Charlie's eyes slowly open. Everything is blury. He sees people rushing around him and screams before a familiar voice enters his ears. It's Jack. Charlie closes his eyes and lays back down. Charlie passes out soon after. He feels pain; searing pain burning throughout his stomach. Every breath he took felt like a sharp knife was jutting into him. Luckily, since he was asleep, he would not remember this pain. Charlie wakes up, opens his eyes, and sees Jack's bloodied hands stitching up his stomach. Charlie leans over and vomits up all he had eaten.
Hours later, Charlie fully comes to. He opens his eyes. At first, everything is a blur, but steadily his vision comes into focus. He attempts to sit up, but his stomach screams in pain. Charlie flops back onto his back, taking a deep breath. There is a water bottle at the side of his bed and Charlie reaches for it.
"Here," Jack's voice appears beside him.
Charlie looks at Jack and realizes that Jack's arm has a tube from it, a maroon liquid flowing through it. Charlie looks at his arm and sees that is what the tube is attatched to. Charlie takes the water and takes a few drinks. He wipes his mouth, handing the bottle back to Jack. The doctor silently takes it. They share a friendly smile.
"You had lost quite a bit of blood. It's a good thing you weren't too far from the main camp..." Jack mutters.
"Mmm," Charlie hums.
Jack nods, setting aside the water. "Any pain?" he asks.
"Uhm, my stomach hurts whenever I move...That's it..." Charlie hoarsley croaks.
Jack hands him the water bottle again. "That's normal. You won't be able to move fully for at least four days." Jack tells Charlie.
"Did you...Did you find Claire?" Charlie asks hesitantly.
Jack looks at the ground, purses his lips, and shakes his head. "No," he murmurs.
Charlie looks away, nodding.
"Well..." Jack begins, detatching the transfusion. He lets the last of the blood trickle into Charlie before taking out Charlie's needle. "That's done. You're just going to have to stay here a little bit longer. And you'll be fine."
Charlie barely nods. He didn't want to talk and risk Jack seeing his tears.
Jack places a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "We'll find Claire. Don't worry." he reasures his friend.
Charlie nods, turning away from the doctor. Jack takes the hint. He sets aside the transfusion tube and quietly exits the tent. He sees Kate approaching and barely smiles dispite his low feeling. Kate and Jack begin walking down the shoreline. Jack is silent as Kate informs him about the berries and fruits she had picked. Finally, they come to a stop. Jack takes a seat first. Kate sits beside him, wrapping her arms around her knees.
"You worried about Claire?" Kate asks.
Jack nods. "And Charlie." he adds.
Kate sighs, "Yeah, I'm sure Sayid and Sawyer will find her...It should be easy."
"I just wish I could have helped more."
"You did all you could do. You saved Charlie, which looked almost impossible. But you did it." Kate smiles.
Jack nods silently, looking at the waves roll in.
"You can't fix everybody at once, Jack." she mutters.
"I know...I just wish I could." Jack sighs regretfully.
Later in the day, Hurley enters Jack's medical tent. He tries to be quiet. He looks at Charlie. The British man is asleep on the cot. The front of Charlie's t-shirt was covered in dried blood. Hurley nearly faints. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before sitting in the chair beside Charlie's cot. Hurley wrings his hands together worriedly. He gazes at the sand beneath his feet before looking back at Charlie. Hurley lets a few tears slip down his face.
"Don't die, dude...'Cuz that would really suck after all that's been happening." Hurley sobs.
Charlie hears the Californian's voice and yawns deeply before opening his blue grey eyes. "I'm not gonna die. But thank you for that positive look on my situation." Charlie grins groggily up at Hurley.
"Dude! I thought you were in a coma!!" Hurley exclaims hugging Charlie.
"Ow." Charlie utters when Hurley hugs him too hard. He hugs his friend back.
"So, are you feeling okay?" Hurley asks, sitting back down.
Charlie nods. "Except for the fact that Claire is still gone...Yeah."
"Good...At least you don't feel horrible," Hurley smiles briefly.
"Hey, how's Aaron? Who's taking care of him? Is he okay?" Charlie asks, worried that they had forgotten the baby.
Hurley chuckles. "He's fine, man. Sun's looking after him. Don't worry."
"Okay, have Sayid and Sawyer come back yet?"
"Not that I know of,"
"Oh,"
"B-But they'll probably be back real soon with Claire." Hurley adds, sensing his friend's distress.
"Yeah, probably." Charlie utters with disbelief.
Hurley rises to his feet and quietly exits.
Charlie looks after Hurley before covering his face with his hands. He sobs quietly, tears pouring from his eyes. He couldn't believe that he had just let that man take Claire. Charlie's shoulders shake from his sobs. Tears form rivers down his cheeks, trailing down his dingy face. He cries until his sobs change to form hiccups and dry coughs. He wipes his eyes of their tears. Charlie closes his eyes and falls into a restless sleep.
He dreams he is running through the trees, screaming Claire's name. Every few seconds, he thinks he sees her, but then, she's gone. He screams he name over and over. Suddenly, the man with the beard comes out and shoots him in the stomach again. Charlie sees Claire and screams her name one more time.
"CLAIRE!!"
Charlie wakes up with a jolt. He feels sweat on his brow. Charlie sees that there is sweat drenching his whole body. He lays his head back on the bed.
"We have to save her..." Charlie mutters to no one in particular before falling asleep.
