As Doctor Nichols climbed down the ladder of the airship something attracted his notice to a light blue car. The car was stationary but the engine was still running. He tried to spot if anyone was inside it but could only see the open passenger side door. His curiosity piqued, Doctor Nichols climbed down the ladder faster and ran over to the car, and Sportacus followed him not knowing what Doctor Nichols was doing.

Doctor Nichols reached the car before Sportacus and looked inside. Sportacus stopped running when he saw Doctor Nichols draw back from the car in a state of horror. Without looking into the car himself he knew there was something terrible in the car.

Doctor Nichols gasped for air and fought the bile that rose in his throat. His heart raced like a train. In all his years as a Doctor he'd never seen anything like this. Something told him he had to get away from the car and fast. Before either he or Sportacus knew what was going on he took a dead run for the town with Sportacus close on his heels.

The two men hadn't been running long when they were thrown to the ground by the force of an explosion. When they'd both picked themselves up from the ground they looked around and saw a grotesque looking black shell where the car had been. Without a second thought both men ran for the town.

Everyone in the town hall jumped out of their skins at the sound of an explosion. By the volume of it they could tell it had happened close and each of them hoped it wasn't Sportacus' airship. The inhabitants of the town hall received a further shock when the door flew open just minutes after the explosion but were relieved to see Sportacus seemingly unharmed and a stranger with him.

Before anyone could ask who the stranger was the stranger introduced himself, "I'm Doctor Nichols. I work at the Greentown hospital and was Robyn's Doctor when she was brought there."

Everyone shook Doctor Nichols' hand and introduced themselves.

"What did you see in that car?" Sportacus asked looking at Doctor Nichols.

Doctor Nichols pallor faded a little at the question and he sat down in the nearest chair. Everyone walked over to him with concern but he raised his hand to halt them signalling that he would be fine. When everyone was standing still again Doctor Nichols lowered his hand and reached into a pocket in his jacket pulling out a pill bottle. He opened the bottle and removed three tablets before putting the bottle back in his pocket and removed a hip flask from his belt. Everyone watched him with confused concern as he swallowed the pills and then replaced the hip flask.

"I have a heart condition. The pills are the only things keeping me alive to be perfectly honest," Doctor Nichols said in answer to everyone's questioning expressions.

All in the room nodded each feeling somehow sad for this poor weakened man in the corner.

"As for your question, Sportacus, I don't know how describe what was in that car without upsetting people. The only thing I can say is that the driver of the car was facing forwards but his head wasn't." Doctor Nichols explained.

"Oh my," Bessie gasped knowing exactly what Doctor Nichols meant.

It wasn't long before everyone else figured it out and all had a disgusted look on their face. Doctor Nichols nodded understanding everyone's feelings.

All had been silent in the town hall for some time now. Everyone was reflecting on the past night, nightmares and the events of today. The sky was still black and a cold chill ran through the room. It was hard for everyone to believe that it was two in the afternoon, at this time the sun should be shining and the weather warm. They would also be feeling safe and happy. Instead of this everyone was cowering in the town hall, cold, miserable and fearing for their lives. An unknown force was coming to destroy them and had killed two people already.

The Mayor looked around the room and his eyes fell on Doctor Nichols who was sitting awkwardly in his chair, "Doctor Nichols?" Asked the Mayor, wearily.

Everyone looked at the Mayor when he spoke and then to Doctor Nichols who looked to be asleep. Stephanie aware of the heart condition Doctor Nichols had spoken of stood up; she was worried that the Doctor was in an unending sleep provided by eternity. She walked over to the Doctor and placed her hand on his shoulder, luckily his skin was warm to her touch and he stirred waking up. Doctor Nichols looked up into Stephanie's face and saw a trace of concern there; he looked at the others in the room and saw the same concern in their faces. Looking back at Stephanie Doctor Nichols smiled reassuringly and patted her hand. Stephanie smiled in response and drew back a little.

"Are you ok?" The mayor asked.

Doctor Nichols raised his eyebrows and a wry smile touched his lips, "aside from dying, yes."

"How long have you been dying?"

"From the very moment I was diagnosed with this heart condition. It's degenerative and will never get better. The medication helps keep things stabilised and I've been told 'any day now' for the last five years. It defeats me how I survived the shock from what I saw in the car and the run to the town, guess I'm just lucky."

"Doesn't it ever scare you?" Trixie asked intrigued.

"It used to. I wouldn't move for days for fear of my heart giving way and then I decided that if I had limited time to live I was wasting it by worrying and that I'd use my time to the full. I know now that if I hadn't stopped worrying I wouldn't be alive today. Don't worry about what's going to happen, take fate head on and dance with it. Forget bad things and move on with the good, make every moment special and enjoy the company of others, even those you dislike because when you're dead you have no company. Will someone slap me because I'm preaching?"

Everyone laughed glad of the relief in their sombre moods. Their lifted moods were cut short by the resuming of the song they had heard before. Doctor Nichols got out of his chair and stretched as he walked over to the window. His eyes searched the darkness for any kind of movement outside. Something caught his eye after several moments of searching and without a word to anyone left the building closing the door behind him. The others tried to go out after him but the door was jammed shut and wouldn't open despite the efforts of several people trying to open it.

Doctor Nichols wrapped his jacket around him as the cold air touched him. He found the darkness somewhat companionable but none the less it was dangerous, the shadow of evil. He walked towards the spot he'd seen through the window. It didn't take him long to reach it and he knelt down when he came to it. It was the place Lily had lost her life; the hole hadn't been filled in but had been covered with a plain slab stone. Doctor Nichols was surprised to see that the slab was broken and lifted the pieces from the hole.

He could see something in the hole, it was moving and he leant in for a closer look. With great caution he stuck his hand into the hole and pulled it out when his hand felt wet, it was covered with blood. Doctor Nichols made to stand up but before he could move two arms grabbed his shoulders and pulled him head first into the hole. He struggled against the arms but they were too strong. They pulled him deeper and deeper and he tried to scream but his lungs filled with the blood and his struggles ceased.

"Doctor Nichols?" the question was repeated but would never receive an answer. It was too late for that.