Mysterious Actions

By: QL Tales

Disclaimer: Quantum Leap and all related characters are owned by Belisarius Productions and Universal. Diagnosis Murder and all related characters are owned by Viacom Productions. No profit has been made off of the writing or distribution of this piece of fiction.

Author’s Note: The first 14 ½ chapters were originally upload under Dulcinea1969’s pen name. Since then, the story has been edited and finished by both Dulcinea1969 and Asearcher so it is now being posted under the penname QL Tales.

Chapter 1

Al couldn’t believe his luck that he’d actually been able to talk Sam into spending the day at the beach. They’d been in LA for the past three days scouting out a possible scientist that Sam wanted to add to the project team and he was beginning to believe the only thing they’d do was sit in a hotel room or an office in meetings trying to woo Rob Motts, preeminent scientist in the field of artificial intelligence, away from current position and out to the desert of New Mexico.

When Al had innocently suggested a drive up Pacific Coast Highway, he’d had to do a double take when Sam readily agreed. He was certain his friend would refuse insisting that they prepare for their next meeting with Motts.

“I think I’m gonna pull in here and fill up,” Al said as they drove near a gas station. “No sense in letting the tank get too low.”

While he stopped at the first free pump and got out to fill the car, Sam popped his seatbelt and pushed the door open. “I’m gonna run in and grab a soda,” he told Al gesturing to the mini-mart that was a part of the gas station. “You want anything?”

Al shook his head ‘no’ and waved his friend on into the store. He was alarmed when a few minutes after Sam went through the door; a young man came out, looked around wildly and ran off as if the devil were after him. Before the man had run, Al had been able to catch a brief glimpse of something in his hand…something that looked like it was covered in blood. He sprinted for the mini mart and pushed open the door. The sight that greeted him took his breath away.

A teenaged girl was behind the counter screaming hysterically but that wasn’t what immediately caught Al’s attention. It was the sight of his best friend crumpled on the floor in front of the counter grasping his abdomen and the growing puddle of blood under him that Al immediately zeroed in on.

“Sam, what the hell,” he screamed out before running to the downed man and dropping to his knees beside him. “What happened?” he asked uselessly.

The only response he got from Sam was a groan. “God, Al, hurts so bad.”

Reaching into his pocket, Al grabbed the handkerchief he had there. Moving Sam’s hands from where they were clasped over the wound in his abdomen, he pressed the handkerchief down firmly to try to staunch the flow of blood. Sam weakly batted at his hands trying to push them away.

Al caught the eyes of the girl as she crept around the counter. “Call an ambulance,” he shouted at her. When she continued to stare dumbly at him, he yelled at her again. His second shout seemed to penetrate the fog she was in and she reached for the phone on the counter and began to dial.

Sam kept trying to push Al’s hands away although he had nearly no strength and could do no more than tap at the hands causing the pain he was in to escalate. He’d stopped talking to Al and telling him how much it was hurting and instead soft moans of pain issued from his mouth. “I’m so sorry, Sam,” Al told him sincerely. “I know it’s hurting but we’ve got to stop the bleeding.”

Weakly, Sam nodded his agreement with Al’s assessment but still tried to push his hands away. As Al looked down at him, Sam’s eyes began to flutter and it appeared that he was going to lose consciousness. “No, Sam! Don’t close your eyes,” Al ordered him frantically. “You keep your eyes open and look at me. You hear?”

“Trying,” Sam gasped out as he forced his eyes to open wide. “Hurts.”

“I know, Buddy. I know. Help’s coming, though. You just need to hang on.” Al looked around wildly until he caught sight of the girl again. “Are they coming?” he demanded.

“They said they’d be here soon,” she whispered. “Is he….is he gonna die?”

“No!” Al screamed out. “He is not going to die. Don’t even say that.” He looked down to Sam’s pale, waxen face. “You hear me,” he said low and urgently, “you are not going to die. You’re gonna be just fine.”

Sam blinked a few times and tried to swallow. “Don’t wanna die, Al,” he whispered. “Don’t leave me. Please.”

“I won’t, Sammy.” Al spared one hand from the pressure he was keeping on the bleeding wound to wipe the sweat-soaked hair back from Sam’s forehead. “I’m not gonna leave you. I just need you to hang on for me. Can you do that, Sammy? Can you hang on?” There was a certain pleading in his voice but he didn’t care.

“‘M tryin’” Sam gasped out though his voice was weaker than it had been just a few minutes ago.

“That’s good, Kiddo, that’s good. You just keep trying.” Al tilted his head as he thought he heard a siren getting closer. “They’re almost here, Sam. Just a little while and the ambulance will be here and they’ll take care of you. You just keep hangin’ on.”

“Don’t leave me,” Sam again begged. The two fell into silence for a few minutes that was only broken by the siren that was getting nearer, the pained gasps from Sam, and the soft sobs from the frightened girl. “‘M cold, Al,” Sam whispered a minute later. “‘M so cold.”

“Damn it,” Al mumbled under his breath. If the kid was getting cold he must be going into shock. It shouldn’t be surprising, he realized, when he saw how the blood had soaked through the handkerchief and the size of the puddle under Sam. “I need something to cover him with,” he said louder turning to the girl. “A blanket or coat or something.”

She looked at him helplessly before getting up from where she was huddled and running into what looked like a backroom. Al could only hope she was getting something to cover Sam up with and not just running away. A few seconds later she ran back with what looked like a tarp and spread it over the injured man. “There’s so much blood,” she whispered.

Afraid that anything she said would just frighten Sam and upset him, Al felt it best to set another task for her. “I want you to go outside and wait for the ambulance and you make sure you bring them back here right away.” When she didn’t move immediately, he prompted her, “Go on,” he said loudly, though not unkindly. It was enough to motivate her and she went running for the door.

“Just a little longer, Sam, just a little longer,” Al murmured though he wasn’t sure the injured was really listening or paying attention to his words anymore. Even if Sam wasn’t able to concentrate on his words, he wanted to at least make sure his tone of voice conveyed comfort and kept him quite and calm. When he looked down he noticed a little more bleeding leaking through and rocked forward putting more pressure on the wound. “Sorry, so sorry,” he mumbled when Sam groaned at the additional pain the pressure caused. He cocked his head slightly as the sound of distant sires got closer. “There almost here, Sammy. Just keep hangin’ on.”

All of a sudden it seemed like everything burst into action around Al as the EMT’s came through the door. They didn’t immediately push him out of the way when they saw that he was holding pressure on the bleeding wound. They quickly started an IV in Sam’s arm to replace the fluid he was loosing. The small, additional pain of the needle going into his arm roused Sam enough to once again moan in pain. Al was grateful for the care that the EMT’s were giving and that they kept apprising Sam, and him, of everything they were doing.

“Sam,” the younger of the two called out, “I’m going to put some oxygen on you now. It might tickle your nose a little but it’s going to help you breathe.”

Sam didn’t acknowledge as the O2 canula was put in his nose and wrapped around his head but he didn’t fight it either. Soon they had him hooked up to an EKG and ready to transport him to the hospital. As they lifted him from the floor to the gurney he waved his arm wildly. “Al,” he called out. “Don’t leave me. You said you wouldn’t leave me.”

“I’m right here, Sam,” Al reassured taking hold of Sam’s searching hand once he’d been lowered to the gurney. “I’m right here,” he said again as he once more reached up to brush the younger man’s hair back. “Can I ride with him?” he asked looking up to the EMT’s.

“You can come in the ambulance, Sir,” the younger answered, “but you’ll have to ride up front with me.”

“That’s ok,” Al agreed nodding his head before again giving Sam his attention. “I have to sit in the front of the ambulance, Kid, but I’m gonna come with you. I’m not going to leave you alone, ok?”

Sam stared up at Al and the older man could see the struggle for him to get his eyes to focus. “Ok, Al.” He blinked a couple of times and swallowed hard. “I’m afraid,” he confessed. “I don’t wanna die.”

At Sam’s words, Al squeezed his hand even tighter. “Don’t even think about that, Sammy. You’re not going to die, you hear me? I just want you to keep thinking positive.”

“I’ll try,” Sam forced out in whisper before his eyes fluttered shut and he lost his hold on consciousness.

When he saw Sam loose consciousness Al looked up to the EMT who was checking his vitals. “He’s just lost consciousness,” the man reassured. “He’s lost a lot of blood but once we get him to the hospital they’ll be able to take care of that.”

“What hospital?” Al asked numbly though he knew it wouldn’t make a difference. He wasn’t at all familiar with the hospitals in the Los Angeles area. The only time he’d been in one was when he and Sam were traveling to Hawaii after Sam had been hit by the car in Washington, DC. They’d gone to UCLA Medical Center then when Sam developed a respiratory infection but Al didn’t think they were anywhere in that area now.

“We’re taking him to Community General,” the EMT answered as they began to wheel Sam out to the waiting ambulance. “It’s got a very good reputation, Sir, and he’ll be well taken care of.”

Before Al realized it, they had loaded the gurney with Sam on it in the back of the ambulance and he was sitting up front with the driver as the vehicle flew through the city traffic with lights and sirens running. Although he hadn’t had a very good relationship with God in a long time, he couldn’t stop himself from throwing up a quick prayer that his friend would survive this. “Too much,” Al mumbled to himself. “Too many times he’s been hurt bad like this. He doesn’t deserve it.”