Quantum Leap: The Almost Paradox

Chapter Seven

"Al!" Sam yelled, as his friend fell. He lunged to catch him, and only just missed. Albert groaned in pain.

"It's not that deep," he grimaced, "go save Sam!"

"Are you sure? As I said before I don't want to lose you." He paused, then whispered. "I - I can't lose you."

"Go!!" Al yelled.

"Alright, I'll go." Sam turned and ran towards the cliff.

Meanwhile, Al was standing on the cliff ledge by Samuel, screaming at the top of his lungs. "SAMSAMSAMSAMSAMSAMSAMSAM WAKE UP!!!" Samuel only moaned in response.

"Gushie!" Al yelled to the programmer. "What do I do he isn't waking up SAMSAMSAMSAMSAMSAMSAM!"

A voice came from somewhere not far below the cliff ledge. "SAM! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? SAM! WAKE UP!"

Samuel moaned again. "My back!" He whispered, still out of it. "I think I hurt it!"

"Don't get up!" Al warned him. "Your leg is broken!"

"SAM!" Sam yelled from below the ledge. "WAKE UP BUT DON'T GET UP! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!"

"Sam wake up. Sam - I mean Shandy - will be here in a few minutes!"

Samuel woke up fully. "Uuuhhhaaaaargh! My leg! AAAARGH! MY BACK!"

"SAM! YOU OKAY UP THERE?"

"Ziggy says you will be okay if Sam gets here soon to operate!" Al insisted. "Just sit still!"

"Who the heck is Ziggy???" Samuel asked in confusion, missing the fact that Al had said Sam and not Shandy when referring to Sam.

"Um, um, conversation. That will distract you from the pain." Al decided. "What to talk about. Ziggy. Um, um, um..."

"How about you explain who this Ziggy person is?" Samuel was beginning to sound a bit calmer despite the circumstances, which was calming Al down a bit. In all honesty, Samuel had probably decided to be brave for Al's sake, because he knew how badly Al felt about his predicament; he also knew that Shandy, as a professional explorer, would have more experience treating injuries than Al. What he didn't realise was that this wasn't the Albert of his time, and in his holographic state Al wouldn't be able to do anything for him anyway.

"Uh. Friend of Shandy." Al made up. "They met a few years back. Ziggy is smart," Al smiled weakly, "but he has a big ego."

"What's that in your hand?" Sam asked curiously.

Al looked down at his handlink. "Machine. Scientific. Shandy gave it to me to communicate with Ziggy."

"When did he do that?"

"At the bottom of the hill."

"Oooooookay..." Plausible enough, Samuel guessed. "Why's it so important to talk to Ziggy right now?"

"He caaaaan. Diagnose you. Kind of. If I give him the symptoms." A sound behind him made Al turn around. Sam was just climbing onto the ledge. "Sam! You're here!" Sam didn't respond, of course, because Al was still on a different frequency. Instead, he addressed Samuel.

"Hey Sam! You alright? Oh you're pale! Do you think anything's broken?"

"I think maybe my back and my leg."

"Leg." Al confirmed. "Back is only sore."

Samuel nodded to Al. "Ok then, what he said."

Sam stared in confusion. He wasn't used to anyone else having an invisible holographic friend. "What who sai- Al? Are you here?"