Curls (10K fanfic) Z Nation

Chapter Three: Touch

----Dory's POV----
I woke with a throbbing migraine and the sound of voices mumbling in the distance. I could hear the words, but my brain was too exhausted to even comprehend what they were saying. One of them was louder than the others and sounded as if it was almost in my ear. After letting myself drift off into another trance, I finally opened my eyes. The room was blurry and a blinding light hung in the middle, making me squint with annoyance.

"Dory?" I heard the voice say again. The others had since stopped mumbling, but this one persisted. "Come on, Dory. Answer me!" the whisper hissed.

"Wh...Where am I?" My lips sputtered quietly.

"Thank God. Dory, listen to me. We're in danger, okay? And we only have a few hours before those guys come back. Hey? Do you hear me?" I moved my neck to the right, a tall figure slumped over against a wall coming into view. "Dory!"

"10K?" I called out in a whisper. "What happened?"

"Some sleezebags nabbed us." he informed me. "Listen, I don't know how long we've been here. I've slept three times and they keep knocking you out with some drug. I need you to do something. Can you do something for me?" I nodded faintly. "Okay, good. Do you see the chair that you're strapped to?" I looked down at my lap and then back to him.

"Yes." I croaked, clearing my throat.

"Okay, good. Great. The knot they tied you with is a few inches from your left hand. Reach down and untie it." he ordered me. I mulled over his words for a few seconds before his voice shook me out of my thoughts. "Dory!"

"Okay!" I snapped back. My left hand wriggled down towards the knot, struggling to grasp a hold on it. The longer I was awake and the more time I had for the drugs to wear off, the more aware I become of my strength (or lack thereof). A pain began shooting through my veins and wrist- presumably where their entrancing doses of sleeping juice had been injected. I winced once my fingers made contact, gripping at the knot and pulling with my fingertips. I was growing frustrated with my inability to free myself.

"Calm down." he reassured me. "If you start working yourself up, the stress will only make it worse. Take a deep breath and focus." My eyes met his and he had a soft, warm expression. I took a deep breath, as instructed, and pushed my hand down against its bonds. It hurt and was straining, but I managed through it.

After three or four failed attempts after the first, I finally loosened the knot. I heard 10K chuckle lightly, relieved that I'd accomplished the task. "Come on, you got it." he encouraged further.

It took about three and a half minutes, but I freed myself. The victory was short lived, for I still had to untie 10K in the little time left before those men returned.

I pulled myself up, but apparently my legs hadn't worn off the drugs yet, and so hit the ground with a smack. "Hey, are you okay?" his tone was urgent. I nodded a yes and practically crawled towards him.

"Turn around as much as you can." I told him. He followed my orders and I kneeled beside him, working my hands to undo the bonds in the back.

I found that he was tied up much more than I had been so I would have a lot of work to do. I freed 10K's wrists and reached down to his legs to let them go as well. "How are you holding up?" he inquired worriedly.

"I'm okay." I shrugged slightly, continuing to pick at the rope on his legs.

"I don't know what they've been using on you, but it might-"

"K, everything is going to be fine. Alright? I promise." I really couldn't guarantee that it would turn out like I said it would, but he needed to hear that. I think that deep down, I needed to hear it too.