Every Day (short story)

Every Day was the eleventh short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: A Christmas Treasury. It was written by Stephen Fewell. It featured the First Doctor, Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright and Vicki.

Summary
The TARDIS materialises in an attic. While Barbara and Ian are thrilled at the possibility of being home, Vicki stumbles and her foot goes through the ceiling of the room below. The Doctor decides they should apologise, so they head downstairs.

There they find a Christmas tree in the living room. As Vicki inspects the presents, two children, Mark and Josie, enter the room, followed by their father George, who tells them it is 2004. He insists on the four staying for Christmas lunch. Barbara helps George's wife Patricia in the kitchen.

Later, they all open presents, with the Smythe family letting the Doctor and his friends each have a present from under the tree. Only one present is left, from "Uncle John", but George won't let anyone open it. Josie tells Barbara that John is not their real uncle.

The group participate in several traditional Christmas activities. After the women go to bed, the men stay up drinking.

When Ian awakes, he is in the attic, along with his travelling companions. The hole in the attic floor is gone, and the Doctor informs them he can't get into the TARDIS.

Downstairs, the presents are back under the tree and all the Christmas food is still in the refrigerator. It's Christmas day again.

This continues day after day. Sometimes the group tries to vary their activities, but Christmas still comes the next day. They try to leave the house, but it isn't possible. Vicki thinks it's her fault, as she had wished every day could be Christmas.

After about two weeks of this, George snaps and kills Patricia and his two children. He comes after Barbara, but she wakes in the attic. It's Christmas day again, and Patricia and the children are alive.

George explains that Patricia left him for "Uncle John", on Christmas day, taking the children with her. Barbara convinces him to open the present from "Uncle John", and this ends the cycle.

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor explains that the TARDIS can travel through all dimensions and they may have entered the dimension of George's mind.

Characters

 * First Doctor
 * Barbara Wright
 * Ian Chesterton
 * Vicki Pallister
 * George Smythe
 * Patricia Smythe
 * Mark Smythe
 * Josie Smythe

Continuity

 * Ian thinks they've jumped another time track. (TV: The Space Museum)
 * The Doctor explains that the TARDIS is a metaphysical engine. (TV: The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did)