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`What happens as you reach the light?'

Ì stretch my hand forwards to it, my fingertips straining to touch it. I expect the light to be cold but instead it's warm, washing over my fingers, across my hand and now it's moving up my arm. I realise the light isn't moving - I'm falling into it. I panic, but can't stop myself. Just white light all around me...' The young man fell silent, his features warmed by candles illuminating the bedchamber.

`Where are you now, James?' the Doctor asked gently.

Ì'm walking across a bridge. I look back and see the river behind me but I don't want to go back there any more. Ahead I see someone approaching - it's my grandfather. He smiles and I run towards him. He hugs me, just like he used to do. I tell my grandfather he is dead but he just laughs. I don't have to worry about things like that any more, I'm on the Other Side. I look down and realise the bridge has disappeared.'

`What can you see, James?'

Èverything is so beautiful, so peaceful and quiet. I meet my sisters, the babies my mother had Dr Kirkhope get rid of before they were born. They say I'm going to like it on the Other Side. They want to give me a present. But something is wrong, very wrong...'

Hawthorne found himself running down the steep slope after Johnson, trying to keep pace with the younger man.

`Johnson! Johnson, slow down!'

Ì can't! They're getting away - I can't let them get away!'

The other soldier raced onwards, careering down the hillside without care or caution. He threw his rifle to one side and began tearing off his uniform.

`Sweet Jesus, Nicholas, what are you doing?' Hawthorne stopped his descent by grabbing hold of a tree trunk, before his own legs ran away with him.

`They're calling for me! Can't you hear them, Thorny?

They're calling for me!'

Hawthorne carefully made his way down the remainder of the slope to the water's edge where Johnson was removing the last of his uniform. 'Johnson! Johnson, put your clothes back on! You'll get us both up on a charge if Vollmer catches you!'

Nicholas Johnson was hardly listening. He could see his three brothers standing on the opposite shoreline, all smiling and beckoning him across. It's my brothers! They're over there!'

Hawthorne peered across the expanse of water. 'I can't see anything.'

`They're right there - Aidan, Sean and Andy - they're still alive! We got telegrams saying they were missing, presumed dead, but the army was wrong!' Nicholas waved back to his brothers. 'I'm coming, I'm coming!' He was about to jump in when Hawthorne dragged him back from the water's edge.

‘For the love of God, will you snap out of it?' Hawthorne slapped Johnson across the face twice. 'There is nobody there!' He pointed across the water as the moon reappeared from behind a bank of dark cloud.

Nicholas was dismayed to see Hawthorne was right.

`They'll just be hiding behind the bushes or something, larking about as usual. I'll soon find them -'

`Johnson! Hawthorne! What the hell are you two doing?'

Vollmer strode down the hillside with a face like thunder, still pulling on his uniform. He stopped a few feet away and looked at the discarded clothes. 'Well?'

Johnson looked down at himself and was horrified to discover he was nude. What the hell had he been doing? He turned to Eric for reassurance. Hawthorne was rubbing the back of his neck, a sheepish look on his face.

`Well, Sergeant, we were standing guard as you ordered and young Johnson here thought he observed an intruder.

The individual took flight and we, err, gave pursuit, chasing them down here.'

Vollmer folded his arms and arched an eyebrow `That still doesn't explain why Johnson is stark bollock naked while his rifle is halfway back up the hill.'

`Very true, that's very true. Well, umm, we -'

Ìt was my brothers,' Nicholas interjected.

`Your brothers?'

`Yes, Sergeant. I saw them on the other side of the water and I was going to swim across to join them.'

`Johnson, I happen to know your brothers all died in the Crimea.'

`Yes, Sergeant.'

`So