void theFunction()
{
  var startingTicks = total_ticks;
  var ticksPassedSinceStart;
  while(1)
  {
    //do something
    if(blah)
    {
      ticksPassedSinceStart = total_ticks - startingTicks;
    }
    wait(1);
  }
}

var alarm_timer = 0;

while(1)
{
if(alarm_timer == 10) // after 10 frames have passed
{
  beep();
}
if(alarm_timer == 20) // after 20 frames have passed
{
  beep();
}

alarm_timer += time_step; // or time_frame?
wait(1);
}

var alarm_timer = 0;
while(1)
{
if(alarm_timer == 5) // after 5 seconds
{ 
beep();
}
alarm_timer += time_step / 16;
wait(1);
}