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Despite the muffled shouts echoing down the hallways and the urgent footsteps of the staff, the night was almost silent. Sitting on the windowsill, Campbell watched the road outside where the occasional person walked by, their face obscured by the dark.
He liked the night. It was easier to focus with almost everyone sleeping and it was a drastic contrast to the daytime when all the patients hustled about the place, some of them shouting nonsense at anyone who passed by. He didnt like the nurses either, still not having forgiven them for dragging him into this place just months ago.
Although, Campbell knew it wasn't all their doing. His dad had been involved too, which is why he dreaded his visit this upcoming week. He wasn't sure what to expect or if he even wanted to talk to the man who only cared about hiding the shame of having a son like him.
A loud whirring sound echoed around the hospital park which was right under the window. Surprised, Campbell looked around to find a blue box steadily fading into view, lighting up the area around it, right in the middle of the park.
Was he starting to see things? This was impossible. A huge box materialising in a patch of grass surrounded by buildings.
In dismay, the boy quickly got up and ran through the halls, careful to avoid any staff monitoring the area. The last thing he needed was to have to explain to them what he had just seen. They'd sedate him before he could even try and justify what he was seeing was, in fact, very real.
He reached the heavy metal door and was glad to see it was unlocked. No one bothered to lock them as the area was closed off anyway, it was the main entrance they had to worry about.
Warily, he crept outside to be met with the strange box sitting right where he had seen it before. It seemed even bigger from here.
Wanting to make sure this wasnt some crazy delusion, Campbell got closer and touched the box. The solid wood under his palm seemed real enough which made him more confident. He examined the box closely.
It seemed to be one of these old public telephone boxes which people had used to phone the police. It was a deep blue colour. He recognised them from old magazines and photos his house had plenty of. But how did one of these get here?
The door of the police box opened suddenly and the boy jumped, backing away quickly as if he had been caught committing some sort of crime.
Out of the box came a man. He was wearing a long coat which looked like something a doctor would wear if it wasn't brown. He was also wearing a suit.
The man looked around and seemed to be equally confused as to why he had ended up here. His eyes landed on the startled boy and his face lit up.
"Hello there!" He said brightly, stretching out his hand. "I'm the Doctor!"
Campbell stared at the bizarre man. A doctor? Did he work at the hospital?
Hesitanly, he shook the man's hand.
"I'm Campbell Bain" he said.
"Well, Campbell, have you seen anything unusual around here lately?" The Doctor asked, suddenly taking a glowing device out of his pocket and scanning the air.
Campbell looked closer, trying to figure out what the strange device was. He had never seen anything like this before, and he was beginning to doubt the reality of the whole situation again.
"This is a mental hospital, 'unusual' things happen almost every day." Campbell wasn't sure how else to answer the question.
"That's not really what I'm looking for" the man said, putting the device away. He thought for a moment. "What about any unusual creatures? Like humans but smaller, and less human like, maybe more green"
The man was talking nonsense. He must be a patient here too. Must be a new one though, Campbell had never seen this 'doctor' before.
"Many people see all sorts of creatures here" Campbell said, trying to be patient with the clearly delusional man. "But that's alright, I can take you back to the nurses-"
"No you don't understand" The doctor tried again, "This whole place is in danger if I dont find this creature, it's from another planet. Back there, its pretty harmless but it's not adapted to the earth's atmosphere and surroundings which makes it unpredictable and dangerous"
Campbell decided to go along with the man's rambling. He clearly wouldn't understand that such thing is impossible right now so he could just help ease his mind by helping him look for the nonexistent creature.
"I can help you find it, I know my way around here quite well" the boy said, with a hint of pride in his voice.
"Yes good" the doctor said as they began to walk, "the creature likes to hide in dark small spaces, preferably green since its easier to camouflage there. If you see it do not come near it under any circumstances, do you understand?" His tone became serious.
Campbell nodded, leading the doctor to the first spot he could think of which fit the description. They looked around it and the man scanned the ground again with the strange device.
"What is that?" Campbell finally asked, overcome by curiosity.
"Its my sonic screwdriver" the doctor showed it to him rather proudly.
The device had many small buttons and lines in the handle and the tip was a glowing blue orb. The boy was fascinated. He had never seen anything like this before; it seemed like some sort of futuristic machine. This doctor's crazy story was way more interesting than any of the other patients.
The pair carried on searching through all the places Campbell suggested but found them empty, just as he had expected.
They had reached the common room, which had a small shelf in the corner full of pots with various plants in them. Campbell searched around it. He saw a strange yellow glint from behind one of the leaves.
"I think I see something here" he whispered, surprised they had actually found anything as the doctor quickly ran up to examine the plant.
From behind it, a green blur jumped out and began running away from the doctor, who chased after it frantically.
Campbell stood there dumbfounded. He hadn't believed there was actually some otherworldly creature hiding in the hospital. The other patients always said things like that and they had always turned out to never have existed.
After a while, the doctor came back, carrying a small cage with the strange thing trapped inside. He seemed out of breath but rather satisfied with the outcome.
"I think I had alerted some people during the process of trapping it" the doctor looked around. "We better head outside."
They got back to the police box and Campbell hesitated, filled with questions to ask the doctor.
"Well, thank you very much for your help Campbell" the doctor smiled, opening the door to the box. "I better head to this guys planet now and get him home."
"Wait!" Campbell ran up to the door, not wanting to finish this meeting so abruptly.
"What is all this? Who are you?"
"You wouldn't believe me" the man said with a grin.
"You appeared in a box from thin air, you talk about strange creatures and other planets as if it was normal. What is there to doubt?" Campbell asked, desparate for answers.
"I'm an alien. This is my spaceship." He pointed to the police box. "The TARDIS. It can travel through space and time"
Despite the absurdity of the explanation, Campbell believed him. He had seen so many patients ramble about nonexistent aliens and crazy theories and the doctors story seemed nothing like it. Plus it was hard to deny the creature in the cage before him and the strange box appearing out of nowhere.
"I better be off before anyone else sees me" the doctor said, smiling at the boy.
"Wait" Campbell said again, suddenly reluctant to go back to the sad gloomy room and the annoyed nurses and the patients who mostly seemed to ignore him when a whole new world had just been revealed before him. He hesitated. "Could I come too? Make sure the creature gets home safe"
The doctor lit up at the proposal, as if he had been waiting for it.
"Of course, you were a huge help today, it'd be a shame not to bring you along!" He said, inviting the boy into the box.
Campbell quickly headed in and, as he entered, he was stunned to see it was much bigger on the inside, nothing like the small police box. It was as big as the common room back at the hospital but with a much higher ceiling and with a glowing console in the middle, filled with dazzling golden lights.
"Its bigger on the-" he hesitated, realising the doctor probably already knew that.
"Welcome to the TARDIS" the doctor laughed, running up to the console and turning it on as the whole thing sprung to life.