Chapter 3

"Pam!" He'd heard her weak call and leaping into Michael's office he saw her scrabbling to gain purchase on the desk. Rushing as fast his injury would allow, Jim tried not to breathe in the blackening air and as he bent down to pick her up, he became very aware of the jumping flames not a foot away from them. Wasting no time or breath on speaking, he helped her up but before they could move a ceiling tile fell, hitting Jim's head and slicing into his shoulder. He swayed under the impact, Pam falling slightly too. Recovering as quickly as he could, Jim somehow managed to hold onto her and half-carrying her, they staggered out of the hellish office.

Finally in the stairwell, Jim was astonished that the intense heat had followed them as Pam looked up and tried to scream. Jim's head was so heavy, why was Pam hitting his shoulder? It hurt. He saw his burning shirt at the same time that Pam had managed to remove her sweater. He panicked, trying to recoil from his scorching shoulder, but she lunged forward, bringing her make-shift fire blanket onto the growing flames. A powerful unsteadiness gripped him as they both panted heavily but he gritted his teeth. He nodded to indicate that the fire was out and, now slightly more awake in the less smoky stairwell she supported his almost dead leg as they tried to go down the stairs. At the second step he stumbled and she lost grip on the handrail.

After depositing Michael onto the floor, among the other blackened and shaken workers, Dwight straightened, coughing slightly and ignoring Andy's enthusiastic praise. Vaguely he heard an irate Kelly shouting wheezily at a cowering Ryan and a quiet Angela stroking her cat near him, not speaking, just looking. He glanced around the group and frowned, Meredith suddenly vocalising his worry.

"Hey where are Jim and Pam?" Everyone stopped as Kelly spoke up.

"Didn't he find her?" Pushing away the voices that grew louder and louder around him, he gathered his strength and ran back into the burning building, the voices calling after him in vain.

After bounding up two flights of stairs, Dwight wiped his brow and stopped briefly to catch his breath. He heard a faint call, this spurred him on and as he climbed up further he could recognise Jim's voice.

"I'm coming Jim!" Heart fluttering, he turned a corner and saw Jim on the flight above, holding Pam's limp body and trying unsuccessfully to lower her down. As Dwight shouted instructions he analysed the situation: Jim had blood trickling down his forehead, his right shoulder was blackened with possible burn damage; he was coughing heavily and winced whenever weight was put on his right ankle. Pam was waking slightly to Dwight's shouts, her eyes were unfocused and her movements slow, he needed to get her out immediately. He knelt beside them and Jim croaked.

"T…ta… take Pam." Unable to shout anymore, Dwight nodded wordlessly and, cradling her body in his arms, he carefully made his way down the stairs. Turning, he saw Jim urging him on, trying to stand; the image hindered him for only a second as, though he had been torn between them, he knew that it would be easier to get Pam to safety before going back for Jim. Arms screaming he placed each foot cautiously on each step, knowing a fall could be potentially fatal when he heard heavy boots and shouts from below. Suddenly he was confronted by several firemen. One of them took Pam immediately as Dwight croaked.

"Up, another floor, on the stairwell." Another two pushed past him as the smoke and the heavy lifting finally getting to him, a fire-fighter guided him back into the sunlight. Considering the damage, he felt his stomach drop with guilt before he passed out.