The early hours of the morning didn't bring a pack of starving Wendigo crawling through the window, or a snarling grimace breathing hot breath in Sam's face.

It did, however, bring an empty spot once warmed by Josh's body pressed against her own, and a soft keening from the trashed bathroom. The sound drifted through the door - which was opened almost a tiny crack, although Sam remembered it being firmly closed - and reached her ears so quietly it could have been mistaken for the remains of a half-forgotten dream.

Bleary eyes blinked open, squinting in the half-darkness of the early hours. Sam was bundled tightly in the thick, silky blanket that kept her cozy despite the draft from the broken window - and snow beyond. She could have easily gone back to sleep, chin tucked underneath the blanket - if not for that weird sound.

Straining her ears, Sam realised two things - one; it was as real as she was. Two; it echoed, bouncing off the wooden walls in a way no sound should. Something cold crawled along her spine, tiny needles prickling her skin. Suppressing a shiver and the urge to hide underneath the blanket, Sam sat up. "Josh?"

No response. No half formed words or her own voice echoed back. Not even a soft whine of acknowledgement.

"Josh?" she called, softer this time. Somehow raising her voice felt wrong, as if breaking the thick, almost-silence was taboo. Honestly, the silence was kind of spooky - like a physical force that stopped her from speaking above a sharp whisper.

The keening continued, completely unaffected by Sam's calling. If it was Josh, he either couldn't hear her or was pointedly ignoring her. She put her bets on the second option.

Still wearing her clothes from the day before, Sam tugged down the hem of her winter leggings as she dragged herself to her feet. Cold seeped through her socks as she padded across the room; although that was nothing compared to the dull, cold pain radiating through her thigh as she put weight on her leg. Sam bit back a hiss, lips curling. Ugh. That was never not going to suck. With a tiny huff, Sam braced herself for the walk to the bathroom.

Honestly, the quiet keening was damn creepy. It was almost like small, hiccoughing human cries - but there was an undertone of something not right about it. Something high pitched and strained that human vocal chords couldn't achieve. Another reminder that Josh was something other.

Peeking through the bathroom door didn't do much except give her a glimpse of the bloody, watery mess of the floor. There was no sign of Josh - or anything else - through the tiny crack. "Hey, you in there? Is everything all right?"

The quiet sounds stopped with an intake of breath - as if Josh was trying not to be heard. Then came a stuttering, "f-fine," from the depths of the bathroom.

"Can I come in?" Fidgeting on the spot, Sam tried to ignore how the pain settled in her thigh; a cold ache that just wouldn't go away. The longer she tried to stand, the more the ache crept along; spindly legs crawling up her leg. Huffing out a sigh, Sam pressed a flat palm to the bathroom door. "Come on Josh, please?"

Movement. She only caught a flash of motion as Josh flickered past the door; a shock of curly black hair and dirty overalls. "Shut up! Stop talking!" He was hysteric, voice nearly a shriek. Never in all her years of knowing him had Sam heard anything like it - something so desperate.

Sam's heart skipped a beat as she jumped back from the door - only to wince at the strike of pain in her thigh. Something was wrong. Really wrong. Josh didn't yell at people - had never so much as raised his voice at her, or anyone, as long as she had known him. This wasn't just weird Wendigo stuff either. A shaky hand grabbed for the cold metal door handle, pausing for just a moment. "All right, I'm coming in whether you like it or not."

With a deep breath, Sam opened the door.

When she swung the door open and stepped inside, she was met with the sight of Josh curled in the corner, head in his hands, clawed fingers curled around fistfuls of black hair. He didn't even look up as she crossed the threshold; just curled further in on himself, as if to try and disappear.

She had to go to him - to comfort him, let him know that somehow everything was going to be okay. But how could she do that when she didn't even know what was wrong?

"I said shut up!"

The outburst caused Sam to stumble back with a start - knocking her shoulder against the door frame. Throwing a hand out to steady herself, Sam fixed her eyes on Josh.

He hadn't moved from his spot, but his milky white eyes were fixed on a spot just past Sam's shoulder, through into the next room. Heart hammering in her ears, Sam slowly spun. What was she going to find?

Nothing. The living room was as empty as she had left it.

"Josh, no one's there - and no one spoke. What's going on?" Her chest was thundering now, the anxiety rising and rising. When she focused back on Josh, her stomach churned and for a moment she thought she was going to be sick. Swallowing down the urge to vomit right there on the floor, Sam closed her eyes.

Deep breath for four seconds. Hold for seven. Exhale for eight. Chris' words rang in her ears, talking her through the process. You're fine Sammy.

When she opened her eyes, Josh's gaze met hers.

Although her hands still shook as she wrapped the blanket closer around her shoulders, her chest was no longer doing somersaults. Letting out a shaky sigh, Sam stepped forward. "Talk to me Josh. What's wrong?"

"Not real."

She had stretched out an arm to reach for him - but she paused mid way, brain taking a second to catch up. What? Of course she was real! She was right there, standing in the middle of the bathroom. "I'm pretty sure I'm real, dude. Look, I have real hands and everything." Cautiously she reached out again, kneeling on the cold tile so she could brush a hand across his shoulder.

Josh recoiled, shoving Sam away with enough force to send her tumbling backward as she lost her balance. Sharp claws sliced her arm and sent droplets of blood springing across her skin. Next thing she knew she was staring up at the bathroom ceiling, back against the tile. Her arm protested as she pushed herself upright, the familiar ache settling into the scratches given earlier; and now she had a brand new one. Blood trickled gently down her arm, but it was barely more than a sting.

Having retreated back to the corner, Josh regarded her warily. When she sat up he flinched, curling even further in on himself - it was as if he expected her to hurt him.

Maybe it was better to leave him alone, let him work through… whatever this was by himself. God, what was she saying? She couldn't just abandon him, leave him alone when he was struggling. What was the point of even being on this stupid mountain at all if she couldn't help? Frustration was beginning to bubble up inside her, slender hands balling into tight fists. Taking a breath, Sam willed herself to keep her cool.

Josh was still staring at her, completely unmoving save for the rapid rise and fall of his chest. His breath seemed to rattle, echoing the new raspy tone of his voice. The Wendigo curse had made everything about him rougher, more dangerous - but he was more vulnerable too. Just looking at him curled up on the bathroom floor, white eyes wide, body stock still, made that pretty obvious.

Tears sprang to Sam's eyes, blurring her vision. What was she supposed to do?

Scrubbing at her eyes, Sam turned her gaze to Josh. "I'll stay right over here, okay? I won't come any closer if you don't want me to. But for the love of God please say something!"

Not real. The words echoed in her ears, ringing in Josh's voice.

Back in the mines, with Mike, this had happened too. Mike had told her everything after she had split, retold his journey through the mines with Josh in painful detail. She tried to think, but the hammering of her chest was almost too much to let her think - her brain seemed heavy, foglike.

Oh. Beth and Hannah. Hallucinations. Shit.

Sam carefully reached out a hand, not close enough to tough him, and let it hang there for a moment. "I promise I'm real, okay; one hundred percent here."

He didn't even register her words, vision fixed on a spot by the walk in shower. His lips curled back to reveal a mouthful of oversized fangs and for one heart stopping second Sam thought he was going to lash out. She envisioned him sprinting across the bathroom, throwing her aside to get to the non-existent target-

"Get away from me!" The words burst from his mouth in a rush, so much of a shriek they were barely words at all. In a flash he was on his feet and scuttling backwards, bare feet slipping on the bathroom tile.

Without a thought Sam launched to her feet too, blanket sliding to the floor in a heap. She ignored how her thigh and shoulder burned from the sudden movement. She swayed on her feet, but in barely a second she crossed the small space between them - only to stop a few feet away. Maybe getting so close was a bad idea…

"I don't know what you're seeing, but it's not real. They can't hurt you Josh, not any more. Whether it's Hannah and Beth, or Wendigo, or anything else, they can't touch you." Her eyes stung, a tear dripping down her cheek to splash against her t-shirt. "I'm here for you, you know that right? No matter what."

Josh's milky eyes slid over to her, though it was impossible to tell if he was really seeing her. Those eyes, once so dark and filled with emotion, gave nothing away now. Although he had always been good at hiding how he felt, hadn't he? He had fooled her - and everyone else - for an entire year. Probably even longer.

Josh's hand twitched, spindly fingers reaching for Sam; but he didn't make a move toward her. "You're real? Hannah told me…" He let out a low growl, lips curling back into a scowl. Then, "doesn't matter."

Tears threatened to blur her vision again but she blinked them away. He had gone through so much - and he had been alone for all of it. Not any more. "Hey." Sam ignored how her voice broke. She had to be the strong one here, no matter how hard it was. "I promise - and I mean this - I'll do whatever I can to help."

When she reached out a hand, Josh took one tiny step forward. Their hands met, and Sam slowly curled her fingers around his. "Are they still here? Hannah and Beth I mean."

Josh just nodded, eyes dipping to the ground.

Shivering she turned around, half expecting to see Beth's torn up body looming behind her - or Hannah, all fangs and leathery grey skin. When her eyes reached over her shoulder, there was only blood-stained tile and an empty shower.

Still. Knowing Josh saw something she didn't. Ugh.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to stay here with you until they disappear. I don't… I don't know what else I can do, really. I'm kind of useless, huh?" Despite her words she smiled, free hand closing in on Josh to pull him close. She was careful; so careful she was barely touching him and it was weird, having to treat him so gently. Gone were the times where they used to rough house, throwing each other around for fun.

Her arms looped around his waist - and despite being so much taller he seemed smaller than ever - and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of his cheek. "We'll get through this, okay? I don't know how, but we will. I promise you."

Josh tensed, and Sam thought he was going to pull away - but then he wrapped one gangly arm around her, pulling her ever closer. His head dropped onto her shoulder, black curls tickling her neck. When he let out a sigh it was thick and gravelly, but sounded a little more like the Josh she remembered.

"Thanks Sammy; you're the best."

It didn't occur to her until much later, when Josh was fast asleep and she was curled up in bed, but that was the first full sentence he had managed since she had found him.