Quantum Leap: The Almost Paradox

Chapter Eight

Instead of causing Sam to give up, Al's disappearance had the opposite effect. He continued down the mountain at an even more dangerous speed.

"NO! NO! NO IT CAN'T BE TRUE! AAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!" He screamed to Albert.

Samuel was carefully picking his way down the slope above Sam. "Al?" He called down questioningly. "What's wrong? Is Al d-"

"No! No he can't be! Nooooooo!" Sam slid to a stop beside Albert and started shaking him violently. "AL!" He screamed in his face. "AL WAKE UP! YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP! YOU CAN'T DIE! You can't diiiiiiiiee!!!" When there was no response from Albert, Sam finally gave up, sinking to the ground and crying.

Samuel slid the last little bit down the hill on his good leg, and landed gently on his butt. "Ouch." He crawled over to where Albert lay, and uncovered the wound from the bear. He grimaced.

Albert's moan was little more than a whisper. "uhhhhhhhhh..." Samuel quickly covered the wound back up.

"Shandy!" He said, his voice full of emotion. "Shandy, I think he's alive!"

Sam looked' up at him, his eyes puffy and red. "What?"

"I think he's alive! You have to stop the bleeding Shandy!"

Sam looked around saw a very conveniently placed first aid kit beside him. He didn't know where it came from, but decided not to look a gift first aid kit in the mouth. He quickly pulled out bandages and anti septic from the kit and turned to instruct Samuel.

"You have to help me: hold the leg up a bit and straighten it."

Once Samuel had done as he asked, Sam opened up the bottle of anti septic stuff and poured it on the on the wound thingy, wrapping a bandage around Al's leg when he was finished.

Albert woke with a start, screaming "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah the sting!"

"Al you ok now?" Sam asked him gently. "Yes, I know, but it's better to hurt a bit than to be dead."

Albert started shivering uncontrollably. "I think I'll make it if I can just get warm!"

"To the cave!" Samuel said.

"Better not be Shandy's cave!" Albert joked weakly.

Samuel didn't catch the joke. "No I meant the camp. But Shandy's cave works too."

"The tents are all torn apart." Albert remembered. "Either Shandy's camp or the cave."

"Um let's go to the cave. Um cuz its closer." Sam still had no idea where his camp might be.

Albert struggled to get into a sitting position. "Good idea – ow – ok quickly – ow – before I pass out!"

Sam and Samuel moved to stand on either side of Albert, and together they half carried, half dragged him to the cave. Just as they paused to set Albert down outside the cave, a loud roar was heard inside the cave.

"HEEEEEEELP!" The Eskimo screamed from within.

"Eskimo dude!" Sam exclaimed. "No! Not again!"

Sam and Samuel both turned to the other and said "I'll go in! You stay here! Don't be ridiculous! I'll go!"

"Bear blocks exit!" The Eskimo yelled. "I trapped!"

Sam and Samuel were now doing rock paper scissors to decide who would go.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Albert yelled. "I'll go - Sam your leg is broken!"

Samuel lost the match and sat down beside Albert.

"Al, no!" Sam said. "That bear almost killed you already! I can't lose you again! Besides you're already injured!"

"Then go! Now!"

Sam took a deep breath and sprinted towards the bear, making a sharp turn only a few metres away and running in the other direction. This got the attention of the bear, who immediately turned to follow him. Luckily the bear was not moving quickly enough to catch up with Sam.

"Eskimo person dude thing! Run! Now!" Sam didn't know how long he could continue before the bear caught him. The Eskimo ran out away from the bear, and Albert hobbled into the cave, collapsing on the cave floor. Samuel ran into the cave and sat down beside him.

"Soooooooo cold." He moaned.

Sam was now running in circles to avoid the bear. "How long do I have to keep this up?"

"Warm him up!" The Eskimo said. "Then imaginary friend can lead bear away!" Sam's heart leapt at the mention of Al. "My meditating has told me this - though I don't know what that means." The Eskimo added thoughtfully.

"Al! Get over here! Al! Where are you?" Sam called hopefully to the non-existent hologram.

The bear roared behind him. "uuuuuuuh..." Albert groaned.

"Al? Not you!" He called to Albert.

"Got a cccccccoat or annnnnything?" Albert called back.

Sam took off his coat, and as he circled past the cave he chucked the coat at Albert, not even slowing down. Albert put the coat on overtop of his own. "ooooooh, that's warm. Getting better."

"Al!" Sam was getting worried. Was it not working? "Where in the dickens are you?!?!?!?!?!?!?"

"Ooh... feeling so much better now."

A voice called out "Over here, you big stupid bear!" Sam almost cried out with joy when the bear turned and followed his holographic friend far away. Instead, he collapsed into the snow, wheezing with exhaustion. After a few minutes, Al reappeared by his side.

"Thanks, Al!" Sam said. A shared look showed Al that Sam was thanking him not just for dealing with the bear, but also for his return.

"No, thank you, Sam. You just saved my life."

"And you saved mine."

Albert called to him from inside the cave. "Shandy, how about now we go back to your camp?"

"Um..." Sam looked to Al discretely.

"Sam." Al grinned. "This hill that this cave is in? Walk around it."

"It's just around this hill." Sam informed them, entering the cave.

Albert gave him an odd look. "You know, that's not very far." He shrugged. "But thank goodness, because I need to sit down."

"Yeah, I know, I got confused and thought it was a LOT farther than it actually is."

"Ooookay." Albert was used to Sam's explanations by now. "Well, let's go!" He stood up and took a step towards Sam. Al noticed before Sam did that Albert was extremely unstable.

"Sam, catch me I'm gonna faint!" At that moment, Albert tipped over, landing in Sam's outstretched arms.

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