QUANTUM LEAP

"The End Is Just The Beginning"

(A Quantum Leap/Time Tunnel Crossover)

By J. B. Tilton

Email: noazmale

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: "Quantum Leap" and all related characters and events are the property of Donald Bellisario and the NBC Network, and "The Time Tunnel" and all related characters and events are the property of Irwin Allen and 20th Century Fox, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

Has Sam finally had the leap he's been wishing for since he first stepped into the quantum accelerator? The leap home?

ONE

Sam Beckett looked around. All he could see was a field of bluish-white. There had been a moment of disorientation. A slight dizziness and then a vague sensation of being pulled somewhere. He had gotten used to it. He had been leaping for – he really didn't know how long. Time didn't hold the same meaning for him as it did for "normal" people. For quite a while his hadn't been a linear existence.

He waited a few moments for something to happen. He should be appearing somewhere soon. Once he had fixed whatever had gone wrong he would be wrenched from where he was and transported to another time; another place. Usually it was instantaneous, at least from his perspective. But he knew that was only an illusion for him. He could have been bouncing around in time for days or even weeks before coming to rest in whatever new time he arrived in.

The last thing he remembered was visiting Al's first wife. The one that had moved on believing he had died during the war. But that seemed like a lifetime ago. Somehow he knew he had been able to set things right for Al. His wife had waited for him to be repatriated five years later. At least Sam had been able to correct that one mistake for his best friend. But then – what?

He tried to speak but nothing came out. That seemed odd. He physically moved through time. He should have been able to speak. As he thought about it, it also occurred to him that he couldn't feel his arms or legs. Or any portion of his body. That didn't make sense. He was thinking. He could see the bluish-white field all about him. He must have a body. So why couldn't he feel it?

Was he dead? Was this what the afterlife – if there was one – was like? That didn't seem right either. To sit suspended in some nether region incapable of moving or speaking or doing even the most mundane tasks? He couldn't be sure, of course. But something in the back of his mind told him he wasn't dead.

So what? All of his – years – of leaping through time had not prepared him for this. Whatever this was. Wherever this was. If it was somewhere. Maybe he had leapt outside the time stream. Suspended in some otherworldly region or dimension that existed outside of normal time and space. Einstein's Theory of Relativity had postulated other dimensions. Was that what this was? One of the other dimensions that made up time and space?

Was that a voice? It sounded like someone speaking. But he couldn't make out what it was saying. As if it were being muffled through some great barrier and only the sound of the voice – not the distinct words being spoken – were able to penetrate the barrier. At least he could hear. And he could see. But why couldn't he do anything else?

Suddenly he heard the voice again. It seemed more distinct this time. As if the barrier between them was somehow becoming less and less pronounced. He still couldn't hear any specific words. But the voice seemed louder. Perhaps closer. Whoever – whatever – it was seemed to be moving toward him. Or was he moving toward it? He had no way to know. No discernible point of reference to gauge if he was moving at all.

Suddenly his mind began to swim. He found it hard to concentrate. It wasn't the same sensation he felt when he leaped. It was different. As if his spirit were leaving his body. Almost like he was falling . . . .

Suddenly, Sam Beckett lost consciousness.

"Dr. Beckett?"

Sam opened his eyes and looked around. His vision was blurry. All he could make out were vague, indistinct shapes around him. He seemed to be lying on his back. Which meant he would be looking up. But that didn't help. One of the shapes seemed to be standing over him, moving slightly.

"Dr. Beckett, can you hear me?"

The voice was unfamiliar. It was clear enough. He could hear each word distinctly. He tried to speak but nothing came out. He looked around. His vision didn't seem to be clearing up. He could hear movement around him. As if there were other people in the room with him. But he couldn't tell what any of them were doing.

"Dr. Beckett," came the voice again. "You won't be able to speak for a bit. Don't be concerned. This is normal. If you can hear me, just nod your head."

Almost instinctively Sam nodded. It was a man's voice. He could hear other voices now. They were talking about normal alpha wave patterns, blood pressure, heart rate: all of the normal chatter that would go on in an operating room. Was he having surgery?

"All readings are nominal," said another, female, voice. "He'll be fine. He'll just need to adjust."

"Dr. Beckett," said the first voice. "My name is Dr. Parker. I'm a physician. You're going to be fine. You'll be disoriented for a while. Don't be alarmed. That's to be expected. You'll be up and about in no time. But you need to rest for now. Don't worry. Your vitals are all good. You're a doctor so you should understand. You're perfectly safe. You're among friends. Just relax and get some sleep. You'll be back to normal in no time."

Sam closed his eyes. He was so very tired. That had never happened during a leap. And the voice. Dr. Parker. He had called him "Dr. Beckett". Did this Dr. Parker know who he really was? Or had he leaped into some other Dr. Beckett? He didn't know. And at the moment, he didn't care. All he wanted to do was sleep. He relaxed and let himself slip away into unconsciousness. There would be time for answers later.

Sam opened his eyes and looked around. His vision was blurry at first but it cleared up quickly. He seemed to be lying in a bed. A hospital bed. He was dressed in the typical hospital gown worn by patients. He was also hooked up to a variety of machines. Most of them he recognized. An EEG machine that registered his brainwave pattern, an EKG machine that showed the rhythm of his heartbeat, and there was also a blood pressure monitor.

He tried to sit up but immediately became dizzy. At almost the same instant he could hear a very distinctive beeping sound. He looked over at the EKG machine. It was flashing wildly and the beeping seemed to be coming from it. He relaxed and almost instantly the beeping stopped and the flashing ceased. It wasn't more than a moment or two when a women dressed like a nurse came in the room. She stepped up to the bed and looked down at Sam.

"Well, it's about time you were awake," she said, as if they were old friends. "Dr. Parker will be right here. Just lie there for a few moments. You had us worried. We were beginning to think you might never wake up."

"Where?" began Sam, trying to ask where he was.

His voice was raspy. And it hurt to talk. He couldn't get out more than that single word.

"You're in a medical facility in . . . Arizona," replied the nurse. "Just relax. Dr. Parker will be right here and he'll answer all of your questions. Don't strain yourself. You'll adjust a lot quicker if you just let it happen."

Sam lay in the bed looking around. The dizziness had passed. The nurse appeared to be about 30 with black hair, tied back. She checked several of the machines and made notations on a chart she was holding. After a few moments a man wearing a white coat came in the room. He had a nametag that read "Parker".

"Well, Dr. Beckett," said Parker, "you're finally awake." He looked at the machines. "All of your vitals seem to be good. I dare say you'll make a complete recovery."

"Where am I?" asked Sam. "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" asked Dr. Parker.

Sam thought for a moment. His last clear memory was talking to Beth Calavicci, Al's first wife. The only one Al had truly loved. Sam had been able to convince her to wait for Al to return from Vietnam. There were other memories. Mostly disjointed. Other people, other places that weren't connected to Beth or Al.

But Sam couldn't tell Dr. Parker any of that. No one would believe he was a time traveler. And he had absolutely no idea where he was. Or who he was supposed to be.

"I'm not sure," lied Sam. "Everything is kind of a blur."

"I see," said Parker, a strange smile on his face. He reached into the nightstand next to the bed and pulled out a mirror. He handed the mirror to Sam. "Perhaps this will help jog your memory some."

Sam took the mirror and hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure what he would do. The reflection would definitely be foreign to him. He silently prayed that Al would suddenly show up and fill him in on at least the basics. Who he was supposed to be and what had happened. Until then he'd have to try and stall. Al would be there soon. He always was.

Sam turned the mirror around and looked in it. He nearly dropped it. He stared intently at the face that was reflected in the mirror. It was literally the last face he ever expected to see staring back at him from a mirror. Sam Beckett lay in the bed staring at his own reflection in the mirror.

"Oh boy!" was all that he could manage to say.