Sam is a sailor. He sails. He's a strong swimmer. But he's drunk. He's drunk and he's tired and he just got out of hospital.
These thoughts ran through Josh's head in the time it took him to fling off his jacket and shoes. Sam did not surface and Josh took one deep breath and dived. He swam a few strokes before he felt something. He grasped at it frantically before realising it was the posts of the wharf. He followed them back to the top and scanned the surface and had to wait a few seconds to control his panicked breathing before swimming down again. He felt the posts again and this time pushed himself away from them. He felt something brush against his leg and ducked further down. He groped around the murky water until he felt it again. With relief he realised it was Sam's arm. He wrapped his arm around Sam and started to swim to the surface.
As soon as his head emerged, Josh took a gulp of air and trod water while he got his breath back. He had lost his bearings and glanced around him until he could see the wharf again. With one arm around Sam he began swimming towards it. Sam was weightless in the water but Josh knew as soon as his body was out of it he was going to become a dead weight. He grabbed hold of Sam's belt and hoisted him up onto the wooden platform. He pushed against his back with one hand and managed to swing Sam's legs up and over the side of the wharf too. He pulled himself up and crouched beside Sam who was still dangerously close to the edge. He placed his arms around Sam's chest and pulled him back.
As Sam was moved a gush of water left his mouth and he started to cough and splutter. The water was soon followed by the beer that he had been drinking. Josh placed his knees behind his back to keep him on his side. He had seen Sam vomit more times than he cared to remember recently and he started to rub his back waiting for it to pass. But this time was different, Sam was gasping for air between retches, almost choking. Josh pulled Sam's chin away from his chest and started to rub his back more forcefully. He didn't know what he was supposed to do but something he did was working because Sam stopped choking. Josh waited until he had finished and the heaves finally stopped wracking his body.
While all of this was happening Josh spoke to Sam, explaining what was happening and that everything was going to be okay. He was amazed at how calm his voice sounded and it helped to calm him too. He gently pulled him further away from the edge and onto him so that he was lying between his legs, his head on Josh's chest. Josh saw one of his shoes lying in front of him and looked around for his coat. It was lying behind him, just out of reach.
"I'm just going to get my coat." Josh started to remove his hands from Sam's chest but found them immediately gripped by Sam's.
"I've got to get my phone, Sam." He waited a few moments and then felt Sam's hands relax. He laid him down gently and dashed over to retrieve his coat. He pulled Sam up again and wrapped the coat around him. He fumbled in his pockets for his cell phone, praying that it hadn't fallen out when he had thrown his coat off. He reached for the inside pocket and pulled Sam closer as he felt the shivers that had started to assault him. He panicked when he discovered that his phone was not in his jacket but then remembered that Adam and Toby were meeting him and would be here soon. He placed his arms around Sam's chest and instantly felt him grab them again. They sat like that for a while. Josh listened to the water lapping against the boats and marvelled at how something so destructive could sound so peaceful. Eventually he felt Sam shift.
"Need to sit up." Sam placed his hands on the floor and tried to push himself up higher. Josh pulled Sam up against him. "Difficult to breathe," Sam explained.
Josh knew all about collapsed lungs from his own experience. He knew that it was possible that Sam's lung would collapse again, in fact after his injury it was quite common. As Josh listened to Sam breathe he decided that the possibility had become a reality. "Is that better?" he asked.
Sam nodded. "I'm sorry…you…had…to get-"
Josh shushed him. He didn't want him wasting his breath on trying to talk when breathing was costing him so much energy, "Just try to relax…they'll be here soon."
"I…didn't want…this…to…" Sam tried to speak again but this time between the shivers which had worsened and his laboured breathing, he decided Josh was right and gave up trying to apologise about the night's events.
Josh felt the shivers and started to rub Sam's arms. He felt Sam slide towards the floor.
"Need…lie down….want to…on side." Sam obviously felt he would be more comfortable on his side so Josh helped him to turn around and rested his head in the crook of his arm.
"Better," Sam mumbled.
Although he had told Sam not to talk, Josh didn't stop talking and he peered over every so often, anxiously making sure that Sam was still with him. He talked about the names of the boats, how Toby had turned up unexpectedly and how bad the coffee on the Acela was. And while he spoke he held onto Sam. Occasionally Sam's hands would tighten around his and then Josh would raise his voice until Sam's panic faded and his hands relaxed once more.
"Was better up." Sam started to shift again and Josh helped him to a sitting position. "Much longer?"
"No, they'll be here soon." Josh was already planning what to do if Adam didn't arrive soon. He decided to give them a few more minutes and then go and get some help. It seemed like an eternity, but it had only been a few minutes since he had dragged Sam out of the water and although he knew the sensible thing was to go and get help, he didn't want to leave him. He had been here this time, and he wasn't about to leave Sam alone again in a hurry.
A few minutes passed and then a few more and Josh realised he had no choice but to go.
"Sam, I'm going to get some help. I'll be right back though." He started to push Sam forward so that he could manoeuvre out from under him but felt Sam's hand grab at his arm.
"I've got to go…you need help." Sam held on even tighter.
"Don't care…can't wait again…don't make me wait again."
"It's not like last time…I found you…you're safe but I need to go and-" Josh stopped talking when he found himself suddenly blinded by the headlights of a car as it swung into the parking lot.
Josh watched as the two figures stayed in the car. The interior light was switched on and Josh could now just make out Toby's profile. He was making a phone call while Adam sat looking out of the window. "Come on, Toby, I'm the stupid one who's probably fallen in, come and look for me."
Toby hung up and after a brief conversation the two men got out of the car and started walking towards the wharf. They disappeared behind the dock house for a while, but as soon as they come back into view Josh started shouting.
"Toby, Adam, over here!"
He continued to call until he was sure that the two men were headed his way and he watched them start to run.
Adam arrived first and immediately crouched down beside Sam. He removed his jacket and Josh was surprised to find it placed around his shoulders. Josh explained he had lost his phone and Adam called for an ambulance then muttered something and went running off.
An out of breath Toby suddenly appeared at Sam's other side, "What happened? God, please tell me he didn't try to-"
"No, nothing like that. He slipped. He kept jumping from boat to boat…it was a nightmare…but then I calmed him down, he was just in reach and…he slipped."
Toby placed his hand on Sam's cheek and felt the coldness of his skin. He kept his hand there.
"When he didn't come up…I, shit Toby I couldn't find him at first…then when I had him and dragged him onto the wharf he wasn't breathing…I must have forced the water out when I moved him."
"Side again." Sam started to shift.
Toby muttered, "Oh God," as he watched Josh help Sam onto his side.
"What…what's wrong?" Josh asked?
"You've saved his life. You're going to be unbearable. Instead of guilt ridden Josh I'm going to have to live with Josh the hero."
Both men looked down at the sudden sound of Sam's laughter.
"I'm going to be noble and never talk of it," Josh said.
Toby made himself more comfortable on the ground next to Josh. "God help us."
Josh and Toby thought they heard Sam laugh again, but when the sound was repeated and then continued, they realised he had started to cry. There was a time when the thought of Toby seeing him cry would have mortified Sam, but now he found he didn't care. He felt Josh's arms tighten around him and Toby's hand on his shoulder and for the first time since he had walked out of his bedroom and found a stranger in his home, he felt safe.
It took a while for the three men to recognise the approaching thuds of Adam's steps on the wharf. They increased in volume until Adam was beside them again holding blankets from Sam's boat. He placed one over Sam and draped the other over Josh's shoulders. Josh pulled the edges over him so that they covered Sam too as he shifted again and returned to sitting up and leaning against him.
Toby asked Adam if he had a boat here, and as they talked about the harbour Josh watched Toby reach into his pocket, pull out a handkerchief and start to wipe Sam's eyes and nose.
The lights of the ambulance illuminated the boats but it didn't reach the group of men sitting huddled on the end of the wharf. Adam jumped up and ran to meet the paramedics. Josh watched his form emerging from the darkness into the brilliant blue flashing lights.
As the paramedics came into view, Sam insisted that he wanted to walk. Josh and Toby supported him and he managed a few steps before he leaned heavily against Josh, mumbling, "Perhaps not," and let the paramedics help him onto the gurney. Sam's lung had collapsed and he was suffering from the affects of the cold but more than anything he was tired. He had finally released the stress and fear of the past few weeks and in their place was exhaustion. Sam felt the oxygen mask being placed on his face and heard the doors slamming shut. He thought he could hear Josh's voice but when he opened his eyes he couldn't see past the face of a paramedic. The next time he opened his eyes he was lying in a hospital bed, it was the middle of the night, and Josh was asleep by his side. When he woke in the morning Josh was still there.
Josh lifted his head towards the sky and felt the sun on his face. He rested against the side of his car and jingled the keys in his pocket. He was waiting for Sam. The 'just five minutes' it would take him to say goodbye to Adam had already turned into fifteen. Josh didn't care, he had waited two weeks for Sam to decide he was ready to come back to Washington, so he decided he could stand and wait in Adam's driveway for a while longer.
Eventually the two men emerged from the house. Adam was laughing at whatever Sam was earnestly trying to explain to him. Josh walked over to Adam and shook his hand.
"Sam's worked out a route for the way home," Adam grinned as Josh's expression fell.
"Before we get in that car you've got to promise me that you're not going to tell me which way to go," Josh said.
Sam smiled as he hugged Adam. "I might point out a few detours," he said to Josh as he walked past him and towards the car.
"No, there will be no detours, no easier routes and definitely no scenic routes." Josh climbed in and grabbed his copy of the route home that Sam was studying.
"I might point them out, is all I'm saying. I could do it after we've gone by…it would be like a retrospective route."
"You know…I saved your life, aren't you meant to be beholden to me or at least eternally grateful or something."
"I can be beholden to you and point out alternative routes."
Josh sighed as he started the engine and handed the route to Sam. Adam followed the car out of the driveway. He waved until it had disappeared from view.
Josh reached over and grabbed the piece of paper from Sam's hand.
"What?"
"You made a noise."
"Josh, I think you need to pull over and take a break." Sam tried to grab the piece of paper back.
"When we passed that exit you made a noise. It was a tut or a snort, whatever, you made a derogatory noise about my route."
"I was just going to say if you'd gone off at…"
Sam woke suddenly as the car bumped along the uneven road surface.
"We're nearly there, do you want to stop?"
Sam stretched as much as could within the confines of his seat. "No, let's just carry on. How long have I been asleep?"
"Forty-five blissful minutes."
"Let's just carry on…I want to get home," Sam murmured as he closed his eyes again.
The radio reception had been getting worse until eventually it became two stations vying to be heard above each other. Sam reached over and switched it off.
"Did Adam tell you about the sleepwalking?" He had been quiet for the last half hour and Josh was expecting it to lead to a question like this.
"He told me everything." It was dark now and neither man could see the other's face clearly.
"I don't blame you…I did…but that wasn't me…does that make sense?"
"Yes."
Both men were surprised to find a space exactly opposite the entrance to Sam's apartment. It was tight, but after several manoeuvres Josh squeezed between two cars, switched off the engine and quietly announced, "Here we are."
"Here we are," Sam repeated.
They sat in silence for a while, both weary from the journey. Josh carefully folded the route he had used and placed it in Sam's hand. "See, I got you home."
Sam nodded and smiled. "You did."
By the time they had reached Sam's apartment Josh had decided he was too tired to go back down and drive home. Sam said he would get the spare room ready but Josh stopped him and insisted he go to bed. Sam didn't argue, the journey had tired him out more than he had expected. Josh watched as he walked towards his bedroom. He stalled for a moment before opening the door, but then he grasped the handle firmly and swung the door open. He called 'goodnight' to Josh before closing it behind him. He walked over to the end of the bed and ran his hand over the quilt.
In the morning, when his vision was no longer clouded by exhaustion he would notice that there was a brand new quilt and cover on his bed. He would ask Josh about it and he would explain that CJ had bought it for him. In the morning he would see that his telephone and answering machine had been replaced and Josh would tell him that his old ones were out of date and that nobody had a separate answer machine and phone anymore. In the morning he would find cards from his friends and a letter from the President. He would smile at Toby's message and read it twice before placing it with the others.
In the morning he would begin to see clearly again.
THE END