Doctor Bear: Difference between revisions

'''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.

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]].

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.

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.

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 to "Doctor Bear c/o Gerry Billings Esquire", later "c/o Dr Gerry Billings".

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]].