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Prologue The Then: Nick could remember the Doctor’s scream, remember the look of anguish on his face as he’d been seized by the spasms and his face had contorted with pain. He could remember every vivid detail of the Doctor’s face; the muscles pulled so tight in agony that they looked carved into stone. Now the Doctor’s wasted body hung in the air, floating in a medical force field, kept in stasis. His face was still covered with the blood that had poured from his eyeballs, the statue-like features running black with the shiny liquid. Nick slowly orbited, holding in his hands a steaming cup of coffee, and Alf stood a few steps back, watching. The Doctor looked thinner than usual - more vulnerable. The Collector floated next to them in the sphere of the medical lab. His enormous brain pulsed as he forced words into Nick’s mind. ° The Doctor was attacked. A psychic entity placed a killing blow to his mind. Any normal being would have died, but the Doctor seems to have some latent psychic ability.° ° Wht? ° Nick was still having trouble with telepathy. His mind always felt so crowded; he couldn’t get the words to form right. ° Instead of just dying, his mind has started bleeding thoughts. I’ve been doing my best to catch and store them, but if we don’t act soon his mind will just collapse altogether. ° ° S why’s h bldng? ° ° The attack splintered his mind, and tore his brain open in the process. It’s that which caused the bleeding. We’ll be able to repair the Doctor’s brain, but it will have to be rebuilt at the genetic level. It could take hours. ° ° Y thnk i care? Gt a mv n. ° The Collector seemed stung, and for a moment Nick felt sorry for the giant jellyfish. ° Wh dd ths? ° ° It may have been one of the guests. ° ° ° I’m sorry, Nick. I admit I may have been a little rash. But don’t worry. If I can evacuate the Doctor’s mind from his body, I can heal it in my own while keeping it safe, so the surgeon can repair his brain. ° ° Snds dngrs. Nd cmplctd. ° ° Don’t worry - it’ll be fine. °
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