Very first Life on Mars story. The real version from the UK. That ending gave you a lot more to think about. Especially now with Ashes to Ashes being thrown in the mix. I hope you like my story. Feedback is very welcome.

Can one person's mind really come up with such vivid illusions? Even if they are in a coma?

That's what she wonders. Her son had a wonderful imagination, always had but... so much detail? Right down to the breathing and heartbeats of his friends?

That was another thing. These people didn't seem like imaginary friends, but truly unique and developed individuals. Of course, writers created complete people from their minds, and yet...

She had needed to check, for her own peace of mind. The names were there: Gene Hunt, Annie Cartwright, Ray Carling... only one from the team still alive was Chris Skelton.

Naturally, the doctors had a perfectly logical explanation: Sam had looked up the names in the database sometime before his coma or not long after he woke up, and simply assigned those names to his friends in the dream world. Since those detectives were active in the 1970s, that was where Sam placed himself in his mind. Just because the names and faces looked similar didn't mean that these people had the same personalities and those from Sam's dream.

Was that what had happened? Had Sam gone to visit Chris, looking for answers, and upon realizing that Chris had no idea who he was had finally broke down. Maybe that was what had triggered the jump?

That was the excuse the doctors were most happy with, and the one the kept trying to convince her of.

She knew what they were thinking, "Poor woman, losing her son after fighting so hard to get him back. Of course she'd give some reason for his senseless and tragic death."

Maybe that was what she was doing. Perhaps she just needed to accept the fact that her son had been sick, far sicker than anybody had realized.

Otherwise... what? Sam's spirit somehow did travel back to 1973 while his body healed in 2006? It was something out of a sci-fi drama. Such things just didn't happen.

And yet she couldn't quite force herself to let go of the idea, even as she was driving to the funeral.

Once she arrived she settled into her seat and took a cursory glance around to see who else had attened. There was this one older couple who caught her eye, or rather the husband did, seeing as he appeared to be more upset, and his wife was trying to comfort him. In the man's lap was what appeared to be a scrapbook.

They must have felt Ruth's eyes on them, because they glanced over at her. To her surprise, they stood up and came over to where she was sitting.

"You're Ruth Tyler, aren't you?" the man asked. "Your son was a good man."

"Thank you," Ruth said softly. "And you are...?"

"Chris Skelton," he answered, holding out his hand. "Sam, he... visited me last week."

"I'm sorry if he disturbed you. After the accident, Sammy never really recovered I'm afraid."

"No, no, it's all right," Chris said hastily. He appeared to be trying to choose his words carefully. He looked down at the scrapbook in his hands. His wife put her hand on his shoulder, which seemed to snap him out of his trance.

"I'm sorry luv. This here is Shaz, my wife."

"Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Tyler. I wish I could have gotten to know your son better."

The couple exchanged a long glance. Swallowing hard, Chris handed Ruth the scrapbook.

"Sam said that we should give you this."

Ruth took the item from them, feeling a bit confused.

"Your son kept his promise, ma'am. Please know that," Chris whispered.

Ruth opened the book and almost cried out in shock. There on the first page was a wedding picture.

The bride was a pretty young woman with short dark hair and a gentle smile. In the background was a man who was obviously a younger Chris. Another, more heavily built gentleman had playfully wrapped his arm around the neck of the groom, who was laughing with delight. And the groom... was Sam.

It could be a hoax, photo shopping perhaps. But Chris and Shaz's faces were so sincere... the pain in Chris' eyes so real.

She looked back up at them. Chris gave her a sad smile.

"We thought he was mad too, back then..." He shook his head. "Don't know how it happened... don't think I ever will, not in this life anyway."