“You know what, Dwight?” Jim said, turning off the camera. “I think, it’ll be more effective if you show the Survivor producers what you can do instead of just telling them.”
“Shut up, Jim,” Dwight said quickly. He stood and began pacing, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “You know,” he said, “I just need to show these people what I can do.”
Jim rolled his eyes behind Dwight’s back, and Pam stifled a giggle. “You know what would be really cool, Dwight?” she said, “On Survivor, you have to complete challenges right?”
Dwight nodded slowly.
“Well, okay, me and Jim could set up a bunch of challenges for you to complete, then we could film you doing them. So then the ABC people can really see you in action.”
Dwight frowned. “You would do that?” he asked.
“Sure!” Pam said. “I think you’d be really great on that show.”
Dwight allowed himself a small smile. “Okay,” he said. Then the smile disappeared. “But you should begin preparing the trials now.”
“Can I help?” Kevin asked after a moment.
“No,” said Dwight, turning to leave of the room.
“Wait, Dwight, hold up,” Jim said. Dwight turned around. “To, uh, make sure that this is as challenging as possible for you, how about we hold the trials during lunch tomorrow? That way everyone can cheer you on.”
Dwight nodded slowly. “Fine, just get going.” With that, he left the room.
Jim turned to Pam, grinning. “I don’t even know what to do!” Jim said. “There -- there are just so many possibilities…I feel dizzy!”
“You heard Dwight,” Pam said seriously. “We better get to work, and I believe that some inspirational Survivor DVD seasons are calling our names.”
“You got it, Beesly.”
Xxxx
Luckily it was beautiful outside the next day as Jim and Pam led Dwight and some of their coworkers across the street. Dwight was dressed in combat boots and fatigues (courtesy of the nearby Army/Navy store) and was bouncing from toe to toe, his breath coming in sharp puffs.
Jim turned and trained the small, handheld camera on Dwight’s face as they walked towards the park. “So, Dwight,” he asked, pressing the recording button, “how are you feeling this morning?”
“Good… strong,” Dwight said, narrowing his eyes and stretching as he twisted his torso from side to side, almost hitting Oscar. Pam saw Angela out of the corner of her eye, looking Dwight up and down and all but licking her lips. Pam was torn between being happy for them and being incredibly creeped out. It was nice that they had found each other, as it seemed unlikely that they would ever find anyone else. However, thinking about them… together kind of made her shudder.
“All right, everyone, gather up,” Jim said loudly, handing the camera over to Pam. The office workers formed a rough semi-circle around Jim, looking around. Stanley had obviously opted to stay inside and Michael had a meeting in New York at Corporate, but everyone else had come outside to watch.
“Okay guys,” Jim began, rubbing his palms together. “Today, we are all here for Dwight, to support him in his efforts to appear on Survivor. Let’s all give him a hand.”
People began to clap half-heartedly, but Dwight quickly interrupted them. “Thanks, Jim,” he said sarcastically, “but I don’t need your support. Where are the challenges?”
Jim raised his eyebrows. “Ooo-kay, well, obviously you’re ready and rearin’ to go, so we’ll get started. Right over here.”
Jim led the group over to the neglected jungle gym that stood near the corner of the park. The frame had been wrapped in green streamers that Pam bought at CVS, with some hanging down from the monkey bars like vines. Beneath the connected slide was Jim’s battered boom box, which was currently playing the “Sounds of the Rainforest” CD his brother had bought him as a gag a few years ago. At the bottom of the slide, they had set up a kiddy pool imprinted with characters from The Lion King (Jim had found it in the depths of his parents’ garage).
Pam held up the camera and slowly panned over the jungle gym (Jim must have made at least twenty bad jokes about how “now, it really is a jungle gym!”), smiling proudly. It looked exactly as they had pictured: absolutely ridiculous.
It seemed Dwight was not as impressed. “Are you guys kidding me?” he snorted. “This is a child’s playground. I am a grown man. This is insulting.”
“Oh, foolish Dwight!” Jim chuckled. “Your task is more difficult than it seems. It is true, for this obstacle course, you must cross the monkey bars, climb across the swings, through the fort, down the slide and cross the piranha-ridden pool, all without touching the ground, but it isn't as easy as it looks. A true Survivor has to take care of their teammates. Angela? Bring out the teammates.”
Everyone turned to Angela, their gazes curious. Angela looked to Pam, wringing her hands. Pam suddenly felt a pang of guilt at the obvious worry in Angela’s eyes.
She pulled Angela aside. “Are you okay with this, Angela?”
“It’s just…” Angela looked down at her hands. “They’re only five months old…”
Pam clasped Angela’s hands in her own. This is pretty uncomfortable… she thought, but she kept her voice soothing. “Angela, don’t you trust Dwight?”
“Yes, of course, but --”
“Then don’t worry,” Pam said. “He knows what he’s doing.”
Angela sighed. “Okay,” she muttered nervously as she turned and walked briskly to her car. When she came back, she was pushing a small baby pram.
Jim looked at Pam disbelievingly until he heard the soft meows coming from the carriage. “Good lord, I thought she actually had a baby in there…” he muttered, low enough that only Pam and Toby heard him and they both snickered.
“So, Dwight,” Jim said, “these are the helpless, innocent civilians that you must save! You must cross the obstacle course, retrieve a kitten from Angela -- and only one kitten per run -- and bring it back to Pam, all within 8 minutes.”
“You didn’t tell me that there was water involved… my babies hate water…” Angela whimpered, and Pam patted her back awkwardly.
“Don’t worry, Angela,” Dwight said stiffly, rolling up his sleeves. “Our-- er -- your babies are safe with me.”
“Okay, Dwight, are you ready?” Jim asked.
“I was born ready,” Dwight replied, jogging in place and bringing his knees up to his chest.
“Take your places!” Jim called out to no one in particular. Dwight ran to one end of the monkey bars and lowered himself into a sprinter’s lunge. Angela pushed the baby pram full of kittens to the kiddie pool at the end of the slide and Pam walked over to the slide, hitting the ‘next’ button on the CD player. Now, instead of jungle sounds it was playing Motley Crue’s Kick Start My Heart. Satisfied, she walked over to stand next to Dwight as Jim pulled Dwight’s stopwatch out of his pocket.
“Ready…” Jim called out.
Dwight shifted his head side to side, stretching his neck.
“Set…”
Dwight’s muscles tensed.
“GO!”
xxxx
Author's Chapter Notes:
“Okay guys,” Jim began, rubbing his palms together. “Today, we are all here for Dwight, to support him in his efforts to appear on Survivor. Let’s all give him a hand.”
People began to clap half-heartedly, but Dwight quickly interrupted them. “Thanks, Jim,” he said sarcastically, “but I don’t need your support. Where are the challenges?”
xxxx
Chapter End Notes:
AN: EW, I HATE REVIEWS!!! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ANY!!!!
Just kidding. Please, leave reviews. Please.
LadyLuck is the author of 5 other stories.
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