Ghosts in the Smoke Part 7

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 7

Leo's Office

"Yeah I know how hard it was on you last time, and how Josh reacted…" Leo said into the phone.

"Leo, he still thinks that I blame him." Sarah Lyman voice filtered quietly through the speakerphone.

"Sarah…" Leo protested.

"He was always better at talking with Noah than he was with me. Ever since Noah died, I rarely see him. It's like he's afraid or something." Sarah replied.

"He is afraid, he thinks he's failed you. You wanted him to be a lawyer like Noah…" Leo stated softly.

"He has a law degree, I figured that he should use it. I had so many hopes for both of my children." Sarah mumbled.

"Sarah, Josh loves his job. He's good at his job." Leo replied.

"I know I realize that now. I am so proud of him. Leo, I do all the bragging that Noah never got to do. But look at what his job has done to him? He nearly died six months ago, and now he could die in a fire. In a fire just like his sister did." Sarah's voice began to crack a little.

"Josh is a fighter, I doubt that Sam is going to let him give up." Leo assured her.

"But how much fight could he really have left? You know I had to find out from his assistant that he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. That he broke a window with his fist. I know Noah is watching over him, and I'm sure that one of these days Josh is going to listen to him, and I will have lost both of my children." Sarah cried.

"Sarah, are you going to come up here?" Leo asked gently.

"What's the use, Josh wouldn't want me there. He's too proud to admit that he still needs his mother." Sarah whispered quietly.

"Sarah, I'll call you the moment I get some more news." Leo assured her.

"You say he's with Sam?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, he's with Sam…why?" Leo asked with a puzzled voice.

"Sam's a good man, and he's a good friend." Sarah replied.

"That he is." Leo agreed.

"I hope that they are both okay…after Joanie I don't know how Josh is coping with this. And if anything happened to Sam…" Sarah's voice trailed.

"I know, I know. I'll call you back later." Leo stated quietly, as he hung up the phone.

"Leo, is everything okay? Who were you talking to?" Margaret asked as she placed a file on Leo's desk.

“Josh’s mother.” Leo replied.

“Are you going to call Sam’s parents to?” Margaret asked quietly.

“Not until we know a little bit more. Sarah’s an old friend so I thought that she might want to know.” Leo replied.

“I’m sure that they are both fine.” Margaret said unconvincingly.

“I do to.” Leo replied as he buried himself in the fresh work that Margaret had given him.

D.C. Hilton

“He’s a loser Sam, you shouldn’t worry about him.” A voice stated causing Sam to look around for who it was.

“Did you say something?” Sam asked Josh.

“You should have babies with Donna.” Josh repeated.

“No I didn’t mean that.” Sam muttered to himself.

“I should be a father.” Josh announced.

“He’s to much of a loser to be a father.” The voice replied.

“Who is saying that?” Sam asked aloud.

“Sam, did Joanie come back?” Josh asked hopefully.

“No.” Sam replied sadly.

“He can’t even hold a real conversation with you.” The voice stated.

“Yeah well he’s still my best friend.” Sam defended.

“Who Sam?” Josh asked tiredly.

“Never mind Josh.” Sam soothed.

“See he’s a big baby.” The voice replied.

“Would you just please shut up. I’m tired of you whining.” Sam screamed.

“But Sam you know I’m telling the truth.” The voice replied.

“Sam.” Josh called out.

“Sam.” The voice mocked Josh.

“I thought I told you to shut up. Just shut the hell up and leave me alone.” Sam screamed.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” The voice laughed.

Sam shook his head, now he was the one hearing voices. Something was definitely wrong. He began to cough some more due to the increase of smoke, he noticed that Josh was doing the same. He called Josh’s name but he got no answer. Panic filled him.

“You told him to shut the hell up and to stop whining.” The voice replied evil.

“I did, didn’t I?” Sam asked aloud.

“Uh huh.” The voice replied.

“Who are you?” Sam asked.

“I’m whoever you want me to be.” Was the reply.

“I don’t want you to be anyone. I don’t need you here. I already have enough to deal with.” Sam screamed.

The voice laughed evilly as Sam noticed Josh was trying to get up. He was trying to move some of the ruble. It took a minute for Sam to realize what he was doing. Sam reached out and he grabbed Josh. Josh tried to resist.

“Josh don’t.” Sam practically begged.

Sam knew that Josh was in no condition to be trying to claw his way out. He could tell that Josh didn’t have much strength left in him. He could also see how bad that Josh was shivering from being cold. In Sam’s opinion there was no way that Josh should be sitting up, let alone trying to escape. So despite the pain it caused his leg, Sam moved so he could pull Josh back.

“You don’t need me here.” Josh replied hollowly.

“I didn’t mean you, I’m sorry.” Sam replied totally freaked out by Josh’s tone of voice.

D.C. Hilton-fifth floor

“I think I can hear voices.” Kenny stated as they moved some more of the ruble.

“They’re still alive?” Jason asked in a surprised voice.

“I didn’t mean you I’m sorry.” Sam’s voice filtered down.

“Kind of sounds like they are fighting or something.” Kenny stated after they heard Sam loud and clearly.

“Smoke can do crazy things to people.” Jason replied.

They moved some more of the ruble and they found Sam’s cell phone. Kenny noticed the government stamp on it. They both realized that they must be getting very close to the landing that Josh and Sam were at.

“Kenny!!! Jason!!! Where are you?” A voice yelled from Kenny’s radio.

“We are almost to them.” Kenny replied.

“The rest of the stairwell looks like it’s about to collapse. You had better hurry.” The voice yelled.

Kenny looked at Jason and then he looked at the pile of ruble. He could hear Sam was still trying to apologize to Josh. It tugged at Kenny’s heart. His instincts were telling him to run, but they were so close.

“What do you want to do?” Kenny asked looking at Jason.

“We can’t just leave them when we are this close.” Jason replied.

They dug a little bit more and then they saw Sam and Josh through an opening. The smoke had gotten really thick and it seemed to the two of them that the fire had to be practically on top of them. Just as they busted the final way through the hole, the stairwell above came crashing down just as the voice on the other end of the radio had predicted.

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