Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 17:41:52 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Memories - Part 5 (edited) Message-ID: Resending part 5. I made some spelling corrections. ----------- Quantum Leap Memories by Katherine R. Freymuth Part 5 "Hey! Calavicky! Your sister's a monkey-face!" "It's Calavicci! And she isn't!" "Monkey-face! Monkey-face! Ha-ha!" Al opened his eyes to see he was doing it again. He was giving Verbina Beeks something to observe. He could tell that she was more than a little concerned about him and he certainly wasn't ready to undergo a Beeks psycho-analysis. Without looking at her, he walked into the Control Room and to the control console. "What have you got, Ziggy?" he requested of the Project's hybrid computer. He forced himself to ignore Verbina's studious gaze. "I have run all projections for Dr. Beckett's current leap, Admiral, and I have arrived at a logical conclusion as to why Dr. Beckett has leaped into Madeline Daniels on June 15, 1953," a silky female voice told him. "And that conclusion is?" Al questioned. "In order to leap, Dr. Beckett must prevent the deaths of Linda and John Tornelli." Al gazed at the sphere hanging over Ziggy's console with shock. "What?" he whispered. "According to a newspaper article in the New York Times dated June 18, 1953, Linda and John Tornelli were found dead in their home on the morning of June 17th by Madeline Daniels, the Tornelli's housekeeper. Linda had apparently died of head trauma from a severe beating. John was found dead at the bottom of the stairs of the house, his neck broken. Michael Tornelli was nowhere to be found." Al closed his eyes tightly. "The bastard killed his own children," he said with conviction. "It is most likely that John's death was a domestic accident. There is a seventy-nine percent probability that Michael abandoned his children after beating his daughter and, therefore, was not at the house to prevent John from falling down the stairs." "Momma! Come back! I'll be good!" Al would have collapsed on the floor if Verbina hadn't hurried to his side to support him. "I'm fine," Al told her, brushing her away. "Bullshit, Al," Verbina said firmly. "You nearly fainted." Al looked at her firmly. "I said I'm fine." Verbina frowned at Al's words, easily seeing his attempt to hide the truth. Al looked away from Verbina and back to the sphere above the control console. "How long until their deaths?" he questioned. "A coroner's report estimated that both John and Linda died sometime on the night of July 16th. However, it is possible that Dr. Beckett has changed that time due to his interference earlier this morning. Therefore, I estimate that the deaths will occur within the next thirty-six hours." Al frowned. "How would he have changed their times of death?" "Since Dr. Beckett halted Michael's actions, it is possible that Michael has not completely vented his anger and, therefore, may strike Linda before he did in the original history. There is also the possibility that Dr. Beckett succeeded in calming Michael so that he does not strike Linda until after he did in the original history." Al exhaled slowly. "In other words, we no longer know for sure when Linda and John are going to die." "I believe that is what I have explained, Admiral." Al paused thoughtfully. "I'd better tell Sam right away." Handlink in hand, he made his way back to the Imaging Chamber. "Al," Verbina stopped him gently. Al turned and looked at her. He looked more and more worn- out as time passed. Verbina was now absolutely certain there was something serious happening with the Admiral. "Are you sure you're okay?" Al gave a slight smile but there was no humor in his eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?" he asked. He didn't wait for an answer, entering the Imaging Chamber immediately. Sam, dressed in Maddie's nightgown, couldn't sleep. It was still early in the evening - far too early to go to bed, actually - but Sam needed some time alone. He needed to get away from Joe and Christa. He also needed time to think of how he was going to make sure Maddie raised Linda and John. The more he was in Maddie's life, the more convinced he was that Al's theory about the leap was correct. He couldn't think of another reason he would leap into Maddie. "Hi, Sam," Al greeted as he entered the Imaging Chamber. Sam looked at the Admiral with concern, noting the tone of Al's voice. It was without enthusiasm and sounded grim. "What's wrong?" Sam asked. "You came back rather quickly." He paused, seeing Al's equally grim expression. "You have something and it's not good," he concluded. Al nodded slightly. "Ziggy found out why you're here." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "She says there's a ninety- six percent chance you're here to prevent Linda and John's deaths." Sam sat down with slight shock as Al related what Ziggy had learned from the newspaper article. "Does Ziggy know exactly when they are going to die?" Sam questioned in a low, sorrowful voice. Al shook his head slightly. "No," he said. "All we know for sure is that it is going to happen sometime tomorrow, probably tomorrow night." Sam closed his eyes with a mixture of anger and sorrow. "How can anyone do such a horrible thing to his own child?" Al lowered his eyes to the floor. "You'd be surprised how often it happens." Sam looked at Al upon the comment. The Admiral had a peculiar look in his eyes. It was a look that Sam wasn't sure he had ever seen before. Al looked lost and confused, something completely uncommon from his usual confidence. "Al, what's wrong?" Sam questioned gently. "Something's been bothering you this entire leap and it isn't Linda or John or the house. So, what is it?" Al turned away from Sam, closing his eyes and lowering his head. Verbina was right; he couldn't keep his frustration bottled up. It was beginning to affect him and he was now certain that, if he didn't tell somebody, he would go crazy from it. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "I don't know," he said quietly. Sam's eyes widened with surprise. It wasn't the answer Sam had expected. It wasn't a confession of something that Al did or something that had happened to the Admiral. "What?" Sam questioned quietly. Al took another breath, looking at the edge of the ceiling as if the answers lay in the seam between the wall and the ceiling. "I don't know," he repeated more firmly. "I don't know what's wrong, Sam, and it scares the hell out of me." Sam stood and approached Al as Al spoke. "I keep getting flashes of images and I don't know where they came from or why they're coming to me." He turned and faced Sam, a lost look in his eyes. He looked at his friend in the eyes. "I want to show you something." Sam frowned with curiosity as Al brought up his right hand, the back of it facing Sam. He pointed to the small scar. "Do you see that?" Sam nodded slightly. "It's a pretty small scar." He suddenly remembered Al's gazing at the back of the very same hand and knew that Al had been looking at the scar. "It's only small because it's sixty years old," Al told him. "When I was a kid, it was huge - covered my whole hand. I'd gashed it smashing my fist through the kitchen window of that house next door. My dad had told me once that I had cut it on a bottle I had accidentally broken. For years, I actually thought that was the truth - until today." He paused for a moment. "I can't understand why he had lied to me about that. I remember breaking the window and Dad boarding it up because we couldn't afford to replace it. I also don't understand how I could have forgotten that fact for all of these years." Sam frowned with concern and curiosity. "Al, why did you break the window with your fist?" "I don'....." Blood and vomit on a linoleum floor. The floor was shaking. No, his head was. His whole body was. He could hear a young girl crying. "Al! Al!" Al opened his eyes to see Sam kneeling over him in concern. Rolling his head to the left, Al also could see Verbina Beeks hurrying towards him, deeply concerned. It was then that he realized that he was lying on the floor. "Sam," he said, looking up at Sam's worried green eyes. "W-w-what happened?" Sam exhaled with a little relief. "You tell me. You were talking when your face suddenly went blank. You rolled your eyes and passed out. Al sat up slowly as Verbina felt his forehead, her suddenly coming into Sam's view by her touch. "I'm ffffine now," he assured both Sam and Verbina. Sam frowned with concern. "I don't think so," he told Al as Verbina said the same sentiments, resting a hand on Al's shoulder. Al put his hands out towards the two, palms facing them. "Please, oooooone at a t-t-time," he requested. Sam and Verbina looked at each other with shared concern. Sam took a breath. "Al, you're stuttering." "I d-d-don't stutter, SSSSam." Sam saw Verbina say something to Al. Al shook his head. "I've nnnnnever ssssstuttered in mmmmy life, 'Bina," he told her firmly. "I'mmmmm possssssitiive." He stood up, breaking physical contact with Verbina for a moment. Verbina re-established contact when she gently took his elbow, bidding him to go with her. "I t-t-told you, I'm ffffffffine," Al insisted. "Al," Sam told him gently. "Go with her. Please." "W-w-what about L-L-Linda and J-John?" "I'll take care of them," Sam assured him. "Go on." Al hesitated, not wanting to leave but knowing he needed to. He exhaled slowly. "Okay," he finally conceded. "I-I'll go." Taking a breath, he let Verbina guide him out of the Imaging Chamber. Sam watched Al leave, greatly concerned about the Admiral and wondering how the leap was really affecting him.