Ghosts in the Smoke Part 2

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 2

D.C. Hilton-Lobby Area

"So what floor is Senator Herman's Suite on?" Sam asked as Josh returned from the front desk.

"The sixth floor, it's room 612." Josh replied, with a touch of resentment in his voice.

"Have you and Donna worked things out yet?" Sam asked, not catching the resentment in Josh's voice.

"Yes, she is no longer calling me Mr. Lyman." Josh replied slowly as they walked towards the elevator.

"May I ask why you were not at the meeting this afternoon?" Sam asked tentatively.

"Donna forgot to give me the message." Josh replied with a sigh, realizing it was pointless to be mad at Sam.

"I'm sorry I didn't go to bat for you with Leo. I know I should've but..." Sam's voice trailed off.

"I know I deserved it. Hell, I'm surprised that you guys haven't lynched me sooner." Josh replied stroking his now healed palm.

"I should've been able to get you help sooner. I mean I should've noticed." Sam answered slowly.

"It's okay. The world doesn't revolve around me. Donna would be so proud to hear me say that." Josh grinned.

"How are you? I mean do you still feel like you did?" Sam asked softly.

"Nah, I feel better. Doc says that I should try and avoid high stress situations for now." Josh joked.

"Does he know where you work?" Sam asked with a grin.

"I thought I mentioned it to him, but I don't know. But seriously, he says that I just got to try and take things slow. I can't push my fears aside anymore." Josh admitted.

"What about the other night, when we both started the fire. Were you scared then?" Sam asked with a smile.

Josh tried to smile back at him. He wanted to be able to joke and say that it hadn't bothered him, but it had. It had brought back memories of Joanie and the night that she died. The smoke alarm and smoke had done that, not the fire itself.

"Hell yeah I was scared. I thought Leo was going to kill us." Josh finally managed to say.

"Point taken. Maybe Donna was right, maybe we should get permission next time." Sam offered.

"I don't think there is going to be a next time. I hear that we are banned from all fireplaces." Josh joked.

"Like something like that could happen twice." Sam sighed.

"You never know. C'mon let's go face the music." Josh said as they boarded the elevator.

"You really shouldn't be forced to do this, it was my foul mouth." Sam protested.

"Yeah, but I think I deserve this fate anyway. It might be fun." Josh laughed.

Leo's Office

"Margaret get Donna for me." Leo bellowed to his assistant.

"I'm right here, I was dropping off a file." Donna said as she entered Leo's office.

"Perfect timing. Say can you get Josh for me, I need to let him off the hook." Leo asked.

"He already left. They had to be there at six remember?" Donna reminded gently.

"That's right, Oh well, I guess a little torture is good for him. So what exactly did he do to anger Senator Herman anyway. I know he tells you these things." Leo asked.

"Sam, sir?" Donna asked with a confused look.

"Not Sam, I meant Josh. What exactly happened?" Leo asked.

"Josh wasn't there." Donna said quietly.

"What do you mean he wasn't there?" Leo asked in an annoyed voice.

"I set up the meeting and I forgot to tell him because I was a little mad at him and he was going over the initial results of the monthly DNC poll." Donna admitted slowly.

"I guess I can understand his whining now. I just thought he was trying to blame it on Sam, like he has a tendency to do." Leo stated slowly with a small frown forming on his face.

"He probably deserved to be sent anyway, after what happened the other night." Donna assured him.

"Yeah. How is he? He assures me that he's fine. And he does seem better. I was wondering if you noticed whether or not it was just an act or if it was for real." Leo asked gently.

"I'm pretty sure it's for real. He was mad after he returned to his office. Josh from a month ago would've bitten my head off for not telling him of the meeting. But he started to get angry and then backed off. I think he's pretty close to his normal self." Donna assured.

"That's good. Have you two worked things out?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, I realized it was pointless to stay mad at him. He truly was sorry. I don't think he ever meant to embarrass me like that." Donna admitted.

"No, I don't think so either. Part of it was probably just out of a shock value." Leo said giving Donna a tiny smile.

"True. It's not everyday that you get messengered your assistant's underwear." Donna sighed.

"Scary thought." Leo said as Margaret appeared.

"Hey I heard that." Margaret protested.

"I know." Leo smiled.

Senator Herman's Suite

"Well, hello. You guys haven't talked to Leo have you?" Senator Mike Herman asked once he opened the door.

"No why?" Josh asked slowly.

"I realized the error of my ways. I shouldn't punish Sam for what he said earlier. There probably was some truth to what he said. Why are you here anyway Josh?" Senator Herman asked.

"Leo assumed it was his fault." Sam admitted.

"Ah, I see." Senator Herman replied.

"Senator, Sam didn't mean what he said earlier. All of our emotions have been running on high lately." Josh defended.

"I know Josh. I never should've brought up guns the way I did with Sam. He had every right to call me on it. And please call me Mike." Senator Herman stated.

"I still apologize for what I said." Sam stated.

"I know. Listen guys, I appreciate that you showed up on time and but my wife about killed me when she realized I was using her charity to make a political statement. So I have to let you out of the arrangement." Senator Herman apologized.

"If it's all right with you, I think we should still auction ourselves off. C.J. already told the press and it would look bad if we backed out." Josh said as Sam lost all color from his face.

"Really? You guys would be willing to do it on your own accord?" Senator Herman asked.

"Um..." Sam began but Josh elbowed him.

"We would be delighted. Research for childhood cancers is a great cause. And if we can help in this small way, I know that the kids we end up helping will appreciate it." Josh stated which caused Sam to elbow him back.

"Great. Then I will go down and tell my wife. None of the other guests or fellow bachelors have arrived yet. But if you both wait here while I go down and tell my wife, we will get things set up." Senator Herman beamed.

"Take your time." Sam stated as Senator Herman left the room.

"You look like you just saw a ghost Sam." Josh teased once the Senator was out of earshot.

"Very funny. So this is how you pay me back huh?" Sam asked, mildly angry.

"C'mon we already promised Leo that we'd do it. How do we know this isn't some sort of test?" Josh asked.

"Then I would've gladly failed." Sam protested.

"He said our jobs depended on whether we made a good showing tonight." Josh soothed.

"You and I both know he was bluffing. I mean how many times have you threatened to fire Donna?" Sam asked.

"Every day it seems like." Josh laughed.

"Leo would never fire us. He was just mad." Sam said with a sigh.

"And why would that be runaway mouth boy?" Josh joked.

"Hey..." Sam began to protest but stopped after he heard a noise in the hallway.

Josh froze when he heard it too. It was the smoke alarm. He could see visions of Joanie and the fire when he was six. Josh didn't know why he had started to relive that night again, Sam didn't appear to notice. He just opened the door and peeked out.

Smoke filled the room. Sam went into the bathroom and he grabbed two towels. He handed one to Josh. They used the towels to cover their mouths. Sam had to tug gently on Josh's arm to get him to enter the hallway. And somewhat reluctantly, Josh followed Sam down the hall to the stairwell.

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