Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 13:10:55 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Theresa - Chapter 11 Message-ID: Chapter 11 Eight Hours and Counting 4:02 PM - Wednesday, October 20, 1999 Flagstaff, Arizona "Okay, it's all set, Admiral," the female mechanic had told Al. She had just come in an hour ago. That hour had passed quickly while Al watched her work on his plane while the other mechanic, her boss, went to help another customer. Actually, Al wasn't really watching her work. He was just plain watching. Al diverted his attention from her to the work that they had done on his plane. It was as if the leak had never existed. He smiled at her. "You're good with your hands," he told her. "So are you, Admiral," she answered. "Thank you," Al replied. "Just make sure they stay on the right equipment," she told him, leaving him alone. Al exhaled. So, she had noticed. He shrugged and helped push the plane out onto the parapet. He then got into the plane, put on his headset, and started it. Within an hour of taking off from Flagstaff, Al landed in Albuquerque. He parked his plane in its proper spot and shut off the engine. His friend, Jim, was there to greet him. "Hey, Al! Did you know you have an oil leak?" "Thanks for the prior notice," Al teased him. "Found out in Flagstaff. Had to wait five hours before I could take off." "Wow! That was some leak!" Jim commented as he walked beside Al, who was practically trotting to the parking lot. "Why didn't you tell me about it before I left?" Al complained. "Hey, you should be more observant," Jim told him. "What's the rush?" he asked as he hurried to catch up with Al's fast pace. "I'll explain later," Al told him. "But right now something very important has come up." He was by the Ferrari now. "I'll talk to you later." With that, he entered the car and started the engine. As he pulled out of the parking space, he opened a communication line with the Complex. Before he could say a word, Verbina was practically yelling over the link-up. "Al, where have you been?" "Nice to hear your voice too, Verbina," Al replied sarcastically. "Chris has had a seizure in the Waiting Room." "A seizure? How serious?" "Pretty bad. We almost lost him. He's sedated at the moment. I'm having Ziggy check on his medical records. I want to know why we didn't know he was epileptic." "Okay. Listen," Al told her. "I'll be there in about thirty minutes. Give me the details once I arrive." He hesitated. "Ziggy?" "Yes, Admiral?" a female voice came over the line. "What time is it for Sam?" "1:34 AM. March 26, 1990," Ziggy answered. "Dr. Beckett is most likely asleep." "And what time is Jeff Sterling killed?" "8:04 AM." "Well, at least that gives me about seven hours," Al told himself. "Six hours, twenty-nine minutes, fifteen seconds," Ziggy corrected. "You need to talk to Sam?" Verbina questioned. "Yeah. But I'm not going to wake him up at one o'clock in the morning. God knows he's going to need the sleep." ***************** 4:31 AM - Monday, March 26, 1990 Manhattan Island, New York Sam was deep asleep when he felt himself being shaken. He opened his eyes to see Jeff standing over his bed. "What is it?" "Time to get up." Sam looked at the clock on the opposite wall. "It's four-thirty. Go back to bed." "Uncle Joseph wanted to be buried at dawn. Remember?" Sam blinked in confusion. "Oh," he remembered. Jeff had told him that last night as they were eating their pizzas. Jeff had also said he wanted him there. "I'm up," Sam told him. "I already made your tub," Jeff told him. It was then that Sam noticed that Jeff had already showered. "Want help into your chair?" Jeff offered, going up to him. "You usually aren't worth anything this early in the morning." "Yeah, sure," Sam agreed, keeping in character. "I thought so," Jeff answered, helping Sam into the wheelchair. "Can you handle it in the bathroom?" "Yeah, I think so," Sam told him. "Good. I hate undressing you," Jeff told him with a half-hearted smile. It was a joke. Jeff was trying his best not to show how his uncle's death was affecting him. "You'd better hurry up," Jeff told him. "The funeral starts in an hour." Sam nodded, went into the bathroom, and closed the door. Just then, a second wave of pain hit him. The first had come at about nine o'clock last night and was much less severe than this time. Jeff was greatly concerned with Sam but the pain subsided a few minutes later. Now, the pain was back and seemed to go on forever. Sam closed his eyes and tried not to scream. *What's happening to me? Al!* ************************ 6:30 PM - Wednesday, October 20, 1999 Stallion's Gate, New Mexico Project Quantum Leap Complex Al was just entering the Quantum Leap Complex when Dr. Beeks met him at the Level One entrance. "What happened?" Al asked, passing the retinal identification to enter. "I'm not sure," she answered truthfully. "He appears to have epilepsy but his medical records show a clean bill of health up to his accident in 1989." "Then?" "Then, he's had recurring pains for the next year. He's had pneumonia in November of 1989. He's had dizzy spells..." She let the sentence hang. "How does this relate to his seizure? When did he have it?" "About four hours ago," Verbina told her as they entered the elevator. "Level Ten, Ziggy," she ordered before continuing. "I don't know how it's related and that's the problem. There's no physical reason on record for the seizure?" "What about psychological?" Al asked her. "I'm exploring that area. The sedative I gave him has worn off. I've been trying to get answered from him but he seems unwilling. I thought maybe you ought to try." "When the good guy doesn't work, send in the bad guy?" Al asked, a little smile on his face. "Not quite," Verbina told him. "More like send in the pro." The elevator stopped and opened, showing the two a brightly-lit corridor. Both turned left towards the Waiting Room. "Ziggy will be monitoring your conversation," Verbina told Al. "Just ask him general questions about his health. If we can get him comfortable enough, I'm sure he'll tell us something very helpful." "Thanks," Al told her. "Handlink?" he requested. Verbina smiled, put her hand into her pocket, and gave one to him. "I thought you might want one," she explained. "Thanks." Al smiled at her and entered the Waiting Room. "Hi, Chris," Al said after the Waiting Room door was closed. Chris slowly raised his head to look at Al. He wasn't looking too good, as if the seizure had taken a lot out of him. "Hello," he said after a moment. "How's it going?" Chris didn't answer. "Dr. Beeks said you weren't talking. Want to tell me why?" Still no answer. "Now, come on, kid," Al said gently. "I know there's something bothering you. We're only trying to help." "What makes you think anything's bothering me?" "What could cause a perfectly healthy forty-six year old man to have an epileptic seizure on out Waiting Room table?" Chris hesitated. "I don't know." "I don't know either," Al told him. "But I think we can find out if we put our heads together. May I?" he gestured to a vacant spot on the table. "Sure," Chris answered. Al sat down beside him. "So," Al started. "You want to start at the beginning?" "The beginning?" "The car accident that occurred on February 11, 1989. That's when you started having problems, isn't it?" "What does that have to do with anything? The doctor said I'd have problems every once in a while." "With your legs, not with your head," Al told him. "And that's another thing," he said after a quick glance at the handlink. "What is?" Al looked at Chris directly in the eyes. "Your legs. According to your doctor's prognosis, you should have been walking months ago." "I don't want to talk anymore," Chris told Al quickly. "Please leave." "It still hurts, doesn't it?" Al asked gently. "I understand how you feel." "Do you?" Chris asked skeptically. Al hesitated long enough for Chris to continue. "Do you understand what it's like to hold your only child in your arms, knowing he's dead? Do you understand with it's like to be unable to reach your wife because your legs are pinned under a collapsed car dash? Do you?" Al shook his head. "No, I can't say I do. But I can tell you're afraid of facing the truth." "What do you mean?" Al sighed. "Chris, the accident was not your fault. And it's not your fault that drunk bastard got away. Don't torture yourself for something that was beyond your control." "What would you know?" "I lost my family before I was twenty and my wife while I was in Vietnam. If it weren't for a friend, my career would be over and I'd be getting drunk every night." "I'm not drunk." "No. But you're giving up, just as I did. Believe me, Chris, it's time for you to start believing in yourself again. Let us help." "Help me do what? Get in touch with myself?" "Help you live your life again," Al told him. "You have to face the fact that you feel responsible for you family's death." Chris shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what to do." "How about starting with the car accident?" Al suggested. Chris nodded and started telling Al his story. ************************ 8:00 PM - Same date Flagstaff, Arizona "So, you want to be an artist," Kevin commented. "Are you any good?" "Kevin!" Susan smiled. "You know she is. You remember all those awards she earned in high school? She's fabulous! I wish I had that kind of talent." "Well," Theresa hesitated. "I'm really not sure I'm that good anymore. It's been years since I really did any real art." "Why so long?" Janet asked. "Didn't have the time to do it." "Speaking of time," Susan said, looking at her watch, "I've got to go. My flight's at nine-thirty." She stood up from the couch. Kevin picked up her bag and started for the door. "Coming along, Theresa?" he asked. Kate was in her room doing her homework and Jarold was already asleep. Janet was going to stay home. Theresa decided she would too. "You'd better say good-bye to Kate," she told Susan. "She'd be very upset if you didn't." Susan nodded and went up to Kate's room. When she returned, she and Theresa went outside where Kevin was waiting by the car. There, they said their good-byes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The fun never stops! Chapter 12 is next. Kat