madimpossibledreamer | Plateau, Part 1

Mostly inspired because there’s an actual moment where Johnny gets the vision about the cave-in and hesitates for a moment like he’s contemplating just going in by himself and because reversals are interesting.

Main Points:
The Dead Zone
Chapter Summary: Johnny makes a different choice after a vision.
Word Count: 1391
Rating: Teen
Rewrite of Descent/Ascent
Pre-Johnny/Sarah/Walt

It’s still cold, that’s the first thing. It’s still cold, no matter how he’s tried to warm himself up with the towels, and Collier had made that joke about the mine not wanting him there, but Johnny has this nagging feeling—maybe it’s irrational, but that feels true in the same way the visions do. They’d been flashes before, but now he feels constantly watched from the entrance, even when he looks and doesn’t see anybody there. Like maybe somebody had been right about whether he should have been in there and it hadn’t been Johnny. Like maybe he should have stayed out of it and Collier would still be alive—and damn it, he would have been happy to be out here instead if there was anybody else with visions who could save those kids.
Walt’s cleaning up after him, making the call. Sure, he’s the right guy to to it, the one that can find the right words, the one who’s not just fumbling around in the dark because this is his job. But it doesn’t make Johnny feel any better when he shouldn’t have had to make that call in the first place.
In some kind of messed up penance he forces himself to just sit there and listen, out of line of sight, waiting for the right moment. The kids don’t have a lot of time, but Walt needs this, Sarah needs this, and he needs to shut his trap and actually stay on the sidelines like he’s supposed to, because he’s not about to tell the man they need to go back in without that moment of comfort.
And then, finally, he reaches out and touches Walt’s shoulder to get his attention—
and then the tunnel caves in, and Walt, he’s barely moving, he manages to get out a command for Johnny to keep going, get the other kid
and there’s a casket, and Sarah—
is asking what’s wrong. Like she hadn’t just gotten through asking Walt to promise she wouldn’t have to sit through that, too. Like that was a promise Walt could make in the first place. He doesn’t know what’s coming.
“I know where the kids are,” Johnny announces, stalling. “I can show you on a map.”
Walt smiles a little, faith in Johnny’s abilities unshaken. “Better to save it. I called an experienced mining rescue team; you’ll need to show them. They’re three hours out.”
“Can they get here any faster?” Johnny asks, keeping his voice steady on purpose, accepting the coffee Sarah hands him mostly for another vision—
and there’s another casket, but his time it’s his face inside. Walt’s holding Sarah, comforting her, but this time it’s a lot more final.
She’s still mourning when the bomb goes off. She never quite recovers, but they’re all alive and safe and they get to a bunker—her, Walt, JJ, Bruce, Dana—Walt actually kind of likes having Dana around, because picking fights is the most animated Sarah gets, these days.
Acceptable. It’ll suck for them, not knowing that the apocalypse is coming, but given the alternative, he’ll take it. He’s mostly been living on borrowed time anyway. Sarah notices his hands shake as he drinks—and he doesn’t taste it, and the liquid doesn’t warm him, but, well, he’s going to need it, if he’s doing this solo. She frowns slightly, but doesn’t look worried, so she’s probably thinking it’s the adrenaline or nearly dying. She doesn’t suspect a vision, which is good, because he sucks at lying to her.
“I can ask. Why, how long do we have?” Johnny would take the faith of a guy like Walt over Purdy’s any day of the week.
Johnny purposefully winces, pushing that guilt to the forefront. It’s easier to hide his emotions when he’s mostly just...redirecting it. “I’m not sure exactly. Just that they need to hurry.”
Johnny busies himself with the coffee as Walt goes off to make another call. Apparently he looks cold and pathetic enough that Sarah busies herself with fetching him one of the shock blankets, which he accepts with a smile—
They’ll use this on the girl in the water. Her boyfriend gets to go with her to the hospital; he’s barely hurt but they want to keep him for observation anyway—
snuggling into it. It’s mostly for show. He can’t get warm, but it’ll make Sarah happy.
Walt isn’t so much, though. It’s probably him interacting with Sarah. He’ll probably kick himself over this later, after Johnny’s gone—something like wasting time being jealous rather than looking for clues, because while he might not be a psychic he’s still a sheriff and he should have seen this coming. “Sounds like their pilot can shave off another half hour.”
Johnny forces a smile, like that’s good news. “It’ll be close, but that’ll be good enough.”
Walt buys it, because while he might not trust Johnny he trusts the visions, but Sarah doesn’t. Damn it. He just needs to keep this up just that little bit longer.
“Nobody else is going to die, right?” she presses, because she knows him.
“They’ll make it,” he assures her. He doesn’t include himself on that list, an omission that shouldn’t be glaring on account of the fact that he presumably agreed to wait and not head back inside. Not that he’d actually said that, but it was implied. “Just...a lot of ghosts.” Ghosts whose faces say ‘you don’t deserve to live’. Honestly, the chill might be the ghosts.
“You weren’t responsible for the past,” she insists, and it’s...nice.
Technically true, not like the ghosts or the mine see it that way. “Well, if you see any miner ghosts, let them know, will you? I’m pretty sure you could talk some sense into them.”
“Done and done. Go get changed into some warmer clothes; you’re still shaking.” Walt isn’t happy about that, either, but he doesn’t stick around to listen to their quiet conversation this time. It’s as good an excuse to get out of sight, anyway, and from there he’s pretty sure he can use his visions to get in without being spotted, after one final conversation.
“Dana.” Her journalistic instincts obviously say he’s trying not to draw attention—probably something she’s dealt with before, with witnesses—so she responds casually, too, not even turning to look at him. “Just, uh. If I don’t come back someday, check the basement.”
“What are you implying?” she responds, note in her voice like she’s actually worried, and that’s a little heartwarming too. It’s nice to think he might be missed.
“Just...it was a close call, in there. There have been too many close calls lately. If anything happens, I want someone who can keep an eye out.” Some of the stress breaks through his voice even as he tries to keep it casual. Judging by her reaction, though, it’s actually helping sell his story.
“Another vision you don’t want to tell anyone about?” she guesses, proving once again she’s good at her job.
“A really shaky one, yeah. I don’t want to bother anyone until I’m sure, but if something ever happened to me, you’re probably the one best equipped to follow through.” And she would, even if he’s not entirely sure she’d share the results—if nothing else, her curiosity would push her on.
“Oh, my, a compliment for my journalistic talents. I’m swooning.” The sarcasm is a little over the top, but she does look a little touched anyway.
“Do you need me to escort you to a fainting couch?” he suggests, offering out an arm, as she laughs and shakes her head.
“Mm, no, I want to be on hand for the action, unless there’s any more maps I can get you.” It’ll be a while, sure, but she’s perfectly fine with biding her time.
“I’m good there. Thanks again—with that map, I sensed where the kids were, so technically, you saved them.” It’ll work as a distraction. She does deserve the credit, anyway.
“That,” she purrs, “...will make excellent copy.”
He’d like to leave a text for Bruce, something to say that he hadn’t forgotten his best friend, but—maybe a letter? He won’t have much time to write it, but thanks to his abilities he can figure out someplace it won’t be discovered until it’s too late.