Amelia sat swinging her feet back and forth on the bench. She was waiting for the Doctor to magically appear again, just like he had that night. She decided she would always be waiting for the Doctor, but also that she had to do other things too. Waiting for the Doctor could not become her life. So she stood up and grabbed her bag then walked home. When she got in the door she could hear Aunt Sharon cooking in the kitchen. A very rare occurrence since she wasn't any good at cooking, she even set the oven on fire whilst cooking Sunday lunch one time, and the fire brigade had to be called out to extinguish the flames. Amelia decided that if her Aunt was cooking, it meant she was trying to sugar-coat her, because something was happening she deduced. Sure enough, as soon as they sat down to eat the charred remains of what should have been fish and chips, her aunt breached the subject. "Amelia," she began cautiously, "I know you didn't enjoy the last visit to that Doctor. But we have to go again tomorrow." Amelia's face, mid-mouthful, turned sour and with her most stubborn voice she said: "I won't go! They try to tell me he's not real when I know he is! The Raggedy Man is real Auntie Sharon! Please don't make me go back there!"
No matter how much she winged and moaned, by the same time the next day, they were sat in the psychiatrists office waiting for her appointment. Amelia sat sulking with her arms folded and her chin wobbling precariously, however her resolve did not tremble. So she was sat with an unpleasant frown on her face when the friendly looking Doctor called them in. She dragged her feet, struggled and grumbled, but there was no avoiding it now.
"Now then Amelia, how have you been since I last saw you?" The Doctor looked slightly nervous now and he had a protective arm covering his hand where Amelia had bitten him in their last session. She could see a white scar and was secretly pleased to have inflicted damage on such a person. She didn't like people who questioned her, and she especially didn't like people who told her she was wrong. Throughout the meeting Amelia said as little as possible, giving the occasional nod or yes or no to the Doctor's probing questions. When he had finished he finally said "Right then, do you remember what I said last time?" Amelia glared at him and a flush crept up her cheeks, the doctor didn't seem to notice and carried on regardless and adopted a sickly sweet patronising tone. "Just remember that this Doctor of yours, this raggedy man, isn't real. Okay?" He didn't get an answer. Instead a few seconds later he came rushing out of the consulting room swearing and muttering angrily under his breath, nursing a second bite on his previously un-wounded hand! The receptionist looked startled and looked quizzically at the exasperated doctor who said, "That girl is insane! I'm not treating her again!" By the end he was shouting manically in a high pitch, in fact he was practically squealing. Amelia and her Aunt Sharon peered around the door and Aunt Sharon apologise profusely to the doctor who left muttering about a lawsuit. Her Aunt gave Amelia a highly disapproving glare, the one every child knows and gets every time they get into trouble. Aunt Sharon escorted her home and sent her to bed with no supper.
As Amelia got into bed that night, she began to doubt herself. He was real. Wasn't he?
