Title: The Imposter
Rating: PG-13
Summary: AU season one fic. What if Charlie and Ethan had been friends?
Characters: Charlie, Ethan, Claire, Jack and assorted Others
Word Count: 7,675
A/N: This fic took a lot of work and reworking but I am sincerely grateful to falafelfiction and her beta skills for making me go through it. I think it was worth it, but you tell me.
Disclaimer: Neither Lost nor the characters are mine, but my AU fantasy world sure as hell is.
Why did he lie to me? My hands are shaking so badly I can barely hold the pistol. The teeming rain doesn't help. I squeeze tighter as I feel the smoking barrel slip from my grasp, ignoring the pain in my knuckles. I catch my breath and concentrate on avoiding everyone's confused stares. I think I scared them.
Sometimes I scare myself.
My victim drowns in his own blood. It's no more than he deserves. I trusted him. I thought he was my friend. It wasn't the first time this had happened to me but this was different – it was the sort of betrayal one hardly encounters in civilized society -- the kind of act that required a wholly uncivilized response.
Measure for measure. Pain for pain.
I never thought it would turn out this way.
29 days earlier
Bloody Liam. Why did his brother always have to be right about everything? He had told him not to get on that plane. It wasn't as if he knew why Charlie shouldn't have gone, but then maybe he did. The whole situation might have just felt wrong to him. And Charlie was too doped up to notice. He couldn't get out of his brother's manicured middle class yard fast enough, and now it pained him to admit that the brother he might never see again had been right. The worst bit was Charlie imagined if he could see him, he'd be rubbing Charlie's nose in it.
I'm always going to know more than you, baby brother. When are you going to get it through your thick head?
No, that wasn't the worst bit. Charlie could handle that. The worst bit was that he wasn't here now to bail him out.
Charlie's hands twitched as he wandered aimlessly around the wreckage, stealing glances at the other survivors huddled together in pairs and groups, many meeting for the first time. His mind raced as he circled, digging deep trenches in the sand that piled up in his shoes, treading and retreading the same ground. What now? No family, no friends, not nearly enough heroin. Bloody hell, what now?
Liam would know what to do.
"Hey," said a voice in the dark. "Are you okay?"
Charlie spun a bit too quickly, surprised. "What? Yeah. Good."
The man just nodded slowly. He seemed to be appraising Charlie, judging for himself. He looked like a nice enough guy -- he was tall and broad shouldered, American maybe, a bit older than Charlie with a droopy, hound dog expression. His simple smile made Charlie's pulse calm as if in response to it.
"Well, if you say so," the stranger continued. "It's just that everyone's bedding down for the night and you still seem a little lost. I've got some extra airline seats if you want them."
At his words Charlie scanned the beach with a more critical eye. The bloke was right. The chatter was settling to a low pitch to match the fires and clusters of survivors were now horizontal on makeshift cushions and small airline blankets, scant protection against the chill night air. Charlie and this guy were practically the last men standing. Suddenly he felt a bit foolish. Did he actually expect to pace the beach like a bloody lunatic all night? Why did it take a perfect stranger to tell him it was time for bed?
Charlie hung his head and muttered, "Thanks."
"Sure thing," he said, his smile widening. "Oh, I'm Ethan."
"Charlie," he responded, deliberately holding back his clammy vibrating hand, shoving his arms into the pocket of his sweatshirt up to his wrists.
Ethan didn't seem to mind, but just led Charlie over to where his claim of cushions and seats lay and amiably separated a few out for his new companion. Charlie sat down awkwardly, feeling that some polite conversation was in order before he passed out. The two were a study in contrasts, both physically and in temperament. Charlie had never seen anyone so calm in a crisis. Ethan turned out to be Canadian actually. Charlie had always had difficulty telling those accents apart. He was also alone here just like Charlie was.
"What were you doing in Sydney?" Charlie asked.
"I was on a business trip," Ethan responded. "You?"
"I was visiting my brother and left to take a job in L.A.," Charlie said. "Actually I was hoping he'd come along, but he has a family now. We were in a band together once. Driveshaft?"
Ethan shook his head. "I work a lot unfortunately. I don't have time to listen to much music."
Charlie nodded, "Well, I suppose it was about time you had a holiday, though I suspect this wasn't what you had in mind."
Ethan laughed a warm, friendly sound. "No Charlie, it sure wasn't. Hey, you know if rescue doesn't come right away we ought to start looking for food. I know a little about hunting and trapping so you might want to stick by me. I could help you out."
Charlie couldn't believe his luck. He wouldn't last a day out here on his own.
"Sure absolutely," Charlie agreed eagerly.
"Well to be honest you'd be helping me too," said Ethan with a modest shrug, "It's no fun to hunt alone and I don't particularly care for those sounds coming from the jungle. Safety in numbers right?"
That settled, they both turned in. Despite the scuttling itch he felt inside and out, Charlie slept easy that night, stretched out under a clear infinite sky, surrounded by people who were all in the same boat.
He might just survive after all.
Ethan knew it was wrong. Ben gave him explicit instructions not to get involved with the survivors. But he couldn't help it. Charlie just seemed so helpless, so vulnerable. All he did was offer him a place to sleep, it was no more than any fellow survivor might have done, and Ethan was determined to play his part to the letter. He had to stay in character, Ben would understand that.
The next day they went hunting together and Ethan discovered that Charlie was just about the funniest guy he had ever met. Even when he was scaring the game away, the crazy Brit just couldn't shut up, but Ethan loved it. Hanging out together, it felt like being back in college. He hadn't had a friend like that in a long time.
While he enjoyed Charlie's company Ethan quietly went about his business, observing the survivors and making stealthy notes. Sometimes he even enlisted Charlie's unwitting aid, collecting names and whatever background information his friend had managed to acquire. Charlie knew that the fat guy's name was Hurley and that Boone and Shannon were brother and sister. He also knew the pregnant girl was named Claire and that she was unmarried and had traveled alone.
Charlie was proving very useful indeed.
From very early on, Ethan could tell that Charlie paid more attention to Claire than to any other survivor. He seemed fascinated by the little blond girl with the enormous stomach, admiring her from afar but in a very different way than he ogled Shannon when she sunbathed.
"I don't know how she's keeping it together," he said of her once as they watched her from across the beach wearing her canvas bucket hat and writing in her journal. "Eight months pregnant and all alone. Here. With no hospital or family. I'd go bloody mad."
"We're all stronger than we give ourselves credit for," said Ethan. "You are too. You're getting by pretty well."
Charlie started to twitch again. When he didn't respond, Ethan added, "You should offer to help her out. Spend some time with her," he suggested. "You know, one good turn deserves another."
Charlie looked at Ethan as if the idea had never occurred to him. Maybe it hadn't. He shook his head, "No, mate. What I could I possibly have to offer her that Jack or Sayid couldn't do better?"
"I don't see Jack or Sayid over there right now," he pointed out. "In fact, she's been alone since we got here. Just your company might be enough."
Charlie thought for a moment and then straightened his shoulders a bit. "You may be right. It's just another bird. The worst she could do is tell me to bugger off. Nothing I haven't heard before."
"That's the attitude," said Ethan, slapping Charlie on the back. "Now get over there before you change your mind. I'll catch up to you later and you can tell me how it went."
Charlie took a deep breath and trudged off. Before turning away Ethan watched, smiling as Charlie turned on the charm, chatted a bit, and finally accepted Claire's invitation to sit beside her. Despite Charlie's protestations, it was the most comfortable Ethan had ever seen him, as if they were old friends. Ethan didn't know if it was rock star savvy or something else. Charlie stopped twitching, sat easily and kept steady eye contact. He was like a different person.
With Claire, Charlie seemed at peace.
It was hours later when Ethan went looking for Charlie, eager for a report. He saw Claire sitting alone again but couldn't find his friend anywhere on the beach. Worried that Charlie might have been rejected after all, Ethan grew more determined to find him and make sure he was all right. He took a few steps inside the tree line and searched the perimeter of the jungle. He was not far from a small clearing when he heard a rustle and the sound of labored breathing.
"Charlie, is that you?" he said softly as he emerged through the thick cover.
Charlie was on his knees. At the sound of the intrusion he startled, and frantically began shoving a small plastic bag into his back jeans pocket with one hand while he brushed the other off on his leg.
"What are you doing?" Ethan asked.
"Nothing," said Charlie, standing. "What do you want?"
"I was wondering how it went with Claire," he said slowly, taking in Charlie's weak pallor, his glazed over stare.
"Fine," Charlie blurted. "It was fine. She appreciated the company, just like you said. I offered to help her get water."
But Ethan was no longer listening. "Are you sure you're all right Charlie? You look a little sick."
Charlie tried to smile. "Must have been some bad boar," he joked.
"What did you put in your pocket?" he asked.
Charlie looked at his feet, utterly stuck. "You can't tell anyone Ethan. Everyone here already thinks I'm useless."
"I don't think you're useless," said Ethan quite seriously. "Whatever it is, I want to help. I'm your friend Charlie, you can talk to me."
Charlie thought for a moment and then came to a decision as he reached back into his pocket, removed the bag and tossed it to Ethan, who caught it one handed. Ethan held the bag up to the light that filtered through the trees and examined the small amount of brown powder.
"You're taking drugs?" Ethan asked him, although it was obvious.
Charlie nodded sheepishly. "Heroin. That's all I've got left, but I need 'em. It's been so long I don't know what I'm going to do when…"
Before Charlie could finish he sank back down to the ground, curling up small as if trying to disappear. With his head in his hands he sobbed softly, utterly ashamed and scared in equal parts. Ethan came over and sat down next to him.
"I can't claim to know what this is like," he began, "but I can help. I can get rid of this for you. You're going to run out soon anyway."
"Don't remind me," he muttered from behind his hands. "I've tried this before and its hell. I'm not going to make it."
"Of course you will," said Ethan. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, remember? I mean that. You'll get through this Charlie. Whatever you need me to do I'll do."
Charlie shook his head, "I don't know… I don't know…"
"Just think of Claire," Ethan offered. "You wouldn't want her to know you like this. You have to clean up for her sake, so you can be there for her. Do it for Claire."
Charlie sniffed and rubbed at his cheeks, nodding as he looked up. "You're right Ethan. You're a good mate. Don't leave me okay?"
"I won't let you out of my sight," he promised. "Let's go to the caves, it's a little more private than the beach. A couple of days and you should be good as new. I can bring you food and water -- you won't have to worry about a thing."
"Yeah, right," Charlie said, rolling his eyes, "no worries."
He helped Charlie up and they followed the path to the beach, the bag of powder in Ethan's hand, Charlie shuffling heavily alongside him. He was a bit surprised, but then the guy said he'd been a rock star, so it kind of made sense. It also explained Charlie's squirrely behavior. He was only surprised because Charlie seemed so gentle, such a good kid. He didn't think a guy like him would be capable of such a thing. Heroin was such a gutter drug, it seemed too vulgar, it didn't fit. It made Ethan wonder what else Charlie was capable of.
And here I thought I was the only imposter, Ethan thought as they walked, the only one wearing a disguise. I guess we all have our masks.
After a difficult evening, Charlie was finally dozing. Ethan was exhausted, but it had been ten days and it was time to make his first report. He waited until he was sure Charlie was deep asleep, reasonably comfortable and covered with a blanket, and then he crept off into the jungle, using a torch to light the way to the marked tree. Ben was already there when he arrived, appearing from behind the tree like a partisan spy. All he needed was a trench coat and a cigarette, Ethan thought to himself. Without being asked, he handed Ben his preliminary list. Ben read the names carefully.
"Is this everyone?" he asked.
"Yes," said Ethan. "I'm still getting to know most of them. No one suspects a thing."
"Who have you been spending most of your time with?" Ben asked.
Ethan hesitated just long enough for Ben's eyebrows to rise. The man was too damned perceptive. Ethan couldn't explain why but he suddenly felt very protective of Charlie, and he didn't want Ben to know about him.
"You haven't gotten close to anyone have you?" Ben asked. "You do recall your instructions to not get involved."
"I know," said Ethan. "It's fine. I can still do my job. Nothing will get in the way."
But as he spoke, Ethan felt the lie burning his tongue. He thought of Charlie passed out in the cave, his body wracked from twenty hours of painful withdrawal and utterly dependent on him. He heard his own voice from the day before echo back to him.
I want to help. I'm your friend Charlie.
How the hell did this happen?
"Ethan?" asked Ben, snapping him back to attention. "Did you hear me?"
Ethan nodded, and before he could stop himself he blurted, "Claire Littleton's pregnant."
Ben's face lit up. "How far along?"
"About eight months," Ethan said.
"We need her," said Ben. "You're going to have to bring her in. Can you do that?"
Ethan paused again, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Sure Ben," he said. "Anything you say."
Masks, Ethan thought, we all wear them.
But how he hated his.
Charlie woke only reluctantly when he felt a sharp rock jutting into his lower back. At some point he must have pitched off of his cushions and found himself on the stone cold ground. His head still pounded and he ached from head to toe, but his trembling had subsided and his stomach no longer lurched.
"Good morning," said Ethan.
Charlie opened his eyes to see his friend sitting with his knees up a few feet away, freshly dressed but looking a bit weary himself. He was holding out a bottle of water that Charlie accepted, pushing himself up to sit as slowly as he could manage.
"Cheers," he said, taking an experimental sip to test his tolerance.
Ethan was eyeing him strangely.
"Something wrong?" Charlie asked, hoping like mad he didn't do something horribly embarrassing in his addled state.
"I hate to burden you with this now," Ethan started, "but it can't wait. There's something I need to tell you."
Charlie put down the water, feeling more alert. He waited for Ethan to continue.
"I need your help," he said.
Charlie relaxed. "Mate, anything," he said.
"It's not that simple," said Ethan. "The thing is I haven't been completely honest with you." He stopped and sighed. "Aw man, I hate to do this. You're probably still feeling like crap and I…"
"Ethan whatever it is you can tell me," said Charlie. "I'm fine, I can take it."
"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "I wasn't… I wasn't a passenger on the plane -- I was just pretending to be. I've been working on the island for the past five years."
Charlie's eyes widened in surprise. "I don't understand. Why would you pretend to be on the plane?"
"I'm a fertility doctor," he explained. "I live here with a group of researchers and I was sent in to get to know all of you."
"Why keep that a secret?" Charlie asked, his muscles tensing slightly. He had no reason not to trust Ethan, but this was just so outrageous a story.
Ethan sighed. "It was a hard choice, but when your plane crashed we didn't know what to do. We're a small group with limited resources, barely enough to take care of ourselves. We knew we wouldn't be able to meet the needs of all the survivors so I was sent in to get to know everyone and determine who was most in need of assistance -- to prioritize. I want to help Claire."
Ethan's plea was a familiar one – Charlie had been wanting to help Claire from the moment he had laid eyes on her. Once again Charlie couldn't believe his luck, assuming his new friend could be believed. Based on their history at least, Charlie had no reason to doubt him. Ethan had been nothing but helpful and to discover he was a doctor was like receiving an extra portion of manna from the heavens.
"How can you help Claire?" Charlie asked.
"There's a crude medical station on the island," Ethan explained. "It's small but well equipped. I can provide her with prenatal care and when the time comes the baby can be delivered in a clean, safe environment. I've told my superiors about her and everything is being arranged for her. I just need your help to get her there. She trusts you, but she doesn't know me from Adam. I want her to understand and be comfortable with this."
Charlie thought hard. As shocking as his admission was, what he was saying seemed plausible. There was no reason Charlie could think of for anyone on the island to want to do harm to a bunch of plane crash survivors. Still, Claire was so vulnerable; he couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her. Then again, she was no safer waiting to give birth in a cave without any emergency supplies. Charlie told himself that if he were the one to lead her to the medical station, then he would be right there with her in case of trouble, and he really did trust Ethan. Before agreeing to help, however, he decided to make one request for insurance.
"How about we just tell Jack?" Charlie suggested. "He can be trusted to keep your secret, and he's a doctor as well. Maybe he can come along and help…"
But Ethan was already shaking his head. "You can't tell anybody Charlie. It's enough that I told you, I'm in trouble as it is. But I trusted you, and I knew you would understand. If word gets around we'll be overrun; people will panic and we won't be able to help anyone. All that matters right now is Claire. Can I count on you?"
Charlie studied his friend's face. He looks exhausted, probably up all night with me. After all he's done for me he asks one little favor and it's not even for himself, but for Claire. How can I let them down, either of them?
"Sure mate," said Charlie. "You can count on me. I'll talk to Claire."
Ethan smiled that familiar grin. "Thanks Charlie. You're doing the right thing."
Charlie intended to speak to Claire that day only he never got the chance. He was still a bit feverish from the withdrawal, so he took things slowly, venturing out only to bring a small bag of water bottles to the beach. When he came to Claire's tent she wasn't there, so he left the water and returned to the caves. Inside, a part of him was glad he had failed to run into her. It gave him more time to think.
He was doing the right thing, wasn't he? Sure Ethan had lied about who he was but he had a good reason. Without Ethan, Charlie didn't know what he would have done here. The only time in his life he had ever been on his own – after Liam moved to Australia -- he had screwed up royally, proving he could never take care of himself.
Ethan had nothing to gain by helping him, he never did. He was just being a friend and a damn good one. Besides, who was he to be suspicious about a little white lie? Charlie knew all about lying. He had made an art of it, making him the last person who should be casting stones. If anything, Ethan had no reason to trust him, but he did. Even after discovering Charlie's secret Ethan trusted him with his biggest secret of all. It would be practically ungrateful to throw it back in his face.
Charlie spent the rest of the day kicking his dilemma around in his head like a football, all the while concerned for Claire, who was looking bigger every day. It was worth a little risk if there really was a medical station on the island with clean beds, incubators and monitors. He had to trust Ethan -- he really had no other choice. If he didn't and something were to happen to Claire in childbirth Charlie didn't think he could ever live with himself, knowing he might have prevented it. He was nearly decided, he would talk to Claire the next day, but for now, he would at least convince her to move to the caves where he could keep a closer eye on her.
That night, Charlie was woken by Claire's terrified screams. She claimed to have been attacked in her sleep by a man with a needle. There was a search, but no intruder was found. After Claire was calmed and talking to Jack, Charlie ran to find Ethan.
"What happened to her?" he demanded. "Do you know anything about this?"
Ethan looked confused. "Why would I?"
"It wasn't one of your people?" he asked loudly.
"No of course not," Ethan said, looking around and lowering his voice so that others shouldn't overhear, serving also to remind Charlie that what they discussed was supposed to be secret. Ethan put a hand on his friend's shoulder to calm him. "Charlie I told you, we only want to help Claire. Why would we attack her? It was more likely one of your people. You know we're all strangers here. We don't really know each other. One of the passengers could be a psycho with a fetish."
Charlie sat down and ran his hand through his hair. His pulse was still racing slightly from the excitement, and he wasn't thinking clearly. Of course it could've been anyone. Ethan was here the entire time; it didn't make sense to suspect him of anything, not after offering to help Claire. The timing wasn't right when Charlie had already agreed to bring Claire to the station. Why attack her now?
"I'm sorry," sighed Charlie. "You're right, I just… I don't know what's going on. Who would do this?"
"It's all right Charlie," said Ethan. "I understand your paranoia, believe me. It's not safe here. It's all the more reason why we need to get Claire away from here. Let's not wait for something to happen. We'll leave first thing tomorrow, okay?"
Charlie nodded and Ethan smiled. "Go check in on her one more time and then get some sleep. We'll get an early start."
Charlie rose and went over to where Claire still sat with Jack. She had her shirt up and was showing him where someone had stabbed her as she slept. That was the one thing about the attack that seemed strange; Claire had said her attacker had not a knife or more common weapon, but a needle. Where would another passenger get a needle and what would they need it for? As far as Charlie knew, not even Jack had any in his scavenged medical supplies. It would had to have come from somewhere like a hospital, which meant that Ethan was telling the truth about a medical station. That was the good news. But if he was telling the truth about that then there was another truth that was more disturbing. It would mean Claire really was attacked by someone from the island; if not Ethan, than someone that he worked with. After assuring himself that Claire was all right, Charlie turned to Jack.
"Jack, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.
"Yeah, Charlie," said Jack, rising and following him to a private corner.
"Is Claire gonna be okay?" he asked Jack first.
"If she can stay calm," Jack explained. "I don't know what happened tonight but any stress right now could trigger an early labor and that would be bad out here in the middle of nowhere."
"I know," said Charlie. "That's why I think I can help. I can't tell you everything, but Ethan says he knows about a medical station on the island where Claire can have her baby."
Jack's expression narrowed. "How would Ethan know that?"
Charlie remembered his promise. He realized he was treading dangerously close but he hoped he could cover his bases while at the same time protect Ethan's confidence. "I can't tell you that but trust me. If Ethan's right, Claire will be safe. I want to take her there tomorrow."
"Well you shouldn't go alone," said Jack. "You know better than anyone what's out there."
Charlie knew Jack was referring to the pilot and the noises that they heard from the jungle. But if Ethan really had been on the island for the past five years, then he would know how to cross it safely. The fact that he and his people were still alive and kicking was testament to that.
"We'll be with Ethan," said Charlie. "We'll be fine."
"I should go with you," he said.
As if on cue they were interrupted by Boone. "Jack, I think Shannon's having another asthma attack."
Before he could respond Charlie heard Jack's name being called from somewhere in the caves. "Can someone find Jack? I think I got bit by something."
Jack turned back to Charlie and smiled. "So what do you say?"
Charlie returned the smile. "Jack, you're needed here. Remember when you went looking for water? There'd be panic without you, you know that."
Jack nodded, conceding and then asked, "Then why are you telling me this Charlie, if everything's under control?"
It was an excellent question, but the truth was that Charlie would be a complete fool if he didn't have at least a scintilla of doubt. "Like I said, we'll be fine, and I'm sorry I can't explain more, but just in case, I wanted you to know where we went so you wouldn't worry."
"What good is that if I don't know exactly where you are?" he said.
Once again he had a point. Charlie thought for a minute, looking down at his hands. "Tell you what. On our way, I'll leave a trail, starting from the path to the beach. I'll leave it with these," he said, holding up his fingers to show the lettered tape around each digit. "If everything's okay, I'll come back by the afternoon and let you know. If I don't return, follow these and come find us."
Jack put a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Charlie, is there anything you're not telling me? Is there some reason for you to suspect something?"
"No Jack," said Charlie. "Ethan and I are gonna get Claire out of here, to somewhere safe. Like I said, it's just in case."
Claire was so frightened of the caves now that convincing her to leave was easy. Ethan knew that Charlie felt partly responsible for what had happened, since he was the one who had assured her that moving to the caves would be safer. Charlie was now more determined to prove that he could take care of her than ever, a fact which also fell neatly in with Ethan's plan. Claire trusted Charlie implicitly and was relieved to learn of a medical facility on the island. She was so relieved that at first she hardly asked any questions, and that made Ethan's job easier still.
About halfway there, the questions started coming to her.
"What are your people doing on this island Ethan?" she asked as they walked.
Ethan glanced up casually. "Research mostly. You'd probably find it boring."
"Well can you leave?" she asked.
"Sorry?" he asked, swatting at an imaginary fly and pretending he hadn't heard.
"I said can you leave the island when you want to?"
Ethan paused. Clearly if there were a way off the island they would wonder why his people didn't call for rescue the moment a plane had crashed. A lack of supplies was really not relevant if help could have been brought in. Thinking of it now, he was surprised Charlie hadn't seen through that gaping hole in Ethan's story earlier and he felt rather stupid. But then Charlie really was the trusting sort.
"Afraid not," Ethan answered finally. "We're on a tour of duty here out in the field. We're pretty much on our own."
There was silence for several minutes afterward but it was heavier, as if his companions' hard working thoughts were causing the atmosphere to condense and thicken. They continued walking but Ethan feared they were becoming suspicious. Those fears were confirmed when he stopped for a moment and doubled back to make sure they had taken the proper turn. When he did he noticed a piece of white tape standing out boldly from the grey surface of a rock. He recognized it immediately when he saw the letter "T".
"What's this?" Ethan asked Charlie, holding up the tape.
Charlie went almost as white as the bandage. Then he blushed and smiled.
"It must have fallen off," Charlie said.
Ethan looked down at Charlie's fingers, where only one tape remained.
"Like the other two?" he asked.
Charlie looked down and Claire watched them both, a confused look on her face. Clearly she had no idea what Charlie had been up to.
"Charlie what are you doing?" Ethan asked.
"I was leaving a trail," said Charlie, "for Jack. I didn't tell him your secret, I swear. I just wanted him to know how to find us in case anything should happen to us out here. In case you've forgotten there's a monster on the loose."
Ethan relaxed. "No, I haven't forgotten. You were right to be cautious. But you shouldn't have told Jack. If the others find out about the medical station I won't be able to help Claire because they'll all want in."
"I'm sorry," said Charlie, "but will you still help her? Look, maybe we can take off in another direction so they won't find us so easily. I have one more tape but I promise I won't drop it. Please, Ethan."
Ethan looked at Charlie and then at Claire, desperation in their faces, no doubt anxious for the salvation that they thought lay at the end of their journey. They had been so cooperative thus far -- he would be a fool to lose control now. He softened and gave in.
"Okay," he said, "we're almost there anyway. We'll just have to take our chances. Come on."
Fifteen minutes later they arrived at a large set of doors with a medical symbol on the front. Ethan reached out and knocked on the doors. A moment later they were opened by a large man with long grey hair. Almost immediately a second man appeared next to him with a buzz cut carrying a rifle. When the men saw Charlie the one with the rifle stepped out and pointed it at his chest.
"Hey! We're with him!" Charlie protested as he pointed at Ethan, indignant, clearly not understanding.
Then Claire screamed as the other man grabbed her from behind and realization began to dawn on Charlie that they had been tricked. He looked at Ethan with fury. Ethan held his arms up to restore calm.
"Tom! Ryan! Wait!" said Ethan. "They came here on their own."
"You were only supposed to bring Claire," said Tom, pointing at Charlie whose eyes were darting back and forth between the strange men and his friend, searching for an explanation. "What's he doing here?"
Ethan looked back at Charlie. "He was helping me."
"Ethan," said Charlie, "what the bloody hell's going on?"
"You screwed up Ethan," said Tom, "we have to get rid of him. He can't ever find us again."
"Charlie?" Claire began, but she was stopped by Tom who tightened his grip roughly and put his hand over her mouth. She fought as Tom pushed her toward the open doorway where a blond woman wearing hospital scrubs was waiting to take her.
"Let go of Claire!" shouted Charlie, lunging forward to free her. "You said you were helping her!"
Ryan raised the barrel of the shotgun until it was level with Charlie's head and forced him back with the business end.
"Shut up," he ordered.
Charlie backed off, raised his hands in surrender and watched helplessly as the woman injected Claire with something and his pregnant friend went limp in her arms. Then the two disappeared into the station.
Charlie was still standing looking horrified at the empty doorway when Ryan said, "Ethan, tie him up."
Ethan knew above all else, they needed Claire and nothing could stand in the way of that goal. But he also saw Charlie, who however unintentionally had become his friend. Ethan had never meant to harm him. Maybe there was still a way to save him.
"Ryan, wait," he said. "He was leaving a trail for Jack, halfway back in the jungle that way. Let's just take him back and leave him for his friends to find."
Ryan and Tom looked at each other, as if considering Ethan's plan. They seemed to communicate with their eyes, reaching a silent consensus.
"Okay," said Tom finally with an unsettling grin, "but you need to stay here and get started with Claire. We'll take care of Charlie."
Ethan felt a rush of panic and no doubt Charlie did too when he began to sputter, "What's he talking about? I'm not leaving Claire! Ethan, do something!"
They were trying to get rid of him and Ethan knew what that meant. They had no intention of letting Charlie go free. Ethan saw his choices laid out before him; either direction was stone cold, hard as rock. Betrayal lay at the end of both paths. Could he protect the mission and Charlie at the same time? He didn't think so; the eyes of both of his compatriots were filled with bloodlust. They had no reason to be merciful. Charlie's life was literally in his hands.
"I'm not going inside," said Ethan. "If you take Charlie back I'm going with you."
"Get inside Ethan," ordered Ryan, "You're jeopardizing the whole mission."
"What mission?" asked Charlie. "What are you doing with her?"
"It's your only choice," said Ethan, ignoring Charlie's questions, knowing this one gesture was all he would be able to do for his friend. "Either you let me come or I take Claire back to their camp. I can show you where the trail is so you won't waste time."
As one of the only doctors in their group, he was indispensable to them and they all knew it. Ryan and Tom were just a couple of thugs in the grand scheme of things, and they could never have gone to Ben and told him that Ethan had to be put down. He was far more valuable than they were and Ethan was betting all his chips on that one fact right now. The standoff ended when Tom threw the doors of the station shut in disgust.
"Fine," Tom said. "But you're responsible to keep him quiet. Tie him up."
Ethan was as gentle as he could be with the ropes as he tied Charlie's wrists behind his back but he couldn't block Charlie's angry accusations, fired back at him over his shoulder. "You're a sodding git you know that? I don't know what you're up to but my friends are going to find us. Yeah that's right, my real friends, not you, you bloody imposter!"
Ethan winced at his words and again when Ryan finally backhanded Charlie hard across the face. Please shut up Charlie. You're not making this any easier.
"Hurry it up, it's going to be dark soon," said Ryan.
When Charlie was tied they marched back out in the direction they had come, with Ethan leading the way. The slap wasn't enough to staunch Charlie's free flowing anger. He continued muttering at Ethan as they walked.
"Was this your plan from the start?" he asked him. "What was it about me? Did I look particularly stupid or was it the fact that I liked Claire? Now that I think about it, you encouraged me didn't you? You wanted us to be friends. And now I know why."
That wasn't why Charlie, Ethan frowned. It took all his energy not to respond, to defend himself when he thought Charlie's accusations were unfair. He knew they would eventually take Claire, but he had no idea when he became friends with Charlie that he would like her. Ethan had truly just wanted to help him, but what was the use in trying? Charlie would never believe that now and Ethan didn't expect him to.
They reached the start of the trail and Ethan stopped. "Here's where he dropped the last tape. If we tie him to something and leave him here Jack will eventually find him."
Tom and Ryan scanned the area. "This isn't far from the station," said Ryan. "Who's to say he won't be right back with his friends to rescue Claire? You heard him; he's never going to leave her behind. We can't let him go Ethan."
"Well then what'd we come out here for?" asked Ethan, suppressing his panic. "We could have just kept him with us."
"You should never have brought him," said Tom. "And you know we can't keep him. He serves no purpose. We need Claire but with two captives that will just give his friends twice the incentive to hunt us down and for what? He's useless! A liability!"
"You can't kill him Tom," said Ethan, "We're not murderers."
"How about you give me an alternative and I'll consider it," Tom shot back. "But whatever it is you better be willing to explain it to Ben."
He had almost forgotten about Ben in all of this. The man didn't accept failure, and this had already gotten far out of hand. Charlie was just some screwed up junkie, what the hell was Ethan thinking anyway? He had let himself get too close, which was exactly what Ben had warned against. As always Ben was right. Tom was right too; it was painful to admit but Charlie just wasn't worth it when weighed against everything else. But once Ethan had come to that conclusion he could no longer look this scared kid in the eye. He had never meant for this to happen.
When Ethan didn't answer, Ryan took the lead. He climbed a small slope to where a large tree stood. They stopped at the base of the tree and Ryan gathered a long vine that draped the branches. He began twisting the vine into something resembling a noose as Tom took up the other end and wrapped it around the high branches. Ethan's blood ran cold.
"Ethan," said Charlie, eyes wide in fear as he stared at the vine and the tree, "they're gonna hang me!" Instinctively he took a few steps away from the tree but was stopped when he backed into Ethan's chest. Ethan's stomach flipped at the sensation of Charlie pushing against him as though he was his protector and he suddenly felt repulsed.
"You're not going to let them kill me are you?" Charlie pleaded, striking Ethan in the chest with his shoulder. "You can't! You said it, you're not a murderer! Why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you in charge here? Tell them to let me go!"
Ethan didn't know what to say in his defense. He may have had some power over these two but he wasn't exactly in charge. He had a duty to the group and the mission. Still, he felt Charlie tremble in front of him and he wanted to do something, anything to ease his pain. It occurred to him that it might be easier if Charlie didn't see what was going to happen so without a word he pulled out a rag to blindfold him.
Charlie struggled, pulling his head away as Ethan tried to cover his eyes with the cloth, the gesture of compassion lost on him. When he wouldn't hold still Ethan finally grabbed him by the collar and shoved him up against the base of the tree to hold him steady as he tied the blindfold.
"Talk to me you bastard!" yelled Charlie as Ethan worked.
When he was done he gripped Charlie by the arm and turned back to Tom and Ryan, still working on the noose.
"Why don't you just shoot him?" Ethan suggested, hoping he could at least save Charlie from suffering. "You said we had to hurry. Hanging him will just take time."
"Oh you're a big sodding help aren't you?" Charlie complained.
"We need to make sure he's seen," said Ryan. "And if there's a chance of reviving him Jack will have to stop. If he's dead on the ground they could miss him altogether or go on ahead and look for us. This will stop them in their tracks and send a message at the same time not to mess with us."
"I'm glad I could be of service," Charlie spat bitterly from behind the blindfold, but his bravado couldn't hide the quiver in his voice.
Ethan was sorry, sorry for everything but he couldn't form the words. They lodged in his throat as he passed Charlie off to Tom and turned away. There was no point seeking forgiveness where it wouldn't be given, and he wasn't sure that he deserved it. Before he could see them affix the noose Ethan turned and started heading back to the station, where his work waited for him. He tried to put distance between himself and Charlie so his sounds of struggle wouldn't reach him, but he only managed a few feet when he heard a yell, a sharp gasp and an agonizing cough. He picked up the pace.
If not for the fading daylight and the uneven terrain he would have run, as fast as he could.
I stood in the rain, watching over Claire as she walked, seemingly alone, drawing Ethan out to her like a magnet. The others didn't want me to come tonight, but I had to.
This was all my fault.
I had to see him again, to see if there was a sign, something in his eyes that appeared inhuman, something I should have detected earlier, had I not been blinded by my own desperate need for survival. I wanted to see if it was the same Ethan I had known. Would the same man who had offered me shelter and helped me through withdrawal hang me from a tree?
The others had him surrounded now, after coming up short in a fight. Jack's gun lay forgotten in the mud. No one noticed me as I stepped out from the bushes and picked it up. Ethan was the only one who realized I was there. His expression was one of complete shock, as if he didn't expect to see me alive.
Well I was.
I'd never felt so alive as in that moment, when the tables were turned and I finally had the same power over his life that he had once held over mine. The bastard had left me to die. I didn't want to hear his pitiful excuses. I couldn't stomach another lie, so before he could speak I pulled the trigger.
Then I did it again.
And again.
And again.
He destroyed our friendship and I destroyed him. Ethan thought he could fool me, but he didn't know who he was dealing with. Claire came back traumatized; we may never know what happened to her.
As for me, this was one betrayal too many.