The Doctor And I

Bailee's Choice - A Cold Star

Bailee's POV-

When we wake up, AGAIN, the residents of the care home are gone. The Dream Lord walks in wearing a dark suit and tie, with an x-ray in his hand. He holds it out so the little girl can see. "Oh, this is bad. This is very, very bad. Look at this X-ray. Your brain is completely see-through." He looks up at The Doctor. "But then, I've always been able to see through you, Doctor."

"Always? What do you mean, always?" I ask.

"Now then, the prognosis is this. If you die in the dream, you wake up in reality. Healthy recovery in next to no time. Ask me what happens if you die in reality?"

"What happens?" Rory asks.

"You die, stupid. That's why it's called reality." The Dream Lord says in a slow tone, the type you'd use when talking to a toddler.

"Have you met the Doctor before? Do you know him? Doctor, does he?" I ask.

"Now don't get jealous. He's been around, our boy. But never mind that. You've got a world to choose. One reality was always too much for you, Doctor. Take two and call me in the morning." The Dream Lord vanishes. Rory huffs.

"Okay, I don't like him."

"Who is he?" Amy asks, turning to The Doctor.

"I don't know. It's a big universe."

"Why is he doing this?" I question.

"Maybe because he has no physical form. That gets you down after a while, so he's taking it out on folk like us who can touch and eat and feel."

"What does he mean, deadly danger, though? Nothing deadly has happened here. I mean, a bit of natural wastage, obviously." Rory notes.
The Doctor suddenly looks down at what he's wearing. He's in his jacket again, not the sweater.

"They've all gone." He looks up at us. "They've all gone"

We all walk outside the care home, across the road. Directly opposite the home is a play area and a ruined castle. The teacher is trying to keep control of the children as they play.

"Stop. You two, over there. Come along, where's the rest of you? Come on, come on. We're going up to the castle now. All of you, come on." She orders.

"Why would they leave?" I am still thinking of the old folks.

"And what did you mean about Mrs Poggit's nice old lady act?" Amy asks.

"One of my tawdry quirks. Sniffing out things that aren't what they seem. So, come on, let's think." The Doctor says to us. "The mechanics of this reality split we're stuck in. Time asleep exactly matches time in our dream world, unlike in conventional dreams."

"And we're all dreaming the same dream at the same time." I add.

"Yes, sort of communal trance. Very rare, very complicated. I'm sure there's a dream giveaway, a tell, but my mind isn't working because this village is so dull! I'm slowing down, like you two have!" The Doctor exclaims. I feel a soft touch on my arm, and look around to Amy, and she winks at me. I tilt my head, wondering what she means, but I soon find out. She doubles over, an expression of fake pain crossing her face.

"Ooo. Ow. Really. Ow! It's coming!" She gasps, and The Doctor and Rory go into full panic mode.

"Okay, you're a doctor, help her." The Doctor tries to pass on all the responsibility to Rory, but he's having none of it.

"You're a doctor." Rory points out, causing The Doctor to grimace. Their frantic panicking almost has me doubled over like Amy, except from silent, unnoticed laughter rather than fake pain.