly, wrinkling her nose at the terrified woman.
Holly felt like she was sat watching a 3D film at the cinema. The whole room had melted away and was consumed by what she was seeing on the TV. What her mind was projecting onto the screen. It looked like an ordinary town on the surface, but all around the buildings were burnt and blackened, smoke plumes rising into the sky. She could feel the taste of the smoke in her mouth, creeping into her lungs and she wanted to cough. She wanted to be sick.
All around were dead bodies. Some were blackened and charred, others were torn to pieces and scattered all about.
The Doctor appeared in her vision, crouched in front of the TV in reality, but in her head he was a part of the scene before her.
“This is odd,” said the Doctor, scratching at the stubble on his chin.
“You’re telling me,” said Holly with a wavering voice. “This is in my head?”
“Merely a projection,” said the Doctor. “Try turning around?”
“I’m sat in a chair,” said Holly. “I’m not really there.”
“No,” said the Doctor, “but you’re mind is tuning in on something there. Try to turn. Imagine turning.”
Holly did as she was asked and sure enough she was able to turn, the landscape before her rotating.
“Wait! There! Stop! Look at that! Doesn’t that look familiar?”
Holly frowned. He was pointing at a large, blackened building. He was right, it was familiar. In fact she had passed that very same building earlier in the week when she had gone shopping. It was the clock tower that was situated in the centre of the town. Her town.
“It’s the your town,” said the Doctor grimly.
He was right. The more she concentrated, the more the familiar, but blackened, landmarks stuck out. The bank building turned to rubble and ruin, the fountain dry and full of dust and body parts. This was her town.
“How is this possible?” she said as she continued to turn.
“I have a few frightening suspicions,” said the Doctor. And then he jumped as Holly turned past a broken shop window. “Wait! Look at the window closer.”
Holly moved towards the window and moved in to see the reflection looking back at her. She gasped. The face that looked back was bruised and cut with a scar running down the left hand side of the face. The hair was short and untidy, but the face was unmistakable.
The face looking back, was Holly’s.
To be continued...
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