Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 20:47:29 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Circles of Fate - Part 22 Message-ID: Quantum Leap "Circles of Fate" Part 22 The next two days passed slowly as everyone waited for the time that Sam had to leap. Sam had spent an entire day with Jim, wanting the chance to be with him before he leaped -- just in case. The second of the two days, he spent at the complex, preparing the Accelerator Chamber and the Retrieval Program. The third day, Sam was in his lab when Al came in, limping strongly and holding himself up with a walking cane. "Al, are you okay?" Sam asked with concern. Al winced as he took a step. "Oh, yeah," he told Sam in an assuring voice. He laughed slightly. "I'm just not as young as I used to be. Took a tumble down the stairs this morning. Sprained my ankle a bit." "Are you sure it's okay?" Sam asked with concern, kneeling to take a look at Al's wounded leg. Al gave him a friendly glare. "I live with a doctor, Sam. Beth told me just to keep off of it for the rest of the day." Sam stood up, shaking his head. "I can't see how you, of all people, could take a tumble down the stairs." Al laughed slightly. "When you have grandchildren leaving toys of the stairs, it's quite easy to do so. I'm just lucky I have a very tough body. It's not the first time it's happened, you know. Christy used make me trip every day." Sam laughed slightly. "So," Al asked, "are you ready?" Sam sighed. "Not really." He paused. "Listen, if this doesn't work..." Al raised a hand to stop Sam's sentence. "It'll work, Sam," Al interrupted. "It has to." He took a breath. "Now, let's get you home. I already told Genine I can't observe on this." Sam smiled. "Did you tumble down the stairs to have an excuse not to enter the Imaging Chamber?" Al smiled. "Could be." He looked at Sam mischievously. "It's her first observing job so go easy on her, okay?" Sam laughed slightly with a smile. "I will," he told him. Al returned the smile. "You'd better get into a Fermisuit," he told him as he led Sam into the Control Room. The Control Room door opened to reveal Gushie, Janet Kalarco, and two Genines waiting patiently for the men. Sam started towards the changing room but hesitated for a moment. Al noticed the hesitation immediately and understood. Sam was still uncertain about the success of his being retrieved. Al, nonetheless, remained quiet once he saw Sam resume his course to the changing room. "Okay," Al said to the others in the room, "let's get ready for the leap. Gushie, is the Accelerator Chamber on line?" "Affirmative, Admiral," Gushie replied. Al slowly made his way to the control console. He centered himself before the activation panel and exhaled. Like Sam, he wasn't sure this would work. The words he had said to Sam only a week before came to his mind: "I just get this feeling that you'll leap again and, this time, you won't come home." And here he was about to help fulfill his own prophecy. Sam stepped out of the changing room, dressed in the tight-fitting Fermisuit. He gave Al a smile. "Ready?" Al asked. Sam nodded briefly. "I'm ready." He looked at the holographic Genine with questioning eyes. She was accessing information from the future Ziggy. "Have Ziggy start a countdown of two minutes so that we can synchronize our efforts,' she instructed. "Ziggy," Sam instructed. "Start a countdown of two minutes." "Yes, Dr. Beckett," Ziggy replied. "Two minutes," she started counting down. "Genine fiddled with the handlink quickly. "Got it," she said firmly. "The countdowns are synchronized." She looked at Sam. "Just have them activate the Accelerator once she counts zero." Sam nodded. He looked at Al, who had a somewhat sad expression on his face. Al shook his head slightly. "Nothing," he told him. "Don't worry. I heard her." Sam frowned, knowing Al was lying about nothing being wrong. Al gave him a gentle smile. "Go on," he told the physicist. "Go home," he said more quietly. "I'll see you in three days. Or, in your case, a few minutes." Sam nodded slowly. He went up to Al and took his hand in a firm, heartfelt handshake. Al returned the shake, looking into his friends eyes. "One minute," Ziggy counted. "You know what to do?" Sam asked more to delay the inevitable than to confirm what he already knew. Al nodded slightly. "I know what to do." The two men slowly released each other's hands, still looking into each other's eyes. There were no words to describe the sentiments of true friendship that passed between them. Al took a breath. "Go," he ordered. Sam nodded and headed for the Accelerator Chamber. The holographic Genine walked beside him, not wanting to say a word to disrupt his thoughts. Nevertheless, Sam knew what was on her mind. He smiled at her. "Go help Al," Sam told her. "The Al in your time." Genine returned the smile. "Good luck, Dr. Beckett," she said just before she disappeared through a white rectangle of light. "Twenty seconds," Ziggy warned as Sam entered the Accelerator Chamber. "Synchotron is on line," Gushie told Al, bringing him out of his thought-filled gaze at the closing Accelerator Chamber door. "Fifteen seconds," Ziggy told everyone in the Control Room as they took their places. "Get ready to fire," Gushie instructed Al. *Now I know how Donna felt when she did this*, Al thought. He placed his hand over the activation panel on the control console. "Ten seconds," Ziggy said. "Nine. Eight. Seven." "Good luck, Sam," Al whispered. "Four. Three. Two." "Firing," Al announced, placing his hand on the activation panel just as Ziggy said "zero." --------------------------- Well? Did it work? Find out in Part 23. Katherine