Ghosts in the Smoke Part 19

Disclaimer: I don't own these lovely characters, Aaron Sorkin and his friends do.

Sam and Josh are caught in a hotel fire.

Spoilers: Everything up through The Leadership Breakfast (set two days later)

Archive: Anywhere you want, just please e-mail me Partnrpal@aol.com

Ghosts in the Smoke

By Mer

Part 19

Georgetown Hospital-Just outside of it
Donna was sitting on a bench in the cold just crying her eyes out. She knew that she needed to be strong in front of everyone else, but when she was alone she could be as vulnerable as she wanted. The January air was cold but she didn't care. She wanted the cold to numb her. She didn't ever want to be warm again if Josh was going to die.

"Donna what are doing out here? I mean why are you here at the hospital? I swear that I am going to throttle that slave driver boss of yours. And why don't you have a heavier coat on, are you trying to catch pneumonia? I know that he doesn't let you have a day off that often, but really trying to get yourself deathly ill to get one. I mean I'm sure that if you just ask Josh for a day off that he'll give you one. He can't be that much of an ass." Mrs. Bartlet said when she saw her.

"You don't know do you?" Donna asked in an accusing voice.

Abbey was startled a little as Donna whipped around to look at her better. She could see the face of a woman who had been crying tears that had long since needed to be cried. Donna scooted over on the bench a little so that Abbey could sit down. Abbey watched as Donna carefully wiped her tears away with the fat glove she was wearing.

"Donna, why are you crying? What did I miss? I've been away in New Hampshire, but they said that there was a tiny thing I had to come back for. What happened?" She asked.

"A tiny thing?" Donna asked, her voice raising several notches.

"Yeah, they just said that one of the staffers was in the hospital and that I might want to show my husband some support. And that he was driving the secret service crazy so I'm supposed to coax him back to the White House. Why what happened?" Abbey asked, feeling a pit rise in her stomach.

"Sam and Josh were at this charity auction, or well they were supposed to make it to the auction. The hotel caught on fire and they were both trapped." Donna began and her voice was starting to crack.

"Are they both okay? Did they get them both out?" Abbey asked, praying that the news Donna had was at least somewhat encouraging.

"Yeah they both were eventually brought out. Sam could lose his leg and Josh could…" Donna couldn't finish her sentence she just became lost in a wave of sobs.

"I'm sure that everything is going to be alright." Abbey soothed as she placed her arms around Donna to comfort her.

"How much more can he take?" Donna sobbed.

"Honey, he's a politician, I think he can take a lot more than you think." Abbey stated gently.

Georgetown Hospital-Sam's Room (same time)

Sam had tried to go back to sleep after his fight with Toby, but he couldn't. He just couldn't help but think that Josh was going to die. He couldn't help but wonder if Matt could be right.

As he lay there in bed he began to think about how much of a failure that he was. Josh had done him a favor by getting him a job in the Bartlet Administration. It was quite obvious to him sometimes that he hadn't really been needed. He was like the resident screw up. Also like the little nerdy kid that everybody talked to, but nobody really wanted anything to do with.

He knew that Josh truly liked him. They both had a history together, history before the White House and before the days of politics. But to everyone else he just didn't seem to click with all the time.

"I should just kill myself so that way it will save everybody else the trouble I cause." Sam muttered aloud.

"I certainly hope that you'll do no such thing." Jed said from his position in Sam's doorway.

"Mr. President, I didn't realize that you were standing there." Sam said as he tried to straighten himself up on the bed.

"Sam, it's okay, you don't have to sit up, just rest in whatever way is more comfortable to you." Jed replied as he walked over to the bed and sat down.

"Okay, sir." Sam replied.

"Now what is this about you killing yourself?" Jed asked.

"Sir, I didn't mean for you to overhear that." Sam stuttered.

"That maybe true but I still heard it. Sam, what's wrong? You aren't blaming yourself for this are you?" Jed asked gently.

"It's my fault though." Sam protested.

"Your mouth might have gone a little overboard, but this isn't your fault. God knows how many times I wanted to be able to tell him off." Jed said trying to ease the tension a little.

"If I had only kept my mouth shut then none of this ever would've happened, sir." Sam replied as he hung his head in shame.

"Sam, you had no way of knowing that this was going to happen. Just like I had no way of knowing that by giving that speech that I would be shot at leaving the building. There are some things that we just can't control." Jed assured him.

"But I should've known better. I should've had Josh come along with me. Leo told us both to go but I never made sure that Josh got the message. If I would've made him go along." Sam said waving his arms out wildly.

"You don't know that it would've made any difference." Jed stated gently.

"I should've known better. Bad stuff happens to people around me. I should've known that you and Josh were both going to get shot. I should've known that Josh and I were going to get trapped in a fire. Matt's right, Josh is going to die. Ands it's going to be all my fault." Sam stated.

"Sam?" Jed questioned.

"I know that you think that you are superior because you know the truth. But you aren't superior. I accept that I am a failure. Go ahead and taunt me some more. I know who I am and I know who you are now." Sam yelled.

"Sam?" Jed questioned, realizing that Sam was no longer talking to him, but to someone else that only Sam could see or hear.

"So what if I failed my best friend again? I survived after the last time. And I will survive this time!" Sam yelled even louder.

"Sam, calm down." Jed urged as Sam began moving his arms around even wilder.

"Like I have to listen to you. I don't even need to be in this hospital." Sam replied and he pulled out some of the wiring that they had him hooked up with.

Shrill noises from machines started to go off. Jed looked at Sam helplessly. Sam tried to jump out of the bed but luckily wasn't able to because of the way his leg was restricted. He kept screaming at the unseen person until the medical staff came back in a sedated him.

Georgetown Hospital-Operating Room (same-time)

"Clear!" The doctor shouted.

"If it's not up you than who is it up to? I want to stay. I really don't want to die." Josh complained.

"I don't know who has the final decision. All I know that I am supposed to be here to meet you." Joanie replied.

"Doesn't God make the final decision?" Josh asked in a know-it-all voice.

"I suppose I just never have actually seen him do it. Can you see me yet?" Joanie asked.

"Yeah I think I can see you. You're in that green dress that you were going to wear to the junior high dance. The dress that you…" Josh began but his voice quivered.

"Yeah Josh it's me. Yes, it was the dress that I died trying to save. I didn't know that you'd remember what it looked like." Joanie whispered.

"How could I forget the reason that my sister died?" Josh asked.

"Let me help you understand it better Josh. If you just keep coming closer I can help you cross over. And then we can talk about whatever you want to talk about." Joanie said softly.

"I don't know if I'm ready yet. I can hear other voices too." Josh stated.

"Other voices? Like of who?" Joanie asked.

"I think it's the doctors who are trying to save me." Josh replied.

"Try and focus on their voices then." Joanie answered.

"I know that you want me to be with you, but is it okay if I don't come yet?" Josh asked suddenly concerned.

"It's okay." Joanie assured him.

"Come on here buddy, just stay with us." A doctor urged.

"Clear!" The doctor shouted.

"We've got a heartbeat!" The other doctor shouted.

"Pulse is weak and thready but we've got one." Commented a nurse.

"Good-bye Josh." Joanie whispered.

Links

go back to last part
go back to general stories
go on to next part
home