Laura looked to her left and then to her right, seeing nothing scary she walked on. Her team just behind her. A voice started her "Colonel?"

"Yes doctor Max? What is it now?"

"You should probably come and look at this!" sighing she wondered over to him. Looking down she exclaimed, "What the hell is that?"

"It appears to be a big, red, floppy shoe." She scowled at him "Yes I can see that! What's it doing here?"

"No idea. But I think we should investigate." Shaking her head she said "No. Everyone fall back to the gate." As she turned around she realised that her team had disappeared. She spun back around to where Dr Max had been standing seconds before. He had gone as well. She was completely alone. "No…No…No…this cannot be happening."

Back in the infirmary, Dr Carson Beckett was standing over Laura's thrashing form unsure of what to do. She was clearly having a nightmare but other than forcibly trying to wake her up, which is a bad idea, there was nothing he could do. Just then he had an idea, tapping his radio he said, "Major Lorne?" he waited knowing that the man was probably asleep.

"Yes?" came the groggy reply.

"Its Dr Beckett. I need you in the infirmary."

"On my way." He was definitely awake now. Lorne ran into the infirmary two minutes later. Carson looked at him. Lorne was wearing plain black boxers with a hastily thrown on t-shirt on. He laughed at Lorne.

"What? I came as quick as I could." He said defensively. Between his laughter Beckett said, "I can see you came in a bit of a hurry. Your t-shirt is on back to front and inside out. Are your feet cold?" He looked at Lorne's bare feet laughing even more.

"Was there a reason you called me down here doc?" he snapped. Carson stopped laughing immediately.

"Yes. Follow me." They walked towards Laura's bed where she was still thrashing around.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Lorne exclaimed.

"She's having a nightmare. I was hoping you could talk to her and try and get her out of it. As you can see her heart rate is through the roof. If it doesn't come down she may have a heart attack."

"Ok. I'll see what I can do." He walked over to the bed and grabbed her hand.

"Laura can you hear me?" he asked softly.

Laura had found a small village just past the forest that she had been walking through. She was walking towards it because she had to find her team before going back home. She could hear her name being called. She could recognise the voice but couldn't quite place it. It was too distant. Deciding it was just a voice in her head, she ignored it and carried on. She had found another red shoe, baggy trousers with stripes on and a yellow shirt. Her heart clenched and her breathing accelerated before she had even seen the thing she was unwittingly following.

She had just cleared the forest when she heard a twig snapping behind her. Turning around against her will, the thing attacked her before she could scream could escape. She looked up into a white face with cold, dead eyes and a giant red mouth. The thing bared his teeth at her as she tried to struggle away from it but couldn't. She was paralysed with fear.

"Hey doc!" Lorne called frantically. Laura had suddenly stopped thrashing about but her heart rate was still going up and her breath was coming out in ragged gasps. Beckett came running to the other side of the bed and placed an oxygen mask over her face. She was clammy to the touch as though she had been running.

"This isn't good. Something is happening to her in her nightmare and I cannot forcibly wake her up otherwise she will die. I'm at a loss as to how I can help her."

"I just wish I could see what she was seeing. Then I would be able to help her."

"Aye me too lad. Me too." They both looked down at her as body jumped slightly.

Laura couldn't take her eyes off the face as it began to rain heavily. She saw the flash of light but didn't acknowledge it until the thunder made her jump. She began to try and escape this beast before screaming, "Help me!" Again she heard the voice calling her name. Then it was asking, "Where are you?"

"I'm over here! Please help me! Please!" she was almost begging. As the voice was coming closer she heard it say, "I'm coming. Don't give up. I'm coming! Just hold on a little bit longer." Now she recognised the voice.

"Lorne? Is that you?" she asked quietly. Louder she said "Please get this thing off me!"

Just then she saw an arm and a hand grip the left shoulder and another hand grip the right side of the head. She closed her eyes knowing what was coming but she couldn't block out the sound of the neck snapping. There was no pressure on her now. She sat bolt upright and said…

"Lorne?" it was more of scream that came out of her mouth. Her eyes snapped open and Lorne was sitting on the side of her bed with her arms wrapped tightly around her neck. She was shaking and she was cold. She started to cry. He began stroking her hair and saying softly "Its alright. I'm here. Shhh."

"You saved me. From the clown." Her arms tightened around his neck. She never wanted to let go. "Please don't leave me."

"I won't. I'm staying right here. Just let me move beside you so I can hold you better." He unloosened her hands from behind his neck and shuffled himself around so that his head was on her pillow. Pulling her back towards him she turned her frightened brown eyes on him and jabbed him in the chest as if to make sure he was really there. Happy that he was she gripped his shirt in her hand and placed her head on his chest. Her teeth were chattering and she was shivering; yet the infirmary was quite warm.

Beckett had come back over after she had shouted Lorne's name. He had seen him with her and changing his position on the bed so that he could hold her properly. He also saw her jabbing Lorne and once satisfied had gripped his shirt and placed her head on his chest. Uh oh he thought those two are really in trouble. Lorne's voice brought him back to reality.

"Hey doc. Why is she shivering like that?"

"It's a cold sweat. It's a result of her nightmare. I'll grab some blankets." He walked over to the cupboards, grabbed some blankets and walked back over to the bed.

"Here." He handed them to Lorne so that he could place them on her.

"I want to give her a sedative, help calm her down. Do you think she'll let me?" Lorne shrugged his shoulders in response.

"You can try."

Beckett walked over and only barely touched her arm when she jumped a mile and tried to get closer to Lorne without pushing him off the bed. Her frightened eyes fixed on Beckett.

"I'll take that as a no then."

"That's a no doc." Lorne had only just managed to stop himself from falling as he said, "Do you want me to try? Could you put the rails up in case it happens again? I don't want to fall or for her too either." Carson nodded and put the rails up as he handed Lorne the syringe.

Lorne placed his spare hand on her and gently stuck the needle into her skin and pushed the plunger down. Once it was empty he handed it back to Carson and said, "Its ok. Your safe now. I'll be right here if you need me. Shhh." He said the same thing over and over again until she fell back into a fitful sleep. He stayed awake for as long as he could but he too soon fell asleep under the watchful gaze of Dr Beckett.