Strangers and Trust
by Mickey Jones
(jonesy@wworld.com)
October 1996

This story and the characters in it belong to me, except for the characters of Quinn Mallory, Wade Welles, Rembrandt Brown, and Professor Maxmillian Arturo. They were created by Tracey Torme (God bless you) and are the property of St. Clare Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting, and probably a lot of other people who might sue me if they saw this. (Please don't!) I will recieve no compensation for this work. If anyone thinks it's good enough, they can distribute this story, provided that all parts (including and especially this disclaimer) are included with no changes made to them.

A few notes from the author: This is my first finished fanfic story. Any praise or constructive critisim would be welcomed. But please tell me specifically what you liked or didn't like about this story. Keep in mind that I'm new at this. Maybe you could give me some suggestions on how to improve if I ever do this again. :)

Oh, and as I am from Illinois, I know nothing about the geography of San Francisco. Some of the places in this story are completely made up. And so is the scientific stuff. I am no scientist, so I have no idea if any of the ideas in this story are possible, probable, or even feasible.

OK, enough of the boring stuff. On to the story!

Golden Gate Park was quiet in the early morning hours. The sun was barely over the horizion. Only a few joggers and insomniacs broke the silence with the sound of their footsteps.

That is, until a swirling blue mass suddenly appeared out of nowhere. There was the sound of rushing wind. One by one, four people suddenly flew out of it and landed hard on the grass.

Quinn was the third person to come through the vortex. He scrambled to a standing position, whirled around, and caught Wade as she tumbled into his arms.

"Thanks," she said, smiling at him.

"My pleasure," he said, smiling back. They were all in good moods then. The last world had been calm, giving them a chance to rest and recuperate.

Rembrandt looked around the dimly lit park. "Well, so far it looks like the same San Francisco. How long are we here, Q-Ball?"

Quinn consulted the timer. "Not very long. About 11 hours. Think we can stay out of trouble that long?"

Rembrandt grinned. "Man, I hope so. Let's find a restaraunt. I'm starving." He linked his arm through Wade's and they started off through the park.

During all of this, none of the sliders noticed a tall, dark-haired man take a small walkie-talkie out of his pocket. He placed it close to his mouth and said in a low voice:

"This is Garrett. Sliders spotted in Golden Gate Park, sector 12. Three males, one female. Request immediate back-up. Over."

"On our way," was the reply that crackled with static.

Garrett smiled. They wouldn't get away this time.

The three men walked through the park at a brisk pace, but Wade lagged behind, studying the scenery. "Everything looks so familiar," she thought. "Could this be home?"

She was soon to find out.

Wade bent to tie a loose shoelace. Suddenly, she felt a strong arm snake around her. A cold hand covered her mouth before she had time to even think about screaming. She could only give a pitiful, muffled cry as she felt something sharp pierce her arm.

As the girl gradually stopped squirming, Garrett once again raised his walkie-talkie to his mouth. "I've got the female slider. The three males are still on the loose in sector 12. Where are you two?"

"Sit tight, Garrett. We're almost there."

"Well, hurry up! I've gotta get this one back to the hospital. I need you guys to get the other three. We can't screw this one up!"

Something was wrong. Quinn could feel it. He turned around suddenly. There was no one behind him.

"Where's Wade?" he asked.

Rembrandt and Arturo looked around, then back at Quinn. "I thought she was right behind us," said Rembrandt.

"Come on, let's retrace our path. Miss Welles?" Arturo called uncertainly.

Quinn and Remrandt turned to follow. The uneasy feeling Quinn had seemed to intensify. Suddenly, a beam of red light shot through the air. It passed within inches of Quinn's head before exploding against a nearby tree. The three men ducked as a loud, angry voice called to them.

"SLIDERS! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST. TURN AROUND SLOWLY AND WALK TOWARDS US. DO NOT TRY TO ESCAPE!"

Quinn turned his head slightly. A muscular black man and a strong woman with cold, piercing blue eyes stood side by side, weapons in hand. An intense look of scorn covered each of their faces. It was clear that they meant buisness.

Quinn, Rembrandt, and Arturo looked at each other. In a low voice, Quinn began to count.

"One, two, three!"

They took off across the park as another beam of light streaked past them.

"Faster, faster!" Quinn shouted as they scrambled over a hill. Their three pursuers were not far behind. They ran as hard as they could, dodging trees and benches along the way. Presently they came to the edge of the park. Quinn led them down a narrow back street and then turned onto an alley lined with several old factories and warehouses.

"This way!" he called, motioning towards a dilapidated building with broken windows. Rembrandt and Arturo followed him inside. Seeing a rusty metal staircase, Quinn led them up to the next floor, where they ducked behind a stack of huge wooden crates. They waited, hardly breathing.

Below them, their pursuers had entered the alley. They proceeded towards the building where the sliders hid.

"Which one, Ronni?" asked the black man.

She thought for a moment. "Let's split up. None of them seem to be armed, so we ought to be able to handle them alone. I'll take this one, she said, pointing to the building on the left, "and you take those two over there. Watch your back."

They started off. Ronni drew her gun and cautiously entered the building where the sliders were still hiding.

Through a hole in the floor, the three men could see her creeping around below them. They waited, not making a sound. Ronni searched the ground floor, them stopped as she noticed the staircase leading up to the second floor. She walked over to it and peered up, weapon ready in hand.

For what seemed like an eternity to the sliders, she just stood there, looking up. Finally, she slowly mounted the stairs. With agonizing slowness, she took them one by one untill she finally reached the top.

Once again, she took her sweet time, looking in every direction. Quinn began to wonder if she would ever leave. It was like she was trying to detect their presence. Or maybe she already had.

Finally, she made her way back down the stairs and out the door. They watched her step out into the early morning sunlight.

Rembrandt started to rise. Quinn grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. "Wait," he whispered.

Ronni didn't move from the doorway, but stood, listening for the men to come out of hiding. When she was at last satisfied that the building was empty, she joined her partner in the alley.

"Well?" Ben asked.

"Nothing," was her reply.

"They must've ran into a building and escaped while we were searching these." The disgust was evident in his voice. "Let's get back to headquarters and alert the others. Did you recognize any of them?"

"Of course," said Ronni. "I don't know about the black man, but the younger one was Quinn Mallory. And the older guy was one of Arturo's doubles. Can you imagine?"

"Yeah, I know. Arturo a slider! I've seen it before, but it's always hard to swallow."

Wade opened her eyes. All she could see was white. She had a headache. Her head felt thick, groggy. It was hard to concentrate. She tried to reach up to rub her eyes, but her hand wouldn't move. Something was holding it down.

She slowly turned her head to see what was wrong. She was lying on a bed with rails along the sides. "Like a hospital bed," she thought as her mind began to focus. Her wrists were strapped to the lower rail. The white she had seen earlier was the ceiling. She tried lifting her legs. They were strapped down as well.

Just then, she heard the sound of a door opening on her right. A woman with striking, thick black hair appeared next to her. The woman leaned in close to Wade's face, peering at her.

"You're awake," she said.

"Where am I?" Wade asked. Her voice sounded far away. "And who are you?"

The woman didn't answer. She pulled some sort of small device out of her pocket. Holding it up to her mouth, she began to speak.

"The female slider is awake, doctor."

"Good, good," said a male voice. "I assume she has been properly restrained, nurse?"

"Yes, sir. She's not going anywhere."

"Excellent. I'll be down immediately."

Wade didn't like the sound of the last voice. It sounded...sinister.

Yet it was so familiar.

"Please..." she said desperately to the nurse. "What is going on? Where am I? Where are my friends?" Her voice rose in pitch and determination with each question.

The nurse only glared at her as she fiddled with some buttons on the side of the bed. The top half began to rise until Wade was in a partial sitting position. The nurse gave her one last scornful look and marched out of the room.

Left alone once again, Wade's fears seemed to worsen. Her stomach felt queasy as she waited for the arrival of the doctor.

A minute went by. Then two. Then five. Each one seemed years long to Wade.

Suddenly, the door opened. Wade turned her head to the right. She saw the man coming towards her. She gasped.

Professor Arturo stood next to her, holding the clipboard and looking at her with the same look of disdain that the nurse had used.

Wade could only stare, too shocked to speak. She remembered the first time that she met the professor. She had definitely seen him as an intimidating figure. But that was because of his intelligence and position. As she had gotten to know the real person inside Professor Maxmillian Arturo better, the intimidation had become all but extinct.

But seeing him now, standing over her, looking down on her, was like the first time all over again.

Except that it was about twenty times worse.

He spoke first. "You are Wade Welles. Correct?"

"Yes." She could barely speak.

"Age?"

"23."

"And you are a slider. You are not of this earth. Correct?"

"Yes." She figured there was no point in lying about it, since he already seemed to know anyway.

Arturo scribbled on his clipboard. Wade's head was beginning to clear. She wanted answers, not questions.

"Doctor, I want to know where I am. And what you've done with my friends. And, how did you know my name?"

The doctor considered her for a moment. She might as well know what was going on. She wouldn't remember it for long anyway.

"You're in the San Francisco Community Hospital."

"Why am I in the hospital? Is something wrong with me?" But she could see the answer on his face. She looked him in the eye.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"I know your name because you have been here before. Or at least, your doubles have. Your friends are still on the loose, but they will be apprehended soon, provided that they don't slide out of here first."

Wade narrowed her eyes. Although she was still scared, she was getting tired of these games. "I said, what are you going to do to me?"

Arturo hesitated, studying her. He did know her well. All of the Wade Welles's he had come in contact with were young, attractive, energetic, intelligent.... This one was no different. It was a pity that they had to get caught up in this sliding mess.

"You have slid into our world without permssion. Now you must pay the price. The sliders have caused enough trouble here already. I can only say that you'll get what you deserve, and that it's for the good of our world."

He turned away. Wade could see that he would say no more.

Shaking his head, Dr. Arturo reached into one of the deep pockets of his lab coat. He pulled out the same sort of device that the nurse had used earlier.

"This is Arturo in room B16. I'm with the female slider."

"Are you ready to start the procedure, doctor?" a female voice asked.

Arturo took one last look at Wade. "Yes. Let's get this over with."

Quinn, Rembrandt, and Arturo sat silently in the cab, pondering their situation. After debating for a while about what to do, they had decided that the best course of action was to get out of the public eye as soon as possible. For all they knew, there could be some sort of APB out on them.

"This will be fine, my good man," Arturo told the driver.

He pulled up in front of a small but well-kept Motel 6. Arturo paid the fare as the others climbed out and made their way to the front desk.

"So, what do we do now?" Rembrandt asked after they were settled in their room. Although not overly luxurious, it was clean and neat. Rembrandt flopped down on one of the full beds covered by a blue bedspread.

"Well," said Quinn, thinking it out as he spoke, "we have to find out where they've taken Wade and get her back. To do that, I think we'll have to find out why they are so against sliders. They must've really caused some trouble here sometime."

"I'll go," said the professor.

"Yeah, me too. I can pick up some breakfast on the way back," said Rembrandt.

"No, wait. If we go out together, we have a greater chance of being recognized. Why don't you go do the research, Professor. Remmy, I saw a cafe down the street on the way here. Why don't you go see if you can get us some take-out?"

"Sure thing, Q-Ball."

Arturo and Rembrandt walked out the door and went their seperate ways.

Quinn leaned back against the pillows on the bed. Left with no one and nothing but his thoughts of Wade, he was suddenly restless. He tried to relax, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face.

"Hang on, Wade," he thought. "Well find you. I won't leave without you."

He turned on the television set. Talk show, infomercial, home shopping, talk show, that purple dinosaur.... Finally, he found a news program. Maybe watching it would help him to understand this world a little better. And maybe it would take his mind off things.

"I doubt that." Sigh.

Wade opened her eyes. She was in some sort of hospital room, strapped to a flat bed with rails on the sides. A woman was standing over her. She was middle-aged, with brown hair pulled back in a french braid. Seeing Wade's eyes open, she pulled something out of her pocket and spoke into it.

"Dr., the female slider is awake again."

"Thank you, Nancy. I'm on my way," was the brisk reply.

All of this seemed familiar to Wade. Had she been here before?

The door opened. The doctor entered. Wade recognized him.

"Professor... Arturo." Yes, he was familiar. But what was going on? Her head felt normal, yet it seemed to have a delayed reaction to everything. It was like it took longer to think.

To remember.

"Professor..."

The nurse glanced at Dr. Arturo, puzzled.

In a low voice, he explained. "She slid into our world with my double, who must be a professor on her world. She doesn't remember meeting me this morning."

"Miss Welles, do you have any idea where you are at?"

Wade thought for a moment. "No. Should I?"

He ignored her question and continued. "Miss Welles, a nurse came to see you when you woke up this morning. Do you remember what she looked like? What color of hair she had?"

Wade tried to focus on the event. A nurse. This morning. She should remember. This shouldn't be so hard.

"I don't remember what she looked like. I don't remember her at all." Wade's voice was softer now, less indignant. The knot of fear inside her stomach grew tighter.

The doctor wrote something on a clipboard. Then he looked at her, right in the eye.

"Miss Welles, it is now 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 17th. What is the last thing you remember?"

Wade closed her eyes. "Concentrate," she told herself.

She could remember sliding from the last world. It had been an uneventful, relaxed stay. She could see the vortex in front of her. She was the last one to jump through. Then what?"

She opened her eyes. "The last world. The vortex. You were there...." Her voice was barely audible.

"Anything else?"

Nothing. There was nothing else.

"I can't. I can't remember," she whispered.

Dr. Arturo and the nurse helped Wade into a wheelchair. Once settled, her arms were once again strapped down, though Wade had no desire to try to escape. She was still in shock over her memory loss. She sat meekly and let them wheel her down the hall.

They took her to a room similar to the first one, only larger. There was a padded table in the center. At the head of the bed stood some sort of machine. It was semicircular in shape and was attached to a larger box-like machine that sat on the floor.

The doctor unstrapped her wrists and helped her onto the bed. "Now Miss Welles," he said, "we need you to lie back and relax. The scanner will pass over your head several times. You will feel no pain. This will not take long." As he spoke, he tightened the strap on her left arm. The nurse fixed the one on the right. Wade noticed that she didn't pull the strap as tightly as the doctor did.

"Doctor?" Wade asked. "What's wrong with me? Why can't I remember? And where are my friends? I need to see them."

"Relax, Miss Welles. Your questions will be answered soon." It was a lie, but he didn't care. Because pretty soon, it wouldn't matter.

"Keep an eye on her, Nancy. I'll be back in half an hour."

"Yes, doctor," she replied.

Nancy Hayes looked over at the girl lying on the scanner. She hadn't moved an inch since the scan began about ten minutes ago. "Poor thing, she must be in shock," Nancy thought. She didn't blame her. She had seen the procedure preformed several times. She had seen the victims, confused and scared, with nothing left to hold onto in their minds. Each time, it never failed to horrify her. That people could do something so cruel.

For a long time, Nancy's life was relatively simple. She had her job, her husband, her home... Life was good. And she still had all of those things.

But life wasn't so good anymore. She had been "reassigned" by the government from St. Mary's of San Francisco to the Community Hospital. They had explained the Program to her and told her to keep it quiet. Whenever needed, she was called to the basement floor to help treat captured sliders.

It was not by choice that she watched these people's memories be wiped out. Their lives erased.

No, it was the choice of the government. They controlled everything. Every decision was made "for the good of the people." She had heard the excuses before. She wanted to believe them. But she just wasn't sure anymore.

Nancy walked to Wade's bedside. She patted her hand softly. "Do you feel all right, dear?"

Wade nodded, suprised at the genuine concern she heard in the nurse's voice.

Twenty minutes had passed. The scan was finished. Nancy shut down the machine. As she was finishing up, she heard Wade call to her.

"Nurse?"

She immediately went to her side. "Yes, what is it?"

"What's happening to me? Please, please help me. I want to know."

Nancy hesitated. She didn't want to tell this girl what they were doing to her. It would just scare her, and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

"But what about you," her conscience whispered. "You could stop this."

"No," Nancy whispered.

"What?" asked Wade.

Nancy didn't answer. The battle was raging inside her again. Every time a slider was brought in, it started up again. Each time more intense.

Could she help this girl? Should she? It would cost her her job and more. But what about this young woman's life? Why should it be wasted?

"They're suppressing your memory," she suddenly blurted out.

"What?!" Wade almost shouted.

"Shh! I'm not suppposed to tell you!" Nancy's hands were trembling. She couldn't believe what she had just said.

"I, I don't understand," said Wade, in a quieter tone.

Once your memory is completely suppressed, they will give you a new identity. You will start a new life as a member of our society."

"But...why?"

Nancy glanced at the wall clock. Thirty minutes had passed.

"I can't say anything else. The doctor will be here any minute."

"Wait!" Wade called desperately.

She turned back around.

"You have to find my friends: Quinn Mallory, Rembrandt Brown, and Professor Maxmillian Arturo. You'll recognize the Professor. He looks just like your Doctor Arturo. Try the Dominion Hotel. Or the public library." She was relieved to find that she could still remember her friends and where they came from.

The nurse stared at her, her troubled eyes. "I don't know if I can."

"You have to. Please."

Nancy looked into her eyes. They were beautiful eyes, dark and full. And they were asking her for help. How could she refuse? What had this girl ever done that warranted having her memories taken from her?

"I'll... I'll try."

Wade smiled a little. "Thank you. And nurse?"

"Yes?"

"What's your name?"

Now the nurse smiled. "Nancy Hayes, hon."

"Wade Welles. It's nice to meet you."

The door opened. Dr. Arturo entered. He pushed a button on the side of the scanner. Sheets of paper with writing and symbols on them began to spill out of the side.

He studied the printout. And smiled.

The doctor took his pen out of his pocket. Picking up his clipboard, he wrote in large, bold letters:

PATIENT: Wade Welles #3 MSP: Treatment One SUCCESSFUL

Arturo walked down the steps of the library somewhat discouraged. He had found out a lot about this world, but nothing about sliding or anything else that would help them find Wade. He had turned to walk back to the hotel when a hand touched his shoulder.

Behind him stood a middle-aged woman. She had dark eyes and brown hair pulled back from her face. She spoke quietly.

"Are you Professor Maxmillian Arturo?"

"Yes."

"I don't have long. I'm here to help you. I know where your friend Wade Welles is. She asked me to find you. Is there somewhere that we could talk?

Arturo hesitated. Judging from the reaction they had received in the park, this could be some kind of trap. But, this woman seemed genuine. And he had to help Wade. If she really did have useful information, it couldn't be overlooked.

Arturo hailed a cab. "Come with me, ma'am. There's some people I would like you to meet.

"Man, I don't know how you do it, Q-Ball," said Rembrandt, shaking his head. They sat on the bed, playing rummy. So far, Quinn had won six games to Rembrandt's three. He began to sing: "Luck be a lady tonight, Luck if you've ever been a lady to begin with-"

They heard a key rattling in the lock. Rembrandt stopped singing, and both looked up from their hands.

The Professor walked in, followed by a dark-haired woman. "Mr. Mallory, Mr. Brown, this is Ms. Nancy Hayes. Ms. Hayes, Quinn Mallory and Rembrandt Brown.

Nancy nodded to each of them. "I can't stay long. But I have to speak to you. It's about your friend Wade Welles."

Quinn's eyes widened. "You know where Wade is? Is she all right?"

Nancy nodded. "She told me to find you. I...I had to help her."

She took a deep breath, then continued. "Wade is in the San Francisco Community Hospital. That's where they take all of the captured sliders for treatments."

"What kind of treatments?" Quinn asked, a knot creeping into his stomach.

"It's called the Memory Suppression Program, or MSP."

"Memory suppression? You mean, they're gonna erase her memory? But why?" Rembrandt fired questions at her.

"No, not exactly. You see, the memory of everything we have ever done is stored inside of our brains. No one can completely erase someone's memory. But what MSP does is suppress those memories. Makes them...unaccessible."

"But, but that's impossible!"

Arturo answered for Nancy. "Mr. Mallory, it seems that this world has devoted more money to medical and scientific research than ours has. On a technological level, their society is somewhat ahead of ours.

Quinn was horrified. "Have they began treating Wade?" he asked, half afraid to hear the answer.

"Yes," said Nancy.

His voice dropped. "Is she...is she in any pain?"

"No. They give her an anesthetic before each treatment. The treatments themselves consist of drugs and work done by special instruments."

"Is there any way to reverse the treatment?"

"There is a drug that will stimulate the suppressed memories. I think I can obtain some for your friend."

"Can you help us get her out of the hospital?" Quinn asked.

Nancy hesitated. She had expected the question. Yet she was still not prepared to answer it. "I don't know. Maybe," she finally replied.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid I don't understand. Who ordered these treatments for the sliders? And why?"

"The government. You see, a little more than a year ago, the Quinn Mallory of this world invented the sliding machine. Somehow, the government found out about it. They saw the huge potential in his invention and wanted it for their own use. Exactly what that use was, I'm not sure. And they didn't want the general public to have access to it. They ordered him to hand it over and to not reveal it to anyone. He refused.

"I don't know about your world, but on ours, the government is made up of corruption and greed. The officials control almost everything. They make a lot of decisions involving major buisness coporations, tell universities and colleges how they are to be run in exchange for limited funding.... Sometimes, they assign people to certain jobs. Everything is done 'for the good of the people.' And what they want, they get."

"I'm not sure exactly what happened. Somehow, they recovered the sliding machine. But they knew that Quinn Mallory could build another one and go public with his invention. So they had him... executed."

Quinn glanced down.

She looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"Anyway, you are the third known group of sliders to enter our world. The first group was Quinn Mallory, Wade Welles, and Maxmillian Arturo. The second was Quinn Mallory, Wade Welles, and two other young people who's names I've forgotten. You are the third. The government decided that these people had no right to be on our world. Instead of sending them on their way, our government captured as many as possible. They decided to use them as workers in government-funded jobs. But first, they're memories had to be suppressed so that they would not remember where they came from or how to get back."

"Which brings us to the treatments," Quinn said.

Nancy nodded. "There are three treatments in all. Your friend Wade has only had one. It affected her most recent memories, everything that has happened from the time she arrived her to the time of the treatment. They will give her another one this afternoon. It will do far more damage, affecting her memories of people and events. The third treatment suppresses everything else, such as childhood memories and the memories of what happened ot her at the hospital. Everything except basic knowledge of how to preform skills, such as reading and writing."

"Can you take us to this hospital?" Arturo asked, the urgency evident in his voice.

Nancy shook her head. "I can not be seen with you. But I can tell you where it is."

"How are we gonna get her outta there?" Rembrandt asked.

"One of you will have to follow me to the hospital. You," she said, pointing at Rembrandt, "would be the least recognizable. Come to room 2-147. It's a waiting room on the second floor that's seldom used. You shouldn't be bothered there. Wait there until I can contact you. No matter what happenes or how long it takes, just wait there for me."

Rembrandt nodded. "You got it. I'll do anything to help Wade."

She looked at her watch. "I have to go. They will miss me if I'm not back at the hospital on time."

She wrote down the address and turned to go.

"Ms. Hayes, wait," said Quinn.

She turned.

"I was just wondering, why are you helping us?"

"I...I don't know," Nancy answered slowly. "I just... I just had to, you know?"

Quinn nodded. "Thank you."

Nancy began to shake as she walked down the sidewalk. "What have I done?" she thought.

After returning to the hospital, Nancy stayed busy treating patients until about two'o'clock. About that time, she heard her communicator. "Nancy?"

She picked it up. "I'm here, doctor."

"Good. I need you in B16. I'm ready to start the next treatment."

"No!" Nancy's mind screamed. She had hoped that she could get Wade out of there before the next treatment was preformed. But she forced herself to stay calm. The only way to save her, she realized, was to play along until she could figure out a way to get Wade out of there.

She took a deep breath. "I'm on my way."

Wade closed her eyes. The needle slid into her arm.

She knew what they were doing to her now. And she was determined to stop it. She would fight. She would not forget.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in the same room. Still strapped to the same hospital bed. But Wade felt...different. Like something was wrong.

Or like something was missing.

The door opened. A man in a white lab coat came in. He was a large man with dark hair and a beard. Behind him was a dark-haired nurse.

"Dr. Arturo," she thought, "and Nancy." She remembered what Nancy had told her earlier that day. She was suddenly afraid.

The doctor looked at her closely. "You're awake. Very good." He wrote something on the clipboard.

The doctor spoke again. "Miss Welles, I need to ask you some more questions. You are in the San Francisco Community Hospital. Do you remember how you got here?"

Wade knew that they had somehow affected her memories. Nancy had called it "suppression." "I will remember," she told herself. "I will not forget."

But she already had. The memory would not come to her, no matter how hard she tried.

"No," she said meekly.

"Do you remember where you came from?"

She tried, but she could not make herself remember. It was gone, lost.

"No," she whispered.

The doctor wrote again, then glanced at his watch. "Nancy, I have several patients to see upstairs. Can you run the scan by yourself?"

Nancy's heart skipped a beat. This was the chance she had been waiting for? She forced herself to stay calm.

"Of course, doctor."

"Good. I'll be on the third floor or fourth floors if you need anything."

The door closed behind him. Nancy turned to Wade.

"Nancy," Wade began, "I...I can't remember anything. Where I came from, how I got here...." Her eyes were wide, her voice breathy.

Nancy squeezed her hand. "I know, darling. That's why you'll have to trust me. I spoke with your friends today. We're going to get you out of here and back to your own world."

"My own world...."

Nancy motioned for her to be quiet. She ustrapped her from the bed and helped her to the wheelchair that sat waiting for them. She didn't bother to strap her to the chair.

Wade sat silently as she was wheeled down the hall. She had never felt so confused or frightened. She could remember her home in San Francisco, thing from her childhood.... Then there came a point where everything stopped. Everything was blank. She had lost something inside. They had taken it from her.

Nancy shut the door behind them. They were in the room with the scanner. She paced for a few moments, thinking.

"Here, lay down on the bed while I figure out what to do. And don't move."

"All right, I think I've got it," said Nancy. She had left the room for a few minutes and had returned with a stretcher. on it laid some bandages, a syringe, and a large vial of dark red liquid.

She motioned to Wade to sit up. "I'm going to wrap your head so that no one can see your hair. It will make you less recognizable. Then I'll take you to your friend."

She wrapped Wade's head quickly and snugly in the soft white gauze. Then, she helped her up onto the stretcher and covered her with a white sheet. She carefully placed the vial and syringe underneath the sheet.

"What are those for?"

"These are the drugs that will stimulate your brain to remember. You must be sure not to lose them. Lie still now. It's time to go."

"Where are we going?"

Nancy smiled. "You're going home, sweetheart."

The hall was empty as Nancy pushed the stretcher through it. There usually wasn't a lot of activity in the basement area. They made it to the elevator without incident. That was the easy part.

Nancy carefully maneuvered the bed into the oversized elevator. She punched the button for the second floor. The doors shut. They began to rise. After a few moments, the doors opened again. But they were only to the first floor.

Two nurses got on. Nancy's breath caught in her throat. One of them was the nurse who had been in Wade's room earlier!

Both nodded at Nancy. She nodded back, trying desperately to give them a smile. Her heart was pounding. This was it, she knew it.

They pushed the button for the fourth floor. If either one recognized Wade, they showed no sign of it. The elevator stopped again, this time on the second floor. The doors opened.

Nancy looked out at the people roaming the hallway. Doctors, nurses, patients, custodians,.... Her heart was pounding, her hands sweaty. But it was now or never. She pushed the stretcher out into the brightly lit hall. It seemed miles long. Each step was torturous as she made her way to the waiting room at the other end.

Rembrandt felt his eyelids getting heavy. He leaned back in his chair, trying to get comfortable. It was impossible. He sighed.

He had been sitting in this waiting room for four and a half hours. He had read every out-of-date magazine at least twice, paced the floor, sang the Spinning Tops' entire first album, and paced some more. The slide was in an hour and a half. Where was that nurse?

The door opened. Rembrandt's head jerked up. The end of a bed on wheels came through. Behind it, pushing it, was Nancy. She shut the door and leaned on it, letting our a ragged breath.

Rembrandt jumped up. "Wade!" He took her hand, then noticed the bandages. "Why is her head all wrapped up? What did they do to her?"

Nanct pulled back the sheet. "The bandages are just a disguise." She helped Wade to her feet.

Rembrandt wrapped his arms around her. "I missed you, sweetheart." Wade just stood there, not returning his embrace. He pulled back. "Wade?"

She just stared at him blankly.

"She doesn't remember you. Don't worry, the medicine will take care of that." She handed the vial and syringe to Rembrandt. "You'd better get going."

She turned to Wade. "It's time for you to leave. Go with this man. His name is Rembrandt. Believe it or not, he is one of your friends. He will help you get home."

Wade took a step closer to Nancy. "But...but I don't know him. I..I can't-"

"Shh. It's all right. Wade, I know that you're scared. I know that you don't remember anything. But you have to trust me. You have to go with him. It'll be all right, I promise. Soon, you will remember all."

"Aren't you coming?"

"I can't. I have to stay here."

Wade nodded, even though she didn't understand. She gave Nancy a quick hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Nancy squeezed her quickly, then gently pushed her away. "Go."

Wade looked at Rembrandt. Almost shyly, she reached out and took his hand. Together, they walked out the door and out of Nancy's life forever.

Nancy just stood there for a moment, staring at the door they had just come through. She wondered at what she had done. It would be discovered soon. She would probably loose her job and be punished in some unpleasant way.

Before, that was what had scared her out of intervening in the lives of the sliders. But now, a feeling of peace came over her. At her own expense, she had saved a life. She felt no fear about the consequences of her actions. She had affected a life, and in doing so, her own was affected as well. "Thank you, Wade," she whispered.

She wiped away a single tear, then pushed the streatcher out of the door.

Arturo sat on the edge of the bed, staring into space. Quinn was pacing the floor and occasionally looking at the timer.

"Less than an hour 'till we slide. Where are they?" Quinn took another lap around the room.

"Calm down, Mr. Mallory," said Arturo, ignoring the butterflies in his own stomach. "They'll be here."

"How can you be sure?" Quinn asked, sitting down on the bed across from the professor.

The door opened. Rembrandt walked in, followed by Wade.

"Wow," said Quinn to the Professor as both jumped up from the beds.

Quinn rushed to meet Wade. "Wade," he said softly, wrapping his arms around her small body.

She returned the hug, but reluctantly. Quinn noticed her hesitate. Keeping his arms on hers, he leaned back to look at her. "Wade?"

She looked up into his eyes. Beautiful blue eyes. They were so full of compassion and concern that she had to look away.

"She doesn't remember us, Q-Ball," Rembrandt said gently.

"I'm sorry," Wade said, her voice barely above a whisper. She had to say something. He looked so hurt.

Quinn nodded and released her. He understood. Yet, he was hurt. Seeing Wade look at him like he was a total stranger was agonizing.

Professor Arturo gently took her hand. "It's good to see you again, Miss Welles, even if you don't remember us."

Wade smiled a little.

"Oh, I almost forgot. The nurse gave me these." Rembrandt pulled the vial and syringe out of his pocket. "They're supposed to jog her memory."

"Great! Let me see," said Quinn, taking them from Rembrandt. He stabbed one of the syringes into the vial and pulled back on the plunger. The crimson liquid slowly filled the syringe.

"I don't really know how to do this," said Quinn.

"Here, let me." The professor stepped forward and took the syringe. He slowly approached Wade. "Hold out your arm, Miss Welles."

Suddenly, one of the few memories she had left flashed through Wade's mind. Dr. Arturo. The needles. The shots. When she woke up afterwards, she couldn't remember where she came from or who her friends were. She didn't know who she could trust. She backed away from the Professor.

"No...."

"Miss Welles, I promise I will be careful. I have done this before," said the Professor reassuringly. He continued to walk towards her, needle in hand.

It was like a nightmare. People she didn't know, claiming to be her friends, telling her that they would help her. But how could she know? Who could she trust?

"No!" she said forcefully. She darted for the door and began fumbling with the knob.

Quinn grabbed her from behind. "Wade, calm down! We want to help you!" He held onto her gently but firmly.

She struggled, trying to break free. "I don't know that! Let me go!"

Rembrandt stepped in front of her. He put his hands on her shoulders and tried to look her in the eye. "Wade! Listen to me. Do you remember what Nancy said? She said I am your friend. That I would get you home. And that you had to trust her. Well, you have to trust her again, and you have to trust me. Please?"

Wade remembered Nancy's words. She stopped squirming in Quinn's arms. He led her to the Professor and held her hand while the Professor gave her the injection. Almost immediately afterwards, everythng went black as she collapsed onto the floor.

"How long, Mr. Mallory?" the Professor asked.

Quinn checked the timer. "Two minutes."

Rembrandt looked at Wade, then at Quinn and the Professor. He shook his head. They had moved her to the bed after her collapse. That was thirty minutes ago. So far, she still hadn't awoken.

They waited in silence. "Thirty seconds," said Quinn. He handed the timer to the Professor and carefully took Wade in his arms.

Arturo activated the timer. The brilliant blue light of the vortex swirled in front of them. Rembrandt stepped through first, followed by the Professor.

Quinn was last. He looked down at Wade, sleeping in his arms. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then, he tightened his hold on her still form and stepped into the vortex.

Wade gradually became aware of a strange sensation. It was like... floating. No, flying. Then, of coming to a sudden halt.

She opened her eyes. The light was dim, but it was enough to see by. Enough to see the brilliant blue eyes that stared back into hers. Enough to see the owner's worried face.

The face that she would know anywhere.

"Wade?" he asked.

"Quinn," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He carefully set her feet on the ground. She leaned against him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

THE END

Well? Did it make sense? Was it too hard or too easy to follow? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Take a few moments, and please LET ME KNOW! Thanks for reading!