Road Trip - A Look before the Leap

The author thanks Bellasarius Productions, Universal Studios and any other creative entities responsible for Quantum Leap.

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Day Fourteen - Before the Inquisition

When morning light broke, Sam woke up no worse for wear. The couch turned out to be pretty comfortable. He looked in on Al who was still sound asleep, looking restful. Navy training made it possible for the Admiral to get up, showered and dressed in less than 15 minutes if need be, so Sam opted not to worry about waking his friend until 7:30. That would give Al an hour to get ready and for the both of them to get to the meeting.

Coffee was the first order of the day and Sam got a pot brewing. The smell brought Alex from the other bedroom still wearing Al's pajamas. Like her uncle, morning greetings were minimal. "How strong do you make your coffee?"

"Not as strong as Al, but it's drinkable."

She sat at the small dining table. "So you're not on the espresso with lemon bandwagon yet?"

"That sounds disgusting. Lemon in coffee?"

"It's very Italian. I doubt it will ever be a big thing here. We're a cream and sugar society."

Sam poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Alex. He sat across from her and asked, "Have you heard his stories about Vietnam? He won't tell me much."

"What you heard last night is about as in depth as he's gotten. I don't know if we'll ever know more than that. I'm not sure I want to anyhow." She sipped at the cup. "Sam, he looks terrible. How bad did that guy hurt him?"

"Pretty bad. After our meeting this morning I'm getting him into Bethesda for some real medical attention. He's not healing right and we have to find out why."

That's not what Alex wanted to hear. "So it's not my paranoia."

"Not unless you caught it from me."

"Can I wait here until your meeting is over? I want to go to Bethesda with you."

"Fine with me and I'm sure having you here will help me get him into Bethesda. He seems to listen to you better than he does to me."

"That's what you think." She held the mug in both hands. "He's going to be okay, right? I mean, it's just because he's a little older now and it takes more time for him to bounce back."

"I hope so. Not completely sure, but I hope so."

In the bedroom Al started to awaken. The light filtering through the curtain was soft, but it landed right on his face warming him. Rubbing his waking eyes didn't help his focus much, but he never woke up bright and cheery. He always thought a person should only see the sunrise if he had been up all night. From what he could tell, Sam and Alex were having happy conversation out in the suite. He heard the laughter and liked the sound. The idea that Sam and Alex might pair up pleased him.

They didn't see him slip into his bedroom, but they heard the shower running. Alex was the first to comment, "He showers more than any human being I have ever known. I swear he likes showers better than sex."

"That's impossible." Alex laughed out loud and Sam turned crimson. "I don't know why I always get my big foot caught in my mouth. I always do that."

"What? Tell the truth? He is who he is. Thank God he uses his power for good rather than evil."

"You're talking like Wonder Woman."

He opened the door to continuing the previous evening's debate. "Who is far more powerful than Superman."

"Not again. Wonder Woman is NOT more powerful than Superman. Everyone knows that."

"Get some Kryptonite and we'll see who's stronger."

Sam threw his hands up in defeat. "I give up. I'm going to get showered myself. I need to smell good for my meeting." He smiled at her and when she smiled back, he felt good, very, very good. "I'll, uh, be back soon."

Alex was left alone and just had to wait. So she turned on the Today Show and waited for both of her boys to get ready for their day.

Al was the first to make his way into the living room. The new suit was spectacular and Alex was most appreciative. "Wow. You been to see Luigi, haven't you."

"The man is good." He walked to her and tossed the pink tie. "Here, you always used to like to help me with my tie."

She stood in front of him. "A pink tie to talk to the feds?"

"Yeah, Lou gave me one more conservative, but I have a feeling what I look like isn't going to matter. I may as well wear what I like."

The tie was placed around his neck. "Full Windsor? That's what you used to like."

"Still do." Alex turned his collar up. "This is pretty hot looking. Great color. Love this gray. Is this the new thing now?"

"How would I know? I wear what I like."

"You wear what no one else would until they think it's okay to wear it and then you wear something else." She completed the knot and folded the collar down. "Damn, you're pretty."

He winked. "Aren't I?"

Her arms held him again. "Yes, and I love you."

It felt good, so he let her hang on. "Honey, I'm fine or I will be. I'll get better."

"They promised my parents would get better."

He sighed. "You're a bundle of joy this morning." Pulling back a little he adjusted his tie. "Would you pour me some coffee?"

Alex found another mug as Sam walked in, strutted in may be more like it. The coffee spilled over the edge of the cup. One more time Alex found reason to say, "Damn, you're pretty."

Sam winked. "Aren't I?"

"Oh, Lord, there are two of you. Just what the world needs." She shook her head at the pair. "Good luck at your meeting. It's my turn to shower. See you later, boys."

With his head tilted to the side a little Sam admired the Admiral's goddaughter. "She looks good in your pajamas."

"Hey, you be nice to me. Don't tell me stuff like that." He got up and walked to the desk. His briefcase was inspected to make sure he had what he needed. "We'd better get going."

"I'm not sure I want to do this."

"You got to face the fed heads like you own them. They're predators. If they sense fear, they'll come down on you like a mountain lion on a goat."

Sam stared and wondered, "A mountain lion on a goat? Where do you come up with this stuff?"

His brain just worked weird. Things flew into his head and he never always knew from where. "If I knew, Sam, I'd try to stop it. Trust me. It isn't such a good thing." He put on his overcoat. "Come on. We'll be late."

In a few minutes they were on the street walking in the cold November morning toward their meeting. "So, Al, what's your gut feeling here? Do we have a project?"

"I don't know, kid. I hope so. You deserve it."

They got to the corner and when the light changed, Al took his time looking both ways before stepping out. At first Sam thought it was just a good safe practice to adopt, but it was completely unlike the Admiral. Sam watched his friend carefully. "Yeah, we both do."

His head hurt a lot, so Al let Sam get a step ahead of him. Once he saw Sam step up the curb, he had his bearings and followed right behind him. "So, do you want to give the opening statement or should I?"

"You do it, if they want one. I have a feeling this meeting won't last long."

"What are we going to do if they deny funding?"

We'll raise the money ourselves."

The idea was absurd. "All 43 billion?"

"We'll have to change a lot of things, but we'll do it. You're going to travel through time."

They walked the next few blocks in silence. They turned a corner and their building loomed ahead. It made Sam stop dead in his tracks. Al kept going, not noticing his friend's absence from his side. Another curb confronted him, but he didn't see it and he kicked the toe of his shoe into the concrete and almost fell forward. "Shit."

Sam reached out to grab the Admiral's coat. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, damn it."

"Didn't you see the curb?"

"I got a lot on my mind."

As much as he didn't want to, Sam thought it best to talk about after the meeting. "The other day I told you I wanted to check you into Bethesda Naval Hospital. I haven't changed my mind. You're having some trouble and we need to find out what it is."

About three steps later Al mumbled, "Okay, this afternoon we'll go."

Al's willingness to go pleased Sam almost as much as it concerned him. Al hated hospitals, yet he pretty readily agreed to go. Even Al knew something wasn't right and from Sam's perspective it seemed like the Admiral was having trouble focusing. At this point Sam wasn't sure if it was something with Al's vision or with his cognition. The importance of the project diminished with his apprehension over the Admiral's condition. The road trip taught him that much at least. Al was priority now, not Quantum Leap and Sam was fine with that. A few weeks earlier, his feelings would have been more mixed. The trip had done a lot of harm, but a lot of good came out of it as well. He wanted the good to be overwhelming, but that decision wasn't his to make.

They walked into the empty conference room, their steps echoing against the ancient marble floors. The table waited for them. A pitcher and a pair of water glasses perched on a tray in the middle. Al took a seat first, leaving Sam to sit closer to the aisle. "Don't let them think you're nervous. They have to see that we're confident and capable of pulling off Quantum Leap."

"Are we?"

The Admiral shot a glance at the scientist that had daggers. "I'm putting my . . ." he stopped to find a better word, "career on the line for you here, kid. You'd better be capable."

Sam was surprised at the strong reaction. "I was just joking."

Al felt sheepish. "I'm not. This is too important, Sam. We have to get this funding."

The door at the other end of the room opened and seven somber men and women entered. Their faces were flat, telegraphing nothing. Once they found their seats, Senator Summerfield began to speak. "Welcome back, gentlemen. I would like to begin by telling you, Admiral Calavicci, how pleased we are to see you here. We were all concerned when we heard about the attempt on your life. It's good to have you here looking well, if not military. I don't think I've ever seen you on Capitol Hill out of uniform."

The Calavicci charm clicked in and any aches, pains, uncertainties, or doubts flew out the window. "I mean no disrespect, Senator. My uniform was destroyed in the incident and I haven't received the replacement yet. I hope my attire is appropriate."

Senator Summerfield smiled, "Entirely appropriate, Admiral. The pink tie is a nice touch."

Al sat back in his chair and relaxed. He leaned toward Sam and whispered, "We got it."

Sam whispered back. "I know."

The Senator began to speak. "We have had two weeks to reorganize a bit. Senator O'Reilly discovered his calendar was too full to give Quantum Leap the attention it deserved. I want to welcome Senator Caleb Henry to the committee." She pulled some papers out from a folder in front of her. "We don't have a lot on the docket today, though. Senator Henry has been briefed fully on Quantum Leap and I think we're ready for our vote. Before we continue, Admiral Calavicci or Dr. Beckett, would either of you like to address the committee?"

Al leaned into the microphone. "Thank you, Senator Summerfield, but unless you have any additional questions, I think you've heard all we have to say."

"I'm glad to hear that." The Senator laughed, putting her hands out to her sides pointing to the other members of the committee. "Unlike you, Admiral, none of us are rocket scientists and to be honest, it's not the how of Quantum Leap that we are voting on. It is what we hope to see as results." She stopped to take a breath and finally letting her smile give away the good news. "I suppose I can't keep it from you any longer, nor should I. Congratulations. You have a project, gentlemen. Be true to your mission and you will achieve the most dramatic science the world has conceived."

Sam ebullience was uncontrolled. He jumped to his feet and cheered like his team just won the divisional title. Al's reaction was more subdued, but in some ways more powerful. The Admiral's hand covered his face, his eyes closed and he sighed. He squared his shoulders, pulled Sam back down into his seat and said, "Thank you all. You will not be disappointed."

The committee chair looked at her friend and told him, "Admiral, you are many things, but disappointing has yet to be on that list. As for you Dr. Beckett, your Noble Prize work speaks for itself. When we awarded this grant, the consensus was that this country needs to keep you two gentlemen together. Both of you have proven creativity, extraordinary minds, a dedication to work toward bettering our world. It is as much for those reasons as for anything presented in your documentation that we are willing to risk 43 billion dollars. So, start looking for a location. This meeting is adjourned."

Al kept seated trying to absorb the enormity of the grant and of the past two weeks, but Sam still had youthful exuberance on his side. He popped back up to his feet and began shaking the hands of all the committee members.

Janet Summerfield made her way to a very somber Al. "You're not happy?"

His eyes didn't look up. "I didn't think we'd get it. I thought with everything that's been in the press you wouldn't want to give me a dime let alone a third of the national debt."

"The committee had that conversation, Al. I'll admit it, but we looked closely at the work A.J. Chegwidden has done and at your history. When you were a kid, you may not have always made the best decisions, but you learned from them. Anyhow, we also looked at the history of the man accusing you. With his background I'm floored that he was even let into the Navy. Chegwidden is going to get him good and I'm glad."

"Me, too. Thanks, Janet."

She took his hand. "My pleasure, Al. Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to talk to your partner." Janet wandered to the other side of the room where Sam was engaged in conversation. Al stayed put. The project was theirs. He didn't have to fake feeling better than he did. Resting up a day or so in Bethesda Naval Hospital sounded almost good.

Sam and Senator Summerfield moved to a far corner. She slipped a box into his hand and patted him on the back. "You're a good man, Dr. Beckett."

Looking back at the Admiral he told her, "I learned from the best."

The room emptied. Sam and Al walked out into the corridor to find Gooshie sitting on a bench waiting for them. "Hello, gentlemen! So, when do you begin work?"

Stopping in his tracks, Sam said, "Gooshie! You're back."

Al was surprised. He asked Sam, "Did you know he would be here?"

Shaking his head, Sam talked to the programmer with bad breath. "How was Tibet?"

"An experience of a lifetime. I highly recommend it to both of you. I hear you got your funding and I've decided that I want to be part of Quantum Leap. When do I begin?"

Al had damned this little guy for most of the week and now he was confronted with that bug-eyed face being part of his life for years. "Right now, but I hope you're a better programmer than you are a travel agent."

Gooshie had a naïveté that was almost child-like. No wonder he and Sam got along so well. "Oh I didn't ask. How was your trip to Indiana?"

The aching Admiral groused, "The most fun I've had since '73."

"But in 1973 you were in prison in Vietnam."

"Well, at least you're quick."

Their new employee seemed sad. "Oh dear. It didn't work. You aren't better friends."

Sam put his hand on Al's shoulder. "We didn't need to be better friends, Gooshie. We needed to become brothers and I think we did."

The words were true and gave Al another reason to believe his world was changing for the better. "Yeah, we almost did." Sam was crushed, but the Admiral continued. "The trip isn't over yet. We have one more stop."

They left Gooshie and walked out of the building. Sam was still confused. "I don't get it, Al. I thought we got really close this week."

"There's one more thing we need to do." His hand reached out to the down button on the elevator and missed it by an inch. "Fuck." The third try lit the light and when they got outside, Al told Sam, "Let's go to the Wall."

Sam gasped. "Really? You want to visit the Wall with me?"

"If I can go to the wall for you, I can go to the Wall with you. I want to see Tom's name."

They reached the corner and waited for the light to change. Sam saw Al tentatively step down the curb. The Admiral kept close to Sam's side as if he needed the guidance. Sam moved toward Tom's name. Thomas J. Beckett, the name was at Al's eye level and Sam touched it with reverence. "It's right here."

The Admiral placed his hand by Sam's and traced the letters. "I'm sorry, Sam."

"I would do anything to have Tom back, but I know I have another brother, one that Tom would really like. Blood doesn't make family, Al. It's the commitment you make to each other. So yeah, I have a brother in you, just like you have daughter in Alex."

He heard Sam, but everything started getting muddled. Al became anxious. The Wall had his heart and soul at that moment. "It shouldn't have happened to any of them. It shouldn't have happened to any of them." His face was inches from the gray stone. Tom Beckett's name filled his field of vision. But there were thousands of other names on that Wall. It took all the courage in his body to look at the name and then to another and then the next one. The next name he saw choked him - Reuben Cole. An angry fist clenched, rose up and pounded against the granite. "God damn it, Reuben."

Sam pulled Al from the Wall and tried to comfort him. "Oh, Al, we didn't need to do this."

"He was in a camp with me. I got really sick, bad fevers. It was supposed to be my turn to get beaten, but he wouldn't let them take me. He went in my place. All I could hear was him screaming. It was supposed to be me." His face went blank with memory. "I never saw him again. Like you said, Sam, blood doesn't make family." Both hands pushed at the pain in his head and Sam heard him mumbling, "Reuben, I'm sorry. It should have been me."

Sam began to understand why Al never came with him to the monument. There was no arrogance in the act. It was self preservation. He decided to divert Al's attention. "I have something for you. I'm not sure if this is the right time to do this or if it's the right place." The box Janet Summerfield gave him appeared in his hand. "This is for you, but you need to take it from my hand."

The box was just out of reach. "What kind of game is this?"

"No game. Take the box."

"What is it?"

"I asked Senator Summerfield if she could help me get all your ribbons replaced. This is a new medal rack. You've earned these ribbons with every breath you've taken since the day you were born. Now, if you want them, you have to take them from me."

"That's really nice of you, Sam. Replacing them like that. It means a lot."

"They were lost saving my sister's life. I wish there was a ribbon for that. Now, I'm asking you again to take the box from my hand."

He knew what Sam was doing. "Okay, so you figured out I'm having trouble with my eyes."

"How bad?"

The smile was forced but also pure Calavicci. "I can still sort of see out of the right one. The left one is useless. It's a bad light show, but nothing else."

"Damn him. I hope Chuck fries. We have to get to Bethesda now."

Al took Sam's elbow. "I guess the road trip is over."

Sam flagged down a cab. "Yeah, it's over. We got a bigger trip to plan."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: All rights to this story are reserved. Neither the whole nor parts (with exception of short excerpts for review purposes) may be published elsewhere without written permission from the author. Thank you.