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How Loony Was That?
The Doctor was used to time travelling just about anywhere. Often he ended up in unknown destinations, or just about anywhere unplanned. But this was a new one.
He found himself looking at the monitor screen of the TARDIS. He was in Glasgow. He shrugged and stepped out. He hadn't been to Scotland for some time, and Rose and Mickey was at Jackie's and he had time to kill, so why not explore for a while?
His eyes scanned the area and immediately focused on a large building and a sign, that read:
St. Judes Mental Asylum.
He often questioned how he ended up in one area to the next, but none of his adventures tend to be planned.
He looked around, didn't see anything he recognised and shrugged. He was about to step back into the TARDIS, when a voice spoke.
“Campbell. I've been looking for you. What are you doing out here? It's freezing. Come back inside.”
The Doctor turned and became face to face with a nurse it seemed. Well, of course she was. This was St. Judes, wasn't it?
“Are you talking to me? Oh, wait of course you are. There's no one out here, but me, is there?” The Doctor said. “I'm sorry, but I think you've got the wrong person.”
The nurse smiled at him fondly, and chuckled, “Very funny. How could I have gotten the wrong person? Last time I checked, there was nobody else here that looked like you, Campbell.”
The Doctor said, “Well, where I come from I'm sure there's loads of Gallifreyan’s wandering around that look like me. Isn't that brilliant?”
“Gallifreyan’s?” The nurse asked, “I don't undertstand what you're… Why don't you come in with me? You'll be much warmer inside, don't you think?”
“Honestly, you've gotten the wrong person, ma'am.” The Doctor said.
The nurse shook her head, with a frown, and walked towards the male she believed was Campbell. She placed a supporting hand on the Doctor’s arm. “And where did you get that suit? Last time I checked, you didn't own a suit. Did you borrow it? I'm sure I saw a suit like that in Fergus’ wardrobe…”
“Oh, this suit? Well, I got it from a shop in London. It's nothing special.” The Doctor said, drawing out the ‘e’ in well.
“London?” The nurse said, frowning.
“Yes. Somewhere in Camden, I think. I can't remember. It's been a while. Although, I do have many suits. From many different places. They practically all look the same. But then again, I think all suits do. Don't you?” The Doctor said, talking at a mile a minute.
“OK. I think you're having a manic episode. Calm down, you're OK. Why don't you come in with me, Campbell? Aye? It is time for your next dose of tablets. You'll be much calmer with them, don't you think?”
“Tablets? Oh believe me, despite how crazy I'm sounding, I'm not on any medication. I probably should be, shouldn't I?” The Doctor said. “Maybe I wouldn't sound like there's something wrong with me if I was. My friends say that a lot about me, you know? But, believe me I'm not. I'm always this bonkers.” The Doctor grinned.
“I'm very confused what's going on right now. If you're not Campbell, why do you look and sound so much like him?” The nurse said. “There wasn't any twin brother's - or any siblings at all - noted on the family visiting list.”
“You know what I'm confused, too. You said there's a patient that looks like me that receives medical treatment here, right?” The Doctor asked.
“Aye, so I did.” The nurse said. “You aren't related to Campbell, are you?”
“Nope. I don't know any Campbell’s. I don't think I do anyway. Not that I can remember. But I've known a lot of people over the years.” The Doctor said, “Sorry. I never asked you your name?”
“It's Isabel, so it is.” Isabel said, “So, what is your name?” She didn't truly believe this wasn't Campbell stood in front of her, but a lot wasn't making any sense. The man in front of her looked older for one, he was wearing a suit for another, and there was a blue box stood behind the male she just had noticed. What was that?
“It's the Doctor.” The Doctor said matter-of-factly, and held out his hand.
Isabel shook the male's hand, and said, “The Doctor? Doctor who?”
“Oh, no, just the Doctor.”
“Ah. You don't happen to be a new doctor working here? They didn't say any new staff would be employed—”
“Oh, no. I'm not that sort of doctor. It's kind of hard to explain.”
Isabel frowned. “I see. If you don't mind me asking, what is that blue box behind you? It's looks so familiar to the telephone boxes they used to have in London, so it does.”
“Aha! You're not wrong there.” The Doctor grinned. “It's exactly that! I would say it's been... modified if you will, over the years.”
“Yes, it does look quite more modern compared to the sixties telephone boxes you would see, so it does. But what is it doing here?”
“Oh, I came here with it, you could say.” The Doctor said, and as he saw Isabel start to frown he continued, “But it's a long story, and you probably wouldn't believe it if I told you.”
“What compared to everything else that doesn't make sense today?” Isabel said, and the Doctor grinned.
“Oh, I'm used to that. Nothing in my life ever makes sense. But, then again… Where's the fun in that?”
“You're an eccentric man, aren't you Doctor?” Isabel said, and the Doctor found himself grinning, again.
“Me? Oh, yes! I'm absolutely bonkers!” The Doctor laughed, “My friends all like to call me a madman, and they're not far off, I suppose.”
“And what is a madman and his blue box doing here at St. Judes, if you don't mind me asking?” Isabel found herself asking.
“Well, I kind of… found myself here.” The Doctor said, “Like I said, it's a bit of a long story.”
“Funny place to find yourself, Doctor.” Isabel started, “Do you usually end up outside of asylums often?”
“No. But it's a first time for everything, I think!” The Doctor grinned.
“Well, it's been lovely meeting you Doctor, but I should head inside and try and find Campbell,” Isabel glanced behind her, and her eyes lit up, “Ah, look. There's Campbell now.”
The Doctor looked behind Isabel and noticed a young male, and the resemblance was uncanny. He even found himself pulling out his glasses and observing the male walking towards them. He couldn't really help it, because he did look like the Doctor except from the mop of brown hair, that wasn't styled, like the Doctor’s was. But not only that, he looked so much younger than himself, and he was dressed in an eccentric hoodie, that was brown, black, yellow and purple, with a pair of blue jeans. But despite the small differences, he looked entirely like the Doctor, and it was no wonder Isabel thought he was the young male.
“Campbell, there you are. I've been worried about you.” Isabel said as she started walking towards the male, “I didn't know where you went.”
“Aye, sorry. I went with Eddie to BBC Scotland. I'm sure I told you that?” Campbell shook his head, “I can't really remember.”
“Ah, I see. Has Eddie…?”
Campbell nodded, his head lowered, “Yeah. He's gone to work.”
“Well, you should head in and take your next dose of tablets.” Isabel said, “I'll walk with you.”
“Aye, all right.” Campbell said, and brushed his hair away from his face and he looked up. He was about to head in until he noticed another male standing there, and his eyes widened. “You're joking! You… you look like… I mean, I know I'm a loony, but this is…!”
The Doctor grinned and stepped forward, “I look like you. Isn't it brilliant?”
“Yeah. Yeah, you do.” Campbell exclaimed with a grin. “How is that possible? Who are you?”
“I'm the Doctor.”
“Doctor? Oh? Do you hold a doctorate?” Campbell asked, with a wide grin.
The Doctor shook his head, “Oh, no. I'm not that sort of doctor, and in a way my title doesn't really go with my profession. Although, if you think of time, and what I actually do… you know what, it's hard to explain. OK, actually it's not, it's just you probably wouldn't believe me, and… and I'm just going to stop talking, before I'm, I don't know, admitted here, I suppose.”
“Oh.” Campbell said, with a frown, but didn't question what any of that meant exactly. “Don't take this in the wrong way, but you sound exactly like me. Are you a loony, too?”
The Doctor grinned, “Well, I suppose in some form, yes. But, aren't we all?”
“Aye. You're right about that. This is brilliant.” Campbell laughed and shook his head. “Oh, and what's that? A blue telephone box?”
“Oh, yes! I could explain it to you, but I doubt you'll believe me.” The Doctor said, with a smile.
“Considering you look like me and there's no real explanation for that, I'm pretty sure I would. Plus, I'm a loony, I'd believe anything.”
And wasn't that the truth? The Doctor had travelled across the galaxy, protecting the universe from far too many monsters and aliens to count, but this was something he couldn't even explain. How did this young male look so much like him? It was bonkers!
“Well, in that case,” The Doctor said, and started walking forwards until he was standing next to the young male that looked exactly like him, so only he could hear him, “It's a spaceship.”
Campbell looked at the Doctor for a moment, and the Doctor waited for the young male to start laughing at him or try and call his bluff, but instead he nodded and exclaimed, “Cool!”
“What? You're not gonna call me a loony?” The Doctor said. He usually didn't have this sort of reaction. Normally people definitely didn't believe him, but this was… What was this?
“Nah.” Campbell shook his head, his hair flying wildly, “So, what planet are you from exactly? Oh, actually wait, your spaceship reminds me of something? A TV show, I used to watch when I was younger, and definitely before I came here. What was it? Oh, I'm pretty sure it was called Doctor Who, and that would make a lot of sense, considering your name, so it does.”
The Doctor’s lips formed into a grin, and his eyes went wide, “What? There's a TV show about me?”
Campbell nodded his head, “Aye, I used to watch it all the time, before I came here, that is.”
“Is it any good?” The Doctor’s grin widened, as Campbell nodded his head with a grin matching his own. Identically, too, which should of been downright weird. “Brilliant!”
“Aye. You should watch it sometime when you get the chance. When you're not trying to save the universe, that is.”
“Campbell.” The Doctor and Campbell heard Isabel’s voice from behind them, and the Doctor half turned his head. Isabel was stood a little ways off, waiting patiently. Well, the patient needed his tablets, didn't he?
“Hang on a second,” Campbell said, before he turned back to the Doctor, “Well, I should head in before I turn really loony, or before I talk your ear off, or I could turn the opposite and turn depressive. Not a great sight, I should mention.”
“Ah… alternating periods of elation and depression? Manic depression, if I'm not wrong?”
“Aye. You know about manic depression?” Campbell asked. He was intrigued how the Doctor knew that. “Are you sure you've never been a doctor?”
“Very sure. I mean, I've been a teacher in my time but not a doctor of medicine, I'm pretty sure about that.” The Doctor said.
The Doctor was 900+, and he had been around the galaxy and had seen some extraordinary places. But in his years, he had learnt a lot about many, many subjects and information and manic depression was one of them. He knew with mania, you experienced great excitement, or euphoria, delusions and overactivity, and of course with depression; despondency, hopelessness, lack of energy, and interest in life and dejection. So, no the Doctor was not a medical doctor, but he knew that. Just like he knew a lot about the world, the galaxy and inhabitants that lived in either.
“Oh, a teacher of what?”
“Physics.” The Doctor grinned.
“Ah. I don't know much about physics. Or school in general. Ironically. I've spent most of the last few years here.”
Isabel noticed there was definitely no way she could get Campbell inside now. He was a manic. He liked to talk. A mile a minute, at most, and he had found someone he found extraordinary. Of course he had. There was the Doctor - if that was his real name - standing in front of him, looking exactly the same as him, and even Isabel didn't know how to explain that one.
“Campbell.” Isabel said, and waited until she had his attention, “I'm going to head in now. It's getting rather cold, so it is. Why don't you come inside and take your tablets when you've finished talking? But don't take too long, you don't want to have an manic or depressive episode.”
“Aye.” Was Campbell’s simple reply before his focus was turned back onto the Doctor and they found themselves chatting animatedly once more, and Isabel found herself chuckling as she entered the building, back into warmth.
“Well, I should head off myself.” The Doctor announced some time later, and Campbell lowered his head until his hair covered his face. “I wouldn't want you getting cold or having an episode.”
“Aye. I suppose you're right.” Campbell said. “It's best if I do, I wouldn't want to do anything stupid.”
The Doctor smiled and held out his hand, “Well, it's been great to meet you identical me. Crazy, but great.”
Campbell shook the Doctor’s hand, and grinned, “Aye, it's been grand. You should come back sometime if I'm still here that is?”
The Doctor found himself grinning, “Of course. How could I not? It's not often I meet someone I'm not related to that looks exactly like me.”
“We could be related, or maybe I'm just saying that because I'm jealous and envious and wish I was a timelord.” Campbell said with a grin of his own, and the Doctor laughed.
“There really is a TV programme about me, isn't there?” The Doctor said with a grin, “Well, who knows, maybe in the distant future when you're better, you could be one of my companions, if you'd like?” The Doctor offered.
Yes, he just offered a man he just met that looked exactly like him, if he wanted to join him on one of his adventures. It was brilliant! Or maybe it was crazy? Who knows!
“Two loony’s in one blue box? You know, I think I like the sound of that, Doctor.” Campbell grinned, and pushed his hair back away from his forehead like he always did. “Well, I should…”
“Yeah, me too. Well, I hope to see you around, Campbell.” The Doctor said, and he took one last look at the identical man with a grin before walking away and entering the TARDIS.
The TARDIS did sometimes lead him to crazy places he didn't plan for but he found that they always seemed to be worth it - more than worth it - in the end.
“Wait until I tell Rose about this one. She won't believe me.” The Doctor found himself saying to the control panel, with a shake of his head and a grin forming onto his lips.
And Campbell Bain found himself doing exactly the same thing. He found himself stood in the exact same spot waiting for the TARDIS to disappear, and it did, and it made him feel for a moment like he was in an episode of Doctor Who. “How loony was that?”
He found himself laughing, and when he went back inside the building for his medication and Isabel came up to him and said, “I've just realised I've seen that gentleman before. He's the lead actor in Doctor Who.” he found himself doubled over with even more laughter until his insides hurt and he felt truly manic. He knew he couldn't explain this one even if he tried.
And he found himself repeating, “How loony was that?”