Remain in Light (short story)

Remain in Light was the tenth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Snapshots. It was written by Eddie Robson. It featured the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller.

Summary
Anton Hellinger is house-sitting for the friend of a friend, Cameron Hayes. He gets a phone call from someone named the Doctor, who asks him to retrieve a bag from the beach outside. Anton does so, and the Doctor, over the phone, gives him instructions on how to revive the girl inside, who is the Doctor's friend Lucie.

Once revived, Lucie stays at the beach house with Anton until the Doctor can pick her up. Several days later, the Doctor shows up, and Lucie and Anton tell him about a dead body they found in the beach house that later disintegrated. The Doctor questions Anton about Cameron, whom Anton has never met. Anton and Lucie do some investigating among Anton's friends, and they learn that everyone likes Cameron and no one has anything bad to say about him.

Some of Anton's friends casually mention that Cameron kills people, sucking out their essence, and none of Anton's friends seem bothered by the fact. Later, the Doctor tells Anton and Lucie that he thinks Cameron is a Concepton. Conceptons are abstract beings, and the Doctor theorises that Cameron became corporeal when Anton's friend Gwen made him up as a boyfriend. Cameron's existence is dependent on Anton's friends believing in him.

The Doctor, Lucie and Anton devise a plan. Lucie approaches Justine, Anton's (sort of) girlfriend, pretending to be Cameron's ex-wife. She tells Justine about how awful Cameron treated her. Justine eventually spreads the word to Anton's other friends. This allows the Doctor to capture Cameron, who slowly melts away as Anton's friends begin to doubt him.

Characters

 * Eighth Doctor
 * Lucie Miller
 * Cameron Hayes
 * Anton Hellinger
 * Justine
 * Gwen
 * Jay
 * Cain
 * Donna
 * Blake
 * Neal
 * Tama
 * Linus

Continuity

 * The Doctor mentions that he once died in San Francisco. (TV: Doctor Who)