Paul is Dead
Author: Oro
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Aaron Sorkin owns everything West Wing. The Beatles own, well, the songs and albums, and perhaps Billy Campbell? ;)
Notes: There is a theory that Paul McCartney is dead and been replaced with a guy named William (aka: Billy) Campbell. There are a lot of theories to it. That's all you should know.
There are a million ways to prove that Paul McCartney is dead. For instance, on the cover of 'Abbey Road,' he is the only one barefoot. There is a car in the background, on the road, and it's on Paul's lane. There's another car parked there, and on the license plate it says, '28IF' and 'LMW'; Paul would've been twenty-eight years old if he hadn't died. LMW stands for Linda McCartney Weeps.
And it's all useless knowledge, all of it, and Sam's mind is just filled with tiny tidbits of inane trivia like this. But he can't stop thinking about it; there really are a lot of ways to prove that Paul is dead, and not even one to prove that Josh is dead.
When he looks Josh in the eyes, though, he knows for certain that he is dead. Josh used to look at him with so much love he would melt from within, the inner walls of his heart just crashing down at the sight of the affection in the eyes of that magical creature. But now, it's like someone turned the lights off and no matter how hard he tries, he can't find the switch.
You can't see me. You can't hear me.
Paul can't see, or can't hear; because he is dead. Sam lies in bed at night, holding the cold hand of his fast asleep lover; he traces the lines of his hand over and over again, constantly checking to see that he's real. The idea of Josh being dead and replaced by William Campbell frightens him; he doesn't want William Campbell. He wants Josh. He closes his eyes and burned on the insides of his eyelids is the sight of Josh lying in the pool of his own blood.
He cups Josh's face in his hands and kisses him, licks his lips, tastes the blood that fills Josh's body and feel the life of his breath as (at last) he gasps for air. It feels like him but it's numb, and he can't find any proof that Josh is alive. And the nightmares and flashbacks keep haunting him as he sits on the bed and succumbs to the tears that suddenly attack him.
And Josh just looks at him through the darkness, wide-eyed and silent. He wraps his arms around Sam and mumbles comforting words that don't seem to penetrate Sam, and he sighs into the black hair because he knows that while he's the one who's been shot, Sam is the one who's been killed.
"On the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, the Destroyer's finger is pointed straight at Paul," Sam mumbles through his tears, from the comfort of Josh's arms.
"I know," Josh whispers, "I know."
FIN