Chapter 39

Ralph Hinkley found himself standing in front of a mirror in a simply furnished room and looking at the image of a stranger. The door of the waiting room opened and in walked Al as he just left Dr. Beckett.

Al looked to Ralph and started, "My name is Admiral Allen (Alivinnci)?. You are part of a government experiment called Project Quantum Leap. The image you see in the mirror is of a man named Dr. Samuel Beckett. He is currently living your life in 1984. Today's date is July 4th the year 2000."

Ralph asked, "Where is Sam?"

"Sam Beckett is in your life." he assured. "He's there to help but we are trying to figure out just what he is there to do."

"No, Sam Hawke." he clarified. "Dr. Samantha Hawke." He cocked his head, "Did you say it's the year 2000?"

"Yes," Al replied. "Dr. Samantha Hawke. I don't know who that is and neither does our computer. Can you tell me who she is?"

"She's undercover as a student in my class." he replied. "Sam Santini."

Al perked up, "Oh…I just saw her walk in. Can you tell us about the money Sam found in your drawer?"

"The money Sam brought?" he asked.

"Which Sam are talking about?" Al asked.

"My Sam. Samantha." he clarified. "I want to see her." He then recalled, "If I'm in the year two thousand then she is just a baby." he made a face.

Al clarified, "The project is run by an A.I. named Ziggy. She thinks there is another time traveler based on the bills that Sam found in your desk. My Sam found! Ziggy just went through the kids in your class. All have history but Miss Santini who I am assuming is actually Samantha Hawke. Where did that money come from and are we dealing with another time traveler?"

Ralph asked, "Who are you working for?"

"Project Quantum Leap but I report to the D.O.D.." he informed.

Ralph went tightlipped. "I'm not telling you guys anything then."

Al informed, "Dr Beckett is a boy scout. He's there to help. If you don't cooperate then you might stuck like this. We have no idea why Sam leaped into you but we did find that money and we suspect another time traveler. Do you know of another time traveler?"

Ralph nodded, "Yes."

"Is it the girl?" he asked.

"Dr. Samantha Hawke. She's from the year 2022." he told him.

Al gasped, "She further into the future than we are?"

"The money was an accident. She didn't intend to spend it. I'm trying to help her get it back." he informed.

Al asked, "What's her project?"

"Project?" Ralph asked.

"Her project! What's it's name?" he questioned.

He admitted, "It doesn't have a name. She invented an engine that caused a wormhole to develop. I'm not telling you anything more until I see her."

The hand unit lit up. He looked at the report, "Apparently she can see us. She's on the same brain wave as Sam."

Ralph asked, "That would be which Sam again?"

"Sam Beckett." he informed. He then realized, "She saw me! The kid saw me and acted like I wasn't even there." The waiting room door slid open, "Gushy will tend to your needs. You need anything to eat, just let us know." He stepped outside the door and left to go back to the imagining room.

1984

Dr. Beckett found himself behind the wheel of a small school bus as he drove the class to the fire station. Tony sat next to Samantha Hawke as Rhonda glared at him from across the aisle.

Sam Hawke made a mental note, "Find out who Rhonda married and fix her up early."

Dr. Beckett pulled the bus into L.A. Fire Station 51. He parked behind the building as Ralph apparently was friends with the Chief. A tall dark haired man wearing a blue fire fighter uniform emerged from the side door. His name badge read Gage.

The door of the bus opened and the class filed out. Captain Johnny Cage found himself the chief fire firefighter at his old station house. He invited a few friends to help with the tour and teach the first aid class. Captains Roy DeSoto and Chester "Chet" Kelly. The three men stood in uniform and watched as the students disembarked.

Captain Johnny Gage approached Dr. Beckett. He saw the image of Ralph before him. "Mr. Hinkley!" he offered a hand. "Good to see you again."

"Good to see you too." Dr. Beckett shook his hand and noted the name badge.

Al then emerged once more. He knew Samantha Hawke could see him and Dr. Beckett. "Sam!" he called.

Both Dr. Beckett and Dr. Hawke looked to him.

He clarified to her, "My Sam!"

As Dr. Beckett tried to meet the firefighters, Al was trying to fill him in.

Captain Gage introduced the men, "Class, these are my co-instructors: Captain Roy DeSoto and Captain Chet Kelly. I'm Captain Johnny Gage and we will be instructing you in advanced first aid for your school project."

The class moaned slightly.

Karl asked, "Can we drive a fire truck?"

Captain Gage stated, "No!"

Captain Kelly, a shorter man with dark hair and a mustache promised, "If you kids do well maybe you can get a ride in the fire truck."

Rhonda huffed, "We're not five year olds."

Sam Hawke admitted, "I would like a ride in a fire truck."

Rhonda rolled her eyes, "Well…most of us are not five."

Al spoke, "Sam! She's another time traveler. Mr. Hinkley knows who she is. Her name is Dr. Samantha Hawke and her project is operating in the year 2022. We've crossed paths, Sam!"

Dr. Beckett looked to Dr. Hawke. He gave a nod in understanding and then instructed, "I'll let the Captains show the class around." He stepped back as the three firefighters led the class inside the station house. He lingered back to speak to Al without the others hearing. "What happened? Is she a leaper too?"

Sam Hawke made a face as she could hear the conversation behind her, "Leaper?"

"She can see and hear both of us, Sam. She's on the same brain wave as you. Because she is from 2022 we cannot get anything on her. Hinkley said she brought the money and he is trying to help her return it. There was some kind of accident."

"She's here physically! Not leaping?" he asked.

"Yes!" he nodded. "And she can see and hear us." he reminded him.

Sam Hawke glanced over her shoulder at the pair, "You don't have to act like I'm not here."

Sam Beckett asked, "What's her objective?"

Al replied, "Unknown."

Sam Hawke slipped back and found herself walking between Dr. Beckett and Al walking down the hallway. She informed, "My objective was to make a warp drive engine. I had a power surge, it over loaded, broke containment and created a wormhole."

Sam Beckett gasped, "Oh' boy!"

Later

Dr. Beckett drove the school bus back after the trip to the fire station. The students had been given first aid books to read, first aid supplies and CPR mask along with a CPR dummy to practice on in class.

Sam Hawke glanced over at Rhonda who had her nose buried in the first aid book. She knew it would spark her interest. She decided to take seat by Rhonda as Tony sat closer to the back to lay down and take a nap across two seats. She slid over and sat beside the girl. "You interested in medicine?" she asked.

"Medicine?" she asked her.

"That's what first aid kind of is." she told her. "You know a lot of doctors start out just taking a simple first aid class."

Rhonda asked, "Are we suddenly friends now?"

She replied, "I'm not your enemy. I would like to be friends."

"After you steal my boyfriend." she accused.

She replied, "I doubt Tony is the kind of guy who will marry, have kids and settle down. He's the kind of guy who open a garage and work there day and night on pet projects."

She had to agree, "I know he is."

She asked, "What do you see yourself doing when you get out of high school?"

"I don't know. Get a job at the mall." she assumed.

She insisted, "You could do so much more, Rhonda. You are pretty smart."

She shook her head, "I can't go to college and become a doctor."

"Why not?" she wondered.

"I can't read very well. They say I have dyslexia. I can't become a doctor with that." she insisted.

She smirked, "Really! Did you know Albert Einstein had dyslexia?"

Rhonda replied surprised, "No!"

She nodded, "He had trouble reading too. That didn't stop him."

Dr. Beckett was listening to the conversation behind him between Dr. Hawke and Rhonda Blake. He glanced up in the mirror and gave a smile for he had helped someone with a similar problem and used the same example.

Sam Hawke added, "Stringfellow Hawke, he was a combat medic in Nam. He could easily be a paramedic on life flight. In EMT class during…" she caught herself.

"EMT class?" Rhonda asked.

"Emergency Medical Technician. A medic." she told her. "Captains Gage and DeSoto are both paramedics. Remember, they told us they rode in the rescue truck together." she reminded her.

She nodded, "I remember."

She smiled, "Must be cool to be a paramedic like that." Sam Hawke's imagination ran wild.

Rhonda told her, "But women don't becomes firefighters?"

"Says who?' she bulked. "Women can be firefighters, pilots, doctors, paramedics, chefs, own our business…fly in air shows…" she grinned. She noted, "Dom…my dad…" she caught herself, "hired a new stunt pilot today. His name is MacGyver. Everyone calls him 'Mac.' He's a good looking guy." she had to admit. "He knows how to do all these hacks. He showed me how to do some. Even gave me his pocket knife." She dug the knife out of her pocket, "Showed me how to use it."

Rhonda cocked an eyebrow, "Girls don't carry a pocket knife, Sam."

She slid the knife back into her pocket. "My mom carries a pocket knife all the time. She's got what they call a rescue knife. It has a one blade and a special notch for cutting seat belts and on the end is a hard little piece of steel you can shatter a windshield with. It clips onto her jeans pocket."

Rhonda asked, "Where is your mom?"

"She's home." she replied.

Curios Rhonda asked, "What does your mom do?"

"She's a pilot." she replied. "She was a stunt pilot for a long time."

Rhonda asked, "You mom is a stunt pilot?" She smiled, "Your mom sounds cool."

She agreed, "She is!"

Dr. Beckett noted they missed returning to school in time for lunch. He decided to pull into a local diner. "We'll eat lunch here, class." he announced.

The students were hungry. Karl stated, "You didn't say to bring extra money for lunch, Mr. H."

Sam Beckett assured, "I will get the bill."

The students all cheered, "Yay!"

Sam Beckett noticed Tony was still asleep as he parked. He figured, "I better wake Tony up."