Message-Id: <314891A3.7D1C@skyenet.net> Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 16:37:39 -0500 From: Christine Wirick Organization: Soong Press To: alt-tv-quantum-leap-creative@cisco.com Subject: The Assignment to Help an Orphan-ql story p2 The children did as they were told, following Lori down the hall and into the dining room. Sam started to follow them when Jonathan spoke to him. "He'll be back," the angel said. Sam turned around. "How can you be sure?" Jonathan looked up. "Oh, because HE told me." The man and the angel followed the same path that the children had taken only a moment ago and found their way into the dinning room. The children were seated at four big tables with eight chairs each. A fifth table had four seats, obviously meant for the adults. A long counter divided the dining room from the kitchen. Ruth and Lori were busy passing out plates of food to the children. Jonathan and Sam walked up to Lori, who had returned to the kitchen to fill more plates with lasagna. "Would you like some help with that?" Jonathan asked. "I sure would," Lori replied and handed Jonathan two plates, then two to Sam. She picked up two more and followed Jonathan and Sam to one of the tables. "I know lasagna's an extra we really can't afford, because cheese is so expensive, but every once in a while we have to give the kids something special." "To make them feel like they're worthy," Sam said. "That's right." Quickly, the adults gave each child a plate and glass of milk, then sat down at their own table. Lori said grace before everyone began eating the special meal. During the meal, the room was filled with the children's lively chatter. Jonathan joined them in laughter, but Sam was unable to get his mind off Al long enough to enjoy their antics. He noticed that Lori wasn't laughing either. Was there more troubling her than lost sleep? Just as everyone was finishing their food, the phone rang. "I'll get that," Ruth said, wiping her face with a paper napkin. She walked over to the phone by the doorway and picked up the receiver. "Hello--Yes, she's here, but I don't think-- Okay." She turned toward Lori. "It's the same man who called yesterday, claiming he was your father." "Hang up on him," Lori said and looked down at her plate. "I'm sorry, sir, but she doesn't wish to talk to you," Ruth said into the phone, then hung it up. "Ruth, make sure the children get ready for bed," Lori said, picking up her cup of coffee and bringing it to her lips. "I'll be out in a few minutes to say good night to them." "What about their bedtime story?" "I don't feel like it tonight." Several of the children groaned. "Lori, I don't understand. Maybe you have good reason to not want to talk to the man, but you don't have to take it out on the children." "I could read a story to the children," Jonathan offered. A smile brightened Ruth's face. "That would be great. Thank you, Jonathan. I'll clean up after dinner while you read the story." "Come with me, kids," Jonathan said, standing, and the children eagerly followed him out the door. "Would you like me to help you with the dishes?" Sam offered. "My, my, Lori, you sure picked the right men for those janitorial jobs." "Are you implying that I'm trying to shrug my duties off on them?" Lori snapped, her face darkening. "It's just that since this man claiming to be your father has been calling, you haven't exactly been yourself." "If your father had walked out on you when you were only five-years old, how would you feel?" Lori asked, tears gripping the corners of her eyes. "Put yourself in my position." "Now, I didn't say life had been easy on you. Don't put words in my mouth. It's just that you don't have to take it out on innocent children. Some of which, I might add, have had a rougher life than you." "My mother died when I was nine-years old!" Lori said vehemently. "So don't condescend to me. I came to this orphanage to try to make a difference in these children's lives. I want them to feel the security and the happiness that I grew up without." Ruth lowered her head as if afraid to say anything. "Well, why don't I start the dishes?" Sam asked. He smiled, hoping it would lighten the tension in the room, then picked up as many plates as he could carry in one trip. He walked into the kitchen, set the plates on the counter, then began running the dishwater. Ruth entered a minute later with more of the dishes. "Honest, Mark, she's usually not like this," Ruth said in a low voice. "It's just that things have been real hard on her lately. The orphanage may be closed down real soon, and I suspect that's what's really bothering her, though she won't admit it." "That's a shame," Sam said, opening a drawer and discovering silverware. "Where are the dish rags?" "Second drawer." "I have a friend, Al, who was raised in an orphanage. It wasn't small like this one. He had several bad experiences. Kids were always beating each other up. It seemed as if no one really cared. Al doesn't like to talk about it, and I can't say as I blame him. But this place is different, more like home." "Yes. The fewer the children, the more it seems like a family instead of an institution." "How hard is it for these children to find homes?" "Some are placed in foster homes, even fewer are placed in permanent homes. Most don't even have a chance at being adopted after their third birthday. People want babies." "That's a shame. You have really nice children here." "Why, thank you." "I'll go get the rest of the dishes," Sam said, wiping the dishwater off his hands, then walking back through the door to the dining room. Al, I wish you would come back soon, he thought. I'm really worried about you, Buddy. I don't want to do this without you. After finishing the dishes, Sam went into his room and sat on his bed to ponder over the situation he had been forced into. Why did this angel think he could help Al better than him anyway? After all, he was the one with the seven degrees. Certainly, he could come up with a reasonable solution without Jonathan's help, or The Boss for that matter. As soon as Al came back, he was going to have a long heart- to-heart with him. Jonathan entered the room and sat down on his bed. "Sam, as soon as your friend returns, I think we should--" "I'll handle Al," Sam replied. "He's my friend. I think I know him better than you do." "You deal with strangers every leap just like I do with each new assignment. We have to use our instincts to help us decide what we can do to help people. My instincts are saying Al needs help. Aren't yours?" Sam had to admit, to himself at least, that Jonathan had a point. "It's not just you. I don't understand why this Boss of ours keeps sending me places that are either stressful to me or Al. Why is HE tormenting Al by bringing him here?" "It's not my place to answer that." "Yeah! It's really not your place to interfere in our lives either." Jonathan glanced up as if asking The Boss for an answer, but shook his head as though no answer came. "It wasn't my idea to send you here," he said after several seconds. "I've lost a friend too. While you're here unwilling to cooperate with me, Mark is sitting in your Waiting Room where I can't even talk to him." For a few seconds, Sam and the angel stared at one another. Sam wasn't sure what to say. He had been so caught up in anger since learning he had to help an angel that he hadn't even thought about the real Mark Gordon and his relationship with Smith. Jonathan stood and left the room. Sam wondered if Jonathan and Mark were as close as he and Al were. It's not easy on anyone, he supposed, having your team split up. Being an angel had its advantages, one of them the lack of the need to sleep. Jonathan spent the wee hours of the morning straightening up the living room and dusting the furniture. He would need the day to concentrate on his assignment. The Boss had explained to the angel what he needed to do right after Jonathan had left Sam alone in the bedroom. He was to find Lori's father and to make sure the two became reacquainted. It wouldn't be easy for Jonathan to convince Lori that her father was sincere about wanting her back in his life, but Jonathan wasn't about to fail this assignment. He had earned a demerit in his handling of his last assignment. He had been hired by a man rich enough to live out three lifetimes in luxury without ever working another day. The Boss had told him that he was there to help the man reconcile with his children, but Jonathan wanted to do more. The neighborhood needed money to build a new shelter for the homeless. He had spent much of his time trying to convince the man to help fund the shelter and had nearly destroyed any chances of a reconciliation between the man and his children. As it turned out, someone else had come forward with the money for the shelter, and though Jonathan's employer remained a tyrant, he did make up with his children. Jonathan needed to be extra careful on this assignment if he didn't want to get sent back up to Heaven for good. He would pay Peter McKensie a visit that afternoon and convince him to surprise Lori by showing up at the orphanage. Jonathan finished dusting the coffee table, then returned the Endust to its spot underneath the kitchen sink. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost five o'clock. Another hour or so and Sam would be ready to wake up. He decided to go back to their room and wait for the day to begin. Jonathan sat on his bed and stared at the sleeping man in the other bed. He thought about their argument and missed Mark all the more. Everyone else saw Sam as the person he had leaped into, but Jonathan saw Sam as Sam. He didn't understand why The Boss had allowed this. It was bad enough knowing the man wasn't Mark, but seeing it was pure torture. He looked up at the ceiling. Why, why? he thought, feeling the same anger toward The Boss that Sam had expressed earlier. He couldn't dare reveal how he felt to Sam though. Not if he wanted to remain on Earth. * * * * "You know he won't be able to leap until you return to help him out," Mark Gordon said. He found Beckett a handsome man, but he missed seeing his own face in the mirror. "I thought you said you weren't an angel," Al said, waving his cigar around. "I'm not." "Then how do you know anything about this assignment, this leap?" "First of all, Jonathan explained to me what was going to happen before Sam even leaped into my body. Secondly, I'm using intuition to figure the rest of it out. The Boss wouldn't have brought you and Sam into this assignment for no reason. I'm sure that Jonathan will need help from both of you." "Isn't that quite convenient for you. You get to sit around in the Waiting Room while we try to fix the mess." In his drunken days, Mark have punched a guy for such a comment. Now, thanks to Jonathan's influence, he was able to take it in stride. "Hey, I've been in worse situations than this one," he replied. "And I'm sure you have too." Al turned his back on the ex-cop. "I agree. Many of the leaps have been life-threatening for Sam. It's just that this leap gives me the creeps. All those kids, no parents. It brings back some of the worst memories of my life. My mother died when I went through a lot of years feeling like nobody loved me. Verbena thinks that's why I've had so many wives." "But if you could only help Sam and Jonathan out, maybe you could make a difference in those children's lives. A difference that you never had. Besides if you help them, then maybe they'll help you." God, I sound like a shrink. He glanced up. Sorry. "Sam's leaps can never benefit him or me." "Oh, is that a fact? Did The Boss tell you that HIMSELF?" "No, not exactly." "Well then, what's to say that this isn't the leap that you can benefit from? Jonathan tells me that God loves all his children equally, whether they be man, animal, or whatever. God wants to see his children happy." "Oh really!" Al countered, his mouth gaping. "Then explain to me why HE orphaned me at nine, made me a POW for five years, and is now forcing Sam to leap into one tragic situation after another." "I didn't say that I had all the answers, but I do believe that The Boss doesn't give anyone more than HE thinks they can handle." He paused, remembering a time when he didn't believe that himself. "HE really does want to help you. That's why I'm here, and Sam is where I should be. Hey if I had my way, this whole situation wouldn't have happened in the first place. You think I like being separated from Jonathan?" "Well no," Al said hesitantly. "Jonathan says that The Boss told him that you haven't been your usual self for awhile. And if you're not yourself, then how can you effectively channel your energy into helping Sam? Your problem has something to do with a leap about four months back." Maybe I should be charging hourly rates, Gordon thought, surprised by his own words. "Do you want to talk about Billy?" Al opened his mouth, surprised. "You know about him!" "Jonathan told me after The Boss told him." "Oh. Well, I will admit that it was rough dealing with the death of Billy's parents," Al replied. "But this is different. We're talking about a whole bunch of orphans." "No, we're not. We're talking about dealing with your feelings. You have to come to terms with this, so you can continue working with Sam. Don't you understand? The Boss put Sam in my shoes, because he thought it was the only way you could face your fears, so you could get on with your purpose: helping Sam help other people." "My purpose! You make it sound as though Sam and I'll be doing this for the rest of our lives." "I didn't say that. I don't know what The Boss has planned for you. Hey, I really don't know much more than you do." "But I'm so tired of dealing with other people's problems," Al replied. "When are Sam and I going to get our own lives back?" The orphan took a couple steps away from Mark. "Are you thirsty?" he asked, trying to change the subject. "Would you like something to eat?" "Hey, food's my middle name." Mark's stomach rumbled at the thought. * * * * It was almost six-thirty before Sam woke up. By the time he showered and changed into clean clothes, he could hear the children playing down the hall in the living room. "Do you know yet what we're supposed to do to help Lori keep this orphanage open?" Sam asked, trying to be friendly. Jonathan nodded. "Yes. The Boss explained everything to me last night. After we finish with work, I want you to stay here while I go talk to Lori's father." "Why do I have to stay here while you go?" No matter how much he liked Jonathan, Sam hated feeling as though he had no control over anything. "Because of the storm. I can use 'the stuff' to help me." "What do you mean by 'the stuff'?" Sam asked. "It's an ability that The Boss gives me when certain situations merit its use. To you it would look like magic." "Okay, but Lori said she didn't want anything to do with her father." "I have a feeling she's going to change her mind. Now let's get to work on our assignment, okay, Sam?" Before Sam could reply, Lori appeared in the doorway. "Who's Sam?" she asked. "Ah, Sam?" Beckett replied, trying to look confused. "I thought I heard Jonathan call you Sam. Maybe I'm hearing things." She was wearing her hair in a ponytail and her face seemed buoyant as if she had forgotten about the unwanted phone call from the night before. Anyway," she said, smiling. "The living room looks clean all except the vacuuming. How'd you get it all done so fast?" "I couldn't get to sleep last night," Jonathan replied. "I bet," Sam muttered. "So I thought I'd get started a little early," Jonathan continued. I didn't do the vacuuming, because I was afraid I'd wake the children." "Efficient. I like that," Lori said. "Would you like some breakfast? The children have eaten already, so you can eat in the kitchen if you prefer." "That would be great," Jonathan replied and Sam followed him down the hall and into the kitchen. "Good morning, Ruth." Ruth was busy cleaning the breakfast dishes. Sam wondered if she ever got tired of doing dishes. He supposed so. "Good morning, Jonathan," Ruth replied. "There's some scrambled eggs left, a few strips of bacon, a couple biscuits. I'm afraid the kids really like the biscuits so you're lucky I was able to save you two a piece." Ruth dried the last of the dishes and put them away in the cupboards. She left the room humming. Sam removed the lid to the container with the biscuits, discovering that there were only three left. "Looks like we're going to have to fight over the biscuits," Sam said. "Who gets two?" "I don't need to eat," Jonathan replied. "Oh, that's right. You don't need to eat, because you're an angel. Don't you ever miss not being able to taste?" "I haven't lost my taste, Sam. Only the hunger and the need for sustenance." Sam filled his plate and began eating the food, content with having a hunger he could satiate. He was finished eating when Lori entered the room. "A shelf in one of the children's closets needs repairs," Lori said. "I'd appreciate it if you could get to it today." "I can do that," Sam offered. "And Jonathan, after you finish vacuuming the living room, could you go up into the attic. I need you to bring down a couple boxes of clothes. Some of the children need larger sizes." Jonathan nodded. "I'll get right on it," he said and left the room. Sam took his plate to the sink, then followed Lori out of the kitchen. As he walked past the door to the living room, he glanced in to see some of the children laughing and playing while Jonathan vacuumed around them. Lori guided Sam to one of the eight bedrooms on the second floor. He noticed a little girl about four-years old with long black hair sitting in a chair next to the window. Sam wondered why she wasn't playing with the other children and if there was anything he could do for her. "It's the closet over there," Lori said, pointing to her left. "Everything you need is inside." Lori approached the little girl and knelt to her level. "Peggy, wouldn't you rather go downstairs and play with the other children?"