Don't Look Down

Walter knows what people's advice would be in situations like this. He has heard they say "don't look down" to people at the edge of extremely high places, people with vertigo, on roller coaster rides.

Well that's entirely illogical.

Why would he look anywhere but down? That is where his problem lies. Down. Three hundred feet down. Off the cliff's edge. That is where his problem is and that is where he needs to look at in order to find a solution.

Every problem has a solution. He just needs to study it carefully.

Don't look down. What else is he supposed to do? Look up? Up. He knows what lies up. A clear blue sky and a false sense of safety, of security. Up is where you would look in order to pretend that there is nothing wrong. Up is where you look to avoid the problem, pretend it doesn't exist.

Walter does not avoid a problem does not shy away from it. Walter buries himself so deep, he drowns himself in it, until he finds a solution or until it devours him, consumes him.

But he doesn't understand that because every problem has a solution.

So Walter does look down, at the three hundred foot drop below - at his imminent death.

And then he hears it, her trembling voice, echoing through the valley.

It's Paige. She's hear. She's standing up there.

No. She can't be here. He shuts his eyes tight. He forgets the pain in shoulder, the pain in his leg and he can just hear her trembling voice, calling his name, over and over.

And then he doesn't look down. Walter looks up. He doesn't see the big blue sky. He doesn't see a false sense of safety, he just sees her, hovering over the edge, being pulled back by Sylvester and Toby. He sees her, crying, calling his name.

He doesn't look down again. He only looks up. He is not ignoring his problem, he is not pretending it doesn't exist. He is not looking up because he wants to avoid the fear that comes with looking down. He looks up because that is where the fear is, that is where his problem is.

The problem is that Paige is crying and that is the problem he needs to solve.

The issue of his imminent death forgotten, replaced by Paige's despair.