I wiped my face with the edge of my cloak, trying to make my head stop spinning. Gingerly getting to my feet, I still felt like throwing up, even though there was nothing left.

"Sorry about the mess, Leo," I said weakly.

"It's alright, we're outdoors anyway. At least it wasn't inside." I swayed on my feet again, leaning all my weight on Leo as he supported me. "Rebecca, you're not fit to go back to the village. Please, stay here for a while until we sort this. I can't wait any longer."

"This is my fault. I have to go and sort this. It's my clinic they're outside anyway. They'll want to see me, and make me explain." I lowered my eyes to the ground, and muttered, "I owe them an apology anyway."

"Well, if you're coming, we have to go now. Are you sure you feel ok to go?"

"Yes, I'm fine!" I protested. A teenager's biggest lie.

"If you're sure," said Leo, still looking reluctant to let me go.

I staggered back towards the cabin to prove my lie, and Leo called Dathew to summon him to his shoulder. The same smells that were previously comforting now made me feel nauseous again, and I tried to get out as quickly as possible. I'd caused enough trouble already.

"Rebecca, where are you going? We're flying there," Leo called.

"I don't have my license, I'll take the ski lift there."

"But there's no time!"

"We're wasting time just standing here. You fly and do your police duties, but I need to get to my hut quickly!" I ran off as quickly as I could, still feeling dizzy, but I got to the ski lift surprisingly quickly.

The ski lift didn't feel fast enough. I knew it was the fastest in Abstery, but in my panic to get back to my hut, it felt slower than the old oven Chloe used to use for baking.

Chloe.

What time was it? The boy had come in at around twelve, and three hours later had come in to be healed. My lunch break was at three, but surely it couldn't be anywhere near five yet, could it?

I jumped off the ski lift as it reached the ground, and as I staggered towards Firville, I squinted at the sun, trying to determine its position. It couldn't be five o'clock yet! At the latest, maybe a little past four.

But what if she's come early, and got caught in the riot? She's been early before.

As I got closer to my hut, the churning in my stomach came back. People were holding axes and very sharp sticks, and they pounded on the walls and door, shouting and cursing and demanding to see me.

Above me, Dathew screeched and Leo barked orders to the mob to get out of the way, the police were here. I scanned the crowd desperately for Chloe, but I couldn't see her.

If she gets hurt, it's your fault for turning her away earlier. You should have answered her questions and agreed to a proper conversation. You are a selfish, horrible person Rebecca, who doesn't deserve to be a Dark Doctor. You're a disappointment to Firville. You don't deserve to belong here.

"Rebecca! Rebecca!" a small voice exclaimed.

I stared in disbelief. "Chloe? You're alright! I'm so sorry, you could have gotten hurt, I-"

"What's happening? Why is everyone angry?"

"I don't know, Chloe, but Leo will sort it out, and everything will be OK."

Things won't be OK, even after Leo calms the mob. They won't be happy until I explain myself.

"Everybody move! Out of the way, the police are coming." Leo and several other officers barged through the crowd towards the front of my hut. Chloe and I approached slowly to see what was happening. Some of the shouts reached my ears, and I felt a chill slowly envelope me.

"Where is she?"

"Bring her out!"

"She's a coward, time to face the music Doctor!"

"Silence!" an officer bellowed. The crowd immediately went quiet. "Rebecca is here, now please move aside and let her explain herself, and if she asks you any questions, respond one at a time in a civil manner."

I walked through the crowd to the front of my hut, head bent, as I heard the hostile whispers around me. Once I was facing the crowd in front of my hut, I spoke, my voice shaking.

"I'm very sorry about what happened this morning, and previous times. I am unable to properly heal the people in my village of their nightmares, so I end up unintentionally transfering them to the people of Pineville. I am very sorry, and I hope you will accept my apologies."

The crowd muttered amongst themselves, and one person called out, "What are you going to do about this? You can't just leave us with nightmares. Heal us!" This was supported by a rousing cheer from others.

But if I heal them, their terrors will be transported back to the people in this village! What do I do?

I said so to the crowd, and more muttering took place. This went on for a long time, but then an elderly woman called out, "There is someone I know who lives in our village who would be willing to teach you how to heal properly. But, you will have to prove yourself worthy, and go on a long journey around Abstery first. Are you willing to do this?"

Am I willing to leave home, leave everything behind, to heal people? Can I do this?

"I don't know, I'll have to think about it first. I don't know if I can."

"You'll have to decide soon, as something is coming. Something bad, that you will need your healing powers to fix."

"What do you mean?"

But the crowd was already departing, leaving the officers, Chloe and I standing in front of my hut. A chill seemed to have settled on us, but not the cold kind. The kind that tells you, deep down, that something is going on, and it's not good.