Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: Delusions: Part Two Date: Tue, 14 Jun 94 23:16:38 -0500 Organization: Delphi (info@delphi.com email, 800-695-4005 voice) Message-Id: Nntp-Posting-Host: bos1f.delphi.com Quantum Leap: Delusions By: Helen Lesser Chapter Two May 20, 1999 Stallions Gate, New Mexico Admiral Albert Calavicci strode down the ramp which lead to the control room, determined to get Sam out of his current leap as soon as possible. He had seen that haunted look in his friends eyes too many times in the past and it scared him silly. What was going on inside Sam's mind this time. He had a very strong suspicion what it could be and he didn't like it one bit. He stormed up to Gushie wh was busily working behind the multi-colored glowing cubes which made up Ziggy's control center. "What have you got?" Gushie folded his hands together and looked over at Al apologetically. "Sorry Admiral, we're working as fast as we can. Medical records are almost impossible to access without consent from the patient." "Why didn't you say so, our patient is right here." "Are you sure that's a good idea, after all Dr. Beeks did say that you shouldn't disturb our current visitor.", Al snorted, Dr. Beeks said that about almost every "visitor". "Well, if we want to get Sam out of there, we need that information and now.", With that Al headed out of the control room and down the connecting corridor to the Waiting Room. Susan felt her heart pound in her chest as she glanced quickly around the room. The woman who had been here when she arrived, Dr Beeks, had claimed that this was a hospital and that she had to stay here under observation until further notice; but this room reminded her of someplace, she just couldn't remember what it was. It had blue-white illuminated walls and a soft white light shown down from somewhere above. She sat on a pallet-like bed in the center of the room. Next to it stood a mirrored, white sided table. The room was devoid of any other furnishings. Her throat seemed uncomfortable, so she tried to loosen the neck of her...Wait, She was wearing a white skin tight, turtle necked jump suit. She wasn't wearing this before. What had she been wearing? She couldn't remember that either. Never-the-less this was not an outfit she would have chosen on her own, primarily because of her figure, but she did seem taller and thinner in it for some reason. She happened to look down into the mirror and the mouth of a long, slightly wrinkled, sad eyed face of a middle aged man dropped. At that moment Al stepped into the room and stopped short. He had heard people scream, had them pass out, but never cry out... "Oh my god, I've regenerated!", Al got over his initial shock and strode quickly across the room. How did one rationalize with someone who was obviously mentally absent? Vebreena would have a fit if she knew he was talking to her patient without her permission, but he needed Susan's consent to access her records. "No you haven't regenerated. Its hard to explain and I know your confused, but the person you see in the mirror is NOT you." "Of course it's me. I always knew I wasn't supposed to be a woman. That must have been a fluke or something.", Al raised his eyebrow at this comment. This had to be the weirdest leapee he had ever encountered in the five years the project had been active. "Your still a woman Susan, you've merely switched places with a friend of mine. He looks like you and you look like him to us.", Susan shook her head in denial and Al sighed. He took a puff of his cigar if only to ground himself in reality and poked the handlink a few times."What you look like is not important right now though, I need your help so that we get my friend out of the hospital your supposed to be in." "What do you mean, supposed to be in? Dr. Beeks said THIS was a hospital, which means I have regenerated. Where's the Brigadier?" "Who?" "Brigadier Alister Gordon Lethbridge Stuart of UNIT of course. If you call them they will confirm who I am." "uhh, and who do you think you are?" "I'm the The Doctor, Obviously." ******** After his innumerable leaps, Sam thought he was prepared for anything. Except perhaps being wheeled under a sign which read 'Inpatient psychiatric'. He felt a knot build in his stomach which almost escaped as pure panic, but he forced himself to calm down, think about what was happening rationally. Susan, the person he had replaced, was in crisis not him, he tried to convince himself. Then why did he feel like his whole world would shatter once he entered those large imposing double doors which loomed before him. The man pushing the chair stopped in front of the doors and pressed a button located on the left side wall, there was the sound of a buzzer then the audible click as the magnetic lock released. They went through the doors and down a short wide corridor. On the right were several old oak doors with glass windows at eye level. In front of them was a small glassed in office. A woman stepped out of the office holding a clip board and smiled, that same uniform smile everyone seemed to wear. "You must be Susan. Your room is right down there on the right. Room 420. We'll put a sign right here...", she pointed to the window,"...just to remind you.", Sam stared at her in confused amazement. Who could get lost in such a small ward. It consisted of a single T shaped intersection with rooms to the left and right of the nurses station and the corridor they had just come down. Then he noticed an elderly woman wander by aimlessly and shuddered. After getting settled in, it wasn't long before there as a knock at the door and a man and woman who looked to be in their sixties walked in with extremely worried expressions on their faces. They put down some packages and rushed over to hug him. They just had to be Susan's parents. He smiled as best he could and returned the hugs, having long since become used to this routine. "Hi, Mom and Dad...", He said awkwardly. "Ohh darling are you all right. We've been worried sick about you since we got that phone call saying that you had been brought here by the police. What in heaven's name happened to you. Thank god you went to that nursing home instead of wandering around the streets at five in the morning. What ever made you go there?", He heard the door whoosh open. "Yeah, that's where Susan was found. Claiming to be a Doctor or something which is what she is blabbering about in the waiting room, you'll NEVER believe the stuff she's been telling me. Anyway We didn't get much data because Susan couldn't remember a thing about what happened that night and the only information the hospital had to go on was the police report. No files were charged, by the way, they completely understood the situation." "Claimed to be a doctor?", Sam muttered under his breath to Al, but his 'Parents' over heard and exchanged frightened glances. Sam heard the beep and squawk of the link as Al gathered more information from the data stream. "This is Mr. and Mrs. Leers. They own a small shop in a nearby town and have been in business for over 35 years. Wow, that's really something. Did you know that most small businesses were driven out by high rent and competition from the big chains, their store must be something really special to have survived all that...", Sam tried not to glare at Al for spouting this useless information. He wanted to know how we was supposed to save that person from committing suicide so that he could get out of here. "Well your here now, that's the important thing. Here we've brought you some magazines and books to read, plus your pillow. We'll bring your guitar up later on. OK?" "Guitar? Uh...great.",Sam said happy that at least he'd have something to do while trying to make sense of this leap."Thanks Mom...Dad.", He hugged them again and tried his best to reassure them. They were probably just as confused and scared as he was. They both kissed him on the cheek. "Will you be all right?", Mr. Leers said as if trying to deny that anything was wrong. Something about Mr. Leer's face made him start and he shook his head as if to clear it. What was happening to him. Mr. Leer's stepped back a worried expression on his face. He looked Sam in the eyes. "What's wrong?" "Uhh, nothing I'll be OK in a minute.", He happened to notice that Al was also looking at him strangely. He took a long puff of his cigar and opened the Door. He really didn't want to go through this again. The Leers left and So did Al with no further comment. "Wait...",Sam spoke too late and punched the large heavy oak door in frustration. Why was it when ever he need information the most Al managed to do his disappearing trick. With nothing better to do Sam flopped down onto the hospital bed and quickly fell asleep. He woke in a cold sweat and his heart pounding and butterflies in his stomach. He bolted upright in the bed and rubbed his eyes with his arm. Standing over him was a woman who was eating an orange. Sam yelped as his blood ran cold as a momentary thought struck him that this was a vampire. He blinked his head feeling foggy. Where did that come from? There were no such things as Vampires. The woman saw his startled expression and quickly moved away. She must have arrived while he slept. She looked at him calmly and shushed him with her finger. She wore a colorful printed skirt and coordinating blouse which looked very tropical. Her long wrinkled face examined him closely. "Your Gonna be all right, child.", she said soothingly in a Jamaican accent. "You just rest and you'll get better.", Sam shivered. he certainly hoped so. ************* Well I hope you enjoyed chapter Two. Chapter Three will be coming hopefully faster than this one came out :-). Once again all Comments and Critiques are welcome. Yours Between Leaps, Helen E-mail= hlesser@delphi.com