The Nothing Man (D)

Sam Lapaglia’s drinks are usually “on the house”. And why not? He’s one of the heroes of 9-11. A tough as nails, fearless firefighter who carried out a preschooler from Tower One as the building collapsed. But Sam’s valor has resulted in nothing but heartache since that fateful day, transforming him from a pillar of the community to a boozed up shell of himself. His alcoholism leads him to AA meetings where he meets up with a counselor with whom he falls in love. She helps him finally confess to the secret that’s haunted him for years… he picked up the child as he ran away from his buddies who were climbing the stairs to their death. Inspired by the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name, “The Nothing Man” is an emotional story about courage… the kind of courage that doesn’t make the front pages of newspapers. Writer: Eric Nemoto. Pages: 117.