Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 21:23:25 -0700 (MST) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Circles of Fate - Part 3 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Thanks for the title :) Quantum Leap "Circles of Fate" Part 3 As Verbina was leaving the Waiting Room, Al was headed for it. "No, Al. Don't go in," Verbina told him firmly. "I don't think the guest could handle a male figure just now." Al frowned. He didn't like the shake in Verbina's voice which told that she was trying so hard not to cry. "What's wrong?" he asked with concern. Verbina didn't answer. Instead, she turned to Tina, who was hard at work on the Retrieval Program with Sammy Jo. "Tina, have a bowl of chicken and rice soup brought down - only broth and rice - and a tall glass of water," she instructed. "And until further notice, no one except me is allowed into the Waiting Room. Period." Tina nodded and obeyed, curious as to what was going on. "What's wrong?" Al repeated to Verbina, a little more firmly. Verbina sighed. "It's the guest. I think he may have been horribly abused by his father." Verbina's words caught everyone's attention, especially Sammy Jo's. "His name's Frederick but he refuses to go by any name at all. One reason is he hates his father and his father's name is Frederick. And he says he has no name but the way he said it sounded like he's said it many, many times. Apparently, he's used to darkness and cold because I had to lower the lights and the temperature. And I think he's been starved," she said, trying not to cry. "My suggestion that he eat something shocked him." "Thus the rice in chicken broth," Al surmised. "The poor guy is terrified!" Verbina told him. "He won't let me get near him!" Al exhaled. "I have to get to Sam. He's probably just as terrified." He turned to Ziggy's console and paused. "Where's Sammy Jo?" he asked with concern. Tina looked around. No one had noticed Sammy Jo leave except for Ziggy. "Dr. Fuller has left the Control Room, Admiral," Ziggy replied. "She appears to be on route to her laboratory on Level Seven." Al sighed. The knot in his stomach concerning Sammy Jo was growing but he ignored it. He had enough to worry about as it was. "Ziggy, can you get a lock on Sam with the data we have?" he asked. "I believe so, Admiral. However, more data on the guest would be helpful." "Just find Sam," Al said firmly as an ensign brought a tray into the Control Room. Verbina immediately took the tray from the ensign and started for the Waiting Room door. "I'll see if I can calm Frederick enough to get him to start trusting us a little more." She took a breath and went into the room. Al paused in thought. Until they could get a lock on Sam, he had to act on his instincts and his instincts told him to check on Sammy Jo. "Inform me when you have a lock on Sam," he ordered. "Of course, Admiral," Ziggy replied as Al left the Control Room. ********************* 'Sammy Jo' hurried into her lab, calling for privacy as she entered and thus preventing Ziggy from hearing anything she might say or from seeing anything she might do. "Please, God, no," she begged aloud, pacing the room frantically. "Please, not to Sam! Don't do this to him!" She leaned against a wall and slumped to the floor, feeling helpless. "Wasn't letting it happen to Freddie enough? Must you also let it happen to Sam? That bastard will kill him in his condition!" She pulled her legs up against herself and covered her head with her arms before releasing the tears she had kept hidden in the Control Room. There was a loud metal knock. "Sammy Jo?" Al asked loudly. 'Sammy Jo' slowly raised her head at the call. "Sammy Jo?" Al almost demanded. "Quit being like Sam and open the door. I swear, you geniuses can drive a person nuts!" She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up. Regaining her composure, she went to the door and opened it for Al. "Since when did you lock your lab door?" Al asked with concern. 'Sammy Jo' turned around and went to her lab table. She started working on the theory she had scribbled on a large piece of paper. "I needed some privacy," she told Al. "I really can't be disturbed if I'm to get this program initiated." "Yes," Al conceded. "But you didn't even tell Tina where you were going." She didn't have an answer. Al sighed. "Sammy Jo, I know something's wrong. I've seen that look in your fa..." He hesitated. "...face before." 'Sammy Jo' caught the slip instantly. It was obviously that Al had altered what he was originally going to say. She turned and smiled at him in a friendly manner. "Al, I appreciate your concern," she told him. "I really do. But there are certain things that a person must keep to themselves. And this is one of those things." Al nodded, not really accepting her answer. "Okay. But if you ever want to talk about it..." "You'll be there," 'Sammy Jo' continued for him. "Thanks, Al." She turned back to her lab table. "But now, we have to retrieve Sam." She focused her concentration on the problem. Al nodded. He slowly left the lab, watching Sammy Jo with concern. Sammy Jo could feel his eyes on her back even after he had left. *It's only a matter of ttime before he figures it out so you'd better hurry with this assignment and get out*, she thought. But then the sight of Sam in a cold, dark room with no means of escape came into her mind and she closed her eyes. *Please, don't make him go through what Freddie had.* *********************** Sam had fallen asleep in the cot in the dark, cold room. He was abruptly woken when someone grabbed him by the hair and dragged him out through the door. He was thrown forcefully down on hard concrete. "Who are you?" a forceful male voice demanded of Sam. Sam's mind was still trying to understand what had just happened. His head hurt all over. He tried to get up but a kick in the stomach caused him to fall down on the concrete floor. "Answer me!" the man demanded. *Who am I?* Sam asked himself. *How am I supposed to answer that? I don't know the name of the person I leaped into!* He opted not to answer the demand. It was a mistake. The man kicked him again. Sam doubled-over at the resulting pain, moaning. "Father! Stop it!" he heard a young female voice plead. "Not until he acknowledges his given name!" the man shouted back. "Who are you?" he shouted at Sam. Sam could sense the man was ready to inflict another kick on him. "Dr. Samuel Beckett," he panted out, hoping the man would accept the truth. "Being sarcastic with me, huh?" the man yelled. "Father! No!" the girl pleaded just as Sam felt a kick to his head. "Hey, you bastard! Get the hell away from him!" The voice was music to Sam's ears. *Al!* he thought with joy. The name became a chant in Sam's mind, a chant which allowed him to focus more clearly on what was happening around him. He could hear the girl crying as she pleaded for him. "Please, Father!" Sam heard her kneel before the man. "Don't hurt him anymore. Freddie didn't mean it." Sam opened his eyes in time to see the man slap his daughter hard across her cheek. "Don't you touch her!" Al yelled at the man. "Sam, you've got to get up!" "His name is Frederick!" the man yelled at her. "And until he says the name I've given him with pride and takes back his disavowment of me, he doesn't deserve any better treatment than a rat!" Sam was now finding the strength to stand. He was able to get to his knees in time to see the man hit his daughter yet again. "Get away from her!" Sam ordered, getting on his feet and approaching the man. Despite having a swollen eye from when the man kicked him in the head, Sam could see the man clearly. The man was large and clearly muscular. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. His face was full of determination and there was a cruelness in his eyes which showed that he, in fact, knew exactly what he was doing. In fact, he enjoyed it. Instantly, Sam had a strong hatred for the man before him. It was obvious that Al shared Sam's sentiments. He was giving the man the most hateful glare Sam had ever seen. Sam could have sworn that, if Al weren't a hologram, he would be beating the man senseless. The man was glaring at Sam with fury. "What did you say to me?" "I said get away from her," Sam told him firmly. The man took a step towards Sam, grabbing something with his left hand. "Sam, be careful," Al warned. "The guy's just grabbed a fireplace poker." "You dare to talk back to me," the man seethed. "Father! No!" the girl yelled, rolling to look at him. "Please," she whispered. "Alia, go upstaird and make dinner," the man ordered. "Alia!" Sam and Al exclaimed in unison, glancing at the girl. The brief distraction was enough for the man to act. Swinging the poker, he hit Sam behing his right knee. Sam screamed in pain, collapsing to the floor. "Sam!" Al exclaimed, dropping by his side. He raised his head fearfully at the man and watched helplessly as the man raised the poker over his head, standing over Sam with murderous hatred in his eyes. ------------------------------- What happened! What happened! Tell you next week (I know. I'm cruel) Part 4 coming soon. Katherine