Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 17:19:50 -0500 (CDT)
From: 2EI5ZEMANP@vms.csd.mu.edu
Subject: "In Your Eyes" - Part I
Message-Id: <01H46S9HTGJ090NLAT@vms.csd.mu.edu>

Dedicated to Dana, for without her, I would never have had those happy times.
                                       
                                  IN YOUR EYES
				     Part 1
                                 By Philip Zeman
                            2ei5zemanp@vms.csd.mu.edu
					 

     As the electric blue vanished into nothingness, Dr. Sam Beckett found the
nothingness swim before his eyes for a moment.  Then, after details came into
focus, he found himself at a table in an unfamiliar restaurant.  He
instinctively looked down and saw himself in a black sport coat and grey
slacks.  "I'm a man," he thought, relieved.  Then he glanced at the other
people at the table, all unfamiliar to him.  Two ladies and one man, or should
he say, two girls and one man.  They had to have been in high school, which
made him -- he didn't know, but the thought of being a teenager again wasn't
the greatest thing in the world.
     "Neal?  Are you all right?" one of the girls said.  She had brown,
semi-long hair, and was wearing a black dress.
     "I'm sorry, what did you say?" asked Sam.
     "I said I'm enjoying being a senior.  What about you?  You enjoying
school?"
     "Oh, well, it's, um, different."  `So I'm in high school, probably a
senior.  It could be worse,' Sam thought.  Then he glanced down at his empty
plate, and he caught a faint image of somebody who could not have been a
senior.  `Oh, my God!  It's... me!'

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *
  
     After Sam got over the initial shock, he calmed down.  `OK, it's not me,
but I was young when I was in high school, and this Neal looks no older than
15.  I think I was only that old when I was a senior.  Where is Al?  I could
use him right about now.'
     "So, you are enjoying your senior year?  Well, um, make the most of it,"
Sam suggested, for lack of anything better to say.
     "Well, you made the most of your last year," said the other guy at the
table.  "Remember the musical together?"
     "Yeah, you and Tom had a blast in `Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'," 
responded the other female, shorter than, well, whoever seemed to be Neal's 
date.  "You were a great preacher, even though you couldn't sing."
     Venturing a guess, Sam replied, "Yeah, but Tom here was great in his part
as--"
     Tom broke in, "--a suitor.  Yep, that was a great time.  And you, Karen,
did a great job with props."  Tom smiled at the shorter girl, who was obviously
Karen.  But where was Al?
     Simultaneously, Al appeared as the Waiting Room door opened with a FWOOSH!
and the waiter brought the group's food, setting a bowl of ravioli in front of
Sam.
     "Ah, Italian food!  I just love Italian food, especially when an Italian
waitress brings dessert!"
     "Al!" Sam whispered fiercely.
     "Did you say something, Neal?" his date asked.
     "Al, uh, I'll be right back, would you excuse me?"
     "Sure thing."
     Sam got up and motioned for Al to follow him into the men's room.  "About
time Al.  Who am I?  Where am I?  When?"
     "Oh, aren't you the inquisitor tonight?  Maybe you should asked what you
are." Al seemed to be enjoying himself.
     "I know what I am, Al.  I'm a high school kid, probably junior.  I can't
be much older than 15.  Am I me?  I mean, is Neal like me?  Going to school at
an early age?"  Sam looked in the mirror, and a young face stared back at him.  
     "No Sam.  Neal Phillips is a freshman - in college."
     "In college?  At 15?  Then he is like me!"
     "Guess again.  Neal is 18 years old."
     "I'm 18?" Sam asked, incredulous.
     "Yep," Al replied.  "Ah, to look that young.  I'd kill to have those 
youthful looks - when I'm older, of course.  Just think of all the younger 
women that I could"
     Sam gave Al a Look.  "Okay, Al, enough.  So my name is Neal Phillips. 
What year is it?"
     "It's October 19, 1992, at Luigi's, a fine Italian restaurant.  You are
in Milwaukee, WI, and you are here with your, I mean Neal's, date Janet Wills.
You are doubling with Tom Cam- Camp-" Al whacked the hand link.  "Tom Campbell 
and his date Karen Geiler."
     "What's the occasion?"
     "Don't know yet.  I haven't talked with Neal yet, so I'm heading back. 
In the meantime, remember, you are a college freshman, and you may not have
seen these people in a while, so if you wing it, it should be all right.  Oh,
and Sam?" Al paused.  "Smile!  Janet's your girlfriend!"  And with that Al
disappeared.
     `Great.  I'm on a date with somebody's girlfriend, and I look like a
little kid.'  Turning his eyes skyward, he said, "You have a great sense of
humor.  How does Neal deal with this?"