Karma // 10k Fic // Completed

Fear Of Heights

"Damn not again" I groaned. 

 "Watch it! I'm in here. Mysterious morons." Was that Murphy?

"Murphy? Murphy, is that you?" Warren's voice came through.

"Warren! Warren! Thank God. I thought you were all dead Again. Get me out of here." Murphy complained.

"No can do. I'm locked in a crate too." She said.

"Well that sucks. So was this all part of your vision?" Murphy asked.

"No. I tried to walk away. But part of me knew." Warren said.

"Who else is there?" Warren called.

"US Marines. Representing." Lilly said.

"Momma I'm here" I called.

"Nikkole, honey, are you okay?" She asked.

"I think so. What the hell is this place? Anyone see 10k?" I asked.

"Doc, but he's gone again." She said.

"Lucy? She with you?" Murphy asked.

"I'm alive." Lucy answered.

"Lulu! Are you okay?" Murphy called.

"I'm fine. And call me Lucy. Is Warren here?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, I'm here. Don't worry, Lucy." Warren said.

"Will you people shut up. I'm trying to sleep." A man called.

"Who's that?" Lucy asked.

"Fresh meat. Hard to say how many." Lilly said.

"Be quiet. You'll get us all killed." A man whisper yelled.

"Warren?" Lucy said.

"Yeah, sweetheart?" Warren asked.

"Do you feel them?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, but not like you do." Warren responded.

"There's a lot of them." Lucy said.

"I know. But it's not the Zs I'm worried about." Warren said.

"Even the zombies are afraid." Lucy said.

"Can you tell why?" Lilly asked.

"Too many voices. So many reasons." Lucy said.

"What about you, Mr. Murphy? Picking up anything?" Lilly asked.

"No, not me. My zombie whispering days are over. I'm cured. Remember?" Murphy called.

"Miss Warren, are you all right? Something's wrong, isn't it?" Lucy said.

"I can't do this. I can't... I can't do this." She kept whispering.

"Roberta? You okay?" Murphy asked.

"I don't feel so good." She said.

"You don't sound so good." Murphy said.

"I can't... I can't do this." Warren said.

"Okay, Warren, listen to me. You cannot freak out. All right? Look, there's no pressure here. But if you go wobbly, we all die, okay? There's no freaking in the Apocalypse. - Warren?" Murphy tried.

"Lieutenant Warren? Lieutenant? Momma? You're having a panic attack. Just remember it only feels like it'll kill you. First thing we got to do is get in control of your breath You're hyperventilating, which is robbing your body of oxygen. Can you take one long deep breath for me? Can you do that? And as you exhale, start thinking of your happy place. A place only you know where no one can harm you. Inhale. This place, what's it smell like? Smell different? Fresher? And exhale. Smell the roses, blow out the candles." I said.

"How'd you get good at this?" Warren asked me.

"Lost my bio dad in a container next to me, like this. Panic attacks were my normal, just gotta learn to control it." I said.

"How you doing Lieutenant?" Lilly asked.

"Better. Thank you" She said.

The loud noise came back and I tried to fight it as long as I could. Ultimately I lost and passed out. 

---

"Doc? Doc, is that you?! Are you all right?" Murphy called.

"Doc's fine. Just some nerve gas or something. I'm fine too, thanks for asking." 10k's voice rang through.

"I wasn't." Murphy said.

"I noticed." Tommy grunted.

"Baby? Are you okay?" I asked, hope in my voice.

"Yea, I'm ok Nik. Are you hurt?" He asked.

"No, I'm ok" I said.

"What happened to you guys?" Murphy asked.

"Well, we were just fixing the leaks in hell's plumbing" Doc answered.

"We got to find a way out of here or they're gonna kill us, one by one." Warren warned.

"Yeah. Who's running this show and what is their problem?" Doc asked.

"It's got to be a Zona operation. Nobody else is so needlessly diabolical." Murphy said.

"Sorry kid." Doc said.

"What?" Tommy asked.

"Shhh. I'm making a friend." Lucy snapped.

"Hello, Carson O'Keefe." She said when a z banged on her box.

"Carson?" Murphy asked.

"That's his name. Now quiet." She said getting back to her work.

"That's right, Carson. I'm in here. I'm in here. Yeah. I'm in here and I want to get out, Carson. Can you get me out? Open the door for me and let me out. That's right, Carson. Just do it." Lucy encouraged. I smiled finally having hope to get us out.

"Do it, Carson. Open the door and let me out." Lucy said.

"Lucy?" Murphy called.

"I'm working here, dad. That's right, Carson. You can do it. Open the door. You must be Carson." She said.

"Oh my." Lucy called.

"Can you see how to get out of here?" Murphy asked.

"No." Lucy said.

The loud noise came back.

"Try to stay awake! Fight it! Fight!" Warren yelled.

Everything went black.

---

I woke up in a box again. Someone was trying to get to me and opening my box. The door swung open and I tackled the body to the ground. I was flipped over and my head hit the floor. I groaned.

"Shit. Baby I'm sorry" Tommy's voice said.

I grabbed his outstretched hand and he pulled me up. We embraced each other, happy to be alive. He pressed a long passionate kiss against my lips. I was happy to kiss back.

"What do we have to do?" I asked, when he finally pulled away.

"Looks like walk across the ladder. Sounds easy enough" Tommy said walking to the ledge.

"You had to say something." I said. 

"What?" He asked.

I pointed to the ladder stretched across the opening. Below the ladder was a 50 foot drop into nothingness. 

"I can't do this." I said, backing away from the edge. 

"Hey, together" He said cupping my face. I nodded but was still unsure.

We started climbing across. 

"Babe, don't look down." He reminded me. I focused on my breathing and also may have focused on that 10k ass crawling in front of me.

We reached the other side and he stood up first, turning around to help me. Once we made it to the other side, the loud noise came back and he grabbed my body as I passed out first.