Quantum Leap/Doctor Who: The Silence of the Angel

Chapter 11

Al reappeared next to a little girl walking clumsily toward her mother with a prosthetic leg. Its metal construction could clearly be seen, as Suleta was wearing pink shorts that came down to her knees. When she approached her mom, she fell, but her mom picked her up and held her closely, kissing her forehead and speaking words of encouragement. Al was breathing heavily, wishing dearly that he could help her. Hopefully, between the girl and her mother, the Angel could be kept at bay, but something in him suggested otherwise. Even with Sam's help, they still couldn't keep those first two kids safe. What made this different? 

Nothing made this different, Al concluded, except he didn't have any help at all. 

He stood at a normal distance from Suleta and her mother. He knew she would be able to see him, so he didn't want her to be alarmed that her mom couldn't see him or that he could walk through things. 

Al saw that Haimund was exiting the hospital, but unfortunately he couldn't see Al so he coudln't do anything about how quickly he was approaching the little girl. Al rushed over to him and started trying to talk to him in an urgent and hushed whisper even though he knew Haimund couldn't hear him at all. 

"No no no! We need to hang back! It's not happening for another few minutes and we have to just look at the angel to save her, okay? Just stop- no-" 

Martha followed close behind him, making sure to keep a look out for the angel, but it wasn't in sight. She murmered about it to Haimund, but he just shrugged her off and kept a close eye on Suleta. She and her mother continued to walk away from the hospital and were getting into their car. 

"Do we just... let them go?" Martha asked Haimund. 

"Well, I suppose we should follow them. We have to make sure they never go near the angel and that we keep looking at the angel so it can't get her," he replied. 

"Yeah, well, how do you two plan on doing that?" Al asked, pacing. "Ziggy, where did Suleta get zapped by the angel?" He saw the words appear on his handlink. ".... When they get home? Crap.... They can't follow that car by themselves, and they don't know where to go! Gushie, how am I gonna tell them that? I should get them back to the Doctor- but I can't get them to do that either! Damn it.... Just center me on the Doctor!" 

The Doctor was alone in the room. He struggled against the handcuffs for a short while after Martha left, but then he found that it was no use and relaxed. He wondered what was going to happen to the girl and how Martha, Haimund, and that other guy were going to stop it. What was his name again? Andrew? Adam? Alonso? Whatever, the Doctor thought. He would ask later. 

As the Doctor was attempting to figure out a way to escape, he saw something from the corner of his eye. It was someone with a white-ish glow, as though they didn't belong in this realm or time or dimension or whatever. He seemed to be around 40 years old, younger than the other person to suddenly appear by his side, but with a different demeanor and countenence. It seemed both melancholy and smug, like he had some superiority complex over him because of who he was, but wasn't at all pleased about it. He slowly stepped around the bed until he was at the foot of it and faced the Doctor, not seeming to make a sound as he moved along the tile floor. He said nothing for a minute, just staring at the Doctor with an unreadable expression. Was it pity? Loathing? Sorrow? The Doctor was sitting up and adjusting his position, about to inquire when the stranger spoke up. 

"Don't move," he said. The Doctor sat back in his original position, slightly intimidated. "There's a problem." 

"Problem? Like with the surgery?" The Doctor asked. He was fairly certain this was not a doctor, but he could be wrong. His mind suddenly wandered and he was thinking about ways to kill him; who did he think he was, anyway? He shouldn't just come in here and order him around. Why-