PRELUDE

The leap took a hold of Sam so hastily that it took his breath away.  Even as the tingling sensation spread up his legs, through his body, and out through his fingertips, something about the leap didn’t seem quite right.  The sudden rush of it made him lightheaded.  When the motions of the leap came to a sudden screeching halt, it didn’t stop the dizziness that assaulted him.

Something pressed against his chest – not pressed, squeezed, he felt.  ‘What in the heck is going on?  Am I in a vise?’ Sam thought for a split second as he felt his body constrict from the pressure.  His eyes squeezed shut as he cried out in pain as pain swept through his body.  His senses, nearly overloaded by physical sensations, were vaguely aware of the laughing, and hooting behind him, or of the foul mouthed language that was shouted in his ear… not to mention the foul stench of the breath that carried the words.

Something was obscenely not right.  Not only was the big man pressuring his lungs, but also there was a sensation on his pelvis that caused Sam’s stomach to lurch with an overwhelming sense of nausea.  The motions from behind him weren’t ones that should be happening – period. And, unfortunately, the words the man yelled into his ear proved that it wasn’t a dream.

It was most definitely a nightmare.

“I'm gonna make you pay, you little shit!" The unrelenting motions behind him came to a sudden stop when the man behind him sighed with satisfaction. Sam felt used and besmirched from the act that he had leaped into. He squeezed his eyes closed to shut out the reality of what had occurred.

He felt the man move away from him. Sam didn't dare open his eyes in fear of what might come next.  For a brief moment he thought he had a reprieve, but he was proven wrong.  He was pushed hard and his head cracked against a hard, rough surface.  He was pulled back from the wall thrust forward at it twice more; his head bounced off the wall like a ball on a ping-pong paddle.  Warm blood poured down his face and into his eye, blurring what little vision he had.  He grunted in pain as he felt himself being pulled back from the wall yet again. 

He felt hot breath on his ear. “Let this be a warning to you. Next time you interfere with something that’s none of your fuckin’ business, you won’t be so damn lucky.” The sadistic laughter that followed contained no merriment.  Sam felt the man’s breath retreat to his neck and he shied away from the silkily spoken words that were accented by a rough hand that patted Sam’s bare bottom. “Next time, we won’t have an audience watching.  Next time, it’ll be just you and me… sugar.”

The bulky man let go of Sam and stepped back to watch as his victim slid down into a heap on the ground with his pants still around his ankles.  In a quick motion he adjusted his own pants, zipped them up then regarded Sam once more.  One step brought him next to the Quantum Physicist where he reared back and began to kick Sam in the gut until his target coughed and cried out in absolute pain.  With a smug smirk he gathered a mouthful of saliva then spat at Sam, enjoying the way it made it way down Sam’s cheek.  Feeling justified, the man turned on his heel and walked away, taking the crowd with him.

Sam didn't move.  His head throbbed with pain.  His abdomen felt as if a hole had been punctured all the way through his spinal column.  His body screamed out in ways that he had never felt before.  For a single solitary moment all he could do was blink his eyes and stare off into the distance and try to catch his breath.  Shock settled in and took hold as he slowly sat up and pulled his legs toward him.  Sam began to rock himself back and forth as he suddenly felt alone - miserably and hopelessly alone. 

PART ONE

Project Quantum Leap

Stallions Gate, New Mexico 

Al ambled through the corridor with Stephen Beckett at his side. He had promised Stephen that he could watch St. John re-program one of the Imaging programs that Ziggy wasn't using at the moment. It was a reward for coming home with all A’s again on his progress report.  It wasn’t as if he needed the positive reinforcement for work done well, it was mostly so that he would quit pestering his mom to let him do it.  Al grinned at Stephen as they entered the Control Room. As he looked into the young man’s eyes, he realized how much Stephen was like his father, and it made Al sad to know that Sam was missing out on his son’s life.  "Ready?"

"You bet!" Stephen said excitedly.  “I’ve been talking with Mom about this for… for weeks!”

"Admiral Calavicci," Ziggy purred down at them from her perch. "Dr. Beckett has leaped."

"Okay, okay,” Al said as he clasped Stephen's shoulder with his hand.

"Were you speaking to me?" the parallel hybrid computer said with distain.

Al made a face and rolled his eyes making Stephen giggle.  “Stephen, you go ahead and go talk to Tina for right now while St. John gets the Imaging Chamber going for me. Okay?" Al swatted the young man on the rear then watched as he crossed the room to Tina Martinez-O'Farrell.  Al couldn’t help but grin as Tina bent down to talk to Stephen. Stephen started talking to her about the multi-colored earrings that she wore, and how the manufactures made them shine and sparkle.  Then he turned his attention to the blue orb above him.

"Come on, St. John. Get that thing up and going!" He glanced over at Stephen and grabbed the handlink as he started toward the Imaging Chamber with a smile.  He shook his head.  That boy was a handful.  ‘How does Donna keep up with him?’ he wondered.

The Imaging Chamber powered up and the holographic began to coalesce around the room moments after he stepped in.  When the scene settled, Al paused before calling to his friend and glanced around him. What he saw gave him a chill.

The guard towers and barbed wire topped walls told him he was in a prison. The large trash dumpsters and boxes told him he was in a loading dock area. He stepped more into the scene to see around the holographic stacks of boxes waiting to be moved inside. For some reason he felt instantly on edge here; he preferred to peer around the boxes than walk through him. He felt like he was being set up for some sort of ambush.

"Sam? Hey, Sam? Where are ya?" he called out casually. When he didn't get an answer, Al’s inner alarms started going off.  He quickly scanned the area once again. "Sam?"

Al stepped off the virtual loading dock and backed away to get a better view of the entire platform. He appeared to hover in the air as he did so. A small movement out of his peripheral vision caught his attention and he moved to the spot.   "I hope that wasn't a rat," he mumbled to himself. "I hate rats."

He reluctantly stuck his head around the stack of boxes where the movement had come. Another motion made the hologram jump back in surprise, and he clamped his hand to his heart.  "Sam! God, don't do that to me,” Al said. “You know how I feel about...." His words stopped when he saw Sam's posture; his sat with his arms tight against his knees, and he rocked and mumbled lowly. Fresh blood covered his face. "What in the hell..." the Observer started as he went over to his friend and hunched down beside him. "Sam?"

Sam flinched and cowered away from his best friend.  He raised his arm above his head in a defensive posture as if trying to parry a blow.  In the same instance, he ducked his head between his shoulders and shifted his position back toward the blood-streaked wall.  “Leave me alone! No! Go ... go away!" he begged, withdrawing from the hologram.

"Sam! It's me, Al. I'm not gonna hurt you buddy. It's me. Come on, Sam." Al moved closer to Sam to assess his condition as best as he could. Sam's pants and underwear were around his ankles and he appeared to be in shock.  From the nasty gash on his head and the amount of blood on his face and shirt, Al assumed that he possibly could have a concussion. "Oh, jeeze," Al said softly. He turned to the ceiling. "Ziggy, get Beeks down here now.”

"Admiral, Dr. Beeks is . . ."

He didn't let the computer finish. “I don't care what she's doing. Get her down here now! Sammy Jo is more than capable of looking after our visitor. Just... just get her!"

Al turned his attention back to Sam and edged closer. "Sam? Look at me. It's me, Al - your best buddy. I'm gonna get you out of this. I promise, okay? Trust me, you're going to be okay." Al bit his lower lip as he looked at Sam, who was still wide-eyed and cowered away from him.

Al wished desperately that he wasn't just a hologram. There were times when he admitted that it did have its advantages - like when he could sneak around ladies' dressing rooms or a bachelorette party - but all that amounted to nothing now. Right now was the worst time to be a hologram, when Sam needed him more than ever and all he could do was stand there and watch his best friend suffer. He squatted down next to his friend and spoke softly. "I don't know what happened here, Sam, but I'm gonna find out and I'll make sure they pay."

Hearing the door of the Imaging Chamber swoosh open, Al glanced in Verbena's direction and saw her walk into the holographic scene. He turned back to Sam and saw him inch away, his movements uncoordinated, his bearings off. He looked like a turtle trying to escape into its shell. It was the act of someone scared to death and Al didn't like it one damn bit.

"Al?" Verbena questioned as she walked over to him. "What is so damned important that..." Her attention flicked to the Visitor's aura. Her immediate impulse was to squat down beside Al. She was quiet for a moment as she scanned his face, his eyes, his body language, and his state of undress. "Oh, no..." she said softly, turning her gaze to Al. "Sam?"

Al nodded. "He's been like that since I got here. He... he thought that I was gonna attack him. Someone beat him up, Bena. I've been trying get him to talk to me, but who knows what's going on in that noggin of his."

"Has he said anything to you?" she asked as she watched Sam's mannerisms.

"Only to tell me to get lost, but..."

"I know," Verbena said softly with a nod. "He looks like he has a concussion. He really needs medical attention, Al."

As if someone had heard her, the sound of feet slapping against the loading dock caught their attention. They both stood up and turned to see a man in the same tan outfit that Sam had on trotting toward them.  He glanced around the area a moment, peering around the boxes then came around the rest of the boxes where Sam had hidden. 

"Don't you dare! Get away from him!" Al snarled.

Verbena placed her hand on his arm and shook her head. She was still enthralled at the entire process of being able to watch but not be involved with, another person's life. And seeing it in motion before her was something of a shock to her own system. “I... I think that he's here to help.” She was certain that Sam needed immediate medical help. From what she could piece together just from the body position and state of undress, she hoped her initial assessment was wrong. However, if what she suspected was correct, he would need emotional assistance as well as some heavy counseling to help elevate the problems that would come with it.

Al, however, didn't want to take any chances of anyone else abusing his best friend and his eyes narrowed suspiciously at the man that squatted beside Sam.

“Hey...” The man reached out to Sam but Sam jerked back away from his hand. The man tsked as he looked at Sam's face. “Man they sure got you this time didn't they?” He once again reached out to Sam. “Come on, we'll get you to the infirmary.”

“NO! Don't touch me!” Sam shouted as he scooted himself back to get out of the man's reach. “Leave me alone! I didn't do anything!” His words slowly came down from the shout, and his breath was labored and raspy. “I didn't... I... I know that I didn't... didn't....”

“Jeeze, they really messed you up good. Look, I'll go get Frankie, okay? Just stay put. I... I won't be long.” With that, the inmate stood, turned and ran back in the direction from which he came.

Al looked at Verbena and shook his head. “If I could get hold of the person that did this to Sam right now, I'd...”

Verbena gave him a stern look. “Al, you being angry isn't going to help Sam. I know how you feel, honestly, but you have to swallow that macho B.S. for Sam's sake. He needs you. He needs your support right now.” Verbena looked at Sam with a frown, not quite sure how much she should say at the moment. She turned her attention back to the concerned man standing beside her. “You're going to have to help him get through what happened. He’s going to need your help, Al.”

Al looked at Sam then back at the psychologist.  Placing the handlink on the Imaging Chamber floor, he reached up and rubbed at his face hard.  Verbena didn’t have to tell him what happened.  He knew.  Sam’s leaps were getting more intense and detrimental to not only his physical body but also to his psyche.  Leaping into a young man who was being sodomized was more than even Sam would withstand and Al knew that Sam had been through enough.

Verbena placed a hand on Al’s shoulder as she turned her attention back to Sam.  “Sam’s just as traumatized by what happened as the young man in the Waiting Room is.  The psychosynergizing may be a difficult thing to get around this leap, Al.”

More than likely, Verbena had hit the nail on the head.  Al reached down and picked up the handlink and fingered it a moment before he looked up at his buddy.  “You'll get through this, Sam. I promise. Just hang in there.”

Sam stopped rocking back and forth as if on cue. His eyes cut to Al's and he blinked slowly at him almost pleadingly then turned back to his blank stare ahead of him and began to rock back and forth once again. 'Help me, Al!' he thought from somewhere deep in his mind. 'Help me.'

Al felt helpless as he knelt beside Sam. It wasn't right. 'Why him? Why?' he asked himself as he closed his eyes for a brief moment. He couldn’t understand why God, Time, Fate, Whatever – Whoever had let this happen to his buddy.  After all, Sam was here to fix people lives; sacrificing himself, not remembering from one day to the next who his dear loved ones were and having no idea that he had a child at home. Al knew deep down that he was going to be here for the majority of the leap, to be there for his friend. “I'm here for you Sam. I'm gonna be here - right by your side. I'm not going anywhere, buddy.”  Al just hoped that some of his words were filtering through the shock.

Verbena brought her hand up to her mouth as she watched the two men who had become best friends over the years. It was sad that something of this magnitude had happened to Sam, but she knew that Al would be there for him. “Al, I'm going back to go back to check on our visitor and find out as much as I can. I'll have Ziggy report to you what I find.”

Nodding, Al punched in the exiting code then watched as she left.  He just hoped that she could get the necessary information from their leapee.  If the leapee was in the same state of shock, getting all the necessary information was going to be most difficult. 

Hearing voices, Al glanced around the boxes to see the same inmate coming back with someone in tow.  ‘Great,’ Al thought to himself.  ‘I just hope that these are friendlies.’  

"Where is he?" the tall, muscular bulky man dressed in the same tan outfit asked, his voice deep and his tone worried.  "Dammit, Danton, calm down. Where is Avery?"

Danton pointed toward the South Side loading dock and walked a couple of steps ahead of Frankie.  “He’s down this way.  Come on, he’s in a real bad way.  There’s blood everywhere…”

“What? Blood everywhere?” the burly man asked him and kicked his step into high gear.  “Why didn’t you tell me that he was in a bad way earlier?”

“Well… he…” Danton stammered.  “He… was scared to death of me… ME… when I tried to help him up.  Can you imagine Avery being scared of little ole me?  But… he wouldn’t even let me touch him.”

They weaved through the boxes and came to a halt where Sam was hiding.  Frankie screwed up his face and shook his head.  “Oh God.  He… he needs to go to the infirmary.”  He glanced at Sam’s condition, his state of undress and cursed as his head bobbed slightly.  Walking over to him, he knelt down and tilted his head to the side as he addressed the cowering man.  “Avery?  You hear me, Avery?”

Sam didn't know who was talking to him but he thought that they sounded like they cared. Slowly, he stopped rocking back and forth.  He looked up to see Al and another man kneeling close by, both with a concerned look on their face.   “Al?” he whispered softly.

Al sighed in relief as he gave Sam a slight smile.  “I’m here buddy.  You’re gonna be just fine, okay?  This guy here… he’s gonna help you.  Don’t be afraid, Sam.  He’s not gonna hurt you.” 

The man kneeling to the left of Sam frowned.  “Avery, it’s me, Frank.  Frank Denahey,” the burly man said as he scanned Sam’s face.  “Al?”  He turned his head with a questioning look to Danton behind him.  “You know anyone named Al?”

Danton shrugged.  “Don’t know, Frankie.  Is… is he gonna be okay?  I mean, it looks like they… they… well, ya know,” he said as he jerked his head toward the physicist.

“Yeah, I know.”

Being gifted to hear and carry on two conversations was a part of the norm for this physicist but at the moment, the only conversation that he was trying to center on was the one with his holographic pal.  Sam’s eyes locked with Al’s.  “O… okay,” he said softly.  Sam glanced at the other two men and shivered.  They didn’t particularly seem like the caring type.  They looked more like the giant wrestler with his sidekick about to strangle him to death.  “I… it’s going to be okay?” he whispered to Al.

“You're gonna be fine, Sam, don't worry, just trust me on this one, okay? You've got to concentrate. I know that it's hard, but I want you to listen to me. I know despite what these guys look like, they are gonna help you. Okay? So, for now, just let them get you to the infirmary, then I can tell you what we know.” Al tried to keep a positive tone to his voice as he spoke to Sam. He knew that he needed as much of it as possible, considering what the kid had already gone through.

Sam bobbed his head slightly at Al’s words then watched warily, his body tensing as Will Danton and Frank Denahey started toward him. 

“Come on, Avery. We're gonna get you inside,” Frankie said as he started toward Sam.  “Will, I’ll get his right, you get his left and … for God’s sake, be gentle.”  Frank watched as Will came up on the other side and they positioned themselves on either side of their fallen comrade.  “After three okay?”

“Easy Sam. It's okay. Take it easy.”

Gently, both men knelt down beside Sam and placed his arms over their shoulders then glanced at each other.  “Ready?”  Seeing Will nod, Frank gave a nod as well.  “One, two, three - lift!” Frankie said and together they lifted Sam to his feet.

Every part of Sam’s body cried out in pain from the stretching movement.  He placed his feet underneath him then realized his mistake in doing so when he put pressure on his left foot. “Oh God,” he whimpered then gasped in short breaths at the pain that assaulted him.  He wasn’t sure, but it felt like it might be broken.

“Steady,” Will said as he saw Frank motion with his eyes about Sam’s pants.  Will made sure that Frank had a good hold on him before he let go and began to pull up Sam’s underwear and pants so that they could be buckled.

Sam’s face flushed bright red with embarrassment as he realized what Will was doing.  The anguish of what happened hit him suddenly as well as a wave of nausea.  “Oh… oh… no…” he shook his head softly shamefully his head bowed before him. 

Another wave of nausea hit him violently and Sam stood ramrod straight; pain searing through his right leg and he lurched away from the men holding him.  He didn’t get far before he emptied his stomach beside the boxes set nearest the wall.

“Avery?” Frankie asked him softly.

“Sam?” Al asked as he started toward him. “You done?” He felt a little sick at what had happened to his best friend as well, but he sucked down the courage to stay no matter what happened.

Once Sam was finished dry heaving, he crawled away from the mess he had made and sat down near a couple of crates feeling weaker than ever. “Al... get... get me outta here,” he said softly.

Frankie moved back to Sam's side and motioned for Will to do the same. “Who's Al? Come on, who... who is he?”

“Uh...” Sam looked up at Al and saw him shrug. “Patron Saint of All Good and Holy,” Sam said softly as he looked up at Al to see him roll his eyes. He grinned lopsidedly at Al then winced in pain as the men helped him to stand back up.

“Always putting me up on that pedestal,” Al said jokingly. That brought a smile to Sam's face and seeing that smile for the first time since this leap began, Al hoped that things were looking up. “Good to see you smile.”

Frankie watched Sam smile and wondered for a moment if that was really the truth, but decided not to push the subject any longer. The man was in pain and if he was using humor as strength that only had to be a good thing. “Okay, you ready?” he asked as he adjusted Sam's arm around his neck to a comfortable position so that they could get him back inside with the least amount of pain possible.

“Yeah, I'm ready,” Sam told them softly.

Slowly, they set off at a slow pace to take him to the infirmary. Sam tried his best of help with his right foot but he was tired. His head slowly began to droop forward and his body was beginning to get heavy for the two men who were now almost carrying him.

“Sleepy,” he mentioned softly to anyone who cared.

Will noticed the way that Sam's weight was pulling around his neck and shoulder. He looked over at Frankie. “Frankie? I... I think that he needs to rest. I mean, look it. He's almost asleep now.”

“I think that we need to get him to the infirmary. I think that he might... have one of those...uhm... conchestion things,” he said with a furrowed brow as they kept walking.  “And… quit calling me Frankie.”

“That's concussion, Frank,” Al said off-handedly as he turned to see Sam’s head drop lower.  “Hey, Sam!   Come on, buddy, wake up.  You need to stay awake.”

“Avery!” Frank stopped and used his free hand to lightly tap Sam's face. “Come on, Avery, wake up!”  When he didn’t get a response, he slapped Sam’s cheek a little harder.  “Wake up!  You… you can’t go to sleep now.”

Sam's head bobbed slightly. “A... awake,” he mumbled.

“That's it buddy, it's not much further now. You can do it,” Al said encouragingly as he turned to continue to walk in front of them.  The infirmary was not but twenty more feet ahead of them and he glanced back to Sam.  “Come on, Sam.  Head up.”

Sam tried to bring his head up at Al’s words and groaned.

“Ah, that's it, Avery. Come on now. Just a little bit more then you can rest all you want, okay? I... I promise to get you a hot nurse.” Frank tried to inveigle the man in his grasp.  A good hot nurse was something most definitely to look forward to.

Sam's head slowly came up at Frank's coaxing. “Hot?”

Will laughed. “Yeah... a hot one.”

Al looked at Frank with a sly grin on his face. “Yeah? You think you could get me one?”

Sam's head slowly turned to look at Al. He shook his head and grinned. “Who?” he asked as he looked back down at the ground with a wince of pain as his left foot hit the pavement again.

“Maybe that Monique chick will be there. She's definitely hot. Sizzlin'!”

“Yeah, Monique. She's sweet.” Sam frowned suddenly. 'How did I know that?' he wondered to himself.

“Monique, huh? Well, now I'll have to stick around,” Al said noticing the mood was definitely becoming lighter between the three men. Even as he chuckled lightly, he began to wonder how Beeks was doing with their visitor and if they would have something for him to tell Sam when they did get to the infirmary.  At least he knew something already.  He knew that Frank Denahey and Will Danton and Avery, the man that Sam had leaped into, were in prison.  With just that information alone, he could get Ziggy to get approximates going.  He just hoped that that would be enough to get the information that they needed for the leap.  He entered the names into the handlink and instructed Ziggy to find something… anything then turned his attention back to the men behind him listening to their conversation once again.

“Oh yeah, she's a swell gal,” Will chimed glad that things seemed not to be focusing on what had happened back at the loading dock.   He glanced at Frankie and smiled.  He knew that he had done right in going and getting Frankie.  He was the man you called on if you needed any help – no matter what it was.

“Yeah, swell,” Sam mimicked the man on his left side and felt himself slipping once again into a dark hole; one that he honestly didn't want to wake from.

“Avery!” Will called out as he felt him get heavy again and his head slowly sank forward. “Come on! Not now! We're almost there. Come on, pal.”

“Avery!” Stopping Frankie once again slapped at Sam's face but there was no response. “Dammit, Avery!”

“Sam?” Al asked as he stooped down to look at Sam's downcast face. “Come on, buddy. Don't ...” Al already knew that it was too late. He was already out cold.

PART TWO

Monique O’Keefe was tending to an inmate who had decided to ram his hand into the wall.  Although she knew that it wasn’t her job to psychoanalyze the men under her care, she had asked him why he had decided to do such a thing.  When his response of, “Well, it was either that or punch the guy who was masturbating above me. He’s driving me nuts!”  She nodded and decided that she would leave the psychoanalysis to the counselor and just do the job that she was sent here to do – care for the injuries that may befall the inmates.

She had finished wrapping the bandage around his hand when she saw two inmates bring in a bloodied third party into the room.  Looking back at the man in her charge at the moment, she taped the bandage and patted his shoulder.  “There ya go, Dennis,” she said, her thick Gaelic accent floating in the air around them.  “If ya need to punch anythin’ else, try a pillow next time, okay?”  She quickly turned and started toward the three who were coming in.

“Yeah, Monique… sure thing,” he said as he watched her scurry away.  He let his eyes roam over her backside and shook his head as he appreciated what she offered.  “Damn,” he said softly as he hopped off the bed and started out of the room.

“Here…” she said as she patted a bed.  “Lay him down here.”  The inmates did as she asked then she pushed in between them and quickly assessed his head to see how bad the injury actually was.  She hissed at what she saw.  “Dammit,” she murmured under her breath then looked up quickly at the two men who moved to the other side of the bed.  “What happened?” she asked them directly as she turned toward the cabinet to get the smelling salts to wave under his nose.  “Come on, gentlemen, I need to know what happened to this man.”

Both men turned to look at the other then turned back to look at her their faces blank.  “Well?” she asked as she walked back over to the bed and waved the ammonia stick under his nose.  When Sam jerked his head at the smell, she removed the smelling salts and smiled as he opened his eyes.  “Wake up there,” she said softly.  When his eyes turned to hers, she asked, “Are you gonna stay with us now?”

Sam’s vision slowly cleared and he swallowed with difficulty as he looked up into an angelic face.  He saw her tuck her hair behind her ear.  He blinked then asked, “Sammy… Sammy Jo?”

Confused by his words, Monique glanced between the three inmates.

Frank shrugged his shoulders baffled by the look on her face.  “Don’t ask me.  He’s been talking and calling out people’s names that aren’t here since we found him.  He… he’ll be okay, right?”

Monique looked down at the man on the bed.  “Do… do you know where you are Avery?” she asked.  It hadn’t been the first time that Avery Thompson had been sent to the infirmary.  Since he had entered the facility, he had several cuts, scrapes, bruises and black eyes; but he had always claimed clumsiness.  This wasn’t clumsiness.

Al hurried over to his friend’s side the handlink blinking in his hand.  “Sam… Sam… you’re in the infirmary and this…” Al’s eyes roamed over her body as he talked, “this lovely specimen is Monique O’Keefe.  She’s been here at Gatesville Penitentiary for a little over two years.”  His gaze locked on her silhouette and he could definitely understand why Sam might have confused her with Sammy Jo.  They did have similar features, but the most obvious was her Gaelic accent.

“I… I’m in the… infirmary,” he said softly as he looked up into her lovely face.  “I’m… tired.  Sleep,” he said softly as he closed his eyes. 

“No, Avery, you must stay awake. You can't sleep yet. You are suffering from a concussion. Come on, honey, you need to stay awake for me.” She looked up at the two inmates who were standing to the side and motioned them over to the bed. “Well, if you are just gonna stand there and watch, you could at least help me keep him awake,” she told them plainly. “Keep talking to him and if he nods off, wave this under his nose.” She told them as she passed the smelling salts to Frank.  Turning away from him, she walked to the other side of the room and wheeled over the necessary supplies to clean his wounds and inspect them.

Frankie looked down at the smelling salts in his hand, looked at Sam then back to Monique. “You didn't say if he was going to be okay or not.”

“And you didn't tell me what happened, now did you?” she shot back at him with a glare. “What in the bloody hell happened to him? And don’t you dare tell me that he tripped on his shoelace, Frank.  He's never been in here like this. And don't tell me that you don't know. I know that you know.”

Frank looked down at the man lying on the bed. “All I know is that someone beat him up and... and... well...” he glanced down at Sam's lower body then back up to the nurse. “You know... they... did other things too.”

Monique regarded Frank as he tried to explain what had happened and saw how his face blushed slightly as his body posture shifted uncomfortably toward the patient’s lower half. 'Oh no... no. Oh not that... not to Avery. No,' she thought to herself. She let out the breath that she had been holding as what he didn’t say sank in.  Looking down at Sam, she reached out and stroked his brow softly. “You're safe now,” she told him. “You're in the best place. We'll get you back on your feet in no time at all.”

Sam felt hands on his face and his eyes opened wide, fear plain in them. “I... no... no...” He jerked away from her touch and moved away from her.  Not knowing that he was on a small bed, he toppled to the floor with a thud. 

Hands reached out to help him up, but he swatted at them, his words echoing in the infirmary.  “Ge...get... away... don...don't touch me.”

Monique immediately brought her hands back from him. “Oh, Avery, I'm so sorry. I... I wasn't thinking. Honestly. I... I'm so sorry.”

“Sam, it's okay. She's here to help you out. You're in the infirmary. Come on, buddy, it's... it's okay,” Al said as he knelt beside Sam concerned for his well-being. 

“It’s okay, Avery.  Calm down man.”  When he thought that he could, Frank reached out and touched Sam’s shoulder and saw Avery turn his head quickly to look at him.  “It’s okay.  She’s a nurse and a very good one at that.  She ain’t gonna hurt you.”

“It's okay?” Sam asked as he looked up at Al who now stood up beside the nurse. “She... she's okay?” he asked as Frank and Will once again helped him up and sat him upon the bed once more. He looked between the two men for a moment then back to Al. “You... you sure, Al?”

Al nodded his head a bit apprehensively. “Yes, Sam. She's okay.” He sighed heavily. He didn't like how Sam was responding. How was he going to do what he needed to do when the psychosynergizing and shock were overwhelming? Plus, he didn't like his name used so much. He didn't want to become a martyr in a prison.

“Okay.” Sam nodded at Al’s words as he glanced at Monique, Frank and Will.  They each had their own inquisitive look on their faces and he swallowed nervously.  ‘They think that I’m insane, but… I don’t care,’ he thought to himself.  “Okay.”

Will turned to Frank totally confused.  Avery was talking to someone who wasn’t there.  “Frankie?  Why’s he talking to himself?  Or who is he talking to?”

Frank ignored Will’s question as he looked at Monique.  “Is that normal?” he asked her.  It was most definitely strange.  He had heard about people doing this in those crazy institutions, but he had never actually seen it happening before his own eyes.

“No,” Monique said softly. “It's not. I... I'm worried about how hard his head was hit.” Moving to stand in front of Sam, she casually leaned in on the bed and asked, “May... may I assess your head, Avery?”

Sam turned his head to look at Al. Seeing his nod of assurance, Sam looked back at Monique. “O... okay.”

Monique took out her penlight from her pocket and softly reached up to place her hand on his forehead. “I'm just going to shine this in your eyes, okay?” She gave him a small smile of encouragement. “Don't worry, it won't hurt. It's to help me see into your eyes.” At Sam's small nod, she began her assessment.

She had looked into Avery's eyes often, and never had she seen the lovely green that was coming through so boldly. She couldn't explain how his blue eyes were now almost a hazel-green color but she couldn't see any other problem that would make him see hallucinations.  She hummed slightly to herself then turned off the light. “Okay. Done.” She lightly patted his hand.

Sam blinked as the penlight was taken away from his eyes. “Is... is something wrong?” He looked at her for a long moment then glanced at Al. “Something's wrong. What... what's going on? What's wrong?”

“It's okay, Sam. Don't panic,” Al said trying to calm him down. “I'm sure that it's nothing.”

Frankie looked at Monique. “He is ... okay, isn't he?”

“No... no! Something's wrong!” Sam said as he looked between the four of them, his eyes shown with the fear that they knew something that he didn’t.

“Sam, just calm down will ya?” Al said softly making his hands move up and down.  “Look, if you keep talking to me instead of them, they'll think that you don't need to be in a cell but in a padded room!”

“NO!” Sam yelled out at Al, his head shaking from side to side at even the thought of being locked up in a padded room. “No!”

“Yes, Sam. They will if you don't calm down. Now, calm down! You're gonna make it worse and then you'll never leap outta here,” Al stated plainly as he started to pace back and forth.

Hearing Al's words Sam shrunk back down and slightly ducked his head to his chest. “Okay... okay. I'm okay.”

Monique, Frank and Will stepped back from the man on the bed when he yelled out suddenly.  Then almost as suddenly, his temperament changed and he was calming down, his fingers playing with the blanket that was over his legs. 

“Frank, Will, go on back to where you need to be. If anyone questions you about Avery, you tell them that he's in here with me and will be until he's quite capable of taking care of himself.” She heard them mumble 'yes ma'am,' then watched as they left the room before she turned back to look at the man sitting on the bed. 

Sam looked up at Al and then to the woman standing nearby and sank slowly back onto the bed, his head resting on the pillow.  “I… I don’t feel so good.”

Seeing Sam’s face, Al could tell he wasn’t in great shape, beyond any means.  “I know Sam, but you are in the best place.  They will take care of you here.  Before you can do anything on this leap, you have to get in a lot better shape than you are now, else you aren’t gonna be able to help anyone.”  Al was still anxious to know if Verbena had been able to stabilize Avery back in the Waiting Room.  Punching a few buttons on the handlink, he shouted to Ziggy, “Has Beeks managed to get a report yet?”

"She's still talking with Avery in the Waiting Room, Admiral. Not much to report. He's still in critical condition at the moment,” Ziggy’s smooth voice reported back to him.

Sam glanced over at the nurse as she came back to his side.  He moved slightly away from her.  “I’m sorry, I’m… I… I’m…” he didn’t want to tell her that he was scared… scared to death, but as he looked at her, her eyes softened as she looked at him.

She sat down on the bed cautiously.  “Avery, I know that you are scared and I know that you might not be feeling up to anything right now, but I want you to know that, if you need to talk, I’m always here to listen, okay?”  She hoped that by saying just that, that he might relax a little and maybe in his own time come to terms with what happened and talk with her.

“Okay,” Sam told Monique softly. “Th… thank you.”  He saw her smile at that and he blinked sleepily at her.  “I… I’m still sleepy.”  He pulled up his legs toward his chest as he curled up in a ball on the small bed.  “I can’t sleep yet, can I?” he asked softly, knowingly.

“I’m afraid not.  I’m sorry.  I wish that I could tell you otherwise.”

“Come on, Buddy, you’re doing great.  It’s not going to be long now then you can have a good rest,” Al told Sam helpfully.  “I’m gonna stay right here till you can go to sleep, okay?”

"Okay, Al," Sam said softly. "Thanks," he glanced at the nurse and smiled at her slightly. ‘I know that she thinks that I'm crazy,’ he thought.  He looked back up at Al.  "I'm okay."

"Avery? Erm..." She didn’t know how to ask him without him thinking that she was implying that he was insane.  She knew that there had to be some explanation as to why he was referring to a third person that wasn’t here.  “Avery, I need to ask you a question, but I don’t want you to think that I’m implying anything that you are not, understand?  I just need to know.  Who is it you are referring to as Al?  Is there someone here that I can’t see?”

Al shook his head and closed his eyes.  Ever since Sam began talking to him openly in front of others that the question would eventually pop up.  “"Don't tell her Sam. Just don't say anything if you wanna get out of here. You have to be Avery, you can't tell her I am here."

Sam glanced between Monique and Al for a brief moment.  “He... he's a friend of mine... back home. I... I know that he's not here, but... but sometimes it helps to talk to him. Like... almost like he's here..." he said hopefully that he was making sense.

"Awww.... I know exactly what you mean; I used to do that myself when I first left home to go to school. When I was training to be a nurse. I was so scared of my new surroundings, and being in a new place an all. I used to talk to my Grandmother...I would sit in my room when studying, and when I felt lonely or scared, I’d talk to her, it was like if she was there right in the room with me and I would think of what she might say back. Sounds like I am crazy, doesn't it?" 

Sam smiled lightly at her.  “Can I just lay here for a bit and think?  I mean, unless you are wanting to do some more tests or something.”

“Of course you can,” she said softly.  “Just promise me that you won’t go to sleep.  Okay?  If you need me, just call me.”

Sam nodded and watched as she crossed to the other side of the room.  When she was out of hearing range, he turned and looked at Al, panic in his eyes.  "What's going on here, Al? Why am I here? What is this? What's.... what's happened?"

"Well we haven't been able to come up with much on this one Sam," Al told him. Al looked at him trying his best to look encouraging. Despite everything that had happened, Al knew Sam had to get through this leap as quick as possible.  "Avery is with Beeks right now she is trying her best to talk to him and find out as much as she can. Unfortunately, Avery seems to be in a pretty bad state. Whatever was going on when you leaped in, I think Avery got just as much of the abuse as you did, and is not dealing with it as well as you are.”  Al looked down at the handlink and banged on it as it squealed at the abuse.  He was beginning to get more frustrated with the lack of information that Ziggy was feeding out.

"You need to hurry, Al. I... I don't think that I can stay here much longer. I really can't. I... I don't feel comfortable at all, and I... definitely don't WANT to be here. Al... come on... get me outta here, please," Sam begged of him. "Give me something to work with."

The desperation on Sam’s face was obvious as his pleas.  Al didn’t like this at all.  He couldn’t remember Sam feeling or looking this desperate to get out of a leap as he did right now.  “Sam, we’re doing our best okay?  Please calm down.  At the moment, all I can tell you is this.  You’ve leaped into Avery Thompson, an inmate at Gatesville Penitentiary.  The two guys that brought you in here were Frank Denahey and Will Danton.  The nurse over there is Monique O’Keefe.  That’s all we got at the moment, Sam.  We can’t even really nail down the date just yet, so bear with us, okay?  I mean we are doing the best…” 

“No Al!” Sam interrupted him.  “I need to get the hell outta here!  You don’t understand.  I need to go… I need… I need… oh God, please …  you gotta get me outta here… NOW!”

“Calm down, buddy,” Al tried to placate him, waving his hands in a calming manner toward his buddy.  “Just… calm down.  Let me go and find out what’s going on in the Waiting Room…”

“No, Al.  Don’t leave me here by myself.  You can’t.  Please…”

“Sam!” Al said sharply trying to snap him out of the fear that must be coming from Avery.  “You’re not here on your own.  Nothing’s going to happen.  Give me ten minutes and I’ll be right back.”  Al saw Sam’s growing anguish as he glanced around the room.  “Ten minutes,” he replied then let the Imaging Chamber door shut before him.

PART THREE

Project Quantum Leap

Even as Al marched down the ramp into the Control Room, his voice boomed through the small corridor, “Ziggy, you better start coming up with something good and fast, understand?”  

“Yes, Admiral,” she purred down to him as he crossed through the Control Room and headed toward the hallway where the Waiting Room was located.  

Al passed by St. John, placing the handlink on its pad.  “St. John, keep it running.  I’ll be going back in ten.”  

“Yes sir,” St. John acknowledged him as he watched the Admiral pass him by.

Al had barely entered the corridor when he stated, “By the way, Ziggy, I want you to inform me ASAP if you find out anything or if something is wrong with Sam.”

Less than a second after the words were uttered, Ziggy’s voice descended upon him, “Admiral, Avery Thompson is in prison because of murder.  According to the case reports found on him, he was accused of assault and battery and then convicted on the murder of Jessica Jackson.”

Al stopped in his tracks.  “Well, if he’s in there for murder, postulate the reason why Sam leaped there!”  He continued down toward the Waiting Room and shook his head.  ‘Why had Sam leaped into a man who was in jail for murder?  What could he accomplish in jail?’

The door of the Waiting Room opened and Verbena Beeks stepped out into the corridor looking more tired than she had in a long time.  She turned her head at the direct order that was still echoing down the hallway and saw Al as he approached. 

“We need to talk,” she addressed him plainly.  “Perhaps… Sam is there to prove that Avery didn’t do it.  Ziggy, pull all of the data you have on Avery and I want to see it.  I want to pour over it.  And do it quickly.  Neither Sam nor Avery is taking any news well at the moment… so get a move on!”

Al looked at Verbena quizzically as he gnawed on his bottom lip.  “Okay, Verbena just let me know when you have anything to go on.  I have to get back to Sam before he thinks that I’ve abandoned him.”  Turning on his heel, he started back toward the Control Room.  Entering the room, he asked loudly, “St. John, we still running?”

St. John nodded at Al’s words then returned to getting the information that Ziggy was beginning to print out about their newest leapee.  

As Al walked back into the Imaging Chamber, he immediately found himself in the Prison Infirmary once again.  He turned his head just in time to see Sam pick his head up off the pillow to look at him.  “How’re you keeping up, pal?”  He couldn’t help but notice the panicked look on Sam’s face.  “Sam, are you okay?”

"No! I'm not okay! I'm in a prison and people keep looking at me weird, Al! I ... I can't stay here. I can't. You gotta get me outta here, Al. You just... you just gotta," Sam told him emphatically. 

"Calm down Sam, you need to calm down, I know that you wanna get out, believe me, I wanna get you out, but until Avery starts talking or Ziggy can come up with something, I can’t do a thing."  Al could see the worried look in Sam’s eyes and it hurt him to see Sam this way.  

Sam ran his hand through his hair and shook his head as he looked up at Al.  “Al…” he called his name and felt his breath quicken.  He felt as if someone was squeezing all of the air out of him and he couldn’t breath.  “Al…” he brought his hand up to his head and held his head hoping for the sensation to pass.  ‘Someone help me!’ he screamed out in his mind… the sound echoing in the expanse.

Monique came barreling over and with a paper bag and had Sam breath into it to calm his nerves.  Her calming tones and telling him to breath slowly and deeply into the bag were helping to ease his distress. Sam looked up at Al and blinked wondering when he was going to get some help for this leap.

“I know, Sam.  I know.  Calm down.  Ziggy is getting the information right now, and Verbena is in the Waiting Room with Avery.”  Al knew that he had to tell him sooner or later why they thought he was in this hellhole, but seeing the state he was in, Al wasn’t going to give him the news until he was in a calmer state of mind.

Sam glanced away from Al and looked at Monique as she lightly brushed his hair back away from his forehead as she watched him breath easier with the brown bag over his mouth.  He slowly took it away.  “I’m okay…” he said softly.  “I… I just… can’t I go to sleep.  Please?”

Monique frowned and she finally relented and nodded her head.  

“Thank you,” Sam told her plainly then closed his eyes and turn his head to the side.  It wasn’t even three minutes before he was asleep.

Once Sam had fallen asleep, Al walked back into the Control Room rubbing his face hard as he went.  This leap was something else so far, and all he could think of doing was calming Sam down and hoping for the best possible time to tell him what they thought might be the reason for the leap.  Bringing his hands down, he found a very anxious and worried Donna Elesee Beckett standing at Ziggy’s mainframe.

Donna met his gaze and took a few steps toward him.  “Al,” she said more than a bit softly.  “We need to get him out of there.  I’ve listened to what’s going on in that prison, and it… it can’t go on.  He needs to come home, Al.”  Even as the next thought crossed her mind, she licked at her dry lips.