Message-ID: <1703519996654650224@white-star.com> From: "Carol Belyea" Subject: A Shining Star - Chapter 5 Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 23:6:50 -0600 Chapter Five Sunday was spent relatively the same way as Saturday. Carlie stayed in her room most of the time but was gathering the courage to emerge from her cave once in a while. Mostly for something to eat or drink. She engaged in very little conversation with Al that day but still, anything was a good sign. As for Al, he spent a lot of time with John. Dragging out a toy box Al kept in the hall closet, the box's contents were the main focus of Johnny's day. Usually, Al would just get down on the floor with his nephew to play with him even though it got painful for his back after a while. Basically, it was just another lazy Sunday. On Monday, Al had work to do at the project. Early that morning before Al had to leave, Donna came by to pick Johnny up. It was a little easier for Carlie with the kid around because it meant that she wasn't alone with a stranger. Once Mrs. Beckett left with her son, it was just her and Al. It made her tremble a bit. Al didn't really want to leave Carlie alone in the house. But it looked like he didn't really have much of a choice. With Carlie's promise that she'd take care of herself while he was gone, he left. As soon as the door closed and the car drove away, the teenager felt almost an overwhelming glee in her. The silence in the house made her feel free. Her snooping began in his bedroom . . . Everyday spent at the project was usually busy, though Mondays were always busiest. Since Ziggy was still in construction, all she was good for at that moment was what Sam called "regular number crunching". He was underneath the console, tweaking wires and readjusting circuitry, to hopefully improve her performance. Al rolled in and spotted the physicist's feet sticking out from underneath the juju bead console. Squinting his eyes, he approached Sam's position, being careful not to run over one of the man's feet. "Sam." Al said, trying to gain his attention. There were other technicians in the room but they all averted their gazes back to their work as soon as Al might have noticed them staring. When Sam didn't answer, but continued to twist and clank and screw the computer parts into the console, Al sighed a bit. Making his voice louder and grabbing a foot, Al almost yelled, "Sam!" Sam jerked up, yelling in pain as his head banged on the console. He crawled out from under it quickly, rubbing away at the tender spot, moaning. Finally focusing on who caused his pain, he asked impulsively, "What do you want?" Al stared at him a moment as if he were a lunatic before shrugging. "What kind of question is that? I only wanted to say hello." Sam sighed, still massaging the spot on his head. "I'm sorry. Hi, Al." He said a little more politely that he had intended before his first question. A skeptical gaze came from the man in the wheelchair as he looked up at his friend. He pointed a finger at Sam, sort of bobbing it up and down as he thought of what he was about to say. "You know," he began carefully, "I hate it when you do that." Sam's eyebrows raised up in a confused manner, completely lost on where Al was getting at. "Do what?" "That - that thing you always do when you see me." Beckett didn't really feel like wasting so much time when there was work to be done. At least it seemed like a waste of time to him. He swiftly walked around Al to get some more tools from his office. "I don't have time for this." Al's eyes followed Sam until he had to turn his chair around to keep his gaze on him. "Where are you going?" Al asked, easily keeping up with Sam's long strides; one of the advantages of being on wheels. Wordlessly, Sam picked up a cardboard box that had been sitting on the table in the office. It was overflowing with circuitry, wires and more tools. When he turned around with the heavy box in his hands, he peered over the tiny mountain of circuitry and met Al's flustered gaze. Sam rolled is eyes. "Yes, Al?" "We better talk and soon. I don't think I can stand much more of this." Sam wasn't shaken. He brushed passed Al, muttering, "You can say that again." Again, Al followed him out, growling loudly. "Fine! Fine, you don't want me around, that's just fine and dandy! I'm leaving!" Quickly setting the box down by Ziggy's console, Sam whirled around just as Al was on his way out. "You have work to do." He said forcefully. With a near smirk on his face, though still very angry, Al glared and snapped, "What are you going to do? Twist my arm behind my back and beat me with an I'm-the-boss stick? No, thank you." And he left before he could say anything. Beaten, Sam clenched his jaw and didn't bother to follow the Admiral. He stood there for a minute before picking up a sharp tool. He picked it up too quickly and with too much strength, cutting up his hand pretty nicely. He yelped in pain and out of frustration and anger, he threw the tool across the room without thinking. He nursed his hand for a minute before growling and kicking the tool box over. Why did he let things get this bad? The day really hadn't gone well beyond that argument. Sam arrived to his home, if he could call it that anymore, with a heavy heart. Three years is a long time to wait for an apology. He walked into the kitchen, knowing that he would find Donna there drinking coffee. Sure enough, there she was, her back to the kitchen doorway, in a pink robe. Sam sighed. He had missed dinner again. Why couldn't he just remember? He already left his briefcase by the door in the living room, not even thinking about the work in it as he sat down by his wife. "Donna . . ." he began softly, ready to explain. "What happened to your hand?" was the first thing out of her mouth. He looked down at the offending hand and finally noticed that he'd tended to it rather poorly for a medical doctor. He just didn't care about himself anymore. He stuttered a moment, "Oh, I, uh . . . I cut myself." She stood up. "It's going to get infected." She left the kitchen to get the first aid kit from the bathroom. She only took a second but she felt that something had suddenly changed. Returning to the kitchen, Sam no longer had a sad-sacked posture and basset hound gaze. It was Sam's face but the look was different - evil almost. Donna knew her husband very well. She was hesitant as she approached him, setting the kit down on the table where he sat. "Let me see your hand." She said softly, ready with an alcohol pad. Sam looked at her, snapping his gaze at her quickly. He narrowed his eyes a bit before slowly showing her both his hands, almost not knowing which she wanted to see. She took the once offending hand in hers, examining it carefully. The cut was gone. Donna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, biting her lip and looking toward her husband. "Guess it wasn't as bad as I thought it was." "Sam" only nodded. Again, her brows her furrowed. "You sleep on the couch again. I already laid out some blankets for you." He nodded curtly. "Fine." And he left for the living room. Donna only watched him go, crossing her arms over her chest. Something was wrong, different, and she knew it. She just wasn't sure how different or wrong. Carlie was asleep in bed by 10 o'clock. It was unusual for her, going to bed so early, but for some reason she just tuckered out. Tina had had the pleasure of baby-sitting her, but Carlie expressed little complaints towards this. The girl just didn't let anyone get in the way of what she wanted to do. Since Tina was given the day off to baby sit, she had sat on Al's couch all day, watching soaps and reading beauty magazines while Carlie snooped around Al's house. The teenager was seriously impressed by Al's wardrobe, especially his hat collection. She even tried some on. Going through closets, cupboards and boxes all day, she learned more about the Admiral. His taste in clothing was already approved. Pictures told Carlie that Al actually smiled. Those she had found in the boxes, not displayed for some reason. Tina left an hour after Carlie had went to bed. Al's niece was sound asleep. She didn't hear Al open the front door. It was late by then. He entered the house, finding it quiet as he always did but there was a different aura in the house. It was quiet, true, but there was more life to it somehow. Al felt it but he couldn't explain it. He also had too much of an ego to admit it. To settle his conscious, Al slowly crept into Carlie's room to check on her. He tried to be quiet, almost thankful that wheels didn't make noise like footsteps did. He went to her bedside and peered at her with kind eyes and a slight smile. It was then that he noticed the teddy bear she held in the crook of her arm as she slept. The sight made his heart leap a second, feeling so much sympathy for her and suddenly love as well. His smile widened ever so slightly. He brushed Carlie's hair back a bit before bending down and kissing the side of her head. Feeling once again at ease, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Things were going to be different for him now. He liked what life had given him this time. With a contented heart, after so many years, he went to bed himself. Though, he was unaware that things were about to get difficult again.