'Voices. I can hear them. Hello? Please! I'm scared. Help me! Where are you?'

The voices were getting closer. Louder. It was like he was hearing them from inside a long tunnel.

'Please. Can you hear me? I need help! That voice. I know-is it? A name. Ch-Charley? Yes Charley! Isn't it? Charley over here! Can you hear me! Please!'

'Quint! Get the doctor quick. He's starting to come round.'

'Right.'

'Charley is that you?'

'There, there. It's all right. My Love. Just come back to us.'

'What? Love?'

The voices were getting louder. He could discern certain words. He opened his eyes. Shapes were taking form.

'Sternan? Can you hear me? Can you see me?'

'What?'

The door opened and Quint came back in. 'Well?'

'Oh Quint!' Tears filled her eyes. 'He's responding!' She and Quint embraced.

'What? Help me.' They turned their attention back to him.

'Sternan, can you hear me?'

'I'm…Sternan? Who's-I'm-I uh. You. I know you.'

'Yes my brother. I've summoned the doctor. Just stay with us.'

'Doctor? Yes I'm-the…Doctor?'

His world was coming into focus. There were two figures huddled over him, watching and waiting in anticipation. 'You-Ch-Charley? It's you! And C'Rizz. What's going on?' He tried to sit up and dizziness swept over him. He set his head back on the pillow. 'I f-feel so weak.'

He looked at Charley who had tears streaming down her cheeks and a big smile on her face. 'Charley? What's wrong? Are you?'

The door opened and a female doctor entered. He looked amazed. 'Remarkable!' He walked over to the Doctor and started to take his vitals. 'Well Mr. Sternan, I didn't think we'd see you again. You gave us quite a scare.'

'Sternan? No, no you've got it wrong. I'm the Doctor and this is Charley and that's C'Rizz. Now please tell me what's happening!'

The doctor took her glasses off and set them in her pocket. The Doctor looked at her face and a flash of music filled his head.

'Grace?' He closed his eyes hard and the doctor was now male. 'What?'

'Now it's ok just relax and let me explain. You were performing your play. You went backstage and after the curtain closed you broke out in a sweat and passed out. I was in the audience and was able to help and get you to the hospital.

Your wife and brother here have been here day and night keeping constant vigilance.'

'That's right. I've been here reading and talking to you.' She took his hand. 'Holding your hand.'

'We're glad you made it back bother.'

'No no, no, no. This is not right. I am the Doctor. Charley, C'Rizz listen to me. We travel in time and-'

'-space in the TARDIS. We fight evil and help people.'

The Doctor looked confused.

'It's all in your play. You play the character of the Doctor who travels in time and space. It's your play my sweet. You have worked so hard and long on it.' She leaned over and pushed the locks from his face.

'It's part of the illness I'm afraid.' The doctor said. 'You suffer from delusions. You picked the one identity that happened to be closest to you.'

'You thought you were this Doctor after you woke the first time. And then you fell back into the coma.' She stroked his head.

'No this can't be. It's-I have memories.'

'It'll take some time before you begin to knew what is real. This disease plays on the mind. If one is not strong enough, well, you're alive and that's what matters. I'm going to get him set up for some tests. I'll be right back.'

'Listen to me! I am the Doctor and you are Charley and C'Rizz. You must remember.'

'Sternan, it's all a fantasy.'

He looked at Charley.

'He's right my love. It's a fictional character. You made him up. You cared so much about the characters. You were so happy when the play was a success. And I was so proud of you.' She turned to her brother in law. 'Did you find it Quint?'

'Hm? Oh yes.' He fishes a piece of paper out of his pocket, opened it and began to read.

"Sternan delivered his best performance on his final night of a week run of his famous play entitled Doctor Who and his Travels Through Time and Space. He worked long and hard to write and perform a play of this caliber to the stage. It's special effects and set design was only surpassed by that of his performance of the Doctor. At the end of his performance, he was taken ill and rushed to the hospital. No information as of yet on his condition. Sedwick Van Gelt famous producer has stated an interested on taking the stage act off the road and on to the big screen.' He handed the paper to him to examine.

'So you see the Doctor is not real.'

He looked at the paper. He looked at the words that were read. His eyes fell. 'Perhaps you're right. It all seemed so real.'

'That's the illness. But your back now. Back with us.'

He smiled. 'Delusions? They were so strong.'

Then he heard a noise. A bell. A loud bell. He sat up. 'That bell.' He seemed to snap back. 'No. That's the cloister bell of the TARDIS.'

'No that's the clock tower in town, my sweet.' She kissed his forehead.

'No! That's the TARDIS! She's trying to warn me! I-I can feel her! This is not real!' He started to get out of bed. She tried to hold him down.

'Go get the doctor quick.' She told Quint. He ran out the door.

'No!' He shouted in the direction of the ceiling. 'You won't have me! I will get out of this. I will fight you! You can not take away who I am!'

The computer readings were going off the scale. The information it was trying to process was coming in too fast, too much. The machine began to spark. It was over loading…

Quint came in with three doctors. The Doctor was off the bed heading to the door when he was tackled back to his bed.

'No! Leave me alone! Let go! I will get free! You can't hold me!

'Don't hurt him! Quint! Help the-' She stopped. They all did. They all looked at her.

'There!' The Doctor shouted. You were going to say help the Doctor! The conditioning won't work! I will break free!'

'No, I was going to say help the Doctor! Doctors!' She put her hands to her head.

'That's it Charley never forget! Never forget! C'Rizz! Remember!'

One of the doctors pulled out a syringe. The Doctor's eyes went wide. 'No! I beg you don't do this! I can't do this again! NO!'

'IamthedcotorIamthedoctoriamthedoctorIamthedoctor.' He kept repeating over and over. He felt the syringe in his arm. Pain seared thought his body.'AHH!"

Sparks were flying everywhere.

'NOOOOO! PLEASE NOOO!'

The machine could take no more. It exploded. The Doctor flew up and yelled in pain. The sheet fell to the floor.

'AHH-I-AM-THE-DOCTOR!' The pain was too much and he fell and hit the floor hard. He could feel the cold of the floor against his naked flesh.

'What is this madness?' He looked at the wires attached to his body.

'WHAT IS THIS MADNESS!' he pulled every wire form his body as fast as he could. Tears were running down his face. 'I AM THE DOCTOR!' He sat there, head bowed, and he cried whispering. ' I am the Doctor…'

End…?