The Dead Man's Story was the fifth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Repercussions. It was written by Andy Frankham. It featured the Third Doctor.
Summary[[edit] | [edit source]]
Jake Morgan lives in London with his girlfriend Fay.
One evening, Jake and Fay become engaged. Later, Jake goes for a walk and notices a strange blue police box near his house. When he gets closer, a blast of cold air hits him. The man who comes out of the box appears to see him for a moment, but then leaves. In town, Jake's best friend Robert ignores him. Jake goes home and discovers that he can pass through his house. Inside the house, he can't make Fay hear or see him.
He walks the streets of London until he sees the police box again. Once again, the man seems to see Jake for a moment but then loses sight of him.
By this time, Jake believes he is dead, and that he can't move on until he finishes some things. He visits his father in the hospital, but is devastated when his father has a heart attack and Jake can't make anyone hear his call for help. He goes home and says goodbye to Fay, who is lying in bed, awake and crying.
Jake searches for the police box but can't find it for two weeks. Finally the man, who is called the Doctor by a younger man, appears and can see Jake due to a device he is wearing on his ear. He explains that Jake isn't dead, but is merely caught in reality bubble, accidentally caused by Jeremy, the young man; however, the Doctor isn't able to free Jake. Jake convinces the Doctor to let Fay use the device so he can explain to her and say goodbye. At first she insists that they can live like this, with her wearing the device and able to see Jake, but he manages to convince her that this wouldn't work. They say their final goodbyes.
The Doctor then takes Jake to the Time Vortex with other people who have been removed from their original times.
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Jeremy's messing with the TARDIS controls causes Jake's accident.
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- This story was reprinted in Short Trips: Re:Collections.
- Each story in Short Trips: Repercussions includes a character or characters being taken out of their time by the Doctor to avoid harm to the Web of Time. In this story, it is Jake Morgan.
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added