From: eah4@po.CWRU.Edu (Elizabeth A. Hlabse) Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: The Three Doctors, part 5 Date: 18 Dec 1992 17:19:29 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA) Lines: 144 Reply-To: eah4@po.CWRU.Edu (Elizabeth A. Hlabse) NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu "I've had enough, Verbena!" The Doctor could hear Sam's yell of indignation down the corridor. He and Peri had been here for three days and had learned their way around, but were still finding new corridors all the rime. It was a bit like exploring the TARDIS. He strolled into the medical facility and saw Dr. Beckett on the examining table, Verbena and Al standing in the doorway, looking amused as Sam gritched about the examination he was receiving from Dr. Peterson. "What's the problem?" the Doctor asked Al quietly as Sam yelped at the coldness of the stethoscope that Derek had just laid on his bare back. Al held back a chuckl.e "Peterson is trying to figure out why Sam's leg muscles don't seem to be working properly and he decided to give him a full physical at the same time. They're being as stubborn as he is." "Enough!" Sam was turning several shades of red. Derek backed off, needle still in hand. The only patient he had ever had who was worse than Sam Beckett was Al Calavicci. They reacted in totally different ways to examinations. Sam would put up with them to a point and the Admiral just tried to avoid them and then grumbled during the entire process. Of course, up until he had Leaped, Sam had been Al's physician. "But, Dr. Beckett..." Derek began. "But Dr. Beckett nothing. I have had enough. First I have to put up with you poking and prodding me like I'm some sort of high school science experiment, then Verbena starts on me, and _then_ I'm subjected to endless questions about what I did on my Leaps by Wainwright and the damn Committee and I'm sick an tired of it." He turned to Al. "And you're not much help." "Me?!" Al managed to look indignant and innocent all at the same time. "Yes, you. You're constantly following me around. I'm not going to disappear again, Al. Trust me." His friend looked skeptical. "Honestly, Al, you're acting worse than a mother hen with one chick. If I Leap again, and that a very big if, I want to be able to come back right away. So until the retrieval program can run without the help of the Doctor's TARDIS, no more Leaping." "Well, all right, but if I see you even going anywhere near the Accelerator...." Al didn't finish his threat. Sam held up his hands in mock surrender and smiled. He hadn't known that Al had been so worried about him. And with all his memories of their times together returning, he understood the special friendship that they had re-developed during Sam's time travels. "Do you think you could get my wheel chair for me, Al?" "Sure, kid." Al pushed over a manual wheel chair, not the motorized one that Sam had been using. Al had a large grin on his face at Sam's shocked, and slightly angry, expression. "What happened to the other one?" he asked, arms crossed on his chest. "I had it impounded," Al told him, a no-nonsense look on his face that was at odds with the grin that could be seen just below the surface and was trying to make itself seen. "Why?" "Because you were becomming a menace to everyone at the Project. People would hear that damn thing coming and flatten against the walls for fear of being run over. Besides, I was sick and tired of people telling me that traffic mirrors were needed at the corners. I was even considering putting up speed bumps so you wouldn't run anyone down or kill someone." "I never went that fast, Al," Sam said sheepishly. "And I had some help with the motor," he added, glancing at the Doctor who was still standing in the doorway, an innocent expression on his young face. "I should have known," Al sighed. "Put the two of you together and no one is safe." Al turned to the Doctor. "Please don't help Sam out anymore. We want him on his feet, not in that damned chair. If he can wheel around faster than he can walk..." "I'm sorry, Al," the Doctor said, sounding exactly like Sam, which brought smiles to the faces of Verbena and Derek. Al turned and watched Sam maneuver his way into the wheel chair. Sam gave it a test spin once he had settled and managed not to run into a wall when he gave it a harder push than he should have. "Doctor, have you had a proper tour of the facilities yet?" Sam asked as he wheeled towards the door. The Doctor shook his head and walked along side Sam. The two were talking about possible ways of making the retrieval program work as the headed down the hall. Al turned to Verena. Derek was putting away his instruments, shoulders shaking with barely contained laughter. "How bad off is Sam?" Al asked her, finally letting his concern for his friend to show on his face. "Not as bad as you fear, Al. Don't worry. The synapses haven't all connected yet. It's happening, but slowly. He should have full motor control bak within a few months, if he follows Derek's instructions and keeps going to his therapy sessions." Verbena handed Derek the instrument tray and Sam's medical charts and steered Al out of the medical lab. "I think having the Doctor here is helping. Sam's not thinking about his own problems." They had just cought up with Sam. The Doctor was nowhere to be seen and Al was not happy about where he found the scientist. Sam was entering the security code to enter the Accelerator Chamber. He had to stretch a bit to reach the control panel, but he was managing quite well. That was, he was until Al roughly pulled his chair back. "Hey! Al, what are you doing?" Sam looked up at the older man indignantly as he tried to resettle himself in the chair. "What am I doing?! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Al was more than a little mad. "You just got finished telling me that youweren't going in there again and where do I find you? Trying to get in! Have you gone completely mad?" Verbena beat a hasty retreat. She didn't want any part of the story argument that she could sense coming to a head. "I was just going to show the Doctor around." Al's expression told Sam that he wasn't being believed. "Come on, Al. Do you really believe that I would attempt to Leap now, while I'm in a wheel chair?" "Yes, I do." Al pulled the wheel chair further from the Accelerator and began pushing it towards the computer lab where Ziggy's main controls were. "Now why don't you stay in here and play with your computer like a good little boy?" Al said as he pushed Sam up to the main control counsel and then, with the hint of a mischievious smile, he patted Sam on the head and then had to dodge Sam's fist that swung out in his direction. Sam grumbled for a bit once Al had left, but soon turned to other matters. He was determined to get the retrieval program up and running without the Doctor's TARDIS. Perhaps he'd be able to persuade the Doctor to help, although he seemed more than a little reluctant about helping withthe Project now that he had gotten Sam back into his own time. to be continued....... -- Beth Hlabse eah4@po.CWRU.Edu Assistant Sysop The Science Fiction and Fantasy Sig (GO SCIFI) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blessings of the season on you and yours.