Fanfic: Quantum Leap - "And, Betty, When You Call Me..."
Title: And, Betty, When You Call Me...
Fandom: Quantum Leap
Rating: G
Words: 538
Disclaimer: Based on the television show created by Donald Bellisario.
Summary: When Sam gets hung up on the things he's forgotten, Al points out something he didn't know he'd remembered.
---
Sam stood on the platform waving goodbye as the bus pulled out of the station. When he could no longer see the old man eagerly waving back at him, he dropped his arm, and his smile with it.
"You done good, Sam," said Al, following him through the wall into the station. "Lloyd's just fine now. He does great in New York. In a few months he finds a publisher for those memoirs, and they're pretty successful."
Sam sat down on a bench as if he were profoundly tired, and rested his head in his hands. "That's great," he said, without conviction.
Al looked at him curiously. "Why so glum? You won this one. You helped Lloyd out, and you didn't do so bad for Glen here either. Everything turns out great."
"Yeah, that's great," Sam repeated; "it's great, it's fine. It's not that, Al, I just--" He trailed off.
"What?"
"Lloyd and his memoirs. All those memories of his life--where he came from, his family, his friends, his childhood--he kept talking about how important all that stuff was to him. And I just kept thinking about how I don't have any of that anymore."
"Oh," said Al softly.
"I can't even remember my life story," said Sam. "I don't remember my childhood, I don't remember anything!"
"Hey, hey, come on, buddy," Al protested. "It's not as bad as all that." He paused, looking for a way to back that up. "I mean, even on your very first leap, when your brain was totally magnafoozled, you remembered lots of things!"
"Like what?" said Sam flatly.
"Like, ah..." Al reflexively glanced at the handlink as if it might have the answer, then shoved it into a pocket and rubbed his forehead. "Well, lots of things. Like your father, and your sister, and Elk Ridge, and being a doctor..." When Sam didn't respond, he kept going. "And... Oh!" He smacked his palm in realization. "I know it's not much, but you remembered my name."
"Don't tell me something's wrong with your brain, too," said Sam, with rising irritation. "I didn't remember your name; I didn't even remember your face! I thought you--" A man was staring from across the terminal. Sam cut himself off and gave him a feeble smile, at which he guiltily returned to his newspaper. "I thought you were the boogeyman," he resumed in a hiss.
"Well, sure," Al agreed, "at first. But pretty soon you were calling me 'Al', remember?"
Sam's voice threatened to reach head-turning levels again. "Of course I--"
But then he did remember. That first leap, early Saturday morning; Al in a bathrobe, trying to explain about Project Quantum Leap...
My name is Albert. Albert what, I can't tell you--
"Albert," Sam murmured. "Al. I never even thought about that. I just... oh, God," he added, his stomach sinking with a sudden terrible doubt, "you do go by Al, don't you?"
"Yeah," Al answered matter-of-factly; then, comprehending, "Yeah! Always have."
Sam looked surprised. "I guess I did remember that."
"That's something, isn't it?" Al asked hopefully.
"Yeah." Sam looked up at him. "Yeah, it's something. Thanks." He smiled. "Al."
And with Al smiling back, Sam leaped out.
Fandom: Quantum Leap
Rating: G
Words: 538
Disclaimer: Based on the television show created by Donald Bellisario.
Summary: When Sam gets hung up on the things he's forgotten, Al points out something he didn't know he'd remembered.
---
Sam stood on the platform waving goodbye as the bus pulled out of the station. When he could no longer see the old man eagerly waving back at him, he dropped his arm, and his smile with it.
"You done good, Sam," said Al, following him through the wall into the station. "Lloyd's just fine now. He does great in New York. In a few months he finds a publisher for those memoirs, and they're pretty successful."
Sam sat down on a bench as if he were profoundly tired, and rested his head in his hands. "That's great," he said, without conviction.
Al looked at him curiously. "Why so glum? You won this one. You helped Lloyd out, and you didn't do so bad for Glen here either. Everything turns out great."
"Yeah, that's great," Sam repeated; "it's great, it's fine. It's not that, Al, I just--" He trailed off.
"What?"
"Lloyd and his memoirs. All those memories of his life--where he came from, his family, his friends, his childhood--he kept talking about how important all that stuff was to him. And I just kept thinking about how I don't have any of that anymore."
"Oh," said Al softly.
"I can't even remember my life story," said Sam. "I don't remember my childhood, I don't remember anything!"
"Hey, hey, come on, buddy," Al protested. "It's not as bad as all that." He paused, looking for a way to back that up. "I mean, even on your very first leap, when your brain was totally magnafoozled, you remembered lots of things!"
"Like what?" said Sam flatly.
"Like, ah..." Al reflexively glanced at the handlink as if it might have the answer, then shoved it into a pocket and rubbed his forehead. "Well, lots of things. Like your father, and your sister, and Elk Ridge, and being a doctor..." When Sam didn't respond, he kept going. "And... Oh!" He smacked his palm in realization. "I know it's not much, but you remembered my name."
"Don't tell me something's wrong with your brain, too," said Sam, with rising irritation. "I didn't remember your name; I didn't even remember your face! I thought you--" A man was staring from across the terminal. Sam cut himself off and gave him a feeble smile, at which he guiltily returned to his newspaper. "I thought you were the boogeyman," he resumed in a hiss.
"Well, sure," Al agreed, "at first. But pretty soon you were calling me 'Al', remember?"
Sam's voice threatened to reach head-turning levels again. "Of course I--"
But then he did remember. That first leap, early Saturday morning; Al in a bathrobe, trying to explain about Project Quantum Leap...
My name is Albert. Albert what, I can't tell you--
"Albert," Sam murmured. "Al. I never even thought about that. I just... oh, God," he added, his stomach sinking with a sudden terrible doubt, "you do go by Al, don't you?"
"Yeah," Al answered matter-of-factly; then, comprehending, "Yeah! Always have."
Sam looked surprised. "I guess I did remember that."
"That's something, isn't it?" Al asked hopefully.
"Yeah." Sam looked up at him. "Yeah, it's something. Thanks." He smiled. "Al."
And with Al smiling back, Sam leaped out.