The Beginning of The End

Chapter 15 - The Elevator

THE ELEVATOR

The doctor had redone Carlie's leg cast with another hard cast after checking to make sure it was as good as it should be - as good as it could be while being broken. Luke was fine to go with his ribs because of this magical-like thing that healed things that weren't really, really bad. Carlie's wrist had also been taken care of, so she was just one leg down. No biggie.

Carlie was still shook over the magical healing machine thing by the time they got out of the medical bay. The doctor had insisted that she take a pair of crutches and a wheelchair with a leg lift that made sure that pressure stayed off her bad leg while moving.

Luke was currently pushing her in the wheelchair and Johnny was carrying the crutches, keeping in pace with them.

"Wait, so it just heals things? Like...holy crap."

Luke chuckled. "Yeah, but only the things that aren't completely screwed up."

"But how?"

"Nobody knows. Only the doctor and the scientists that made it. Obviously you'll still have to be careful because nothing is perfect, as well as I will with my shoulder and ribs."

They rounded the corner and came face to face with an elevator. Carlie's heartbeat accelerated and she gripped the armrests of the wheelchair, her fingernails threatening to puncture the soft material.

Johnny reached out to press the button, but Carlie grabbed his wrist. Her eyes were incredibly wide and he saw.

"What? What is it?" His voice was panicked, as if he were the one freaking out.

"The...no...elevator...no...please no..." Carlie stuttered.

Luke walked around the wheelchair to face her. He kneeled down and took her trembling hand in his strong one.

"Carlie, what's wrong?"

"The...elevator..."

"Uh, Luke, I think she's freaking out about the elevator," Johnny stated, getting a ticked off glare from Luke.

"Yeah, no dip Sherlock." Then he turned back around to Carlie. "Did something happen in the elevator at the Tournament Head...uh, er, place?"

Carlie nodded frantically. That was true. Something did happen there in the elevator, but she was also claustrophobic and she knew what would happen in there - she would have another panic attack. Last time she was in the elevator, she refrained from having a severe panic attack, but that was really hard, and she only did it because she knew she had to save Luke, and to do that, she had to be awake and sane.

"I know you don't want to go in there, but that's the only way to get to our apartment. We'll be right here to make sure nothing happens, alright?"

Carlie agreed, though apprehensively. She didn't want to go in that metal box, but she trusted Luke. Although she just met him, he had the kind of personality and strength that made her trust him with her life. She didn't want to feel that way to a stranger, as she barely trusted Ana, her best friend/cousin with much.

Luke rolled the wheelchair into the elevator alongside Johnny. He stayed close to Carlie the whole time, while Johnny pressed the button. They must live in outer space, because that's how long it felt to Carlie to get to their destination.

She mainly focused on steadying her rapid breathing. Panic attacks didn't happen often to her, but they had seemed to get more frequent since meeting Luke, seeing that she's had one minor one attack, then a major one, and now possibly another.

"Carlie, just slow your breathing. Hold your breath until I say to exhale, okay?" Luke bent down next to her, holding her shaking hand.

She closed her eyes and thought good thoughts while holding her breath. Just seconds before she couldn't hold it in any longer, Luke told her to exhale. She immediately felt better.