Editing Doctor Bear

'''Doctor Bear''' was a [[teddy bear]] belonging to [[Gerry Billings]]. To Gerry, who from [[November]] [[1963]] to [[29 February]] [[1968]] was [[Psychic link|psychically linked]] to [[the Doctor's TARDIS]], the bear came to represent [[the Doctor]]. The original bear was destroyed in [[July]] [[1967]] after Gerry was kidnapped by [[Mark Forester]] and [[Kenneth Meadows]], whose secrets Gerry had seen in his visions. The [[Third Doctor]] found out about Gerry and, after breaking the psychic link, procured an identical replacement bear from the same toyshop. Afterwards, the Doctor sent Gerry and his [[Billings family|family]] new sets of clothes for the bear every few [[year]]s, representing most of the Doctor's subsequent [[regeneration]]s.

==History==
===The original===
The bear was purchased from a [[Barringdean]] [[Barringdean toyshop|toyshop]] by [[Claire Billings]] in early [[1964]]. [[Gerry Billings]] became fascinated by the bear upon seeing it, as the outfit it came in — checked [[trousers]], a [[waistcoat]], and a [[black]] [[ribbon]] tied around its [[neck]] — resembled that of the [[First Doctor]], whose adventures Gerry saw in his [[dream]]s due to a [[psychic link]] unwittingly established between Gerry, the Doctor, and [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] in [[November]] [[1963]].

Claire was convinced to buy the bear in secret, returning a [[cardigan]] she had received as a [[Christmas]] present in order to afford it. The First Doctor happened to be in the toyshop at the time and remarked that the bear was a "magnificent specimen", which further emboldened Claire to make the purchase. Gerry was given Doctor Bear at an "extra [[birthday]]" party his family held for him on [[29 February]], as he had admitted to feeling left out of many birthday traditions and presents due to his actual birthday being [[23 December]]. As a result, Gerry came to consider the 29th to be Doctor Bear's birthday.

Gerry's stories about the Doctor's adventures, which his family believed to be just dreams, had caused concern in the neighbourhood, so he was also given an exercise book and encouraged to write his dreams down, pretending they had happened to Doctor Bear. Claire told Gerry that Doctor Bear was a "representative" of the real Doctor.

Gerry grew very attached to the toy, bringing him everywhere but [[school]] and the bath. However, the [[Billings family]]'s home life grew tense over the course of the [[1960s]], due to money troubles and [[Ray Billings]] becoming increasingly unwell. Doctor Bear was confiscated by Ray on two occasions due to Gerry disappearing for hours while attempting to find the Doctor for real, believing him to be in [[London]]. Gerry was panicked by the seizures.

When Gerry saw the Doctor [[Regeneration|regenerate]] into his [[Second Doctor|second incarnation]], he was thrown off and pushed away from Doctor Bear for a bit, not knowing whether the toy was still a representative of the Doctor. He added a [[Ringo Starr]] doll he had received at a Christmas party, as he felt it resembled the new Doctor.

The first iteration of Doctor Bear was destroyed in [[July]] [[1967]] as the result of a long-gestating plot. Through his visions, Gerry had witnessed murders committed by [[Mark Forester]] regarding a dangerous [[insecticide]], ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Imaginary Friends (novel)}}) [[DN6]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Planet of Giants (TV story)}}) Gerry wrote down the details, including the formula, in his dream journal. Claire had later mentioned Gerry's aptitude for [[science]] to her neighbour, [[Lillian Grey]], at a Christmas party. Both Ray Billings and [[Howard Grey]] worked at Forester's factory, and news of the formula could make the company go bankrupt.

Ray's boss [[Kenneth Meadows]] and Forester stole the journal and threatened Gerry to say nothing. Gerry attempted to protect Doctor Bear, believing his father would die if he failed to do so, and the mystery raised tensions in the Billings family. Eventually, in July 1967, Gerry was kidnapped and held at the factory. Claire, having been told by Gerry earlier that the Doctor was at [[Gatwick Airport]], phoned the airport and raised a fuss, but got nowhere.

Inspired by his favourite book, ''[[Winnie the Pooh]]'', Gerry tied Doctor Bear to a [[balloon]] and set him loose with a note asking for help, which led to the arrest of Forester and Meadows, and the shutdown of the factory. However, Doctor Bear was in unrepairable condition, and Claire and Ray did not let Gerry see the state of his beloved toy.

===The regeneration===
Some years after 1967, the [[Third Doctor]] found out about Gerry after hearing of Claire's phone call to Gatwick, and arranged to meet Gerry at the future [[UNIT HQ]] on [[29 February]], [[1968]]. Upon hearing Gerry's story, the Doctor realized what had happened, and broke Gerry's link to the TARDIS after catching him up on some of his later adventures. Hearing of the Billingses' troubles, the Doctor left and arranged for the family to get a new start in [[Shoreditch]]. He also acquired a twin to the original Doctor Bear from the toyshop — one Claire had looked into, but been unable to find. [[Ian Chesterton]], summoned by the Doctor to the future headquarters by letter, found the package containing the new bear and handed it to Gerry, who unwrapped it to find the replacement wearing a replica of the Third Doctor's clothing. Attached was a note, reminding Gerry that, since Doctor Bear was a [[Time Lord]] bear, he had regenerated.

The Doctor continued to send Gerry and his family new outfits and accessories for Doctor Bear over the years, always addressed "Doctor Bear c/o Gerry Billings Esquire", later "Dr Gerry Billings".

On Gerry's thirteenth birthday in [[1969]], Doctor Bear received a toy [[sonic screwdriver]].

A few years later, a package arrived with a [[Fourth Doctor|floppy hat and long scarf]] for Doctor Bear.

A replica of the [[Fifth Doctor]]'s [[Cricket whites|cricketing jacket]] and [[celery]] arrived for Gerry after he had become a doctor of [[archaeology]] and was working at a dig in [[Mexico]]. None of the Billingses were ever able to deduce the reason for the celery.

A few years later, shortly before Gerry's [[wedding]] to [[Wendy Billings|Wendy]], he was bewildered to receive a replica of the [[Sixth Doctor]]'s "garish" clothing. Gerry opined that even Doctor Bear would be embarrassed to be seen in it, but he wore the small [[cat]] brooch included at his wedding, instead of a buttonhole.

Doctor Bear had received a replica of the [[Seventh Doctor]]'s question-mark [[jumper]] by the time of the [[christening]] of Gerry and Wendy's younger daughter [[Vicki Billings|Vicki]], at which the bear was carried by her older sister [[Susan Billings|Susan]].

A [[Eighth Doctor|velvet coat]] arrived for Doctor Bear just before Gerry's fortieth birthday in [[1996]]. A [[Ninth Doctor|leather jacket]] arrived on the day Gerry received an award for his work on the [[Aztec]] civilization.

Doctor Bear wore a replica of the [[Tenth Doctor]]'s suit and [[Converse]]s to Gerry's fiftieth birthday party in [[2006]]. His great-niece [[Claire (Imaginary Friends)|Claire]] carried Doctor Bear around and attempted to feed him [[birthday cake]], after which he had to be scrubbed.

Doctor Bear's replica of the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s [[tweed]] coat and [[fez]] arrived the year after Ray's [[death]].

Doctor Bear was sent a copy of the [[Thirteenth Doctor]]'s [[T-shirt]] and [[Braces (clothing)|braces]].

A package containing an [[Fifteenth Doctor|orange top and tweed overcoat]] arrived for Doctor Bear in late [[2023]], shortly before Gerry's sixty-seventh birthday. His grandson [[Steven (Imaginary Friends)|Steven]] brought the package to Claire to see, as she was on her deathbed, and she remarked that Doctor Bear would look smart in them. Steven removed Doctor Bear's old clothing and put on its new clothing, before leaving for a [[piano]] lesson.

Claire spent her last waking moments watching Doctor Bear, and her last words were "Thank you, Doctor Bear." ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Imaginary Friends (novel)}})

[[Category:Stuffed toys]]