From: eah4@po.CWRU.Edu (Elizabeth A. Hlabse) Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: The Three Doctors, part 4 Date: 13 Dec 1992 18:26:27 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA) Lines: 208 Reply-To: eah4@po.CWRU.Edu (Elizabeth A. Hlabse) NNTP-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu "See ya soon, kid," Al said. As he punched a few buttons on the hand-link he was holding, several screens in front of Goosie began to power down. Al turned to the observation window and gave the thumbs-up sign as he headed towards the door. It seemed the Doctor had convinced Sam not to try to stop the shuttle. "Contact between Admiral Calavicci and Dr. Beckett has been terminated," came ZIggy's voice, stating what was obvious to everyone present. The grinding of the TARDIS's arrival came from behind the control counsel. Peri watched as the door opened and a subdued Doctor came out of the TARDIS. "What's the matter, Doctor?" she asked him. "Hhhmmmmm? Oh, nothing, Peri," the Doctor answered her. "It's just that Dr. Beckett is a very dedicated man. I wonder if he'd like to travel with us for awhile? It could be a very interesting time and I'm sure he'd enjoy it." "NO! Sam is _not_ going off with you when we get him back," a very irate Al said as he walked into the Control Room. "When we get him back, he is staying in one time like he's supposed to." "Very well, Admiral," the Doctor said with a smile. "It was just an idea. Shall we get to work?" ********** The next thirty-six hours was spent in a flurry of activity. The Doctor, Gooshie and any number of computer experts, with Ziggy's help, stabalized the program that would bring Sam back to his own time. Peri watched from the sidelines occasisionally, and tried to stay out of the way. Cables had been run from Ziggy into the TARDIS which would add the extra energy that was needed to pull Dr. Beckett back into his present and stabalize the time factor involved. The Doctor just hoped that the two vastly different computers would be able to work together without destroying each other. Peri spent a great deal of time with Verbena and Al. They were planning the biggest party that Project Quantum Leap had ever seen. She also spent some time in the Waiting Room with David Grenig, the man who was Sam's host. He was pretty groggy most of the time, but Peri's presence seemed to calm him. Almost exactly thirty-six hours after the Doctor had met with Sam, everything was ready. Now all they had to do was wait for Angela's exam results to be known and then the real test would come. ********** Al was in the Imaging Chamber, in contact with Sam. He would let everyone know when Angela's exam results came through. Gooshie and the Doctor were in the Control Room, hands poised above the computer counsel, ready to start the retrieval program the minute Al let them know that Sam was Leaping. Almost everyone else was gathered right outside the Waiting Room. Hopefully, Sam Beckett would walk out of the room. Gooshie and the Doctor watched Al pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing at something beside him. Whatever the object was, it held his interest. He started and glanced up towards the control room. A few minutes later he shouted, "Now, Gooshie! Sam's Leaping!" Several panels in front of them went dark while others lit up. The Doctor and Gooshie made small changes as the program began running. "It's working," Gooshie whispered, almost to himself. "Of course, it's working," the Doctor answered, a smile on his face. He had seen Al run out of the Imaging Chamber, yelling for people to get out of his way as he headed for the Waiting Room. 'Those two must have a very special friendship,' the Doctor thought. 'I don't know many people who would stick by someone through all this.' The Doctor heard something explode inside the TARDIS just as the program completed its run and went inside to see what it was. Gooshie looked into the TARDIS as he pressed the intercom switch. "Did it work?" he asked into the mike, hoping that getting Dr. Beckett back had not stranded the Doctor on earth. ********** The Doctor opened a panel near the floor of the control counsel. A puff of smoke came out as the door opened. The Doctor reached inside as he waved his other hand to clear the smoke and pulled out a broken vacuum tube. He reached in again and quickly pulled his hand out when he felt heat coming from where the circuit had been. "That shouldn't have happened," he murmured to himself as he poked around in the counsel for a little longer. He finally left the TARDIS when Gooshie poked his head in, dropped the vacuum tube in a nearby waste bin and headed towards the Waiting Room, Gooshie hurrying to catch up to him. Repairing the TARDIS could wait. He wanted to see if what they had done had really worked. ********** Al burst into the Waiting Room, out of breath and very anxious about the outcome of the new programming. Verbena was standing just inside the door, watching Derek Peterson, the staff doctor. He had his hand on the wrist of the man who lay on the hospital bed and Peri stood looking over his shoulder. Verbena looked up as the door crashed open, the computer sensor barely opening the door fast enough for the Admiral's hurried entrance. "Not yet, Al," was all she said as she turned her attention back to Sam's motionless form. "Pulse rate is increasing." Derek looked over his shoulder at Peri. "Bring me the medical tray, please." Peri nodded and fetched the tray from the table on the far side of the room, giving Al an encouraging smile as she did so. "Any changes?" She asked as she put the tray down next to the young doctor. Derek just shook his head and picked up the stethoscope. "I hate waiting," Peri said to no one in particular. "So do I," Al answered her as he came over to the bedside and casually put his arm around her shoulders, but his attention was focused solely on the still form on the bed. He had seen so many different personalitites in those green eyes over the past few years. He hoped that this time, he would see his friend back where he belonged. The eyes began to flutter as Gooshie's voice came over the intercom. "Did it work?" The eyes opened and looked up at the three worried faces that were looking down at him. For a moment, there was no recognition in the gaze, but things seemed to slowly come into focus and Al knew thay had finally done it. Sam was home. "Al?" Sam 's voice croaked as if from long disuse. Derek helped Sam sit up as Peri brought him a glass of water. After a sip, he tried again. "Al? Am I really home?" Al's whoop of delight could be heard throughout the entire complex. Al wrapped his arms around Sam as tears streamed down his face. To be able to touch Sam again after so long was wonderful. "Yeah, you're home, kid," was all Al was able to choke out of his tear constricted throat. Verbena spoke into the intercom located right next to the door. "Dr. Beckett is home," was her simple announcement. Those four words caused an avalanche of emotion to be released. Cheers sounded in the hallway as the news was spread to everyone. Gooshie and the Doctor had finally managed to fight their way through the crowd and were standing in the doorway watching the reunion. They had arrived just in time to hear Al yelling at Sam. "What kind of stupid stunt do you think you were pulling? You had no idea that that infernal contraption of yours would work! Do you have any idea of the anount of worry you caused me?! Caused all of us?" Sam lay still on the bed. He held up his hand to stop Al. "I know," he said softly. "And I'm sorry, Al, but I had to prove that it would work. They were ready to put an end to the Project and I was so close." He grinned at Al. "Besides, it's not like it was a total waste. It did work and things are a lot better for a lot of people." "Well, yeah," Al admitted grudgingly. "But you still shouldn't have done it." He pointed a finger at his friend. "And the next time you pull a stunt like that, I'm coming after you and dragging you back by the scruff of your neck, if I have to." Al and Sam both started to laugh at the picture that presented. And then Sam saw the Doctor standing in the doorway. He got shakily to his feet and managed to maneuver his way over to him. The quantum physicist and Time Lord locked eyes and smiled. Each had experienced time travel--in vastly different ways, of course--but it was a shared experience and it made them instantly friends. Then Sam started to fall. For too long, he hadn't inhabited this body and many of the people who had, had been too out of it to exercise. The Doctor caught Sam even as Al jumped forward and lowered him gently to the floor. "You'll have to take it easy for a while, Dr. Beckett," the Doctor told him. "It'll take some time for you to get used to being yourself again." "I just wanted to say thank you before you left and I'd hoped to do it on my feet." Sam sounded disgusted with his lack of control. "Don't worry, you will," the Doctor answered him. "I'm not going anywhere until I fix my TARDIS." "What happened to it, Doctor?" Peri chirped in from where she was standing, which happened to be just behind the Admiral. "I'm not sure, yet, but it will probably take some time to fix it." He turned to Verbena. "I do hope that you don't mind having a couple of uninvited house guests for a while longer." "Of course not, Doctor," Verbena answered him with a smile. She was already quite fond of the Doctor and hadn't really wanted to see him leave, at least not this soon. "Now, Dr. Beckett, Dr. Peterson wants to give you a full examination and then you are going to talk to me and get some bed-rest. Derek, I'll be down in a few minutes. Derek helped Sam into the wheelchair that had appeared and insisted on pushing it through the gauntlet of well wishers that lined the halls, although it was capable of moving on it's own. Verbena heard Sam talking to Derek as they set off down the hall, Al walking along side th chair, telling the younger doctor all about his travels in 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.