A/N: I don't own AATC.

Charlene as Professor Sara Jones (Professor Sara Jones is Nurse Helen Jones' sister)

Harry (you know, Uncle Harry from the television series) as Johnny Goodwin (Joseph Goodwin's cousin)

Chapter Seven: Theory

Simon made sure the police were informed of the attack and Jeanette was safely being driven back home by her upset mother, before returning to his work. Between appointments, when he had a little spare time, Simon made telephone calls to a few old friends of his.

That evening, Simon sat in his apartment, waiting for his doorbell to ring. When it finally did, there was a fairly large group of people at the door. Everybody was there. He let them in and quickly locked the door behind them.

Sitting before him were several people.

The first was Alvin, the patient Jeanette's father. He was a little shorter than Simon, wearing a red cap and t-shirt, with a pair of jeans and a light, casual jacket.

The second was Theodore, wearing a pair of jeans and a green sweater.

The third was Simon assistant, Dave, who was wearing a pair of jeans, a dark sweater and a brown jacket.

Eleanor was a chubby blonde about Theodore's height, Jeanette's brown-eyed nurse. She was wearing a light green dress with a dark green tie and jacket.

Charlene was Eleanor's sister, tall and tanned, with ice-blue eyes and long blonde hair. She was a professor at a paranormal studies institute.

Jillian was also there, looking politely confused. She was sitting next to Alvin, who was a friend of hers.

And finally there was the short, hoarse-voiced Harry. He constantly dressed in tatty clothes, not wanting to look like the 'snobs' as he dubbed them, who overdid everything and tried to be intelligent. He was another professor; one of Charlene's colleagues.

"Why are we here?" Harry asked.

"It's about one of my patients," Simon said. "Jeanette Miller is a very unusual case, and I at first didn't know what to think. Then Theodore here – who is her professor at school – told me about a recent boyfriend of hers, who he suspected had been beating up on her. My initial thoughts turned to a mental misbalance caused by this treatment. The following day, however, Miss Miller told me she had seen a ghost in her room, who she claimed had given her instructions to dig up the body."

"A ghost?" Charlene asked. "A real ghost? Seriously? Oh, this is brilliant, this is going to be wonderful, I can tell!" she and Harry leaned forwards, hanging on to every word.

"Erm – well, so the ghost apparently wanted her body to be found. I would not have believed this, but I asked Dave to run a background check on a girl called Juliet Greene – who, it conspired, had disappeared without a trace at the patient's house."

Alvin gasped audibly.

"I therefore agreed to help the patient dig up the body, which we found in the exact spot she had pointed out. Today, Miller was attacked by this boyfriend, which I witnessed and – sadly – failed to stop. However, the girl somehow stopped the attack herself by pushing her assailant away –"

"So?" asked Eleanor.

"– and into a brick wall across the street." Simon continued. "She, however, claimed it was a demon that did this. I have called you here in the hopes you can help me figure out what and why."

"If she had a near-death experience, that could cause her to think she's dead," Jillian offered.

"In the hospital, her breathing and heart rates were for slower than the normal rate…" Eleanor offered.

"So then, let's say she's attacked," Charlene offered. "She's almost dead. She's in the morgue. She wakes up and starts seeing ghosts. She's not breathing at a normal rate, and her heart rate's too slow to support a living person. To me, that only says one thing."

"Yes?" Dave said politely.

"She's in Limbo. She's somewhere between alive and dead. This makes her think she's completely dead."

There was an uproar.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Is this some kind f joke?"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Hang on a minute!" Jillian exclaimed, standing up. "Just wait a second. Let's say for a moment that this theory is true. Well, that could mean a simple explanation. And let's say that demons and ghosts and all that exist. Well, it's all so obvious, isn't it? She thinks she's dead – thinks nothing can harm her, so she lets her guard down. Demon's or anything – especially something bad – can get in easier when you have your guard down. And it's strength pushed that boy into the brick wall."

"How do you figure that?" Alvin asked; Jillian flushed.

"I was really into this sort of thing when I was a kid."

"So we have our theory," Simon said. "I'd like to put together a team for this case. And I want you people to be in it."

There was a mutual agreement.