The Seven Swords of Diya: An Indiana Jones Fan Fiction - Part 2

Chapter 316: City of Diya, Cave, Kamchatka Wilderness, Soviet Union, 1960

City of Diya

Cave

Kamchatka Wilderness

Soviet Union

1960

Shorty bolted past Indy, grabbing Emily by the ankles and pulling. She screeched, kicking and flailing, her body heaving.

"Em!" Indy ordered. "We can't get you out if you're panicking!"

She wailed.

Indy winced. He knew where she was. "Emily! I'm coming for you! Hold your breath! Count to ten! Just like I taught you when you were learning how to swim!"

There was a gasp. Emily shut her eyes. A whimper came from her throat.

Shorty gripped Emily's legs and pulled.

As soon as her head was clear of the rock hewn tunnel Indy was beside her. She trembled, still whimpering, curling herself into a ball, her heart thundering in sheer terror. Her fingers were clenched in fists.

"Em?" Indy asked softly. He was sitting beside her.

She let the air out of her body and lungs. The shuddering gasp moved into hyperventilating wail. "I can't do this!" She kept gasping for air. She didn't need the air - but she wanted it. Her lungs didn't seem to be working. She couldn't get enough air! She couldn't breathe! "I can't do this!"

"Not right now you can't," Indy murmured, sitting beside her. "Want a hug?"

Emily nodded, shutting her eyes against the cigarette lighter that Shorty had set in a rock cleft. She couldn't see. The light hurt. But it helped to see where she was. Until the walls started closing in.

Indy moved closer to her trembling body. "Em, I'm right here."

"I hate this! I hate it!" She gasped sucking in air, crying in pain.

Indy offered his shoulder. Emily collided against it, trying to hide.

Indy spoke, "Shorty, put out the cigarette lighter. I can see just fine with the supernatural senses... and Em can't be expected to calm down if she's in pain." He wrapped his arms around Emily and waited, keeping his own breathing steady. "You're safe Em. Your safe, Littlest Artifact."

"I'm panicking! No one is safe when I'm panicking! Especially in cave! That's what we learned in the cave exploration classes! Panic equals death!"

Indy put his hand at the back of his daughter's neck, near her injury at the base of her skull. "Remember how I took you to healers? And the one in Japan taught you how to breathe to calm down?"

"Can't do that! Not now!"

"Ok. Then just stick with me, Em." Indy soothed. "Can you feel my hand at the back of your neck?"

"Yeah," she squeaked.

"You've got your head on my chest. Can you feel me breathing?"

"Yeah."

"Can you match that?"

"No!" She gasped, shuddering. "I hate this! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm a wimpy, weakling girl!"

"You're claustrophobic, Em. Some really awful things happened to you in a small space when you were young." Indy held her tight. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, waiting for the trembling to ease.

Shorty watched.

Indy smiled as Emily pressed herself against him. He'd grown patience through the years of parenting. He glanced at Shorty. "Shorty, I'm sorry I didn't have this patience with you."

"That's ok, Dad. I'm learning it now." Shorty paused. "Emily... do you want me to go first?"

"Not ready for that. Can't think!" She whimpered.

Indy rubbed her back. "Its ok. You can calm down before making any decisions. I should have known this was coming. I asked you to do too much."

"No you didn't. We can't get out of here unless I stop being a coward!" Emily sniffed and sucked air into her lungs. It wasn't helping.

"You're not a coward. Having a phobia isn't cowardly. And... truthfully Em... you have a big fear, that happened to you when you were a tiny girl." He touched her face, feeling the scars. "I'm so proud of you for getting this far, hon. No shame here. You're tougher than me."

"Stop it, Dad! Stop it! I know I'm a problem!"

Indy took a breath. "You're lying to yourself, Em. You know I don't let you do that."

"And sometimes the lies are louder than the truth!" She sobbed into his shoulder.

"Em..." Indy murmured gently. "Do you want me to speak the truth to lies?"

"I - I - I think it would be helpful," she whimpered.