A quiet knock was heard at the door. It seemed much less confident than Doctor Trent's and even though it was totally unexpected it didn't startle any of the three men. Shortly after knocking the door opened to reveal a small, weedy looking man who looked very out of place and very timid. Taking a few steps into the room the Doctor shut the door behind him and looked at all three men nervously. He seemed very taken aback by Ché's stature and eyed him more nervously than the rest.

Coughing slightly and wringing his hands subconsciously the man spoke, "I'm Doctor Cole, the neurosurgeon. I've finished the operation on your," Doctor Cole paused trying to find the right word, "friend, shall we say, Robyn. The blood clot was removed successfully and she is now in intensive care in a controlled coma. Over the next couple of days we will gradually bring her out of the coma and see how she does. Until she wakes up we won't be able to tell what damage there is. I'm sure Doctor Trent has been over this?"

At the other's nods he smiled. Turning awkwardly around Doctor Cole left the room without so much as another word.

Kit shook his head with a slight smile on his face, "what a strange little man. Completely the opposite of Doctor Trent, hard to believe he's a Doctor."

Ché and Sportacus nodded in agreement.

She stood in a brightly lit expanse. A place she'd been before but not quite the same sense as the last time. There was nothing around her except she was conscious of something else there. She walked in no particular direction for what seemed a long time. Coming to a stop after walking for what could have been an eternity she saw shadows walking along the walls, silhouettes of people who looked familiar. She walked towards them and was almost close enough to reach out and touch them when a voice halted her.

"I wouldn't go any further Robyn." The familiar voice drifted around her and echoed off the walls.

Robyn replied without turning around, she knew who was speaking. "Where am I? What are they and why must I not touch them?"

"You could call them guards if you will. They decide who stays and who goes. You are on a different plane of death from me, a place in between life and death. The Doctors have you in a controlled coma, you were hurt and they've been trying to save you." Robbie answered walking over to Robyn.

"From what?"

"Yourself. Only you can decide whether you wake from that coma or not. Only you could decide fourteen years ago whether you survived the mountains. The choices are the same, live or die."

"If I choose to die?"

Robbie was taken aback by this question; he hadn't expected it in the slightest. "You will be here for eternity."

Robyn turned to face her father, "what would you have me choose?"

"I can't choose for you. Only you can decide."

Robyn nodded, "If I choose to live?"

"You'll wake up when they bring you out of the coma. I know what you were thinking when you asked what would happen if you chose to die. I'll still be there when you wake up. You'll be able to see me still and speak to me, nothing will change."

Robyn nodded and digested this information. "How do I go back?"

Robbie simply pointed towards the 'guards'. "Tell them your decision and you will be released. Three days have passed already and they'll be waking you up soon," at Robyn's questioning look Robbie smiled and continued, "time moves fast here. Very fast. Eternity never ends it just gets longer."

Robyn nodded, understanding and turned to face the guards. Taking a deep breath she moved closer to them and turned back to look at her father one last time before going back. She was about to speak but seized upon an impulse and ran back to hug Robbie.

Tears filled Robbie's eyes. It had been so long since he'd held his daughter and he didn't want to let her go but he had to. Gently pulling back from the hug a little he kissed Robyn firmly on the forehead and looked into her eyes. He released her reluctantly from his arms and she did the same both wanting more time and to able to touch each other after Robyn returned to where she belonged.

Robyn turned back to look at the still drifting silhouettes of the guards lining the walls and then turned to Robbie. Smiling slightly with his eyes bright with encouragement Robbie gently pushed Robyn in the direction she had to go. Robyn smiled in response and kissed her father on the cheek before turning once more to walk towards the guards.

Taking another deep breath and not knowing what to expect approached the guards. Their silhouetted forms stopped when she moved towards them and obviously waited for her decision.

"I want to return." Robyn stated.

The guards nodded and moved aside for her. Robyn walked forwards and a light brighter than that in the space behind her pervaded her senses so powerfully she had to close her eyes against it.

Moving forwards through the blinding luminescence Robyn could here a myriad of sounds around her but they were unclear. Incoherent voices spoke and it sounded like they were underwater. Robyn pressed on ad could hear more sounds and more voices and they sounded clearer and clearer as she went on. She'd made this journey before; she knew she was near the end.

"Brain wave levels are picking up nicely. She's waking up." Doctor Cole enthused happy with his patient's progress.

Going over to the end of the bed Doctor Cole looked at Robyn's chart and noted down what was happening. A nurse was hovering in the background and with slight annoyance at her idleness Doctor Trent reproached her telling her to find something useful to do. The nurse quickly left the room flustered by Doctor Trent's tactlessness and cursed herself for her own stupidity.

Trying to distance himself from Doctor Trent's ever present moroseness Doctor Cole placed himself at the head of patient again and tried to look useful. Until Robyn fully woke up by herself there wasn't much he could do. He didn't care to entertain the notion of making conversation with Doctor Trent as he'd surely be reproached like the nurse.

Five minutes passed and finally Robyn began to stir. Her muscles ached and there was a distant drumming in her skull. She was aware of someone standing next to her and tried to open her eyes.

"Slowly now," Doctor Cole's soft voice cooed to Robyn's ears.

Robyn did as she was bid and after slowly opening her eyes was shocked to see darkness all around her. She opened and closed her eyes several times to find out if she was dreaming or not but everything was still dark.

"What's wrong?" Doctor Cole asked with obvious concern. He knew something wasn't right.

Robyn tried to calm herself but a slight tremor could still be heard in her voice, "I can't see a thing. Tell me the lights are off in here."

A tremor could be heard in Doctor Cole's voice as he replied, "The lights are on. I hate to say this but you're exhibiting the signs of blindness. The damage to your head must have been worse than we thought."

Doctor Cole's words hit Robyn like a train, she was blind.