From: aa811@cleveland.freenet.edu (Terri M. Librande) Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: No Escape From Reality Part 13 Date: 17 Apr 1993 17:39:32 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA) Lines: 176 Message-Id: <1qpfck$2n8@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> Nntp-Posting-Host: thor.ins.cwru.edu Part 13: "I'm here, kid," Al said softly, for Sam's ears only. "We'll get out of this somehow. Now, enough of the mushy stuff, okay?" He pulled away, his hands still gripping the younger man's upper arms. "You look great. Just fine. Frowning, Sam tookin the scorched clothing and his friend's uncustomarily rumpled exterior. "What the hell did they do to you? How did you get here?" His firey gaze flashed to Picard. "You could've killed him! I would have told you everything. EVERYTHING!! You didn't have any reason ..." "Sam." Al touched the face of the man in front of him, turning his attention back to him. "All right, kiddo. I used the Accelerator." "You did _what_??" "I'm not a parrot, and I don't need to repeat myself." Flashing a look at Worf, who was hovering dangerously near, the Admiral snapped, sick of the sight of security and the strangers hovering near them during this personal reunion. "DO YOU MIND????" "My God, Al, you saw what happened with me and the Accelerator! I can't believe... "Kid, we thought you were lost to us, and I had to find out for myself. Don't lecture me, or tell me it was the wrong thing to do. All in all, a rather interesting experience, but not one I'm likely to repeat, so let put this all behind us and find a way to get the hell out of here, wherever 'here' is. I don't like these nozzles, Sam." He eyed Worf, who looked as if he were about to growl. "Especially the Terminator, here. They all give me the creeps." Guinan moved across the room to face off with Picard. "That was completely uncalled for, Captain." She pointed at Worf, her eyes bright with anger. "We were on our way here and that...that..." "Guinan, calm yourself. Mr. Worf, thank you for assisting Dr. Beckett in his surrender, and I'm sure you did it with only the best of intentions. Dismissed." "You could've been killed," Sam muttered at his partner, keeping his voice low. "I'm glad to see you, but..." "You okay, Sam? That ape didn't break any of your bones, did he?" Al frowned at the look of wincing pain that crossed his friend's face for a moment. "What's wrong? You hurting?" "My head..." He brushed away Al's hand from his temple as if it were an annoying insect. "It's nothing." "The last time you said that we had to call an ambulance." Glancing at Picard, Al's lips tightened. It looked as if he had to place an ounce of trust in the Captain, whether he liked it or not. "He needs a doctor." "Like hell I do." "Quit whining, Sam." Al kept his hand lightly on Sam's head as he spoke. "If there's something wrong with you that these people caused I'm going to nail their balls to the wall." "I've called Dr. Crusher," Picard interjected icily. "The medical team should arrive shortly. It appears you two do know each other, and I demand an explanation." "Well, it's really very simple." A wide and innocent gaze from Al made Picard bristle. "Once upon a time there was this little Jewish guy named Einstien and he created the big bang theory of immovable objects, much like yourself." "I've had enough of the insults, and accusations, Admiral." Picard's face was maddona calm, sensing the stranger's true concern for Beckett. "I'm not out to hurt either of you, or to keep you both here forever. As a matter of fact, the sooner you leave for your own time, the better. My only concern right now is for Dr. Beckett's health. Possibly there may be a flux in time that is causing his headache--or it might be normal stress." "It's just tension." Sam winced as a wave of nausea touched him. He hadn't felt this bad prior to the last hour or so. The arms encircling him were warm and comforting. "You look like you went through a fire," he commented to Al, grinning as best he could at his friend. "Must've been the Accelerator. No time for a fermisuit, kiddo. My best outfit, too!" "That can be remedied." Picard glanced up as Crusher and the team entered. The doctor knelt by her patient, scanning him with her monitor, frowing at the readings. "It's back to Sickbay with you, my friend," she said, trying to give Sam a confident smile. Suddenly she noticed Al, who was giving her his best appraising gaze, from toes to head. "I don't think we've been introduced." "And here I thought you were a wrestler, with a name like Crusher..." "Dr. Beverly Crusher, Admiral Albert Calavicci," Picard said, frowning at the older man's interested appraisal of his chief medical officer. "But you can call me Al...Beautiful." Trying hard to stifle the snort of laughter that threatened to break free, Sam dipped his head,shaking it slowly from side to side. Time travel hadn't changed his friend an iota. Yet another wave of pain made him lean heavily on Al, closing his eyes as it passed. Thank God he was there, Sam thought. If he wasn't, with this new twist, the pain in his head growing more wild, he'd be more afraid than ever of what would become of him. Al kept his contact with Sam, a hand gripping his shoulder, as he was taken to Sickbay. Not for a moment did his intense gaze leave Picard. Despite Sam's words, the older man didn't trust the Captain. The only person he could relate to was the short woman who had defended Sam in the ready room. She went along with the rest, staying at Al's side, taking his arm without asking, not unpleasant. Not a bit, actually. He even managed to give her a smile. "We haven't been properly introduced." "My name is Guinan, and you look like you could use a drink." "Several." The alcohol he'd consumed prior to his Leap had left no lingering effects. One good thing about the Accelerator, he noted-- a sure fire hangover cure. "Well, while Dr. Crusher is checking over our friend here, I can order you something and you can sit and talk to me." "No, that won't be possible." Al glanced at Sam; he could tell by his friend 's expression he was trying vainly to keep his pain to himself. "I'm not leaving him alone." They entered the Sickbay, Al sticking to Sam like the proverbial; glue, forcing Crusher to check her patient over with his stoic presence hovering over her every move. "I've just about had enough," she said, turning to face the Admiral. "You know, there's a certain way your eyes light up when you're angry. It's a real turn on." "Admiral..." The Captain's voice directly behind the other man was no nonsense. Just as he was about to add more, another jolt rocked the ship, causing everyone to grab onto the nearest stationary object for dear life until it passed. The very moment of the displacement, Sam felt the pain increase, twisting like a knife in his head. Unable to maintain consciousness, he let the darkness take him away, barely feeling Al's firm grip on him, keeping his body on the bed where he lay. "What the hell was that?" Al roared, as the rocking ceased. "Another problem, Admiral," the Captain drily answered, recovering from his near slide to the deck. "The planet below us is emitting waves of time displacement and is causing our maneuvering to be less than perfect." Al took the information stoically, trying to understand all this newness as best he could. Turning back to Sam and the doctor, his eyes widened with alarm. His friend lie as still as death, barely breathing, head lax against the pillow. "What happened," he gasped, addressing the doctor. "I...I don't know!" She glanced at the scanner above the unconscious man, her eyes taking in every bit of information. "When we were hit by the displacement, he passed out. His neural pathways are fluxing in a rhythum with the planet as if...." "They are connected." Guinan braced on the end of the bed, taking in the group around it. Her gaze settled on the Captain and Al. "We have to talk, Captain...you too, Admiral." more to come.... -- "Girls who have glasses have lots & lots of energy!" Al--Single Drop of Rain Terri Librande aa811@cleveland.Freenet.edu--Assistant Sysop The Science Fiction and Fantasy Sig--Go SCIFI