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He awoke at the press of gentle light against his eyelids. A brown eye peeks open only to snap shut once more. Maybe not so gentle. The brash sunlight nearly threatened to sear his iris as he met its unfeeling glare. “Blinds 20%.” He croaks, a slight whirring follows and soon the blinding grey star relinquishes its tight grip on his room. A heavy handed knock at his door reminded him of exactly where he was and he fought his way out of his heavy, sweat-stained sheets. Even here, so far away from the source they were dampened by his terror. The knocks ring out again, rapping once more in a succession of three, volume increasing with their frequency.Unlike at his home in Wolf Trap, this uninvited guest would not simply leave if kept ignoring the door. Though, If ignoring knocking unwanted guests ever worked he wouldn't be floating a trillion miles from home right now, from his dogs. He’d been here a week already and still hadn’t packed away the meager possessions he’d brought with him. His haphazard attempts at unpacking lay scattered through the path to the door and he had to tiptoe through his mechanical crypt to reach the white coat and red key card he'd been so graciously gifted upon his arrival. Slipping them on haphazardly he hesitates only a moment before tapping his hand against the door panel.The door hisses open immediately, interrupting mid-swing the oncoming barrage of fists from their next assault on his door.The man standing before him was as tall as he was broad. He'd been introduced to him not long after his release from the cryo-chamber after his journey from Earth.Barney, the gentle giant; the interim security guard. Apparently the previous one had suffered an accident just a month prior - though Will didn't know what all that entailed just as he didn’t quite understand the need for the daily security checks this far from the insurgent states. He'd only heard about the accident because Barney seemed to have a knack for talking just a little more than he should, that or he was intimidated by Will, and seeing as Will couldn't even manage to look the man straight in the eye he was leaning towards the former. While not the best trait to have in a security guard, he was a beta, and probably the most genuine person Will had met so far here. “mornin'.” His own voice was gravel on asphalt; a man who’d lost the battle against the beaming "morning" sun once again.One glance at his visitor would assume the same of him.“Keycard?” Barney held out his calloused left hand expectantly, the bulky metal ring around his middle finger display like a king expecting a servant to kiss it in respect, but Will knew better. Absently, Will noted that on the finger next to the computer chip disguised as a ring, was a real ring; thin and delicate in contrast to the man himself.Mated, left handed, friendly...nervous, but not because of me... The observations are automatic: a habit formed from years of necessity. Will supposed lotion must be an exotic luxury here in space. Without much delay Will pulls the key card from his lab coat and waves it over the ring. After a only a moment of buffering. a small holographic screen pops into the air from the ring like device. Barney's dark eyes peer from his bulky face, squinting at the grainy screen. “Will Graham.” Barney announced abruptly, eyes shooting up to meet his own. He attempted to make eye contact, but Will was prepared for this part now already settling his gaze at the bridge of the man’s broad nose. “Brunette. Five-foot six. One hundred and thirty-six pounds.” The words are mechanical, clearly he's following whatever the protocol is to a Tee. After every word, his dark eyes flicker up. At the last he stops abruptly, his gaze moving intently up and down Will's figure for a moment.Will’s breath caught in his throat and anxiety built in his gut, did he know? He couldn't have found out yet...right?Barney's intensity melts away into a teasing, gentle smile. “You’ll want to get that last one updated. Might have finally put on a little weight, Mr.Graham.” An unexpected huff of a laugh escaped Will's dry throat. His first laugh in a long time. “You gave me a bit of a fright. I thought you said these inspections were supposed to be weekly?” The giant grin that had emerged on the even larger man’s face faded slightly, becoming stale. “Yesterday evening they decided to up them to quotidian.” He glanced skittishly down the dim hallway before continuing. “Fed us something about a breach malfunction and protocol, but I remember this happening a couple of years ago after the "43" incident.” the real smile returned. “But you didn’t hear that from me.” A room three-down hisses open and his boisterous laughter cuts short. A heavy-set man stops short, wide eyed at the sight of Barney as he tries to push himself out of the tight door opening. “Jeremy! Mind holding off a sec before you leave? Need ta check you off my list.” Barney was already moving towards the man before he could get a word in edgewise.“Uhhh...sure, boss.” He seemed as confused at the inspection as Will had been.As an afterthought Barney called over his shoulder as Will headed back into his room. “You’d better head down to the mess hall now, before you miss lunch. It’s already past half rotation.” As his own door begins to slide shut Will nods instinctually at Barney before even really comprehending the implications of the time. He took a moment to glance over his new living space before turning back to the dresser. If it was already half rotation that meant he only had a few hours until work began.Pressing at a sensor on his dresser causes the top drawer to open with a strained huff, as if the drawer couldn't catch its breath. The drawers were not used to, well, use. After a while the rails would get used to the sliding, either that or he would get used to the noise. There was so little room that having the drawer open meant he had to stand to the side to get into it, otherwise he’d be standing on his bed. From a rolled-up pair of socks he pulls an unlabeled black pill bottle. Swallowing one down dry he tries to keep his thoughts away from just how light the bottle was now; only a few rattled around the bottle which originally housed nearly forty capsules. Breathing slowly out of his nostrils he slid the bottle back into its hiding space. Counting them now would cement the actual remaining number into reality, and give him a deadline. He already knew his time was short, he didn't need to know just HOW short. All counting them would do now is stress him out further than he already was. Even then, the thought still lingers like a plague at the back of his mind. Originally he’d packed a spare bottle, but it had been ‘lost’ in the commotion of his original shuttles takeoff. Apparently, even the Amadeus’ strenuous drug testing couldn’t catch them all. But to be fair they obviously hadn’t detected what was in his bloodstream either otherwise he’d be facing treason charges right now.He hadn't had enough time to think of the consequences of coming to the Amadeus when he'd agreed to go, and on Earth, he had only been thinking of the consequences of staying. What would happen when he ran out?He exhales slowly, running a hand through his messy hair. His shift didn’t begin until a full rotation, midnight in Earth time.Gathering up some clothes from a lower drawer, he resolves himself to just go to the sonic showers, busy himself, and just stop thinking - as if that was even possible for him to do. His thinking was why they brought him on board in the first place. A soft touch opens his door once more, and ignoring the two outside he makes his way to the stairwell. He'd already had enough human interaction this morning to last the week, let alone the day.There were sonic showers located every five floors- or so they told him. He hadn’t woken up in time so far to venture further through the residential areas, nor would he really care to. He’d just have to trust the government employees who'd conducted his orientation; on this matter, at least. He’d found that the three years of cryo-sleep had distorted his day/night cycle more than it had already been on Earth. It was almost ironic as there was no true day/night here on the Amadeus and the original designers seemed to have been keen on reminding everyone about that. There were an unhealthy amount of windows in this construct and though heavily tinted, the star nearby (Read several BILLION miles away) still lit nearly every inch of the place. Everywhere seemed to have windows, even up the stairwells. if he had to guess it must have something to do with how they kept the station heated.With no escape from the appearance of dark expanse in which he now resides, Will felt intrinsic, instinctual terror cling to his insides and he averts his eyes, focusing only on the narrow steps as he continues upwards.The final frontier, he supposes, would certainly take some getting used to. Will approaches the shower room with about as much vigor as one could muster at the prospect of a communal shower room. He set his change of clothes down by the sinks and set his shoes against a nearby wall. Though the room was empty he veered towards the furthest stall from the entrance.The stalls were almost as compact as his room, though quite honestly, the stalls might be a little homier than what his quarters.Stripping off his pajamas leaves him nothing but his socks, and those were staying on. He didn’t trust the cleaning staff here- more accurately he hadn’t seen any janitorial staff yet, and was leaning on the better side of caution. He’d never been afraid of a little dirt, but it would be his luck to get the first space-borne pathogen or something. He might be on the furthest space station from Earth, but to him, this was no better than a campground shower. In the five years, the station had been operational he didn’t even want to consider how many others' feet had stood bare in the same stall he was in. Hitting the sensor on the wall he attempted to conjure up any number of other, happier thoughts. It didn’t work, of course; the cold was un. It was the one thing he didn’t think he would ever get used to. He couldn’t imagine how one would ever adjust to it. The air maintains itself at a crisp 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmer than the sub-zero of space, but the best they can manage without over-extending their power supply ‘needlessly’, though he’d heard that the higher-ups here had personal thermostats in their quarters. The problem was that he didn’t have a personal thermostat and as such goosebumps had become a permanant accessory on his arms. After his shower he decided to follow Barney’s advice.Lunch here was nice… well as nice as “astronaut food” could be. They were still running dehydrated foods on the Amadeus despite it having been five years since the station opened. It was smart in his opinion, although it wasn't very appetizing. The station had an entire sub-section dedicated to agriculture, with stores of real, space-grown food held in stasis. He couldn’t imagine how a shortage of food would affect a space station so far from any kind of relief. If they ever lost their stored food it would be an entire growing season until they would have anything, and that wouldn't be near enough to feed everyone on board.Will took a small bite of the mush on his plate. His food was much more unappetizing than the others nearby, but after three years in stasis, he had to start off with easier to process foods, generally this single ingredient, flavorless mush. Too much strain on his organs could lead to something akin to decompression sickness. “You’re Will Graham right?” The scent pulled Will out of his thoughts, he looked up to a dark-skinned man who looked like he might have been a skincare model on Earth. His tray was filled with dried fruits and what looked like a cookie.“Yeah…” The man sat down next to him, like, the seat directly next to him. “I’m Tobias Budge. I work in Comms.” He said it like it should mean something to Will, but all he could think of was the invasion of his personal space.This was definitely an alpha.“It’s not often we get a new arrival here nowadays. At least since they started cutting down on the transportation after the accident on 43.” The last sentence is an obvious bait for attention. Sitting his fork down, Will decides that he might as bite, he was probably going to be here until he died, sobering thought, but his reality now.If he was going to be cold he might as well not be cold AND isolated. Any amount of socialization surely would be better than what he’d permitted himself on Earth. “43?” He asks, dark brown eyes finding their now-familiar resting spot at the bridge of the man’s nose. The least he should give him was the illusion of interest. A thin-lipped smile spread across Tobias’ well-groomed face and he settles in, beginning his story with the bravado of a true professional. The man sure was charismatic, he'd give him that at least. “About three years ago a shuttle was sent to explore a bit further into section X. That’s what they call the dead space between here and Canis Lupus. That’s the nearest star system, but I’m sure they briefed you on that.” Tobias took a moment to lean in closer to Will, like the next part was supposed to be a secret. “Rumor has it there’s a habitable planet out there. This shuttle, it never made it there though. A rescue shuttle found them a month out from the Amadeus and everyone on board was dead. The official cause of death was blood loss, but a buddy of mine was on the rescue mission. He said there was no blood. None.” Will tried to look interested, but Tobias seemed like a man who loved to gossip.It was hard to tell how much of the story had been exaggerated in three years, but unless space vampires were a thing Will wouldn’t wage his money on Tobias’ credibility just yet. This was probably just a ghost story they told the new arrivals.Will shifted what had now become a glare from the center of Tobias' face to glance him over. Will didn’t think Tobias looked like he was lying, about this at least.He did however, think he was a bit too close.Alpha. Arrogant. Deceitful. Interested. Will flinches slightly as the observations bounce about his head. While Tobias took a few bites of his food Will decided to contribute to the conversation before it became a soliloquy.“That’s rather frightening...anything happen since then?” Will queries, try as he might, his tone is still as unenthused as ever. Pushing his plate away from himself, and himself away from Tobias he awaits his response. Tobias looked a bit put out for a moment before regaining his former vigor.“Nothing that they’ve told us, of course. I will say, however, that those weekly security checks started soon after the incident. What must have happened for them to be verifying our features on the daily now?” They sat in silence for a moment while Tobias took his last few bites of food.“I’ve gotta head back to the comms station, but I’ll see you around Will.” Tobias promises, winking at him as he gets up, and taking Will’s tray with him to the trash as he leaves. Will has to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the obvious gesture, how gentlemanly of him. Will waits until Tobias is long gone before standing to leave himself, the last thing he wanted was for Tobias to suggest they walk together. That was probably the most conversation he’d had since he arrived here, and it would be enough to suffice him for the next year, he's sure.God, he missed his dogs! Sweet creatures they were, they never demanded conversation, only soothing pats and filling food. A large analog clock above the trash cans said it was 2:30. Less than ten hours until his shift. He supposed he might as well go back to his tomb and take a nap before it, there wasn’t anything else he felt like doing right now, and despite having being frozen in sleep for three years, the exhaustion he felt went deep to his bones. Sleep never came to Will. Closing his eyes only left him replaying the visions that haunted his nightmares.Bodies mostly, those that he couldn’t save in time.The FBI investigations he had assisted in on Earth almost never ended the way they do in the movies.Will was "lucky" enough to have been born with an overactive empathetic ability; unusual for an omega, so most definitely out of the question for a beta such as himself. Because that's what he was, of course. A beta. That's all the world had ever known him as. His ability gave him the chance to step into other people's shoes, metaphorically. He would come to know their thoughts and motivations as intimately as he knew his own. Just reading some of the case files was enough to give some of the forensic analysts nightmares, but taking on the mindset of them?Becoming them? It was for this very reason that Will wandered out to his shift early, an hour early to be exact.Just early enough that if anyone else was there they would just assume him overeager, not overanxious.It was a twenty-minute walk to the lab, longer if he let his gaze linger down the empty hallways as he strolled down flight after a seemingly never-ending flight of stairs. He only wished he’d been awake when he arrived because Will was sure that the Amadeus had to look like some architect’s M.C Escher nightmare from the outside.The difference between day and night on the Amadeus was unnoticeable. There was no daylight to set a good circadian rhythm and there was nothing besides the hours of the mess hall to show any sort of routine, but thankfully there was always just barely enough people around for him to know that he wasn't all alone here on this ship. The Administration had the shifts split pretty equally among all the crew it seemed, and shifts were every eight hours so at any time at least a third of the crew was working.The most jarring thing he had learned after waking up from his cryo-sleep was that he was the only new arrival.It had taken three years for him to get there, and now no one was expected after him.On his first day in, he’d been told that it had been nearly 6 months since anyone else had arrived.The implications of this hadn't bothered him quite as much then as it did now that his mind had information to churn, putting pieces together that led to a frightening conclusions...No, the day he arrived, the only thing that had really been on his thawing mind had been the wellbeing of his dogs. Winston, the oldest (His favorite) was 7 when he departed.He’d be 10 now. That was like, what, sixty in dog years? Was he even still alive? The thought weighs upon him like lead. He’d given them all to different homes, not really like he’d had a choice. With four dogs he’d been lucky enough to find them all homes in the short time frame they’d given him to prepare. He hoped, more than anything, that they were happy; that they were loved and well cared for. He couldn't bring himself to imagine any other outcome. What he couldn't understand was why they had needed him here so badly? Jack Crawford, the former director of the FBI and now the overseer of the Amadeus had specifically requested him. Nobody had approached him about any murders, that was for sure, and it seemed like the last interesting thing to happen was three years before he had even arrived. So what in the hell did they need him for?Turning down the last flight of stairs he nearly tripped, facing only pure darkness. He didn’t think he’d seen a darkened room since he’d arrived, even his own room was lit by the constant ambiance of the distant sun. The lab was in what could be considered the ‘basement’ of the station. The stairs exited here.Steadying himself with the metal railing he'd be lying if he said he didn't become awash with relief when after only a slight delay the sensors registered his movement and the lights tripped. Will didn’t consider himself easy to scare, especially not with all the horrors he’d seen in real life, but the sudden stillness of the empty hall that waited before him set a sense of foreboding into his bones.Maybe he was much too early. There were only three labs on this floor and they were all empty, but a different kind of empty than the rest of the ship.Structurally it was obvious to him that the Amadeus was meant to hold much more than the five thousand people currently residing here, and yet they had stopped sending them.
Why?
A chill slithers down his back and Will rubs his hands together, desperately trying to warm himself. There were only three doors down this hall and the lab he was assigned to was the first on the right, closest to the stairs. This was probably the only area besides the mess hall that wasn’t exploding with windows. In fact, there weren’t any windows at all down here.In the silence that permeates the air his steps forward echo like gunshots against the white tile.All the labs were still dark and he hesitated only slightly before stepping into lab 32. It was somehow even colder down here, maybe just to spite him. His presence at the threshold triggers the sensor, and at once he was greeted by the overly bright lights. The labs had more lights than any other building he’d been in, maybe even the cafeteria. It made sense that they would have to have sensors to control them, they would probably use more wattage than life support if they ran the lights here continuously.It still didn’t make it any less off-putting.Every workstation was clear except for the one he’d used yesterday. A vial filled with a dark, viscous liquid sat innocuously within one of the holders.It looked like the part of the ocean too deep for even sunlight to touch.Did other shifts use this lab? Had someone forgotten to put away their work?With the two other labs on the floor it didn’t make sense that they would use only this one, but then again it didn’t make sense that there were only five thousand people on a ship that could hold at least fifteen thousand more.An analog clock on the wall told him it had actually only been about twenty minutes since he left his little crypt. Absently, he wonder whether or not the choice for analog was purely aesthetic or simply to save in whatever area they could on energy. Was there an issue with the energy production of the ship? Could that be why they halted incoming passengers? But then why send him, just him, at least 6 months after the last full ship had gone out?A movement out of the corner of his eyes brought his attention back to the vial. The glass itself hadn’t moved, but there was something dispiriting about it, the liquid seemed to shift lightly. Maybe it was a reaction to the lights?This had to be his next assignment.Not that they’d ever really given him an assignment. His first day consisted of his lab mates, Dr.Price and Dr.Zeller showing him the locations of everything he’d need and then quickly heading back to their own stations. It probably didn't help that Will had been in one of the worst moods that day, frustrated at the situation, at Jack Crawford.He didn’t know their first names, just the surnames, which he could have guessed because they were etched neatly on their lab coats. Will did know, however, that they were in fact real scientists, not whatever he was. He didn’t even have his own lab coat, the one he'd been give didn't have his name on it. It was like they had just placed him in whatever duty had an open position at the time of his arrival. He’d never felt this out of place in his life and he was the literal definition of socially awkward. It’s not like he’d asked to be put on a space station as some kind of scientist. Hell he hadn’t been given much of a real choice to come here in the first place. Will felt fire kindle in his chest. It bubbled like lava at the thought. They’d made him leave his dogs. They'd MADE HIM leave his dogs, FOR WHAT? For this? These empty, cold halls? He hadn't even seen that coward, his former... no he wouldn't even consider him his boss. Jack Crawford hadn't even shown himself to him yet. But when he did... The memory of that day, the day Jack had issued the order for Will to join the Amadeus makes Will's blood boil within his skin. Winston had gotten loose, which wasn’t new for the free spirited dog, but when he’d returned he wasn’t alone.Men in black suits had accompanied him.One false claim about Winston being rabid and biting at them was all it took to have Will signing the non-disclosure and acceptance paperwork necessary to board the Amadeus. It was bullshit he knew, but he hadn’t been in the right state of mind to argue.They’d gotten him just a week after his very last tagalong to a crime scene on Earth. He didn’t think he’d come back from that scene the same person. It had probably been why Winston had run in the first place.
Everything was always his fault.
Now look at him. Waking up in a crowded room with white walls all around him. He always thought that was how he would end up, but he really thought it would be because he finally got institutionalized, not because he was in SPACE. He missed the warmth of his fireplace, and relief of running his fingers thought the fur of his pack when he just couldn’t breathe.Will grasps the edge of the workstation like a life line, shaking fingers clawing for some sense of stability.His chest felt heavy, anger burned at it like a wildfire. When he saw Jack Crawford again, he was going to make sure he knew just how he felt about this all. He honestly couldn’t tell if it was the anger or just the absence of real feeling that weighed on him now. Maybe it was the combination of both. He was a prisoner here; work, eat sleep, repeat. He would be in a much worse situation when he ran out of pills. There couldn’t have been more than three left. He could maybe split them in half, but then…He breathes in deep, hands shaking violently. He couldn’t lose it here, someone could show up at anytime.He looked down at his formerly calloused hands. Flattened them against the white counter. He flexed each individual finger before exhaling. Time to get to work.Reaching out he picked up the vial. It was odd. It must have been filled to the very top because moving it around left no spaces for lights to permeate. Was it even a liquid? Will peered closer. It was the epitome of darkness, like space conceptualized as a color. It was as if having to see the damned thing everywhere wasn’t enough in this windowed hell, now in one of the only windowless parts of his day he had to look at its likeness. Will huffed, at least the lab didn’t have windo- *SHINNK* Will flinched at the sound, the flying from his hands.“Oh shit, Will. We, uh, we didn’t mean to startle you.” Price and Zeller stand in the now opened doorway. Will didn’t respond right away, couldn't, frantically swooping down to his knees, trying and pick up some of the larger pieces of glass. It was a liquid at least; though he didn’t know if that was a positive thing. It would have been easier to clean up if it had been solid.“I’ll grab the broom!” Price calls helpfully, turning right back on his heel and exiting out of the room. Zeller, however makes his way over to the scene of the crime.Will just wished it had been a solid. He didn’t mean to cause a fuss, didn’t want to draw attention.He hissed in pain.He was too distracted, too stupid. He'd nicked himself on a shard of the glass. He brought his index finger to his mouth out of reflex, coating the wound in his saliva before realizing just how stupid that was. He was most definitely not a scientist.Will winced at the acrid taste of copper that had settled in his mouth and pinched at the wound. It had just been a little cut but the amount of blood from his finger would look bad to an onlooker.Zeller rounded the edge of the workstation to find Will on his knees in front of scattered shards of glass. “Be careful!” he snapped, pulling at Will’s shoulders to get him away from ground zero.“You’re lucky you hadn’t been handling any real material from out here,” Zeller admonished, patting at Will’s shoulders. “Who knows what kind of damned alien virus could be in some of the shit they have us work with.” Will backs away from Zeller like a wounded beast. “Don’t touch me,” He regrets it immediately. He didn’t mean to say that out loud, more to convey it with his actions. Zeller looked at him like he’d grown two heads before throwing his hands up.“Hey, hey, sorry buddy.” Zeller breathed softly, stepping back slowly. Zeller's head bowed forward slightly, eyes seeking out Will’s own muddy ones. Zeller extended his hands, the backs of his palms facing the huddled man. It was a classic protocol for calming an injured Omega. Zeller was a beta so there was no reason for him to be talking down to him like he was a damned feral Omega. There was no way he could know.“Are your hands okay? Have you cut yourself?” Will looked down at his finger. Did he cut himself? There was no cut, no blood. A quick glance at the ground showed that there wasn’t even a black liquid. Will’s eyes widened and he stared unseeing at his pale, unharmed hands. Was he losing his mind?“Found it! Nearly forgot where it was we haven’t had to use it in so long,” Price stopped short upon stepping into the room.“Did I miss something?” Will’s eyes are wide, mirroring Zeller's own startled pair. Even with the entry of Price, Zeller still hadn’t moved out of that damned calming position. He felt his heart compress against his chest, flittering wildly within him like caged bird. Had the pills stopped working? Does Zeller know? What was he going to do now? Hands shaking wildly the thought spin so fast they leave him dizzy. He pushes himself off the floor and stumbling back further from Price.“I’ve...I’m gonna go to the med bay.” Taking one last hurried look at the mess of glass on the floor before springing from the room like a startled deer, clutching his right hand close despite the absence of injury.Sweeping past Dr.Price who stood shocked by the still open door, Will fumbles his way into the hallway, pressing the door control hard on his way out.The door slides closed with a louder-than-life hiss in the shocked, somewhat confused silence of the room. Price and Zeller locked unbelieving eyes before Price looks back down at the broom in his hand.“Oh - the dustpan!” He groans. He had absolutely no idea where they had last left that thing. His heavy heartbeat moves from his chest to his index finger as he nearly flies up the stairs. The blood pumps tight against the skin. There was no cut. If there was no cut, what was this sensation? In the empty flight of stairs, Will collapses, knees bent, bowed against the steps as if in prayer.If he believed in any sort of higher power, he would be praying right now.The skin of his right arm bubbles, rippling as if something was crawling underneath. Something writhes angrily beneath his flesh.Bile rises to the back of his throat, watching in absent horror as something moved within him. Something was within him!His fingers claw, smearing blood as he rips at the arm, his futile attempts to remove whatever was thrashing within him leaving him in nothing but agony.Crimson decorates the tiled surface of the stairs.His breath escapes in anguished gasps, he scratches like a beast at the previously unmarred epidermis. Still, it ascended, wriggling upwards. A shrill scream escapes past his clenched lips. The sensation was unbearable. Something was within him, filling his veins to the point he was sure they would burst. The fire burning up his arm left him paralyzed, frozen in such unimaginable pain that it hurt to even breathe, to even think.He had to get to the med bay. It didn’t matter if they found out he was an Omega, nothing would matter if he died here in this stairwell with only the unseeing expanse of space as a witness.Terrified, Will scrambles on his hands and knees to the top of the stairs.Recognizing through his panic that it would be faster if he stood, that he could run then Will reaches up, wildly grabbing at the railing pulling himself up -his arm spasms horribly as he grips the metal railing. This horrible, foreign feeling makes him clutch the limb hard against himself instinctually, letting go of the railing. The knee-jerk response to the sensation doesn't help his pain. It throws him fully off-balance as the slick blood catches under the thin thread of his standard-issue shoes.Faster than he can comprehend, he's falling backwards. In the moments before he loses his grip on reality (if he hadn’t already), Will can hear whispers.They fill his ears, his entire being, quiet at first until they erupt all at once into one tumultuous roar; WAKE UP.