Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 12:59:40 -0700 (MST) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Choices - Chapter 14 Message-ID: Quantum Leap Choices by Katherine R. Freymuth Copyright 1997, 1998 Chapter 14 Alex had heard the door open and could sense the two men entering the room. He exhaled. For some odd reason, he felt as if he was about to be interrogated. The thought terrified him. Images of being strapped down and beaten flooded his mind. *Nonsense!* he told himself. *This is Sam and Al.* Still, the images haunted him. "Last time I looked, the name on the door was Dr. Alexander Hathorn, nor Dr. Samuel Beckett or Admiral Albert Calavicci - retired," Alex commented without looking at the men. "Alex, we're concerned about you," Dr. Beckett told the fellow scientist. "You are?" Alex stated more than asked. "Al tells me you're having migraines." Alex frowned strongly. He turned in his swivel chair and glared at Sam the elder. "I thought I asked you to drop it." Sam crossed his arms. "You also said we could discuss it later. Well, it's later and we are going to discuss it." "And you brought Sam along to examine me," Alex glowered. "Would you prefer I order you to the Chief's office?" Sam asked, referring to the Chief of Medicine of Project Quantum Leap. Alex exhaled. "Al, I told you it's nothing." "And you were lying," Sam replied. "Just let Sam take a look at you. Okay? If it is nothing, you take a couple of pills and it's gone before the end of the day." "No," Alex said firmly. "Alex..." "I said no, Al!" There was silence in the room as the three men looked at each other. Finally, Dr. Beckett broke the silence. "How long have you had them?" Alex sighed in an odd tone. There was frustration and fear in that sigh. There was also resignation and relief. "About two weeks," he admitted. "Just one day, they were suddenly there. I have no idea where they came from or why I have them but they're driving me crazy!" He looked at Dr. Beckett firmly. "I've been suffering from insomnia because of them and I've tried every non-prescription drug I can think of to get rid of them and get some sleep." There were tears in his eyes. He closed them to keep the tears from rolling down his cheeks. "You have no idea in the world how absolutely frustrating this is." "Then let me take a look at you," Dr. Beckett told him. Alex didn't open his eyes. "I can't." "Why not?" "I don't know," he answered emphatically. "I just...." He exhaled loudly before opening his eyes and looking at Dr. Beckett and Sam. The look in his eyes caught both of the men's attentions. "I'm scared," Alex told them. "I'm terrified, Sam. I'm terrified on being examined by anyone. Even you, Sam." The two Sams frowned. Dr. Beckett walked a little closer to Alex. "Why, Alex?" Alex shook his head. "I don't know. I wish I did." Dr. Beckett took a breath. "Would you allow me to check you over?" Alex hesitated. "Alex, we'll never know the truth unless someone looks at you. Wouldn't you rather I did it?" Alex took a breath. "Okay. But I'd rather Al weren't here." "Why not?" Sam asked. Alex looked at him. "For some reason, I feel intimidated by you. I can't explain it." Dr. Beckett looked at Sam. "Al, would you mind?" Sam shook his head. "No problem. I'll wait outside." He walked out the door and into the hallway to see Al standing by the door with a confused look on his face. "Sam, what's going on? I come into the Imaging Chamber and the first thing you say to me is 'get out of here.' So, I figure you're angry with me and you don't want me around for some reason." Sam shook his head. "It's not that, Al. Well, not entirely." He took a breath and looked at the Italian Admiral. "Genine showed up." "And?" Al asked. "You don't understand, Al," Sam said, shaking his head. "Genine the Observer, my counterpart's Observer. I saw her." Al frowned. Slowly realization crossed his face. "You think Dr. Beckett might be able to see me?" "I'd say there's a pretty good chance of it," Sam told him. "Terrific," Al replied sarcastically. "Now we have to dodge around him all the more." He took a breath and looked carefully at Sam. "How's Alex doing?" Sam lowered his head. "I'm worried about him, Al." He looked at his friend. "You know he wouldn't let a doctor look at him." Al nodded. "He's afraid of being examined but he doesn't know why." Al frowned strongly. "That's not like Alex at all!" "Yeah, I know," Sam said quietly. "Fortunately, we were able to convince him to left Dr. Beckett examine him." "That's what they're doing now?" Al asked. Sam nodded. "Why aren't you in there?" Sam exhaled. "That the other weird thing. He doesn't want me there. I intimidate him." Al's eyes widened in surprise. "But I'm... I mean you... I mean we're his best friends!" Sam nodded. "I know. Something's going on here, Al, and I'm hoping Dr. Beckett's examination will tell us what that is." He paused and looked at Al. "How are things on your side?" Al sighed and turned away. "You had to ask." Sam frowned. "What's wrong?" Al took a deep breath before turning around and looking into Sam's eyes. "They're shutting down the project, Sam. We have until tomorrow afternoon." "Shut down....? Why?" Sam asked incredulously. "Because Aptheker published an article. The project's security has been compromised and there's nothing we can do." Sam lowered his head. "Al..." "Hey," Al told him. "We still have until tomorrow afternoon, right? So let's make the most of it and try to find out how Alex is linked with Aptheker and how to keep our security from being compromised." He looked at the physicist carefully. "I doubt letting Alex die in the explosion is the solution. It's just not the right thing to do." Sam smiled at Al's words. "Thanks, Al." Al shrugged slightly. He looked at Sam firmly. "We can do this, Sam." He opened the Imaging Chamber door. "I'm going to see if Ziggy can narrow the reception a little more so that you're the only Sam Beckett who can see me. Let me know how Alex is." He stepped back and let the door close in from of him just a second before Alex's office door opened. "Al," Dr. Beckett called for Sam's attention. "I think you'd better take a look at this." Sam followed Dr. Beckett back into the office and to Alex's side. "I thought the migraines might have come from some kind of head trauma," Dr. Beckett explained as Alex voluntarily lowered his head. "So I looked very closely at his skull." Sam looked quickly at Alex and was shocked by the fear in his eyes. Without a comment to Alex, he returned his gaze to Dr. Beckett. "You found something?" he questioned. Dr. Beckett nodded. He gently separated Alex's thin hair and placed his right index finger on a crease in Alex's scalp. Sam looked at the crease with a frown. He had immediate suspicions but he knew Al had no medical experience other than the usual first aid most military officers knew. "I take it that crease isn't normal," Sam acted out to Dr. Beckett. Dr. Beckett shook his head. "Not a chance." "Then what caused it?" Sam questioned, hoping Dr. Beckett's assessment contradicted his own. "Something like this could only have been caused by cosmetic surgery to cover up severe scarring, probably from major surgery," Dr. Beckett said slowly. "Al, someone operated on Alex and, based on his lack of memory, it was against his will." Sam took a step back and looked at Alex. He had his eyes closed and was shaking in fear. Sam closed his eyes and lowered his head in sympathy and anger.