"He should be alright," the doctor told the three Ghostbusters in the waiting room. "The spikes didn't go in that deep. I was more concerned if they contained anything like poison, but both Dr. Venkman's and Mr. Hartman's blood works came back negative for anything."

"You mentioned Mr. Hartman is in the psych ward," Egon said.

"Yes," the doctor replied. "We've had to sedate him because he's been screaming about how none of this is real. I was afraid your friend might do the same, but he may not have the same reaction. I'm not quite sure."

"Can we take him home, Dr. Marcus?" Ray asked.

"I'd like to keep him overnight for observation," Dr. Marcus responded. "I'll release him in the morning."

"Could we see him now?" Winston inquired.

"He's not awake, but I don't see the problem," Dr. Marcus said. "Come this way." He led the men down a long corridor to a room near the end of the hallway. "You can go in. If you need a nurse just push 0."

"Thank you," Dr. Spengler said. The three men went into the room. Peter was sleeping in the bed. A few small bandages covered the left side of his face where the spikes had hit him.

"One of these he's going to have to get it through his head he can't pull stunts like the trap thing anymore," Winston spoke up. "It'll get him killed."

"It's Peter," Ray stated as if to explain everything. The three men had known Dr. Venkman long enough to know he wouldn't do anything exceptionally dangerous unless that was the last course of action. Peter had a tendency to pull stunts because of the attention and to keep anything from happening to his friends. Yeah, they were stupid, but sometimes they actually helped.

"What's he doing?" Winston asked. He pointed to Peter's hands that were balled up like fists and seemed to fighting against some invisible force. "Is that some kind of spasm?"

"Interesting," Egon commented. "Perhaps he's having a nightmare." Dr. Spengler pulled out his PKE meter from his jumpsuit pocket and aimed at his friend. "Only residuals from earlier. The same fluxuation as well."

"Maybe we should do some research on the ghost we caught," Dr. Stantz suggested. "We could figure out why Mr. Hartman is going crazy and see if there's an antidote or something." He smacked himself on his forehead. "We didn't call Janine."

"I'm sure she and Dani aren't too worried," Zeddemore told his friend. "They know sometimes it can take a while on a job."

"Yeah, but what if they're trying to call us?" Ray asked. "We left the radios back in Ecto and since this happened Dani could have had another vision."

"Man, calm down," the black man replied. "Janine and Dani can live without us calling for another few minutes."

"Peter?" Egon said questioningly. He noticed the strain in his friend's face. "Peter, can you hear me?"

****

Peter could hear a voice in his head and it sounded like Egon's. He looked around the room again. Besides his bed and the table next to it the room was empty.

"Egon?"

"Peter, can you hear me?" Egon's voice echoed in Dr. Venkman's head.

"Where are you, Egon?" The door to his room opened and a doctor came in with the nurse who had been in the room earlier and two other people.

"Peter, do you know where you are?" The doctor asked.

"A psych ward," Peter answered. "What are my parents doing here?"

"We wanted to see you, son," the woman answered. "We were worried."

"Mom, you're dead," Dr. Venkman said quietly. He remembered the funeral he had attended and all the antognozing holidays after it. His mother merely blinked and patted her son's hand.

"That's in your head, sweetheart," she replied. "After that terrible accident with your friends you started imagining a lot of things. Like coming up with that whole Ghostbusters thing. I couldn't believe what you put those poor Hollywood people through. "

"It's real," Peter insisted. "I know it is."

"It never was, Pete," his father added. "You and your friends were into all that paranormal stuff, but after they died you continued it in your head."

"Died?" Dr. Venkman repeated. "Egon, Ray and Winston died?"

"Winston Zeddemore's not real, Peter," Dr. Romano jumped in. "Winston, Dani, Janine, Louis, Dana, Slimer, and all those other people aren't real. Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz were, but they died over ten years ago. You almost did too, but you managed to survive. Unfortunately, after the accident you started to think they were still alive and went off on a daily basis to work with them. Numerous times you were tossed off Columbia University's campus. One day your parents decided to do something and they brought you here. Since than you've dreamed up the Ghostbusters and had all of you saving the world over and over again. You managed to create a wondrous world, but none of it's real and never will be."

"It's real," Peter told them. "I lived through it. I've almost died." He pulled at the straps. "I want my friends."

"Egon and Ray died, honey," his mother said. "I know it's hard to believe, but they are dead. We went to their funerals."

"No!" Peter shouted. He fought at the straps fiercely. "Stop lying! They aren't dead! It's real! I'm not crazy!" Dr. Romano pulled a syringe out of his pocket and started to stick it into the crook of Dr. Venkman's arm. "I'm not crazy!"

*****

"I'm not crazy," Peter mumbled. "I'm not crazy." He opened his eyes and found himself lying in a dimly lit room. The Ghostbuster sat up and looked around. Peter could tell it was a hospital room, but at least it was better decorated than the one he saw in his head. "I guess it was just a bad dream. Side effects of something the doctor gave me I bet." He was suddenly covered in a light as the door to the room opened.

"Peter, you're awake." The lights in the room came on and Dr. Venkman saw his blonde-haired friend standing inside the room.

"Very observant, Egon" Peter retorted. "I guess you won't need those super strength glasses anymore."

"Are you feeling alright?" Dr. Spengler inquired.

"Yeah, fine," Dr. Venkman answered. He touched his face. "Just a few scratches. Nothing big."

"You didn't listen," Egon said.

"And this surprises you?"

"No," Egon answered. "I thought you'd be more careful."

"Hey, Spengs, I got the thing didn't I?"

"Yes, but you could have seriously gotten hurt."

"They're just a few scratches," Peter said blandly. "I've gotten worse."

"I won't attempt to argue with you, Peter, but you were warned and you did not heed the warning," Dr. Spengler told him.

"Look, Egon, it's okay. I'm fine. You're fine. Since you haven't mentioned Ray and Winston I'm guessing they're fine too."

"They went home. The doctor told us you can go home tomorrow. He wanted to keep you overnight for observation. Possibly to compare you to Mr. Hartman who was also injured by the ghost as well. I visited Mr. Hartman and wondered myself why you aren't having the same reactions."

"Don't worry about it, Egon. I'm sure I'm fine." His friend gave him a look. "If I wasn't you'd be the first person I told." Peter yawned. "Look, Egon, go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow come back and we can continue the lecture."

"I believe I'll leave that to Dani," Dr. Spengler replied. "She was a bit upset that you didn't listen."

"Something tells me that there's more to that," Peter responded.

"According to Ray she heard the news and escaped to her bedroom. Actually locked herself in there."

"And that bugs you?"

"Of course it does, Peter."

"You gonna have to learn, Spengs, that women are very complicated. They don't always tell you everything even when you think they're telling you everything. There's a code."

"A code?"

"You mean Janine hasn't done this to you yet."

"Perhaps you should enlighten me." Peter chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"I never thought the day would come when you'd be asking me for womanly advice," Dr. Venkman told him.

"Yes, well, it is a subject you do know quite a bit about."

"Don't I know it."