Date: Thu, 26 Dec 1996 16:44:50 -0700 (MST) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Coup d'Etat - Chapter 28 Message-ID: Note: I got Al's serial number from L. Elizabeth Storm's novel "Pulitzer", the best Quantum Leap book written to date (her latest "Angels Unaware" runs a very very very close second). ------------------------------------------------------------ Chapter 28: Lazarus "Where's Al?" Genine turned her head to see the speaker, interrupting her gathering of Al's soiled clothes in the operating room. "He's been moved," Genine told Beth. "General Burke's authorization." "I have to see him, Genine," Beth said softly. Genine nodded her head. "I'll take you to him. But I have to tell you something first and I think you'd better sit down." Beth took a deep breath. "Just tell me." Genine motioned to a metal stool in a corner. "Please, Beth. Sit down." Beth nodded slightly and took a seat on the stool after pulling it away from the wall. "Beth, I think it's important for you to understand what happened to Admiral Calavicci before you see him." "Verbina - Dr. Beeks - already told me about his being shot and his heart attack. I know what happened." "You don't know the whole story," Genine told her. "You have to know it before you see him." Beth closed her eyes. "I just want to see my husband." "And he wants to see you," Genine told her gently. Beth's eyes snapped open. "What?" she whispered. Genine lowered herself so that she would look Beth directly in the eyes without Beth having to look up towards her. "Beth, Al is alive." Beth looked pale, as if on the verge of fainting. "Are you all right?" Genine asked gently. "I..." Beth took a shaky breath. "Dan had said he was dead." Genine gathered her thoughts. "Dr. MacArthyr was right. Technically, Admiral Calavicci was brain dead for a few minutes. But he came back." Beth looked concerned. "Brain dead? For how long?" "I'm not sure but it had to be long enough to fool the computer and Dr. MacArthyr," Genine told her. "He awoked about a half of an hour after he was declared dead but he couldn't have been for more than six or seven minutes." Beth's mind was racing. "Seven minutes without oxygen to the brain. How coherent is he?" "He seems very coherent," Genine told her. "Then it had to be less time than that," Beth muttered. "Take me to him," she told Genine as she stood up. Genine paused. "Beth, only you, I, and the Admiral know that he's alive and the Admiral prefers to keep it that way for now. I'd be happy to take you to see him but you have to act the grieving widow." Beth looked at her. "I've had enough practice." Genine looked at her sympathetically. "Come with me." She led Beth out of the operating room and then out of the infirmary. She then led her to Staff Lounge 2C, using her authority to allow herself and Beth to enter the guarded area. She opened the door to the lounge and allowed Beth to enter the room first. There, lying on the lounge's couch with his eyes closed, was Al. Beth walked over to him and knelt beside him. Gently, she stroked his hair. He opened his eyes and smiled. "Beth," he said softly. "You're beautiful when you're worried." She laughed slightly. "If you ever do that to me again, I'll kill you," she told him in a whisper. "How do you feel? And don't lie to me. I'm asking as a doctor, not as your wife." "Tired," he answered. He winced hard. "Your chest hurts?" Beth questioned. Al nodded. "That's perfectly normal, if you call what you went through normal," Beth told him. "I'll see what I can do about the pain. In the meantime, you need some rest." Al shook his head. He sat up and screamed at the resulting pain. "Al, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Beth reprimanded. "I can't rest, Beth," Al told her. "Not yet. We have to act while Burke still thinks I'm dead." He motioned Genine towards him. "Belay that order, Commander!" Beth told her in a firm voice. "Al, you're not going anywhere until I've checked you out thoroughly and say you can leave. Lay back down." "Beth..." "Now, Mister!" Beth said loudly. "That's an order! And don't think that because I'm a lowly captain that I can't order you around." Al smiled. "Aye, mia capitana." He slowly lowered himself onto his back with Beth's help. "Okay," Beth said. She turned to Genine. "Bring me some aspirin,some hand towels, and some cold water." "It may take some time," Genine warned her. "Just get them here," Beth told her. Genine gave a quick nod and left the room. Beth turned towards Al. "Your orders, Admiral, are to get as much rest as you can. I'm going to try to make you as comfortable as possible. While we're waiting for Genine, let me ask you a few questions." "Whatever you want," Al told her. "What's your full name?" Beth asked him. Al looked at her in surprise. "My name?" "I have to check how bad the damage is. You've been brain dead for an undetermined amount of time. Since we don't have the medical facilities we need for this, these questions are the best I can do at the moment." Al laughed a bit. "I'm serious, Al," Beth said firmly. Al nodded with understanding. "Rear Admiral Albert Franklin Calavicci. Serial number B-23-25-26." Beth closed her eyes and exhaled. "What?" he asked. "You got your serial number wrong. It's B-21-23-29." She hesitated. "Your long-term memory has been damaged, Al." "That's ridiculous," Al told her. "What's my maiden name, Al?" Beth pressed. Al hesitated. He looked at Beth. "I can't remember," he said quietly. "Gawd! I feel like _I'm_ the one who's leaped and not Sam!" "Now, just relax,," Beth said gently. "Relax?!" Al exclaimed. "I know we have four daughters but I can't remember they're names!" He sat up quickly and screamed in pain. Beth gently pushed him back onto his back. "Admiral, do I have to put you in restraints to keep you on your back? Now, just calm down." "Calm down!" "Al!" Beth reprimanded. "If you keep this up, you'll give yourself another heart attack and this time you won't survive! Not with how weak your heart is now!" Al looked into her eyes and knew instantly that she wasn't bluffing. She was terrified that it might actually happen. He took a deep breath and winced in pain. "I'm calm," he told her. "In pain, but calm." Beth nodded. "Okay," she said, wiping away some sweat from Al's brow. "Try naming our daughters." Al took a breath and thought for a moment. "Trudy," he started hesitantly. "Angela..." He exhaled in frustration. "I can't," he told her. "It's okay," Beth told him. "We'll get through this together. You're obviously coherent so I don't think there is any major damage. However, we'll need to get you to a hospital as soon as possible." As she said this, Genine entered the room. "Here's the aspirin," she told her, giving her a bottle, "and some hand towels. I brought a small pan for the water. There's a faucet next door." "Fill the pan with cold water," Beth told her. "Then place it on the table." Genine left to obey. Beth turned back to Al, opening the bottle. "Take three of these three times a day for now. It should help ease the pain. I wish I could stop the pain entirely but we can't risk you taking any more than that." Al nodded slightly, taking the pills from Beth and swallowing them dry. He closed his eyes. Seemed like everything he did caused his chest to burn. Beth looked at him lovingly. "Now, you get some rest," she said as Genine entered with the pan and placed it on the lounge's table. Beth soaked a hand towel in it, wringed the access water out of it, and placed it on Al's forehead. "Commander, what's our status?" Al asked as Beth unbuttoned his shirt. "Al," Beth warned. "The minute I discovered you were alive, I thought it would be best to put the plan into action, sir. With General Burke thinking you're dead, his guard will be down." Al nodded. "I agree." Beth sighed. "Al," she started. She placed a cold towel on his chest. Al winced. "I'm just discussing the situation," he told her. "Besides, you should get going. I'm dead, remember?" "The Admiral's right," Genine told Beth. "If you stay any longer, it will start to look suspicious. I'll have a guard escort you to your quarters." Beth stood up with a breath. She looked at Al. "You get some rest," she ordered. "I will," Al replied. She stroked his hair one more time and kissed him gently. She then left the room, putting on an act of grieving while a guard escorted her. A moment after Beth left, Al sat up slowly, holding back a scream of pain. "Admiral, you said you would rest," Genine reminded him. "I will," Al breathed. "After we take care of Burke." He breathed deeply a couple of times, forcing himself to relax. "How are we on communication?" Genine exhaled. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep Al from disobeying Beth's orders. "I was able to secure radios for you, me, Stark, and Carroll," she told him as she reached behind her and gave Al a radio she had clipped on her belt. She paused. "I also have this for you, sir." She handed him a pistol. Al accepted the pistol and looked at it carefully. He unloaded the pistol, checked the cartridge, and loaded it again. "Looks familiar," he commented. "It should, sir," Genine told him. "It's yours." Al raised his eyebrows. "Now, how the hell did you get this away from Burke?" "I didn't, sir," Genine told him. "He gave it to me as a present." Al's eyes widened. "A present?" Genine looked at Al in the eyes. "I've been working under cover in Burke's group for nearly a year, sir. He considers me very close to him." Al's eyes lowered at her words. "Close as in...." He let the sentence hang, knowing she would understand his meaning. Genine blinked. "We do what we have to do for our country, sir." Al looked at her with concern. He could see the regret in her eyes. He knew from that look that dicussing it had to be painful for her so he decided to let the subject drop. He put the pistol and radio on the table. "Well, looks like I need only one more thing," he said. "And that is, sir?" Genine asked. "Something to eat," Al told her with a smile. "Aye, sir," Genine replied, turning to leave. "And, Commander?" Al stopped her. "Yes, sir?" "We move at 2100 tonight," Al told her. "Get our men ready." "Aye, sir." As Genine left, Al soaked a damp towel, the one that had been on his forehead, and wiped his face. With the pain in his chest, he knew it was going to be a long night. ************************ "No!" screamed a little voice just down the hallway from Sam's bedroom. Sam bolted up in his bed at the cry. "Lucy?" he called out. There was another scream, as if the girl had been hit. Sam jumped out of his bed and hurried out into the hallway, seeing Margaret coming out of her bedroom from the other end of the hallway. He burst into Lucy's bedroom to see Mark scurry away from Lucy's bed. "Get the hell away from my daughter!" Sam leered. Margaret entered the room quickly. "What's going on?" she demanded. Her eyes moved from Sam to Mark and then to Lucy, who was bundled into a fetal position against her bed's headboard. "Seems Mark likes little girls for more than their company," Sam told her, leering at Mark. "What?" Mark exclaimed. "Are you nuts?" "Then explain the bruises on Lucy's face," Sam told him. Margaret went to Lucy. "Honey," she said gently. She gently turned Lucy's face towards her. The left side of Lucy's face was mottled with purpling bruises. She turned to Mark. "You hit her?" "I didn't hit her. She slipped and hit herself on her dresser. I put her in bed to comfort her," Mark told her. "Then, why'd you hurry away from the bed when I cam in?" Sam demanded accusingly. "You startled me," Mark answered. Sam had enough of Mark's lies. He rushed him and punched him in the jaw, causing the man to stumble a few feet before falling. "Sol!" Margaret exclaimed. "He's been abusing Lucy, Margaret," Sam told her, not keeping his eyes off of Mark. "That's ridiculous!" Mark exclaimed. "Sol, you know me better than that! I could never hurt Lucy! I love her!" "She told me about it, Mark!" Sam yelled at him. "Ask her," he told Margaret. "She'll tell you." Margaret looked at the two men, unsure who to believe. She decided to believe Lucy. "Honey," she said, holding her daughter. "It's okay. It's Mom. Tell me. Did Daddy hurt you?" Lucy shook her head. Margaret glared at Sam. "Get out of my house." Sam didn't move. "Since when has Lucy ever referred to Mark as 'Daddy'?" he told her. "You heard her, Sol," Mark told him. "Get out." Margaret shook her head. "No. He's right. Lucy's never called you 'Daddy'." "Ask her again," Sam told her. She turned to Lucy. "Honey, did Mark hurt you?" Lucy nodded reluctantly. "He... hit me," she said quietly. "And did... other... things." Margaret looked at Mark in disbelief. "What other things?" she asked her. Lucy cried. "He... pinned me down and he..." she started quickly before crying some more. "She's lying!" Mark said defensively. "I never touched her!" "That's why she's so terrified of you?" Sam asked with malevolent sarcasm. "That's why she made me promise not to tell you that she came to sleep in my room last night because she was afraid you'd be angry with her? What made you hit her this time? Was it because you found out that she had told someone?" Margaret stood from the bed. "You've raped my daughter?" she said in fury. "It wasn't rape!" Mark said before he realized it. "No, of course not," Sam glared at him. "You just threatened her into submission so that you wouldn't have to hit her and leave bruises on her unless necessary." Margaret glared at Mark. She quickly took off her wedding ring and threw it at him. "Sol, call the police," she said with forced calmness. "Margaret!" Mark exclaimed. "Don't you dare call me that!" she screamed at him. "I don't know how I could have been so blind for the past seven months but I'm not about to let the veil fall over my eyes again! And my name is Mrs. Havlin to you. Sol, call the police." "You'd better," Sam told her. "I should stay and watch him." "Wait," Mark said as Margaret headed for the door. He took a breath. "I'm leaving right now." "Go ahead," Margaret told him. "Just don't expect me not to call the police." "You're going to press charges?" "Damn right, I am!" "Margaret..." Mark started walking towards her. Sam stopped him with a firm hand on his chest. "I think you'd better leave," he told him firmly. Mark's eyes went from Sam to Margaret. He looked at Lucy and then again at Margaret. Without a word, he left the room and went into his and Margaret's bedroom. He came out a moment later under Sam's watchful eye. "My wallet," he said simply as an explanation. He then immediately went downstairs and left the house. Once Mark was out of the house, Sam went back to Lucy's room to see Margaret hugging her daughter. "I'm sorry, honey," Margaret whispered into the girl's hair. "I'm so sorry." Sam went over to them and sat on the bed. "It's okay," he told Lucy. "He's gone." Lucy looked at him. "Promise?" she asked quietly. "I promise," he told her. Lucy hugged him tightly. "I love you, Daddy." ----------------------------------------------------- Only four chapters left in this story. Stay tuned for Chapter 29. Rob and Kathie Freymuth