Office hours, Friday, February 1 [all day]

[professor_lyman]

Josh had coffee and an office that was twice as big as his old one (which wasn't hard--it might have had a door to the Oval Office in it, but President Bartlet had once mistaken it for a closet) and a metric ton of campaign posters to hang on the walls.

He got to work, his computer blasting Van Morrison as he did so.

Comments

[notnamedgerald]

"Josh," Leo announced from the door, "the placard on the office next to you says this other teacher is named Thor. Does he wear a helmet and wield thunder? And before you answer, if the answer isn't no, please change your answer so that it is."

Hello to you, too, Josh.

[professor_lyman]

Josh glanced up and shrieked like a high school girl, took two stumbling steps backwards and tripped over his chair.

[notnamedgerald]

Leo burst out laughing. "Hard to believe professional sports was never in the cards for you."

[professor_lyman]

"Leo!" Josh squeaked from the floor. "You're dead! I was at the funeral! I--" here his voice went a little less steady, "--carried the coffin."

[notnamedgerald]

"Yeah, the timing on that wasn't great, huh?" Leo asked, coming into the office and grabbing a chair that hadn't been knocked over. "I really didn't intend to feed into your guilt where any time something great happens for you, someone you love dies."

[professor_lyman]

Of the many (many, many) things Josh didn't want to talk about, that little issue right there was the top of the list, tied with "getting shot in Rosslyn."

"Can we get back to the part where your dead and, you know, here?" he demanded, hauling himself up off the floor.

[notnamedgerald]

"I got the impression you wanted to see me," Leo said quietly. "So this--you know, even saying how I got here sounds insane out loud--I'm here, I'm here for a few days, let's tie up old business and get something to eat. Is there a steak house around here? I'd love a good steak."

[professor_lyman]

"I'll find you one," Josh promised, running his hands through his hair and staring for just a moment before shaking his head. "Wow, it's really you. I missed you, boss. We won, you know. Santos just got re-elected in a squeaker."

[notnamedgerald]

Leo smiled. "I'm dead, Josh, I'm not completely out of touch. When are you going to marry that girl? She's put up with you long enough that I don't think she's gonna get smart and find someone better."

[professor_lyman]

Josh stammered. "You know about that?"

[notnamedgerald]

"I hear things," Leo said. "I try to forget just after, but--"

[professor_lyman]

Josh snorted. "Thanks, but we're good the way things are."

[notnamedgerald]

"You're sure that it's not related to you being afraid of something terrible happening?" Leo checked.

At Josh's glare, Leo shrugged. "I'm dead. Why be tactful?"

[professor_lyman]

"Why be so invested in my love life?" Josh countered.