Round Robin Story B

Sorry about the wait in updates to the story and as always I apologize for the format. This story is getting interesting. It is cool to see everyones submission. As always though the more the merrier.
 
No problem at all, Jaycol. Always happy to read your contributions. And you are certainly correct, that the more people submitting, the merrier of a time we shall all have.

"Al?" Betty asked, looking at Sam. "Who's Al?"

Sam looked back, realizing that he just asked Al something in front of Betty. For some reason, he was feeling a bit off during this leap, as though something was slowing his reflexes. "Uh... I meant to say 'Al is everything?' but I said Al instead of how."

Betty just giggled. "Oh Gerry. It's so cute when you get nervous. I guess you've been away for so, you're a bit uncomfortable back in this little rural pocket of the country."

"Not at all. After all, I grew up on a farm," Sam replied. Betty then giggled again.

"Of course you did, silly. You grew up here, remember?"

Sam mentally slapped his forehead. Why was he acting like this? Was there something wrong with his host? He usually knows better than to say something like that.

"Oh, yeah..." Sam replied weakly.

Betty, however, only frowned. "Gerry, are you feeling alright?"
 
"Yes and no," Sam said. "It's been a long day and I've been feeling a touch under the weather."

It was times like this Sam wished he could freeze time for long enough for him to regain his bearings and thoughts.
 
"Oh, are you sick?" Betty asked in a comforting voice. "I hope they're not working you too hard in the big city?"

Sam shook his head. "No, it's about as much work as a farm, give or take." Sam didn't really know that for sure, but decided that was the best answer to give at the moment.

"So, then, what's it like being a lawyer?" Betty asked.

"Well," Sam began, trying to of how he could describe what being a lawyer is like without sounding phony, "it's pretty high pressure. You have to review lots of cases, and think of viable arguments for plaintiffs and defendants. It can be stressful, but in the end, it really feels good to know that you helped someone, affecting their life in a positive way, and making a huge difference to them."

 
Considering the fact that it has been 2 1/2 weeks since the last story contribution, I am kindly bringing this story to the forefront of the "new posts" list, in hope of generating interest in continuing the story. After all, things are really starting to get interesting. :help
 
Sam could feel and hear someone move up to him from behind. The sensation was looming and when a tall man in a farmer's shirt, his muscles, tan and bodylanguage suggesting that he was used to extremely hard work the man's expression confirmed the initial discomfort with the man's presence.

"For the better, ey?"
He ended up standing next to Betty and they both looked very familiar with each other. And the man seemed familiar with Sam... Gerry.

"It's still your company that snatches people's land away. I never thought you'd dare to show your face here."

Betty gave the man a scolding look. Along the lines of 'we weren't going to to do this, he's still my friend'

couldn't resist a little complication :)
 
Sam took a bit of offensive to the man. Not just because of what he said, but more along the tone that he said it.

"What do you mean the lands that I took away?" Sam asked.

Betty turned to the muscular man. "Hank, please don't do this now. Gerry just came home for a while, and I don't think that he has anything to do with what happened."

Hank looked at Betty with a look of anger on his face. "You can't be serious. Maybe he didn't do nothin', but when your family's a bunch of greedy pigs, then they gonna breed greedy pigs as well."

Sam glared at Hank. "Don't call my parents pigs."

At this, Hank flashed a menacing smile. "Whatcha ya' gonna do about it? Sue me?"
 
The next thing Sam knew was Hank was laying on his back from a punch to the face he delivered. Sam couldn't believe it. Usually he would be a lot more restrained and wouldn't dare be so quick to hit someone. Caught off gaurd by his violent reaction, Sam was speechless the only thing he could think to say was "I...Im sorry." What the hell was happening to him? he never acted like that. Sam still in shock turned to dissappear in the crowd with Betty yelling after him calling him a jerk.
 
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Sam continued walking, not knowing where he was going. He didn't know what had come over him, and he was very ashamed of himself for it. It was not that he had hit Hank; he had people before in his leaps. The difference is that the other times were usually to protect someone else, or for a good cause. What he did back there reflected nothing more than a bad temper.

Sam looked around, and realized that, lost in his thoughts, he didn't know where he was. He was on a large, dirt road, and there was no one in sight. Sam wished that Al would appear, if not to talk to him about his problem, to at least tell him how to get home.
 
Sam glanced from side to side in an effort to look like he was checking out the land.

"Hi, Sam," Al's calm voice said.

"Al! Am I glad to see you!" Sam couldn't help but smile when he saw Al hadn't changed outfits...yet. "How do I get home?"
 
"Home. Gerry's home!" Sam said, a bit more annoyed than he meant to.

"Oh, yeah," Al said, as he entered something into his handlink. After a variety of barnyard animal sounds emitted from the handlink, Al looked back up at Sam. "Follow me, Sam."

Sam started walking alongside the hologram, as they walked back towards town. Sam was grateful, though, that he had a rather isolated place where he could talk to Al for a few minutes about the problem that he was having.

"Al, I think that there's something wrong with me on this leap."

"Oh?" Al asked, waiting for Sam to continue.

"Well, I don't know how to put this, but I think that I may have acquired some of Gerry's personality traits."
 
"Yeah, about that Sam." Al began rather hesitantly. Sam hated hearing that tone of voice from Al. He knew it never led to anything good.

"What now Al?" Sam said trying to hold back the impatient complaint that wanted to escape his mouth.

"Well, I was coming back from the cafeteria when Tina kind of jumped me from behind so I ended up going back to our room and just as things started to heat up..."

"Damn it Al I don't want to hear about that, can't you for once keep your mind out of the gutter." Sam snapped.

"Er well, yeah, anyway, Ziggy annouced that she detected something wrong with your brainwaves." Al started to explain.

"What how can something be wrong with my brainwaves?" Sam asked his alarm raising.

"Well, you know how your mind is swiss cheesed and you can't remember things that you should? Well, Ziggy believes the same thing is starting to happen to your emotions as well."

Sam was bewildered at Al's explanation. How much more of this can his mind take. First his memories and now his emotions. All he could think to say is "what, how, why"

"Now Sam don't get all paranoid and stuff. The truth is we never really knew how what long term leaping about through time would effect the leapee. It was supposed to pull you back after your initial leap but (as we all know) god, fate, time, whatever interferred and left you bouncing back and forth."

Sam didn't want to hear anymore. If quantum leaping through time effected his memories and now his emotions. How much more can his mind or body for that matter take. Sam felt despair and fear rising within him. He wasn't sure if it was himself or his now swiss cheesed emotions affecting him. On the verge of tears he looked at his holographic friend, his best friend and simply stated, "Al, I just want to go home"

All right I hope this wasn't too long or unrealistic it took me awhile to find out what Sam was suffering from (secretly I was hoping someone else would have come up with something) but I figured if quantum leaping through time affected Sam's memories, why the other functions of his mind. Keep the story going and keep this thread going. I am going to try as much as I can.
 
All right I hope this wasn't too long or unrealistic it took me awhile to find out what Sam was suffering from (secretly I was hoping someone else would have come up with something) but I figured if quantum leaping through time affected Sam's memories, why the other functions of his mind. Keep the story going and keep this thread going. I am going to try as much as I can.

Personally, I thought that it was a powerful story contribution, and a wonderful addition. Also, length is not an issue, and I appreciate story contributions of any size. I'm just glad that you and everyone else takes the time to contribute to this story. If anything, this has to be one of my favorite threads, because the Round Robin is truly a melding pot of ideas and creativity, where different writing styles meet and connect, and everyone who posts even one sentence to add to the story is greatly appreciated. I'll get off my soapbox now, but I just thought that needed being said. :)

Sam already knew the answer to this question, but he had to ask anyways, just make sure. "Al, I have a question about Gerry."

"Go ahead and ask, Sam," Al replied.

"Have you met Gerry in the waiting room?" Sam asked.

"Oh yeah. Most people are scared when they first enter the waiting room, but he was just downright mad. Yelling and screaming at us. I left Dr. Beeks to calm him down, but I don't know how much success she had."

Sam sighed. So that was where he was getting his temper from. Gerry was an angry person, and that was being passed on to him. Al's voice broke through Sam's thoughts. "So, what did you want to ask?"

"You just answered it. Gerry's a hothead, and now, if I don't hurry and leap out of here, I'm going to be one too."

By the way, just to clarify, could somebody tell me I spelled Dr. Beeks' name correctly. Thank you.
 
What's also really awesome is how seemlesly it all fits together. when I read the word file of the other story I had a really hard time separating different posts. I really could only do it by remembering. Otherwise I wouldn't have known. :) Just a real tribute to the teamwork.
 
What's also really awesome is how seemlesly it all fits together. when I read the word file of the other story I had a really hard time separating different posts. I really could only do it by remembering. Otherwise I wouldn't have known. :) Just a real tribute to the teamwork.

Thank you for telling me that you read that Word file. Now I know to make a word file for this story as well.
 
Al reluctantly nodded at that. Secretly he prayed that Sam would leap out before he completely lost his temper and would blow up at someone.

"Relax Sam, I'm going to do all that I can to keep you from losing your temper," Al reassured.
 
"How are you going..." Sam stopped, and lowered his voice, drawing back some of the anger "How are you going to do that? I can't even control my own emotions at the moment?"

"I don't know, Sam. I'll just make sure you don't, okay." Al responded.

Sam sighed. He didn't even know what he was going to do when he got back, or what he was supposed to do on this leap. He couldn't wait to go home.

"You jerk!" A voice suddenly yelled. Both Al and Sam turned around to see Betty stomping towards Sam, taking him aback.
 
Sorry about not being around. Real life reared it's ugly head. Bad real life! Bad!!

"What?" Sam asked in a louder tone of voice than he meant to. "What'd I do?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know!" Betty snapped.

Sam took a step back, "Al..."

"Al? Who's Al?"

"Nobody!" Sam lied.

"That's comforting," Al grumbled.

"I stepped on something hard and said 'ow!' Now, tell me what's gotten you so fired up at me!"
 
"You don't even remember punching Hank? Or do you get in so many fights in the big city, that you don't think there nothing wrong with fighting?" Betty asked.

"Look, Betty, I'm sorry about that. I was really stressed out, and Hank just got me so mad..." Sam said.

Betty's anger began to fade. "Well, Hank did deserve what he got for harassing you like."

"But that was no right to hit him," Sam said, thought it was as much to himself as it was to Betty.

"Just forget it," Betty said, no longer angry. "Now, why don't you take me out to lunch, and we can get caught up on what's been going on over the last year."

"Going on?" Sam asked, dazed.

"Yeah, about what we've both been up to. Are you sure you're okay?" Betty asked.
 
"Yeah, I'll be all right. Some food sounds good right about now." Sam said hoping that getting something to eat would curb his emotions and out bursts. 'After all, I can't really make outbursts with food filling my mouth' Sam thought to himself. 'Plus, Betty is quite the looker, maybe if he played his cards right she would...what the hell am I thinking.' Sam thought. 'If I don't get these emotional holes taken care of I am going to get myself into some serious trouble.' Disgusted with himself for the way he was thinking he glanced at Al and made a motion with his head indicating he wanted him to be present so he could help fill in what has been going on in Gerry's life.
"All right Sam." Al said. "I think I will hang back a bit though just so I could get a great view of Betty as she walks away," Sam bit his tongue hard to keep from snapping at Al as he and Betty walked next to him as if he was more familiar to him than she was to Hank.
"You know I know Hank can be a real jerk, especially to you, seeing as how he claims he has been in love with me since he first moved here back in our freshman year of high school. He never liked you cause we were constantly hanging out with each other" Betty explained.
"I still shouldn't have hit him like that" Sam said regretfully.
"Hey it happened and it is done. Hank will get over it. Just like he did when you two first got into a fight."
 
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sorry about the shape of my entry. This computer really doesn't agree with me. The parts where it says quotes are obviously quotation marks. If you can get through all that...
 
sorry about the shape of my entry. This computer really doesn't agree with me. The parts where it says quotes are obviously quotation marks. If you can get through all that...

I don't know about everyone else, but I understood your posting and story contribution, Jaycol. I'll add something a bit later in the day.
 
Sam and Betty were now in front of an old diner, and sat down at a table inside.

"Are you and Hank... dating?" Sam asked.

Betty laughed. "Him. Of course not."

For some reason, Sam felt relieved. He didn't know why though, because he wasn't going to be dating Betty. But perhaps, it was the Gerry in him that was relieved. Nonetheless, Sam wanted to end this conversation soon, and return to the farm to fix whatever it was that went wrong. He didn't like all these recent lapses in his personality, and he hoped that the cure would be leaping out of Gerry.

As Sam was about to say something, Al suddenly appeared. "Sam, we have an idea about your personality changes."

Sam was used to excusing himself, and looked at Betty. "Uh, I need to go the bathroom."

"Oh, alright. What do you want to order if the waitress comes by?"

"Surprise me," Sam said, smiling weakly before turning around and heading towards a bathroom.

Once inside, Sam looked at Al. "Do you remember when you leaped into Harvey Lee Oswald?"

Sam did remember, just like it was yesterday. Of course, considering Kennedy was going to die in about two months, it could have been yesterday. Sam mentally slapped himself; that wasn't really a nice thing to think.

"Yes," was all Sam replied.

"Well, we think that Gerry has an intense anger problem. But Sam, I think that we may have a solution," Al began.

"It's about time!" Sam shouted. "I'm sorry, I mean, what did they say?"
 
I try to edit it to bold for you as soon I can Jaycol. It took me a while this time since I didn't have a computer for 2 days.

Thanks for continuing to do that. It really makes it easier when I got through at the end and turn this story into a word document to post at the end, along with differentiating story postings from conversation.

You've earned a place in the acknowledgment section at the end of the story Leaper1! (Plus, you taught me that embolden was a word, so that alone deserves credit 8o :roflmao:)