“I wonder why the doctor hasn’t come out yet,” Mrs. Button thought out loud as she paced the waiting room. It had been an hour and a half and no one had let them in to see Cambria yet. Mrs. Button walked up to the desk and asked for Cambria’s status.

“Well the first doctor took a little longer than expected, but he’s done now… unsuccessful, unfortunately. But you still must wait here until one more doctor tries a new medicine he says he has. It should only take a few more minu…,” before the clerk could finish what she was saying, the doctor whom Simon had approached earlier walked into the room.

“You can see Cambria now,” the doctor announced.

Mrs. Button rushed over to follow the doctor into Cambria’s room, and Simon followed. Cambria looked extremely pale and sickly, lying on the hospital bed, but she was asleep and quiet.

“How… how much longer does she have doctor?” Mrs. Button asked hesitantly.

The doctor studied Cambria and then answered, “I’d give her around eighty more years.”

Mrs. Button’s eyes widened, and tears began to pour out, “How doctor? How is that possible?”

The doctor smiled triumphantly, “Don’t ask me, Mrs. Button; ask your son right there.”
<><><><><><><><><><><>


The intern walked up behind Simon, and smiled warmly. “So little man, I think it’s time you upheld your side of the bargain.”

Simon looked up at him, and answered, “My imaginary friend told me what to do.”

The intern nodded, taking in the information, and then walked away.

----------Epilogue-------------


The vibrant colors reflected off the white walls, and the cheerful children stared at Simon once more as he sat on the striped bed. Dr. Applebom looked at him with intrigue, “So you mean to tell me that you have had more than one imaginary friend?”

Simon nodded.

“Interesting,” the Doctor noted as he studied Simon, looking for any physical signs of abnormality. “You seem to have,” the Doctor hesitated, “some sort of… strange connection… with the original world.”

Simon smiled at this fascinating theory.

Ever since Cambria was miraculously healed with the help of Jamie, Dr. Applebom had changed. He had decided there was so much they could learn from the original world, and stopped his crusade against the imaginary friends. Around that same time, the children disappearances also stopped. Simon went to go see him a few months later to consult him about a question he had about imaginary friends. Their shared interest in the original world connected them and they slowly became friends.

“Do you mind if I… try something?” the Doctor asked as he walked over to the large machine.

Although they had become friends, Simon still wasn’t sure how much he should trust him. “What do you want to do?” he asked cautiously.

The Doctor looked at him with a crooked smile and a crazy gleam in his eye, “I believe, between my expertise, and your unusual connection, that we can travel to the original world.”